Despite the enthralling progress and success that many different corners of metal have enjoyed as the decades have gone on, there are still a few pieces of the spectrum that can seem lacking in plenty of instances. Everyone has their own opinions as to which style is more lackluster. Some think it comes within the realms of black and death metal which I personally don’t agree with. For me, though, thrash is one of the biggest outliers. For all the power and potential that’s still to be found within the sound, it’s not often whatsoever that we get a band that manages to deliver a performance that actually does the sound justice. Without a shadow of a doubt, however, it’s with their first album that Doomsday delivers where legions have failed.

While there are obviously many ways that one can approach thrash metal, it can oftentimes be the most simplistic approach that can really make one stand out in a crowd that misses the mark. Doomsday seemed to have that in mind when crafting what’s their only full-length record, but that doesn’t mean whatsoever that they missed the opportunity to tap into other styles to make for a dynamic and compelling performance. A true ripper from front to back, “Never Known Peace” makes damn sure at every turn that the listener is given that very treatment. The sort of constantly swirling mass of intensity that is always seeking for blood to fly through the air and watch bone pulverize, it’s with a deadly mixture of punk, hardcore, and death metal that this strong foundation of thrash is given a real kick that Doomsday commands with fascinating aptitude. These ten tracks are simply magnificent! Tearing flesh with a mere flick of the wrist and always making damn sure to allow Doomsday’s personal flavors to seep through a stupendous display of understanding how thrash should be, it’s the whole of “Never Known Peace” that defines unrelenting. The album knows its mission and how to bring it about masterfully. There isn’t so much as a moment throughout “Never Known Peace” that Doomsday does not deliver with the ringing of these pummeling riffs still resounding in your ears even well after the experience has concluded.

We’re lucky enough to get a few releases in any given year that really demonstrate what this genre can still be when it’s put into the right hands, and it’s in every possible instance that Doomsday offers us what’s sure to be hailed as one of 2025’s very best when it comes to all things in thrash metal. Satisfying and punishing all in one go, “Never Known Peace” is the devastator that keeps on giving.

LISTEN to “Never Known Peace” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Doomsday on Instagram here.