Album Reviews : Abraxxas – Bitter Harvest

Melbourne based thrash outfit Abraxxas are the latest newcomers in the trend of old school thrash bands currently emerging in the Australian metal scene. Not that this is a bad thing. It is in fact a very good thing, at least in my opinion. For a band that has only been together for such a short time, they have put forth quite a solid sample of their wares.

Opening track ‘World of Pain’ kicks off this 4 track demo with an ‘Angel of Death’-esque riff, before transforming into a mid-paced thrash attack to set the scene. ‘Rattenkrieg’ (German for rats war if anyone was curious) is the longest track of the demo clocking in at over 6 minutes (phwaor!). Starting with ‘Thing that should not be’ style intro but quickly gets rid of this and evolves into fast-paced thrash territory rather opting for balladry trash (see what I did there) and ends with face melting solo played over the relentless riff. An epic riff/solo combination opens the final and title track, ‘Bitter Harvest’, before building a wall of thrash noise to create the standout track of the demo.

Vocalist Idris Eldritch has been bouncing around the scene for a while, performing for Sewercide on a couple of splits in 2012 and 2013. His vocal style fits nicely in with the Warbringer gang of thrash front men, lyrically covering the tried and true topics of war, anger and conflict over the course of the demo.

Old school, low fi production adds to the vibe these guys are crafting and it reminds me a lot of old school Kreator and Slayer. Personally I think this adds quite of lot of charm to the demo however the bass drum does sound a bit ‘damp’, giving the impression someone is slapping the drum with a wet fish. But honestly this is a demo, so I should just chill.

For a taste of things to come, this demo really shows off the strength of the latest recruit of the trash scene. There are enough solid riffs and plenty of rip-roaring solos to keep the masses (albeit niche masses) happy. This is a very solid demo and with an album out in the near future, could be just what you need if you’re after a thrashing good time.

Band: Abraxxas
Album: Bitter Harvest
Year: 2014
Genre: Blackened Thrash Metal
Label: Independent
Origin: Melbourne, Australia

Tracklist:

1. World of Pain
2. Drop the Hammer
3. Rattenkrieg
4. Bitter Harvest

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