In Gareth’s second visit to Germany this week, he checks out the latest outfit for the riffmasters in Battlecreek!!

German thrashers Battlecreek return with their 3^rd album ‘Maze of the Mind’, combining both Teutonic and Bay area influences, together with a hardcore punk attitude, the 4 members of Battlecreek have forged their own unique slice of the thrash pie-chart. 

Formed back in 2004, the band, which still has all four founding members by the way, aren’t the most prolific, only releasing three albums in 20 years of existence, that’s slow even when you compare them, with a certain massive band beginning with a capital M! Theres’ a 9-year gap between ‘Maze of the Mind’ and second album ‘Hate Injection’, so the guys have had plenty of time to write the new tracks, which means there’s no excuse for anything less than a stellar release.

Well, I’m pleased to say they’ve done themselves proud, in Chriss (guitar) they have a riff writer extraordinaire, his guitar work is inventive, melodic, and varied. You can see his influences range from the usual suspects, but also seem to include more leftfield inspirations as well, take the outro instrumental ‘Goliath’s Revenge’, where he shows off plenty of his skills, from tasteful acoustics, to stabbing staccato rhythmic blasts to beautiful solos. The rest of the band are no slouches either, and the whole band are tight as a Northerner’s wallet, bass (Nodeng) and drums (Phil) form the rock-solid foundation, and while Berne’s vocals may be an acquired taste, they suit the chaos of the music to a tee.

‘Implosion of the Sun’ eases us in with a fragile acoustic melody and a short cautionary speech on the effect of mankind on the environment, before a galloping, escalating chug takes over, which itself is superseded by some breakneck speed riffing, and eventually the vocals come in with breathtaking ferocity. ‘King Of Rats’ is a little bit more playful in its approach, with a lively hardcore like groove and a punky feel to the vocals. The title track has a more aggressive resolve, with relentless drumming and to the point riffing, the vocals spat out with real intent. ‘Knockout In The First Round’ is a real riff fest, the riffs fighting riffs to be the top dog. The acoustic interlude ‘The Cords Of Death’ introduces the pounding speed fest of ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’, before Gama Bomb’s Philly Byrne makes a guest appearance on vicious thrasher ‘Granville’s Hammer’, adding his distinctive high-pitched screams to Berne’s more grounded bark. ‘…To the Gallows’ is another acoustic into that leads to ‘Pleasures Of The Hangman’ slows things down with a bouncy main riff and a great singalong chorus. ‘Border Patrol’ is the epic penultimate track, which is a vivacious up-tempo thrasher for its first half before an dynamic bass break and a slower chunky middle eight, before a mad dash to the finish, the aforementioned instrumental ‘Goliath’s Revenge’ signs things off with lots of different sections to keep it interesting

A powerful third album from these proficient Germans and definitely worth checking out, recommended for those who like it fast, aggressive, contemporary but with an old school slant, they’ve even got a striking cover, courtesy of the legendary Andreas Marschall.

Battlecreek – Maze Of Mind is Out today on MDD Records