ALBUM REVIEW: Death Ride – Rot Box
Featuring members of TOMBSTONER, CRANIAL DAMAGE and SICADA, ROT BOX has been born out of a passion for old school stripped back thrash between three musicians. Intent on delivering a frantic energy driven by drums, bass and guitars blasting out a wall of sound telling stories of both working class struggles and partying. On paper, the ethos is sound. Take the early sound that put the thrash genre on the map and create something original from it, all while having as much fun as possible.
Rapid fire attack, Old Poor kicks the doors in and we’re away. A raucous energy is fully let loose. A down trodden anthem backed up by scorching riffs, pummelling drums and searing melodies. It’s a perfect set up. From here on it’s a rollercoaster of old school thrash backing up lyrics ranging from the highs and lows of every day life. Party life, and the gastric perils of suspect sushi. It’s a tight package of uninterrupted fun. Tracks like Crankin’ Hoons illustrate not only the razor-sharp musicianship of the trio but also their collective drive to just entertain. They’re not taking themselves seriously, but that doesn’t mean for moment that the music suffers. Even If I Did hits like a sledgehammer and is pure thrash anger. Unrelenting and aggressive and perfectly executed. They tear through it without a second thought and deliver one of the hardest tracks of the year so far with apparent ease.
A pit fall that can face bands when they try to create within a structure based on a specific genre’s roots is that the music can sound uninspired. It can come across as paint by numbers and therefore, no matter how good the musicianship is, it can be bland as it’s something heard a hundred times before. Fortunately, ROT BOX has successfully navigated that trap. Right from the off, they sound fresh and exciting. There are very obvious elements that harken back to big names of the thrash genre as well as structure approaches, the interlude of To Drink Is To Drive being a prime example. Moments like The Devil Cast His Line highlight that even the production has the raw intensity that is part and parcel of the old school genre. Making the record sound like it’s come screaming from the time when thrash was an unknown beast. Yet they carry it off with style, delivering an album that is pure thrash without embellishment while remaining original.
Good thrash albums leave you with a smile on your face and a pain in your neck. Great thrash albums do this but make you want to come back for more. Death Ride is a great thrash album. Gloriously uncivilised, delivered with exuberance and passion right to the last moment with the title track closing out. It has moments that take direct inspiration from bands of the genres heyday while retaining a solid identity. Unadorned with any pretentious decoration it hits hard and fast and leaves little doubt that this is a three piece that love every minute of what they do. Gleefully tearing your head off with pulverising thrash.
Rating: 8/10
Death Ride is available now via self-release.
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