Vindicator-United we fall

Slaney
2012

 I remember several years back when a lot of younger bands were popping up playing old style thrash influenced by the acts that started the style back in the mid to late 80's. A number of people thought this would be a fad that would soon die out. Well they were wrong as if anything more bands have popped up following the roads paved by the masters of the genre years ago. Of course just like the thrash scene of the 80's there are impressive and not so impressive acts. I know that I have heard some solid thrash albums this year and some that made me go "eh, big deal, I heard this before". So that leads us to the latest offering from Vindicator. You may have guessed that I wouldn't have spent this much build up on a watered clunker. If you made that deduction then you would indeed be correct since Vindicator have reached into past grabbed the spirit of classic thrash and taken it kicking and screaming into today's metal world. However this is a bit of a surprise to me since I wasn't terribly impressed by their songs on the Outbreak of metal split disc that they did three years nor was I was all too thrilled by their 2010 album "the Antique Witcheries" which I thought was mostly run of the mill material. However "United we fall" has me thinking that their songwriting skills have gone up a notch or two. Think early Megadeth mixed with early Annihilator, Exodus, Razor and other acts that shredded the scene back between say 1985 and 1989. This is definitely a band to goes by the power of the riff because they know how to knock out thick and chunky riffs. That's always a good beginning to memorable thrash which is clearly what this album is. The vocals are rough, but they complement the music which what they should be doing. The clunky and typical approach that accompanied much of their previous material has been worked out as they hit on all cylinders and have an impressive knack of timing. On the twelve tracks presented here I never heard any shortcomings and if anything the album started strong and got better as it went along.While not all upcoming thrash acts are impressive it's refreshing to hear that Vindicator have plenty to offer plus they have certainly improved from their previous work.