It’s that time where we throw our managed bands releases to our own wolves, as always the review team get to say what they want… so lets see what Hutch things of the new Thrasherwolf album…. Inside The Sickened Mind

“We Are Revolution’ is a solid and impressive debut album. It’s slightly raw in places, a little routine in other areas but overall is a throbbing, pulsing record that sits nicely in the pile of 2020 UK thrash releases”.  My words from the review of the debut album by Thrasherwolf, the London quartet who are now poised to return to your focus with their second album, Inside the Sickened Mind.  

For anyone who has seen this band over the past eight years, one thing you cannot question is their commitment to the cause. The cause being UK thrash metal. It’s buried deep within their psyche, surges through their veins, ripples through the sinews and pulses deep in the cortex. And on Inside the Sickened Mind, Daniel Lucas, Jack Saunders, Raimonds Dobelis and Zaq Razaq expend everything they have once more in 45-minutes that has a couple of surprises alongside the more expected thrash metal.  

The first impressions are good. The songwriting has improved since the debut, more structure and precision in the playing are evident, with the lead work detailed and intricate, the engine room locked in tight and the vocals more controlled. There’s some standard fare here, but that’s not such a bad thing if you want heads down thrashing such as the runaway feel of opener Final Act of Aggression, or the chugging G.B.H (Gratuitous Bodily Harm) which follows. It’s not going to win awards for originality, but in terms of solid thrash metal, then Thrasherwolf are certainly challenging for a medal.  

Unsurprisingly, as with any thrash band worth their salt today, those influences are evident throughout but I’m not dwelling on that, for there is little that Thrasherwolf can do other than deflect it with their writing. Hanging House is a classic example of a band who have their influences but who are determined to stamp their own mark on a song.  

A decent production gives the songs a cutting edge that is needed to really appreciate the songs. Kudos to the team of Andy Brook at The Brook Studios (Status Quo, Subhumans, Restarts etc) and Patrick W Engel (Candlemass, Destruction, Sodom etc) who have done a fine job.  

The tempo isn’t as relentless this time round either, although it’s not a slow dance in any shape or form. Even Scream ‘Till Death, which doubles the tempo mid-song (and has hideous backing vocals on the chorus) switches through a full range of speeds, from full throttle bursts to more melodic and calmer instrumental segments. It’s not the best song on the album but it does its job.  

There are a couple of banana skins. The ballad Haunted exposes the weaknesses in Lucas’ vocals, one of the few times during the album that he genuinely struggles. It’s a brave move, for which applause must be given, but it’s a challenging listen and it would get the skip if I went round too many times. In contrast, the album’s gem is the title track which follows, and which closes the album. A 7:30 epic, it’s not quite on the scale of War which opened the debut, but what they miss in length they cash in on with quality. It’s here that Thrasherwolf show the undoubted talent that lurks within the band. There’s an unbeatable riff that rages throughout the track, powerful drumming that anchors the whole song, and vocals that work to the band’s strengths; snarling, snappy, spitting lyrics that spew forth. This is carnage in the pit waiting to happen. And then there’s the darkness in the middle, as the tempo drops but atmosphere builds towards a fitting crescendo.  

Inside the Sickened Mind is a huge step forward for Thrasherwolf. A bravery to try slightly different approaches has mainly worked. It’s a solid release that will rightly build on their already sterling reputation in the UK. A definite listen for anyone who has a beating thrash vein in their body and with live dates coming soon, you sense this is only the start of the second chapter. 

Inside the Sickened Mind is out this Friday (4th October) on CD and Digitally, with a limited addition Cassette coming from Vicious Witch Records in November… and don’t miss the Launch show at The Dev Camden!!