Mat takes a listen to the 2nd album by Scottish Thrashers Black Talon, here’s what he thinks…

It’s been ten years since this Edinburgh thrash outfit bombarded us with the skill and swagger that was the ENDLESS REALITIES debut full length, it is about time we got another pounding. Modern thrash isn’t far removed from its highlight years of 1986 to 1991 before the bubble burst. Blame it on grunge, oversaturation, or the light that burns twice as bright… it happened and we are in the now.

The thing is, it never really went away, and it is not only by the power of the old guard who hunkered down and maintained thrash metal’s allure. It is also its almost eternally furious charm that embraces the younger, hungrier hordes. Even if we need to dig a bit deeper to find it. Within the scene, we still find the gnarly speed demons, the pizza and beer party freaks, and technical wizards.

Rare, though, are the progressive alchemists. Those who challenge the 4/4 blast and gang chant. Luckily, BLACK TALON are one group who have stepped up to that particular plate and their second album, SCENES OF AGONY, has some cutting edge weaponry to fire. The album opens with the title track, SCENES OF AGONY. A thrill ride of a track and a clear window into the band’s growth. It only takes a couple of minutes before you get what BLACK TALON do best. Technical, intelligent thrash with an outro that falls into excellent chaos.

This continues with CRYPTOCRACY. A proper thrash song that keeps RORY STEACHEN’s lead guitar work consistent. ISOLATION, a track that borders the ten minute mark 10 opens slow but builds with menace and dread, a bit like Testament Return To Serenity. This again barrages your soul under its technical might. There’s a lot to unpack here, but it doesn’t stray from the original song structure, nor does it feel like a nearly 10 min song.

FALSIFIER starts like an old demo, then comes in clear and urgent. As much as they won’t like me saying this, they have a modern thrash vibe on here. DAVE TAYLOR provides some damn solid drumming here. FORLORN HOPE is a short, atmospheric industrial instrumental and is a perfect midpoint of the album that leads the latter half into THE BASTARD GENE. It’s a moody start with cool backing vocals. Again a brilliant midsection before grinding to an eerie end.

The last three tunes blur into a frenzy of technical thrash.

OBNOXION has a very Acid Reign approach, and maybe this is intentional, considering the title. This song is where the bass really finds its voice. Top marks to EDDIE CAMPBELL. KILLING TIME opens like a song from Human era Death, but quickly becomes a stomper of a track and NOT MEANT TO LAST is full of spite and anger. The leads in the bridges are reigned in tactfully and the midpoint goes off in gloriously chaotic fashion. 

Throughout the whole thing, JOHNNY STEELE’s vocals are a class act that is hard to follow. He has quite a range that suits the more melodic Thrash acts. By the end of it all, you will have had your brains stoved in, but done in an articulate way.

The technicality heard on their 2015 debut album is still intact, along with the hunger that has led them to this point. It has been tempered with the artistic approach of Forbidden, Dark Angel and later bands like Enquire Within and Injector.

British thrash has always stood just on the edges of traditional thrash and BLACK TALON have just the right amount of sand to put in that particular ointment.

Black Talon will be self releasing SCENES OF AGONY on January the 31st and you should definetly take a listen… and maybe pick up a copy via BandCamp to show your support HERE