Review | Slaughter Lord - Thrash 'Til Death album artwork

Rating: 8.4

Country: Australia

Release Date: 2006

Track list:
1. Destructor
2. Slaughter Lord
3. Die By Power
4. Taste Of Blood
5. Legion
6. Slaughtered Corpse
7. Onslaught
8. Steel Lords Of War
9. Cryptic Terror

Band Website: Slaughter Lord

Slaughter Lord - Thrash 'Til Death

Mick Burke- Guitar
Anton Vasquez- Guitar
Tony Noel- Bass/Vocals
Steve Hughes- Drums

May Beelzebub look favorably upon Invictus for deeming this compilation worthy of re-re-release (some of you may remember that this was Invictus' virgin offering a few years ago, a scarce reissue that went out of print rather swiftly), as Australia's rapid ascent to notoriety over the past few years (Gospel Of The Horns, Nocturnal Graves, Stargazer and Vomitor spearheading a death/thrash renaissance of the highest order) has aroused burgeoning interest in the embryonic Aussie scene. Of course, the legendry of Hobbs Angel Of Death and Mortal Sin has been enshrined forever, though the considerably more interesting Slaughter Lord have been relegated to comparative obscurity amongst collectors. While Hobbs took their stylistic cues almost exclusively from Hell Awaits, and Mortal Sin offered a sinewy, consummate take on Legacy -era Testament and Death Angel, Slaughter Lord present what is effectively an Australian twist on feverishly intense, rabidly violent post- Kreator death/thrash, anticipating the likes of Spectrum Of Death, Darkness Descends and the like in terms of freakish savagery, and is contemporaneous with demo-era Pestilence, Devastation (Chicago) and Torment In Fire Sacrifice in terms of approach.

Ahead of its time for ‘86/'87? Yes, very much so, especially when we frame Slaughter Lord in context- you may not find great favor in the bloodstained, nebulous blitzkrieg of “Slaughtered Corpse”, “Taste Of Blood” and the like, reminiscent of the OTT insanity of Terrorizer, Archenemy and Majesty as far as brazenly chaotic barbarity goes, but there is scarce doubt that a lot of this is simply more brutal than a lot of the post- Possessed, post- Kreator fare that was spewed forth in 86, and, along with Insanity's 3 song rehearsal, Genocide's WFBE demo and Necrovore's landmark demo, this sears and scars like the best of them, though the defining characteristic that separates these luminaries is Slaughter Lord's prodigious proclivity for Teutonic riff-flinging- witness the reckless Into The Abyss type epic-thrash of “Steel Lords Of War”, reflecting a lofty sense of ambition that one can only wish was harnessed for a proper full-length, as well as the buzzsaw Protector-like “Legion”, fuelled by a madcap, schizophrenic riff that, quite possibly, is among the top 20 death/thrash riffs EVER penned. “Slaughter Lord” sprints through various seemingly incongruous movements to make for some boldly adventurous, idiosyncratically articulated “Deliver Us To Evil” type thrash. The lead guitar exhibits a more thoughtful edge than the more monomaniacal rhythm section, adorning the proceedings with surprising texture and eloquence.

It doesn't take a brainiac to figure out that the rehearsals collected on this collection helped shape the inimitable “war metal” template that the likes of Sadistik Exekution developed concurrently, and that Bestial Warlust and Destroyer 666 expanded upon. This is vintage material that surely deserves its place alongside more illustrious compatriots like Pestilence, Sepultura, Sacrifice and Chakal. A significant historical document for riff-aficionados the world over…if you love stuff like Tirant Sin, Protector, Morbid Saint, you will worship this.

July 29th, 2007