Grief of War - Worship (2009)

Grief of War is a good signing for Prosthetic Records, who I generally associate with terrible, overhyped metalcore bands. These Japanese thrashers have a sound very much like the German gods Kreator or Destruction, and Worship is a solid sophomore slugfest. They don't create anything original or highly memorable, but if you possess testorone and two fists, you should find yourself headbanging to at least 50% of this album.

After a few seconds of static, "Crack of Doom" erupts like a volcano of razor honed speed, with vocalist Manabu Hirose evoking both Schmier and the wilder vocals of American Bay Area thrashers. The track is pretty straightforward, with some breakdowns after the two minute mark. "Disorder" is a little better, with some rhythms reminiscent of Sepultura and D.R.I. "Captured Soul Eternity" picks up the pace, a charging, glorious thrasher not unlike Kreator in their prime. Other tracks of note include the perky "Built My Brain", the pissed off "Revolt" and my personal fave of the album, "Into the Void".

Worship has a top notch mix, the guitars bulky and brutal but capable of small snippets of melody. This is an angry band, they don't slow down much and they possess the same visceral, from-the-gut hatred that fuels Destruction. The leads are pretty average, but they occasionally (as in "Revolt") transcend the mundane for a few catchy moments. Though the band doesn't construct a lot of A-list riffing, the overall intensity of the album is consistent and I'd recommend anyone who wants to hear some thrash metal with 80s aesthetics and modern production.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.griefofwar.com/