The Witch Hunt Is On

Earlier this week, I was thinking about some of the modern thrash I'd been listening to over the last few months and comparing that to the first time I heard Kill 'Em All or Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?. I like a lot of the newer stuff, but it's rare that I see something with the same neck-breaking attack that the first thrash metal bands were capable of. But I guess I should have taken Shadow Kingdom Records' boast that newly-signed Gallower was "one of the most vicious thrash metal bands to emerge in some time" a bit more seriously than I normally take record-label claims, because their demo is one mean little tape. The intro, a keyboard-only orchestral bit with some clunking synths, completely belies the noisy fury of the rest of the album. The lo-fi mix actually isn't that bad, when one gets used to it, as all the instruments can be easily made out. Think of a cross between early Kreator and early Bathory: The drums blast away in between the blindingly fast palm-mute rhythms, with guitar soloing going even faster, erupting in shrieks around the main riffs. Bassist/vocalist Tzar's raspy shout is the perfect conduit for the violence-infused lyrics, which he delivers with tremendous enthusiasm. Being a demo, the guitars on The Witch Hunt Is On are thin and treble-laden things, and the drums might as well be garbage cans for all that their tone can be heard, but the sheer ferocity on display here is impressive enough to make a listener quickly forget the production shortcomings. This is a great find for anyone who likes thrash or early black metal. I foresee great things ahead for Gallower, especially if they can preserve the aggression of their demo on a produced album. Bandcamp: http://shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-witch-hunt-is-on.