FMA Reviews: Eliminator: Krieg Thrash

Originally reviewed here.

I may be in the minority here but I never tire of retro German thrash. And no, I am not being sarcastic. Yes, the old masters Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction did it better. But I love it when a band decides to play music clearly influenced by that old bestial, neck-wrecking style.

Eliminator is one of the better new bands that play a style similar to the German Big Three. In fact, with the vocals and musical style, they sound like a slightly more-refined Kreator in their early days when Ventor provided the vocals instead of Mille Petrozza. It is slightly more-refined due the fact that this band sounds like it has had a bit more practice, tightening things up than Kreator in those days. It is not as raw and unpredictable. Eliminator is maniacally fast. This is definitely not the same fluid style as Metallica or the other Bay Area bands. It is nasty and hyperactive thrash that is full of aggression and anger.


The only real complaint I have about this album is that the speed almost never wavers. Eliminator is a rampaging beast, and I certainly like that fact but there is not a lot to separate one song from another. In addition, Eliminator does not really do anything that a lot of other bands have already done. Not a problem for me but people looking for something fresh and new probably need not bother with Eliminator.

I quite like this album. It is even more impressive that it is Eliminator's debut album.

Iron Dogs: Cold Bitch

I would be lying if I said that the cover art for this release did not capture my attention.  So I am not going to say that.  It is pretty damn cheesy, yes, but then there is a naked woman on the cover, holding a sword, covered in blood, and flanked by a couple of wolves.  How much more metal can you get?

There have been a lot of bands from Canada recently that play 1980's style true metal.  And what could you expect from a country that gave us Slaughter, Sacrifice, Anvil, Razor, and Exciter, among others?  Canada has a rich metal history.  And it would appear that Iron Dogs is very much aware of that and paying tribute to it, while also pushing forward.

This is heavy and speed metal that definitely and defiantly calls to mind the above-named bands.  It is not just the music that sounds like a 1980's band.  The production is done in such a way as to accurately capture the sound of those bands.  The vocals sound like a cross between early 1980's metal and Misfits-style punk.  It is another aspect of the sound of Iron Dogs that sounds like an homage to their countrymen.  This is a very short, but very fun record, clocking in at just over 30 minutes.

Of course Iron Dogs is doing something that other bands have done before.  Not only older bands whose sounds Iron Dogs obviously build upon, but newer bands as well.  Cauldron still stands at the front of the pack of Canadian retro metal bands.  But Iron Dogs is definitely making waves.