Whiplash-Unborn Again

Pulverized
2009




My first exposure to New Jersey's Whiplash was when I heard them on the compilation "Speed metal hell" back in 1985. That compilation also included Exectuioner, Medieval, At War, Savage Grace and others. Not too long after that I heard their crushing debut "Power and Pain". This was around the time when thrash bands were just starting to pour out everywhere. As in any scene there were leaders and followers. Whiplash established their own sound on their debut with the swirling guitar sound and Tony Portaro's frantic vocals. "Ticket to mayhem" followed in 1987, but actually included a number of songs that appeared on their demos several years earlier. The style on their sophomore effort was perhaps more varied, but just as aggressive. Perhaps this was the point where they should have moved up to the next level, but it didn't really happen. Three years later they decided to add a forth member in vocalist Glenn Hansen and they knocked out "Insult to injury". Personally I didn't like this decision as I think guitarist Tony Portaro was a fine vocalist and didn't see the need for changing, but they tried it and it did not help them advance. The band stopped for a while after this before surfacing again in the mid-90's and then they knocked three albums between 1996 and 1998. They had a different line-up on each of those albums finishing with "Thrashback" which featured the three Tony's line-up that played on "Power and Pain". In 1999 they released "Message in blood" which was made up of demos and live track from the band's early days. With this it seemed that the band had once again vanished. Then in recent years rumblings began that they were indeed coming back. Guitarist/vocalist and band mainstay Tony Portaro has recruited drummer Joe Cangelosi who played on "Ticket to mayhem" and "Insult to injury" and bass player Richard Day. I am not sure what I was expecting at this point considering the line-up changes and long gap since the last release. The first thing I noticed that as a whole they have slowed down some from the straight ahead thrash path that they once followed. Yet many of the songs are really heavy and a large of that is some top notch production. Several songs reminded more of say Metal Church as far as pace goes as they concentrated more or a slow burn than a speedy go for the throat style. There are a few faster songs and even some of those great below the surface winding riffs that were once this bands trademark make their way into the mix. The only aspect of this album that didn't completely work for me was Portaro's vocals. I know people age and some times that takes a toll on your voice. However the raging vocals were so much a part of those early albums and now I felt like his voice was being swallowed by the music. As far as comeback albums go this is a decent if unspectacular effort. Much like many of the bands that appeared on that Speed Metal Hell compilation 24 years ago Whiplash never go their proper due, but's good to see them back in action again.