Some days ago, I found myself doing something that I haven’t done for a long time now. I started listening to the entire discography of the Greek thrashers. This happened after their amazing performance in Athens Rocks Festival when they opened for the mighty Slayer. So, what better than having just now their seventh full-length album?
It’s been three years since their last release, the longest period in their history so far. “Years Of Aggression” wasn’t different from what I was hoping for. We know for years now their capabilities and the two songs that were released as promos made me hope for the best. These two are the first album tracks, “Endless War” and “Born Of Hate”. The first one, an ideal opener, is a classic Suicidal Angels song full of speed and thrashy riffs. The second one is probably one of the best they’ve ever written. It has a terrific melody and riffing that reminded me slightly of melodic death metal.
The album has the characteristic sound of the band which has grown and matured over the years and puts more variety in the compositions. Such examples are mid-tempo beasts like “Years Of Aggression” and the melodic “Bloody Ground”. Of course, the traditional thrashy songs are here, like “D.I.V.A” and “The Roof Of Rats”. The one that is quite different from the rest is the last one and the second longest they’ve ever written, as it last more than seven minutes. This is “The Sacred Dance With Chaos” and has excellent riffs, melodies and even acoustic guitars. Also, great job on the killer solos throughout the album.
The production is flawless, as it stays true to the sound of the band and allows each instrument to be heard clearly. Suicidal Angels with this album prove once again that they are the best thrash metal act in Greece and one of the best in the world (if not the best), compared of course only to all the others who came with the new millennium and brought the revival of the genre. In my personal list, it goes easily to the top of this year’s releases so far.
