Morbid Carnage
Night Assassins
7.3
With their leather-and-bullet-belt-ridden wardrobe and general attempts to cram as much metal imagery into their logo as is humanly possible, Hungary’s Morbid Carnage make it crystal clear that they mean to represent thrash in a timeless fashion all too rare among post-millennial acts. Sure enough, debut Night Assassins is 36 minutes of unabashed hero worship, leaning largely towards the Kreator side of the map and overall providing a fun little retro romp.
Night Assassins is drenched in a kind of blessing / curse familiarity. On one hand, many of the riffs strewn throughout the album will seem almost routine to the aggressive thrash fanatic. On the other, the band’s relentless attack, scathing Petrozza-ish vocals and superb production should move the necks of all but the most analytical listener, as exemplified by speed-freak opener “Warlust.” Most tracks blend hyper-speed thrash with hefty tempo shifts and Slayeresque soloing, a formula that would wear out the album if Morbid Carnage had not wisely employed such brevity. Not every moment has the Midas touch, but the thrilling and technical album-ending title track is truly something to look forward to and hopefully hints at future successes for the band.
Despite the pamphlet of originality being pissed on, burnt to a crisp and thrown out of a tenth-story window, Night Assassins is a highly enjoyable and most importantly honest thrash debut. The denim vest legions can do far worse than Morbid Carnage when seeking out a quick thrill in 2010.
