Strikemaster-Vicious Nightmare

2012



Hailing from Mexico these guys formed in 2005 and this is actually a re-issue of an album originally put out in 2009, but it's my first time hearing it. I hear a lot of throwback thrash acts and that's fine by me as I loved this style back in the late 80's. Yet therein lies the tough part, that being how do these young bands do enough to make me want to care about them instead of just listening to the bands they are influenced by instead? I am an old metal fan and kind of picky too so I certainly don't feel that I have to embrace every band just because they play a style I enjoyed twenty some years ago. So for me these bands have to prove something other than they can just copy a classic thrash band. Strikemaster pull upon influences that are both numerous and obvious. They include Bay area acts like Exodus, Testament, Vio-lence but also bands like early Dark Angel as well. The sound is definitely based around what were going on about 1986-88 so right before many thrash acts began to tone down the speed. So there is nothing earth shattering to their sound. Yet they manage to tap into the power and the pure chaotic part of what made so many bands worth listening to back in the prime days of thrash. If I had to describe Strikemaster in a word it would be "relentless" because they never stop. If you love classic thrash then you need to hear this one.