Goddess Injustice

They've got a modern sound, but can still play some asskicking thrash with some traditional stylings? What's not to like? Unlike the last decade's crossover thrash revival bands, Helsinki's Excuse takes its influences from European thrash rather than the American Big 4, resulting in Kreator-like aggression with the beat of Ronsdorf-era Artillery on its new EP, Goddess Injustice. Obsessed... With the Collapse of Civilization starts with an odd synth intro (the second one I've heard this year, from a thrash band) followed up with a vicious two-guitar attack that turns on a dime riff-wise. The production's clear but gritty, and guitarist/vocalist Oskar Lindström spits out his vocals with a raspy venom that ends each line with a cross between a shout and a scream that reminds one more of black metal than of thrash. After another high-speed thrash song, they switch to an instrumental in the form of Invitation from Beyond, an odd drum-and-bass track with eerie whispers surrounding the whole thing. The album closes out with Baphomet, an ambitious eight-minute piece containing plenty of dueling guitar solos with an early NWOBHM vibe. We definitely need to see an LP from these guys. Goddess Injustice's sound is fresh, well-made Euro-thrash that keeps the listener's interest, and it deserves a listen. Bandcamp: https://shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/goddess-injustice.