Onslaught - In Search of Sanity (1989)

Although there wasn't terribly much of a stigma attached to the third Onslaught record when it dropped at the end of the 80s, it's an album that has been unfairly maligned through the decades; if not outright hated by thrashers and fans, then at least placed in the mediocrity box more often than it deserves. Like many, I found it quite the shift from Power from Hell and The Force, transitioning away from the more cult thrash and influential proto-death metal of those releases into a sound that was a little more fit for a time when the thrash genre was becoming more involved, complex and frankly interesting...as much as I love the basic, rudimentary classics of the genre, hearing a band like Artillery or Coroner or Deathrow crank its potential up a few notches was more than welcome. Teenage ears seeking fresh sounds, not repetition of what Slayer, Possessed, Exodus and Metallica had already mastered in their primes.

Artillery is probably the most apt comparison, because In Search of Sanity has a sort of power/thrash hybrid feel to it redolent of those Danes' first two albums, Fear of Tomorrow and Terror Squad, if not the brazenly brilliant riff-gasm that was By Inheritance. This one is definitely characterized by its longer, more ambitious riffing structures, a superior balance of melody and aggression to its own predecessors, and last but not least the addition of Grim Reaper crooner Steve Grimmett. I was particularly curious to hear what Steve would contribute once I took note of this lineup change, for as effective as the vocals were for the earlier, harsher, more direct albums, I'm not sure that would have worked as well alongside the guitars here. He doesn't sound too different than in his alma mater, and strangely I think it's those more melodic phrasings that add a lot of depth to the hammering, juggernaut riffs which owe as much to West Coast US thrash metal to anything else. Groups like Heathen, Defiance, Metallica and Testament are great comparisons to the processed, bottom end feed of the muted guitars, or perhaps better yet this is in the same mold as fellow Brits Xentrix on their first two discs.

When I was younger I remember being swept up by the rather robust track-lengths, which never became boring even with the 5 minute instrumental opener, or the 12+ opus "Welcome to Dying". There's always something catchy waiting around every corner, and throughout each of the arguably bloated pieces, Grimmett is casting out another melody. He uses a lot of sustained notes which are a cool contrast to the busier guitars beneath, which are just constantly chugging and driving along courtesy of Nige Rockett and Rob Trotman. The leads here are pretty good, always controlled and never arbitrary or long in the tooth, and I also thought Jim Hinder's bass sounded pretty good, especially where it got a starring role like the verses of the cover of AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock", which I remember being another of those respectful and semi popular tributes of the 80s similar to Realm's "Eleanor Rigby" or Testament's "Nobody's Fault", the band making it something of their own rather than copying the original too closely. The drums are also pretty good, snappy and straightforward but tossing in a good cadence or fill here or there.

Over 30 years later I'm still digging both the momentum and construction of this record, and along with its two predecessors I still consider it the highlight era of the band's career. While newer Onslaught albums are met with a good deal of critical acclaim, I find them to be rather generic, if not awful. For the same reasons I'm not that into modern Slayer, Rob Dukes-fronted Exodus and Warbringer, I just don't find them to carry the same level of personality as they used to. In Search of Sanity might indeed not have the cult, battle jacket-worthy credentials of its forebears, and perhaps it's worth it to even go back to this one and think of it as a separate band entirely, but if you enjoy the well-crafted, accessible thrashings of the later 80s then I think this one easily meets the demand, even when it goes a little long in the teeth. In fact I'm almost a little sad that I didn't hear more of this with Steve in the roster.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (lies taint the mirror)

https://www.powerfromhell.com/

Onslaught - Sounds of Violence (2011)

Despite the fact that they've got three of their early members in tow (Sy Keeler, Nige Rockett and Steve Grice), Onslaught don't sound a hell of a lot like they used to when they released classics like Power from Hell and The Force, nor the power/thrash of 1989's In Search of Sanity, with Steve Grimmett at the helm. It's understandable that the band wouldn't want to keep repeating themselves, and thus their last album (and first reunion) Killing Peace was a fairly average slab of modern thrash with grooves and high, glossed production values, but it wasn't bad. The generically titled Sounds of Violence, their 5th full-length in nearly 30 years of existence, continues along this path, but perhaps too far, because it's little more than a heap of cliched lyrics, forgettable riffs and frustrating vocals.

