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Warrant For Execution

    
       
       
       
     
             
The Scourge are a thrash metal band from the USA formed in 2012, releasing the 'First Comes Destruction' E.P. in 2014, and their debut full length album 'Warrant For Execution' in 2019.    
             
Combining elements of the legendary Bay Area thrash metal sound, the blunt delivery of British thrash, and the sheer aggression of German thrash, the debut album from American thrashers The Scourge is a fiery and fierce forty five minutes of fast paced, furious thrash. Opening with the electrifying pace of 'Progressive Forms', The Scourge hit the airways in full flight, and never slow down. At seven minutes in length 'Progressive Forms' is frantic, ferocious, and a glorious gallop of full on and intense thrash. Get your neck muscles fully warmed up, this is gonna be a head banging extravaganza. 'Death Draws Near Dark' increases the pace and is a tumultuous tirade of fire and brimstone. The pace over the opening two songs is just amazing, a pace that's reined in just a little bit, as 'Hellbound And Down' storms in and adopts a mid tempo heavy foot stomp. Menacing its way on 'Hellbound And Down' shows the more melodic side of the thrash metal genre, a side that bands such as Metallica, Death Angel and Havok portray in abundance.    
             
The blistering pace of earlier returns in emphatic style with the high velocity rampage of the title song 'Warrant For Execution'. Blazing a trail hot enough to scorch the Earth, 'Warrant For Execution' flies like a jet fighter off to war, the Japanese bullet train and a rocket blasting off into space. The urgency is phenomenal, an urgency which is taken on by the furious 'One By One'. The lightning quick pace will test the neck muscles to stretching point, and beyond, as heads become just a blur as they nod back and forth at an extremely high rate. Searing pace takes over the album as 'S.O.I.' ignites a plethora of incendiary devices. The explosive speed is off the scale, and may exceed the world land speed record as 'S.O.I.' hurtles past. Those neck muscles are now in serious danger of ripping - it's not called "neck break" speed for no reason!    
             
The pace over the last few songs has been incredible, and with 'Killed' providing a timely breather, necks may just survive the ferocious assault. 'Killed' is driven by a groove laden riff, and is reminiscent of the musical direction Metallica took on their self titled 1991 "black album". Electrifying pace makes a return with 'Mayhem Tonight', ploughing a vicious furrow as it scurries on. Blinding pace has been a big part of this album, yet it has also maintained a sharp melodic edge, which will place it in collections alongside such luminaries as Testament, Annihilator and Flotsam And Jetsam. And to the final song, the epic and anthemic ten minutes plus 'The Cross On The Wall. Featuring a menacing mid tempo march, a sinister vocal performance, and a heaviness heavier than the heaviest heavy thing on Earth, 'The Cross On The Wall' is a fabulous journey of atmospheric menace, and rounds off a cracking album in style.    
             
Overall, a fast and furious thrash metal assault, blending aggression and menace with a melodic edge to deliver one of the best thrash metal albums of the year.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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