Violator “Chemical Assault” CD

Fucking finally! I had been wanting to get my hands on some material from Brazilian thrashers Violator for quite some time now, but it can be hard to find their releases here in the US. So I was psyched as hell when last week I stumbled across their debut full-length, "Chemical Assault" (on Kill Again Records), and picked that shit up immediately. I'm telling you right fucking now, the whole "retro" thrash thing may be somewhat "trendy" right now, but Violator fucking rules. Of all the contemporary bands that are making a decent run at recapturing that mid- to late-80's thrash sound, Violator is the best of the bunch, and they seriously shit all over pretty much everyone else in terms of the sheer quality of their riffs and songwriting. 'Cause hey, you can break out the jeans, high-tops, bullet belts, and jackets covered head-to-toe/front-to-back in patches all you want—and yes, Violator does—but if you can't truly capture that legendary old school thrash aesthetic and write a good song, well... you're dead in the water. But trust me, these motherfuckers nail it on ever possible level: Completely badass classic-looking logo; sweet cover art; songs about nuclear warfare, moshing, toxic waste, political corruption, injustice, etc.; and an unending stream of perfect riffs—most heavily influenced by the American side of things, though there are of course some German-sounding influences and stuff happening in there, too. This shit is totally raging all over the place—crunchy rhythms and blistering solos alike—with a relentless sense of energy and absolutely awesome vocals. Seriously, this dude is hands down the best vocalist of any thrash band I've heard that formed post-1991. Then again, this might be the best thrash record that's been released since 1991, too! I'm not even kidding. Every fucking half-assed "thrash" band that pops up these days talking all big and making outrageous claims about their sound should be handed a copy of this CD and promptly sent packing. There's just no competition. I'm completely blown away by this album. It's that good, and that true to the classic sound of what defines "thrash" in my eyes. I simply can't rave enough about this shit. Amazing. Fucking amazing.

Violator "Lethal Injection"
Violator "Atomic Nightmare"

Buy this shit and buy it now. These guys kick ass and deserve your support, and I'm almost certain this thing's gonna sell out again pretty soon:

Hell's Headbangers