When I first met the guys in Battery I was asked to do the cover artwork for their 2012 demo Mental Pollution. Upon hearing the 4 tracks, I knew then that these Danish thrashers were going places. It didn’t take long for that to happen after signing recently with Punishment 18 records and releasing their first full length Armed with Rage.
I can Safely say that records like this prove that thrash metal is alive and well, effectively continuing the template of bombastic riffs and hoarsely shrilled vocals. There’s definitely a sense of the melodic too, expertly crafted into the songs and coupled with gang vocals to round out your thrash metal experience.
My favorite track is “Zombestial Incantation” coming across like a hammer hitting you square in the face and if that doesn’t do it for you, wait till you hear “Genocidal Gatlin Gummers”. This closing number has a Slayer vibe coursing through the riffs and it makes for a satisfying listen. I think it was a smart decision to close out this debut album with that number and it should leave you wanting more.
Armed with Rage is nearly 40 minutes of solid thrash metal with a bit more polish here than what was found on the Mental Pollution demo. I like the fact the band retains some of the raw, gritty feel they were founded upon, so consider this a worthy extension if you are planning to pick up this debut. It’s definitely worth getting in my humble estimation.
Kenneth Gallant, Editor HMS
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