To best describe the sound here would be a fusion of the past three, mediocre Exodus records, with Slayer-like riffs and Sepultura's Beneath the Remains/Arise era punch and occasional whimsied dissonance. Long gone is the harrowing, occult wretchedness that was characteristic of their mid-80s period, and Keeler shifts between a number of vocal styles beginning with a very Devin Townsend-like concentration of angst and ending with boring death growls that are often used to set up breakdowns much like you'd expect of a nickel and dime metalcore band. Very often, they're layered in together. Furthermore, the lyrics are quite weak here, just a meandering string of cliches that feel like they've been pulled out of countless other songs in the 80s and 90s. Nary a fresh image to be found, and the constant use of 'fucking' in the songs does not manifest the anger and power it feels like it should, simply placed to make the lyrics have a hollow impact. I wouldn't say that the subjects were socially irrelevant, but songs like "Godhead" and "Hatebox" sound like they should be on a dumpy Machine Head album in the mid 90s. '666, you wanna start a fuckin' war', 'rise this is the new world order', etc. Not interesting at all, and though they were never poet laureates, give me "Death Metal" and "Witch Hunt" any day.

The music itself doesn't fare much better, and it seems the only thing going for it is the forceful hammering of the rhythm section due to the massive production. A song like "The Sound of Violence" is basically just Exodus/Sepultura 101 circa Fabulous Disaster and Beneath the Remains, while "Code Black" and "Godhead" are loaded with boring groove hooks or Slayer styled descending melodies. The breakdowns feel too manufactured here, either to create mosh pits or set up some octave melody (which, to be fair, do often conjure a sense of atmosphere that is lacking elsewhere). The leads are actually quite explosive and well written throughout the album, but their immediate environment is lacking. The best songs on the album are "Rest in Pieces" and "Suicideology", both of which offer no frills, thrusting modern thrash, but they feel pretty similar to one another and they're not incredibly compelling. The cover of Motörhead's "Bomber" isn't bad, at least the band bring it to their level rather than worrying about a sound too close to the original.

Sounds of Violence doesn't completely suck, but the very 90s elements, vapid breakdowns and some of the vocals/lyrics didn't prompt much interest in my returning to the material. You've heard all of this before, and it's very unlikely to inspire the same level of respect as the band's 80s fare. There's a lot of talent within the band, especially the taut execution, the energy of the leads and the charisma Sy Keeler, but not all of these are used to their greatest impact. Dump the death growls, the bad slam parts, and some of the predictable lyrics and sharpen this beast and you'll get an Onslaught that is once again worthy of its name.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

http://www.onslaughtfromhell.com/

Onslaught - Power from Hell (1985)

Years before they hired Steve Grimmett and sought a more technical and accessible direction to their thrash, Onslaught were one of the more abrasive and filthy speed metal acts from England. Wild and messy burning leads, driving punkish rhythms (they were originally a punk/hardcore band) , and the dirty and aggressive vocals of Paul Mahoney defined the ripping sound of this debut album. Aside from Venom, this was probably the rawest thrash outfit to make a splash beyond the Isles, albeit a small splash. They were also another of those bands which could be considered proto-black metal, due to their vile faux-Satanic aesthetic and unrelenting sound.

Power From Hell is a cult classic for a reason: 12 tracks of sacrilegious speed which display a clear demonic presence (or maybe it was just the drugs). The band blasts out of the starting gates with the amazing "Damnation/Onslaught", fueled by riffs not unlike the early from Destruction, Sodom, or even Tankard's Zombie Attack (though the latter came later). Fun and simple riffing, but delivered at quite an extreme pace for its day. Other noteworthy tracks include the mid-paced "Lord of Evil", the almost prophetic anthem "Death Metal", the bone crushing "Steel Meets Steel", and the searing "Witch Hunt". There aren't a lot of dynamics to this record, and frankly they weren't needed, this album had simply come to sex up your woman and sacrifice her on the devil's altar.

The production is rather dense and dark, with driving, crashing drums, a thick layer of menacing guitars, and a good bass presence (even if it just follows the guitars for the most part). This is probably best delivered via vinyl, like many old albums, but it still sounds great digitally. Many bands today are still aiming for this simplified and effective sound. Onslaught are certainly near legendary as one of the earliest sheer thrash/speed metal bands to embrace this occult style post-Venom, and an essential for purists. The band is still around today with their 2nd vocalist Sy Keeler.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (leading death's disciples)

http://www.onslaughtfromhell.com/