ALBUM REVIEW: Palace For The Insane – Shrapnel

When discussions are sparked debating the elite of thrash metal your gaze is usually focused on the Teutonic movement in Germany or the thriving San Francisco Bay Area scene which is arguably the birth of the genre but SHRAPNEL have been proudly flying the flying for the UK for over a decade and their newly released Palace For The Insane album which is available now via Candlelight Records might just be their finest work to date.

Might Of Cygnus launches headfirst into a pile of rapid riffing and enticing melodies to kick off proceedings. The track twists and turns in tempo and levels of aggression to keep you guessing where it will lead you next. Recently recruited frontman Aarran Tucker makes his presence instantly felt with his commanding vocal delivery which is topped off with some proficiently executed lead work. Salt The Earth squeals into your line of sight with stomping hooks and a groove injected pacing. Lively drum segments and galloping riffs blend effortlessly with prominent bellowing vocal cries. Vultures Circle kicks into a higher gear with punchy shredding and buoyant energy to get your head banging. There is a particular crossover vibe in this track which is undeniably addictive. Meticulous solo bursts add the exclamation point. Cannibal provides some heavy hitting instrumentation alongside gritty vocals that are going to be a force to be reckoned with if unleashed in a live setting. The sinister sounding riff work is a perfect accompaniment to the tense atmosphere of the track.

Begin Again offers a brief moment of contemplation with the calming crashing of the waves before treading down the doomier side of the spectrum. The ominous soundscape created is captivating and seamlessly supplemented with intriguing melodic vocal lines. Bury Me Alive reprises the thrash metal frenzy with skin searing riffing and energised drumming to get your blood pumping. Further rounds of mind boggling lead pieces and a powerful stride are like an instant shot of adrenaline. Turn Off The Lights keeps the momentum going as infectious riffing takes hold. Dual lead work assists in amplifying the bubbling intensity. Infernal Choir refuses to take its foot off the accelerator and continues to sprint like a stampede. The baffling guitar wizardry continues to leave you in a state of awe, joining forces with neck-wrenching hooks to provide utterly anthemic musicianship.

The Mace defiantly insists the pool of riffs is nowhere near close to running dry as a string of frantic shredding witnesses Palace For The Insane reach a white hot tempo. This track firmly plants the image of mosh pits descending into chaos in your mind as a sea of flailing limbs charge into the eye of the storm. In comparison Violent Now, Forever isn’t quite as maniacal but still packs a serious punch with its boisterous jabbing nature and hefty gang chants. Future Sight introduces some diverse vocal stylings which chop and change between melodic cries and shrill screams adding another feather into SHRAPNEL‘s already well equipped cap. Closing and title track Palace For The Insane arms itself for one final flourish of thrash metal fury as turbo charged shredding takes the spotlight. Crazy drum fills and impactful vocal deliveries ensure this release maintains its intensity until the closing moments.

SHRAPNEL have daringly delved into new territories with this release and in doing so have created their most polished and emphatic release to date. Stepping outside of the confines of the thrash metal realm and adding accessible hooks and melodies into their arsenal has allowed for Palace For The Insane to offer up a diverse but fascinating musical journey which doesn’t dip in quality for a second. If this album isn’t considered as one of the best releases to come from an already stacked 2020 then it will be criminal.

Rating: 10/10

Palace For The Insane is out now via Candlelight Records.

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