Wratheon – Black Thrash Mass

Paul Hutchings drags his song suffering goat down to the Black Thrash Mass alter…

‘Black Thrash Mass’? Could this be another blackened thrash metal release by any chance? Oh yes, fear not dear reader, this solo project from American based Wratheon does exactly what it says on the cover and thrashes in true black style.

16 minutes of icy melodies underpinned by a racing pace that Usain Bolt would fail to match. The five tracks are furiously delivered with a solid production that allows clarity whilst retaining some of the rawness that one would want. Opening songs ‘In Séance’ and ‘The Fire Burns’ blur the traditional boundaries of black metal and thrash, muscular riffage combining with the snarling vocals and creeping coldness. ‘Crimson Eyes’ takes a more traditional route, the vocals throatier and the riffs thicker, whilst the instrumental ‘Life’ reverts more to the dark side with some underlying melodies, punishing blast beats and a deeper feel. Closing song ‘Unescapable Null’ concludes this short EP in dramatic style, epic in feeling and as aggressive as those that have gone before it.

There’s plenty of potential here. It’s not as accomplished as Hellripper, but Wratheon has delivered an appetiser that leaves you interested in more. It’ll be fascinating to see how he develops, in a genre which is expanding exponentially.