Standardised by enjoyable thrash from down under
Checking all the boxes when composing isn't everything. Sure, thrash metal bands can have shredding guitars, fast drumming and throat-tearing vocals, but it's not all you need. You'll need flow, engagement, aggression and more. Sabretung gives the middle finger to all the black metal-infused thrash bands Australia has become known for with a spell of straight up thrash metal.
Their debut EP from 2006, "The Price is Pain", didn't succeed in generating reactions, but the band's relentless toil brought forth another release: 2011's "Conquest". And with this album the quartet are poised to conquer indeed. Being part of the 80's retrothrash revivalist movement they've got quite a lot of competition from bands like Municipal Waste and Lich King, with whom they've got a lot in common soundwise.
Their debut EP from 2006, "The Price is Pain", didn't succeed in generating reactions, but the band's relentless toil brought forth another release: 2011's "Conquest". And with this album the quartet are poised to conquer indeed. Being part of the 80's retrothrash revivalist movement they've got quite a lot of competition from bands like Municipal Waste and Lich King, with whom they've got a lot in common soundwise.
"...and without taking advantage of the relative ease of access to good sound engineering they're falling dangerously close to B- or C-grade 80s thrash."
"Conquest" is an album that at first fails to impress. The sound is there, and they're checking all the boxes, but the vocals especially took some getting used to. True to form the choruses are catchy and memorable, incorporating typical gang shouts every so often. But Sabretung can't help getting a bit stale at times with their mid-tempoed brand of thrash, and without taking advantage of the relative ease of access to good sound engineering they're falling dangerously close to B- or C-grade 80s thrash. The Australians have credited four different people with sound engineering, including the band's own Doug Murray, so perhaps it's a case of too-many-cooks.
As listening sessions are going into overtime various tidbits of quality shine through though. Their overall classic thrash metal structures are regularly jazzed up with more modern twists, and the drumming in itself deserves a mention. There are nods to most of the regional schools of thrash, creating an alround balanced and calculated experience. As mentioned they've got a sound not entirely unlike Lich King, but bands such as Exodus also come to mind. Sabretung would do well to leave their mid-tempo comfort zone once in a while and put out some real aggression, and while it feels like they're not bringing much new to the tabel, they utilise time tested elements in a potent concoction.
As listening sessions are going into overtime various tidbits of quality shine through though. Their overall classic thrash metal structures are regularly jazzed up with more modern twists, and the drumming in itself deserves a mention. There are nods to most of the regional schools of thrash, creating an alround balanced and calculated experience. As mentioned they've got a sound not entirely unlike Lich King, but bands such as Exodus also come to mind. Sabretung would do well to leave their mid-tempo comfort zone once in a while and put out some real aggression, and while it feels like they're not bringing much new to the tabel, they utilise time tested elements in a potent concoction.
7/10
Released in 2011 independently
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