Space Eater- Merciful Angel
I have recently been receiving an onslaught of I Hate Records releases, and I have not been disappointed. Ranging from old school thrash to classic doom, someone at I Hate seems to have a good ear for talent. Serbia’s Space Eater have definitely done their homework in the thrash department. If there wasn’t a calendar on my desk that said that the year was 2009, I’d be convinced that the year was 1987, just by what was coming out of my speakers. What goes around comes around, and it seems that thrash has come around again. That’s ok with me, I was in high school in 1987, and firmly entrenched in the genre, with my jean jacket with the Megadeth patch and me sporting an incredible mullet. Merciful Angel takes me right back to that glorious time, and for that I have to thank them. But before you write these guys off to the nostalgia cutout bin, Space Eater is not just going through the motions. There’s nothing tongue-in-cheek about these Serbian thrashers. I get the real impression that they really mean it. The songs are well written and catchy, and the production is stellar; I can hear everything perfectly. There’s not really a standout track on here, but the entire album is strong. I hate those stickers on all the cd’s now, “If you like this band, you’ll like this”, but on one hand there’s so much garbage out there, that little system may be the only way some bands will ever get heard. Gone are the days where you could buy everything on a label and not get burned. I Hate Records says that if you like Testament, Agent Steel, and Heathen, you’ll like this. I can agree with that, I would add that they sound a little like Vio-lence also, mostly in the vocals. So there it is. If you fondly remember thrash, never got out of it, or are young enough to have parents who may have been thrashers in their days, take a listen to Space Eater. These guys kick just as much ass as their forefathers. –Matt
I HATE RECORDS
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