This is actually my third Onslaught album, and thus far the best one I have heard. I do not know nearly as much as I should about this amazing U.K.-based thrash metal band. My first experience with the band was 2013's VI, which was a very good modern thrash metal album. After that, I picked up the Steve Grimmett-led In Search of Sanity, which is apparently not terribly representative of the band's typical sound. So I tried this one, and holy fuck I am glad I did. You see, I am a big fan of Slayer, but my absolute favorite album by them is Show No Mercy which was their debut album and was more of a NWOBHM-influenced album than the brutal brand of thrash metal that most people know of their sound. This album by Onslaught is very similar to Show No Mercy. It is pure Venom-worshipping thrash metal with some absolutely incredible songs. This is not only my favorite album by Onslaught, it might be up there with Sabbat's Dreamweaver as my favorite U.K. thrash metal album.
Speaking of Sabbat, Skyclad is frontman Martin Walkyier's band after leaving the great, underrated thrash metal band. Skyclad was one of the pioneering bands in folk metal, fusing Irish melodies and instrumentation into thrashy, Iron Maiden-esque riffs. Of course the highlight of the album is Walkyier's staccato barking vocals. Walkyier has one of the great vocal styles in thrash metal and it is on full display throughout this album. As much as I love Walkyier's work, for some reason I have just not gone through much of his stuff. I have just one Sabbat album, which I absolutely love, and now two Skyclad albums, both of which I really enjoy as well. Well, that will likely become one of my goals. There is really only one other Sabbat album, which will likely be the next one I check out, but there is quite a bit of Skyclad material.
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