The classic vein of any given sound throughout the metal underground is held in high reverence for anyone involved with tons doing their best to keep it alive, yet some sounds are more adept at giving it alive in a vivid fashion than others. When it comes to death, black, and doom metal, their old schools are still held in incredibly high regard with sprawling legions of bands keeping it alive. For thrash metal, there are just as many trying to do just that, but many aren’t able to deliver. For one reason or another, thrash metal remains one of those sounds that can be hard to achieve victory in as it can be incredibly difficult to put forth a record of the classic sound that doesn’t feel immensely boring. With their third full-length album, Cruel Force expertly dodges such an unfortunate fate.

Much like any vein of any style that evokes the old school teachings, the formulas and approaches that are used have been tried and tested hundreds upon thousands of times over with only the most astute students of the old school able to take those teachings and put together a record that honors those roots without being a pathetic, hollow shell. Thrash metal needs more bands like Cruel Force in that regard. With a sound that takes more than a few pages from the old branches of thrash metal that takes more than a few pages from its black metal cousins, “Dawn of the Axe” is a strong performance that is as speedy as it is devilish with Cruel Force managing to deliver on the promise of such classic power in a fashion that quickly becomes no less than fantastically compelling. From the speed to the uncompromising presence to the very attitude that adorns the whole of the record including the cover art, “Dawn of the Axe” is a bona fide work of vintage thrash that is more than worthy of such a legacy as Cruel Force shows us a terrific display of power right from the beginning. This is unadulterated thrash as it was meant to be in its heyday! No extra fancy bits, no meandering from one style to the next, not a single body left standing in its wake, and waves of blood tainting the world in a blistering fury that can never be underestimated!

Thrash metal is a sound that can be subject to many stereotypes and shortcomings as is the case with any given sound in metal, but it’s because of bands like Cruel Force that thrash has always and will continue to have the right spirit and approach to not just deliver greatness on a large scale, but go for the throat at every opportunity. “Dawn of the Axe” is a work that any fan of thrash should not miss out on lest you rob yourself of an experience that is nothing to be denied.

LISTEN to “Dawn of the Axe” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Cruel Force on Facebook here.