Gareth checks out the new album by the Mexico Thrashers – here’s what he thinks…

I must admit I didn’t know much about this trio from sunny Mexico, but it turns out they are pretty prolific, forming back in 2005, they already have 4 albums under their sombreros (5 if you count the re-recorded ‘U.F.T.M.’ album) and a couple of EPs, the latest of which is the 4 track ‘Death Based Illusions’ released back in 2019, and now over 3 years later the band is about to drop full length album number 5, the curiously titled ‘Tangram Apocalypse’.

There have been a few changes since said EP, with only the ever-present Col. Francisco Kmu (guitars/vocals) still on board, who is now joined by Walter Kleinert on bass, and the mysteriously named Konspirator A on drums! What hasn’t changed is the sound; very raw, slightly primitive thrash, yet with technically interesting and thoughtful riffs to add flavour. Take opener ‘Crystalized’ a compact vicious little bastard, with spikey angular riffs and yet has an interchanging melodic refrain before swapping to a bludgeoning middle section. One thing which is a bit different this time round, is the bass is a little less prominent in the mix, whilst still being audible and an integral part of the sound. ‘Here Comes the Incubus’ is also a brutal thrash assault, yet it also has these clever little guitar parts which just gives the songs a bit of an edge to make them stand out from the usual. ‘We Die Tonight’ ups the tempo, before a staccato groove, and fiddly little guitar parts before thrashing uncontrollably, the pit might become a bloody mess when this is played, while ‘Lost Within Compass’ adds a little Atheist like bass noodling into the arrangement. ‘Heavy Metal’ is a bit of an oddball track and is bit more mellow than some of the other tracks, not saying it’s a lightweight, but it’s certainly sticks out in this crowd both musically and lyrically, with its clean singalong vocals, but if I’m brutally honest, it’s not very good. Thankfully ‘Black to the Future’ gets us back to the thrash, possibly the fastest track on the album, all thoughts of the previous song’s misgivings are soon forgotten and forgiven, with razor sharp riffs and diabolically fast snare and double bass, this one pummels you to the ground with little effort, before a fascinating melodic middle section with some nice, palm-muting carnage, and an intriguing tuneful solo. Lead single ‘Prototype God’ is no slouch either, more projectile like velocity riffing, and senseless, yet controlled violence, with the vocals particularly ferocious. The album ends with the slower, yet no less heavy ‘Save the Fire’, with its menacing, granite riffs, which after battering you into submission, eventually slows to a solemn outro coda.

If you’re the sort of thrasher that cant’ get enough of the likes of 80’s Sodom or Slayer, but also like clever, tricky little riffs, melodies, hooks, and rhythms to give things a unique slant, then you could do much worse than check this Mexican trio out, my betting is you won’t be disappointed.

Strike Master Tangram Apocalypse was released on the 1st September 2023