The modern era of thrash has seen its fair share of ups and downs with new acts coming onto the scene these last few years. Recently, Mason entered the fray with their debut disc Warhead. The band hailing from Melbourne, Australia hits the ground running with a series of incendiary riffs, coupled with an impressive rhythm section to match. The group have been touring with the likes of Forbidden, Blood Duster and Elm Street, keeping their live shows jaw dropping and building upon their ever expanding reputation.
Warhead was recorded in late of 2012 and it features 10 tracks of stellar thrash metal with a guest appearance from Jeff Loomis to boot. Not only do they sound seasoned on this release, but the album is pure crushing, with an endless supply of riffs bolstering every song. The opening instrumental gets things off to a great start and then dives straight into the next track “Imprisoned” that absolutely tore my head off. From there “Product of Hate” is a strong thrasher brimming with tons of anger, followed by the intensified scorcher of “Vengeance” that spits out venom and riffs aplenty.
Most of the tracks on Warhead never let up, especially when you get to a grinding number like “Wasteland” that kicks it up a notch and piles on the riffs in the process. Vocalist Jimmy Benson growls and spits out the lyrics with the best of them and his performance on “Ways of the Weak” is probably the standout track that I liked the most. The gang vocals and non-stop riffing also help to make this a top thrasher and that is followed up with superb “Wretched Soul” to close things out on a proper note.
Mason displays a killer instinct and solid work ethic for a young band starting out in this genre. The guitars are ripping through, the choruses are catchy and the high tempo help to make Warhead a satisfying listen. Surprisingly for an independent release, the production is crystal clear and fine-tuned to perfection. Certainly they are off to a good start, and it will be interesting to see how Mason grow and mature into a top tier thrash metal entity.
Kenneth Gallant, Editor HMS
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