Mat checks out the reissue of a 20 year old underground favorite that finally makes it from Bristol to Spotify…

Bristol groove metallers, with a thrash  pedigree, remastered their second EP for its twentieth anniversary. 2004, when looking back on it, was quite a stellar year for metal. With Nu Metal taking a breather, Thrash Metal was making a resurgence, and Groove becoming more than just a sub-genre. it was permeating the genre on the whole.

Let’s have a quick look at some of what came out that year…

Damageplan – New Found Power

Exodus – Tempo Of The Damned

The Haunted – Revolver

Lamb Of God – Ashes Of The Wake

Mastodon – Leviathan

The underground Thrash scene saw Hirax, Skeletonwitch and Fastkill release good stuff, too (among many, many others).

Meanwhile… in Bristol, Purgatory (now Trapped In Purgatory) frontman Chris Neighbour, future Blaze Bayley and Xentrix guitarist Jay Walsh, once again entered the studio with drummer Rob Hicks and bassist Podge to record their second EP as the band Fourwaykill.

What resulted was 24 Hours To Die, the reason you’re reading this now. So, why bring this up? The answer is simple and it touches upon me something I can relate to.

Chris wanted 24 Hours To Die to reach a wider audience. Therefore, it has been remastered and reissued for the purpose of being made available for streaming from all our favourite sites. He’s obviously proud of it, otherwise he would not have put his main band on a brief pause. Even enlisting original producer, Martin Nichols to helm the remaster, adding two “radio” edits to the mix, and retitling the results here as 24 ‘More’ Hours To Die.

It opens with the title track, a full tilt sepultura/Pantera  bruiser that actually benefits the edit later on here. Mainly because Fourwaykill sounded like they were having far too much fun recording the full length. Discipline and Removing Face are hardcore tinged moshers. Discipline delivers a brilliant midway beatdown.

Reclamation Rite is a sludgey pugilistic number harking the likes of Raging Speedhorn and Iron Monkey. It also has the tastiest drumming I’ve heard in a long time. Deadweight barely keeps it together with its pit-opening, chaos inducing simplicity. Dusted (S.F.D) has attitude for miles to compete with any NYHC band.

Tapping the Vein, like 24 Hours To Kill, has a tight rhythm involving the entire band, a bit like Fear Factory but with that Bristol bite. Again, the edit brings an urgency not realised in the original.

As a whole, you are set upon with a window to, and a reaction from, a sound of its time. It’s a filthy, confrontational, dizzyingly catchy collection that holds up to this day.

As for the personally relatable aspect of the release? If it weren’t for a certain Deathwish album, and a certain UK Thrasher, I wouldn’t be writing this for you. I did something for the love of it and wanted to share it with everyone. The rest is history.

Fourwaykill secured something for history, and should be applauded for it.

Re-released on Friday the 15th November on Spotify… right HERE