Reanimator
Thrashin' The Neighborhood
7.5
I’ve actually been pretty pumped to hear this band ever since I stumbled across a blurb about them in some metal mag or another; the silly name and beyond-cheesy cover art of their Galy debut (a hulking Minotaur and a meticulously-crafted “Eighties Thrash Band” –style logo) caught my eye, and the description of their sound piqued my interest. Yeah, I know, another thrash band that loves Exodus and horror movies, big whoop. Why should I, or anyone else, for that matter, give a flying fuck? It’s not like we’ve got a shortage of this stuff; ever since Municipal Waste signed to Earache, the “crossover thrash” sound has been spreading like wildfire, with the more traditional “Bay Area” sound hot on its heels. I’m not complaining, though; as far as musical trends go, this one’s infinitely better than most. We could still be awash in wave upon wave of female-fronted goth metal, or up to our ears in the so-tired-it-may-as-well-be-comatose metalcore sound (one that finally seems to be taking the hint and heading off to the bargain bin with its tail between its legs, but that’s another story).
So, Reanimator! Like so many quality metal outfits these days, these dudes hail from the Frozen North. Unlike so many of their countrymen, though, these Canucks don’t concern themselves with hyper-technicality, br00tality, or corpsepaint; Reanimator are way more interested in melting some faces off. With Thrashin’ the Neighborhood, the boys serve up a solid, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs slab of finely-aged thrash metal, lightly-seasoned with a dash of vintage crossover thrash. They cite a laundry list of respectable ‘80s thrash titans (Anthrax, Sodom, Death Angel, S.O.D, Exodus) as influences, and, in a scant 25 minutes, manage to serve up a damn fine tribute to them. A hodgepodge of Big Four-styled riffs, sprinkled liberally with the hardcore punk vibe of Municipal Waste and enthusiastically banged out by a bunch of long-haired high school kids, Thrashin’ the Neighborhood doesn’t offer up anything you haven’t heard before. They have a lot of Nuclear Assault in their sound, mixed with some early-era Metallica and, thankfully, better vocals than can be found in either band. You’ve got to hand it to them– they somehow make those recycled riffs sound fresh and exciting, and those blistering solos will satisfy even the gnarliest old hesher.
Reanimator’s strength lies in the band’s boundless energy and unbridled enthusiasm for what they’re playing; you can tell these dudes genuinely care about these songs...even if they all are about zombies and shit. It gives their music something of an edge – they’re playing an old style but they don’t sound tired or stale, unlike so many of the reformed ‘80s thrash metal bands that have tottered back onto the scene over the past few years.
This band isn’t essential, not by a long shot; though they have moments of utter righteousness and sweet riffage galore, they do have a certain generic quality about them. To be fair, they are a young band (formed in 2005) and still have a lot of room to grow, so I’ll definitely be interested in hearing how they develop on the next few releases. Until then, pick this up if you’ve got some cash to spare, and if not…cozy up with some old Toxic Holocaust records and call it even.
