Savage Messiah
INSURRECTION
Candlelight Records

The Brits have a kooky little knack for taking music indigenous to other parts of the world and carving their own little notch onto the body of work. The Beatles did it with American R&B kicking of the British Invasion, Massive Attack did it with hip hop, creating trip-hop and influencing a host of down-tempo styles of electronic music. Most certainly in metal there’s an interesting Brit-borrowed heritage.  

In the mid-80’s Onslaught pulled a letter perfect Slayer bash right out of the Cali-fried Metal Blade catalog, Napalm Death and Carcass forged a death/grind  that was the next plateau of extreme from American crossover. Cradle of Filth pinched the blackened soul from the snowy confines of Norway and applied a gothic aesthetic that brought the mallrats from Marilyn Manson to Mayhem.

Now, enter Savage Messiah. A Brit contender of considerable talent and metal know-how. Truly students of 1986-1989 era of aggressive American metal. To call them simply a thrash band from the New Wave Of Thrash Metal movement would be somewhat criminal.

Insurrection Rising opens with the title track. First impressions have you scrambling to recall where you were the first time you heard Testament’s “Over The Wall” . “In Absence Of Liberty” is pure David Wayne-era Metal Church.  “The Serpent Toungue Of Divinity” is a study in all things Bay Area. “Vigil Of The Navigator”  is a bastard child of Anthrax and Slayer, replete with South of Heaven-esque octave vocals and the jun jun jun of one Kerry King, things get quite Megadeth come solo time.  Man oh man, have these dudes studied the masters.

Guitars are nice and crunchy with occasional flurries of Somewhere In Time-era Maidenisms, vocals delivered in a Chuck Billy snarl, concise drumming, but not too showy (again, think early-Testament). The songwriting is interesting, a nice nuance of melody often drifts across the top of tense, chaotic chugging. Then, in comes “Silent Empire” where the band alternates from an April Wine/Thin Lizzy/Def Lep/Judas Priest/HammerFall type of thrash/groove/ballad. I don’t know, just pretty freaking cool.

PITRIFF RATING - 9/10 - Yes, a neener for my first review of 2010! When Mr. Pitriff first laid this on me, I thought, great, another bandwagon thrash act swinging on Testament’s speedbag. Strangely, I listen to this record in the morning. It was my commuting companion over the holidays, made me drive faster. I’m happy to know that the music that I love is in good hands for a new decade.

John O'Brien

Buy Here