Zoldier Noiz – Regression Process
Were it not for Unspeakable Axe leading me down the path to the excellent Trenchrot debut earlier this year, a band name like this one wouldn’t have solicited more than a passing glance from my olden eyes. But since I know better than to ignore ‘Mr Axe’ Munsall’s releases, I decided to extend and press my electronic finger on the virtual ‘play’ button, and here again I’ve been rewarded with more thrash-infused, Bolt Throweresque goodness, though this time from a completely different angle as the aforementioned Philly pariahs. For Zoldier Noiz stuff lovin’ spoonfuls of crust and ‘Fast’ Eddie Clark-style guitar solos down the throats of any high-tops wearing, whiteboy-afro’d millenials misled into believing standard-tuned ESPs and clean distortion provide all that’s necessary for quality thrash metal. And when I say Zoldier Noiz hail Bolt Thrower, in their case I refer specifically to the grinding days of In Battle There Is No Law and all the filth in sound and attack that implies, as opposed to BT’s well-produced (and glorious) …For Victory period. And there’s not a goddamn thing wrong with that; for those old UK flavors go down just right with the punk ‘n roll speed metal these Frenchmen offer up for all to enjoy.
I’m typically wary of anything hinting at a ‘thrash revival’, but Munsall’s ear has me craving a suckle off the ol’ thrash teat I came up in the ’80s on (which, like many, I’d largely left behind for death and black metal’s anti-horizons). But Unspeakable Axe understands that for the underground, stand-the-test-of-time thrash had (and has) more to do with early Overkill and Whiplash more so than the radio-friendly albums of a certain San Franciscan foursome that shall herein remain nameless. Zoldier Noiz understand this too, and when you hear them appropriately yelling ‘Tomorrow Is Today’, you’ll realize that even their initially off-putting moniker makes perfect sense in this context. So if after your first Regression Process play-through you find yourself digging through the attic for an old high school notebook on which to scribble this band’s logo – don’t say I didn’t warn you. -Jim
Unspeakable Axe Records
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