Gosh, doesn’t time fly! It hardly seems two minutes since I reviewed this bands self-released debut and I can’t believe it’s been almost two years. Those of you who have been plugged in to the UK thrash circuit will know this is the band formed by Dave Silver, formerly of Headless Cross or one of the original “big three” alongside Evile and Pitiful Reign. For a while it seemed HC were tipped for the top but were swiftly overtaken by Evile who were the more reliable band on all accounts. While Dave Silver had the indomitable drive to succeed, this was hampered by his sheer bad luck on the band-mate front, going through thirty or so musicians before calling it a day and making a fresh start with SM. There have been a couple of line-up changes since album #1, but overall things seem to be running far more smoothly and it’s good to see Silver & co. with a decent label behind him/them.
I’ve never found Silver’s brand of thrash the easiest to get into; while some of his contemporaries (Evile, Bonded By Blood, Mutant, to name a few) play thrash in such a manner that is simple, no-nonsense, heads down music to wreck your neck to, Savage Messiah is a bit more cerebral and complex. That doesn’t make it any less good, but I certainly found this album to be one that requires a good few listens in order to get the most out of it. If you heard the last album then you’ll have a pretty good idea what you’ll get from this album as it’s basically the same stuff, albeit with slightly better production. ‘Insurrection Rising’ gets things off to a strong start; this is a fast and ferocious thrashathon with quite a modern slant to the riffage, layered with some screeching lead guitars and a powerful yell to set us in motion. If anything, I’d say this is more energetic than the debut especially with the likes of this track and ‘Enemy Image (Dehumanisation)’ which is another fast-paced number.
‘Vigil of the Navigator’ is more of a mid-paced melodic romp that is monstrously heavy and laden with atmosphere. It reminds me a bit of the newer Evile sound, and the drumming is also notably tasty here as well. The Mustainisms are rife as ever, and Silver has his snarl down to a tee narrowly escaping the parody accusations of which he has previously been indicted. This especially becomes apparent on this track and ‘He Who Laughs Last’ (a dig at his detractors, perhaps?) which also begins with some technical lead guitar flourishes. ‘Corruption X’ has a massive swagger that is corrupted by some equally well-applied lead work.
‘Silent Empire’ slows things right down for a moment as we are treated to the classic thrash ballad (come on, all of the best thrash albums have them and it’s about the only acceptable type of such usually vomit-inducing tracks!) While slow-paced, it still stays respectably heavy and has a rather epic chorus that verges into power metal turf a la Iced Earth. There is a definite nod to the old school here, though as with most of the better examples of the NWOBThrashM bands, it doesn’t feel in the least bit dated. This is all highly headbangable, yet with a slice of technicality to give a more intelligent edge over some of their peers. Good stuff!
http://www.myspace.com/savagemessiahmetal
