ALBUM REVIEW: Trapped In Chaos – Dust Bolt

Germany has been a hotbed for thrash metal for countless years now as the likes of DESTRUCTION, KREATOR and SODOM have dominated the genre. Hoping to assert themselves into the fold and continue their rise to prominence is Bavarian outfit DUST BOLT. The follow up to 2016’s Mass Confusion entitled Trapped In Chaos is out now via Napalm Records. Does Germany have another thrash metal superpower on their hands?

Opener The Fourth wastes little time introducing a distinct edginess and a hard hitting manner. The melodic vocals are a welcome accompaniment to the gritty thrash metal tones. Dead Inside adopts a more groove ridden, death metal stride adding some hair raising screams before The Bad Ad ups the tempo with galloping shredding and enticing melodic segments guaranteed to get the blood pumping. The slower, chugging breakdown towards the latter stages adds a little further variety to the arrangement.

Bloody Rain has all the hallmarks of the ideal single release with powerful vocal sections and accessible guitar work. It’s almost Jekyll and Hyde construction shows the variations in style in DUST BOLT‘s armoury as the second half of the track takes a heavy hitting twist incorporating bellowing growls and deliberate, effective riffs. Rhythm Into Madness revs up with distorted riffs before bursting into further swift shredding. The cheeky Voodoo Child tribute adds a hint of comedic value to proceedings. Shed My Skin builds the tension with pulsating drum work and teasing guitar work, soon picking up the pace with instrumentation that is crying out for a sea of air guitars and hair energetically flailing in every direction.

Killing Time shifts up the gears with an additional round of frantic riffing shoehorned into a compact blast of two minutes worth of all out fury teeing up the title track Trapped In Chaos. The bouncy nature and addictive musicianship is sure to make this track one of the most memorable of the pack. Another Day In Hell assumes a different mentality to its predecessors with a mellow, more melodic approach. The clean tones of front man Lenny Bruce introduce a completely different animal to the forefront, particularly the short a capella segments. This track is exactly what the album needed to perk up the listeners intrigue.

Chaos Possession injects a final shot of pace as Trapped In Chaos charges towards the closing stages with snappy riffing and a catchy attitude which spills over into the curtain closer Who I Aim. This track plans to leave it’s listeners with a serious bangover as it speeds off into the distance. The adrenaline fuelled guitar work and powerful gang chants leave an emphatic stamp.

Trapped In Chaos displays a variety of styles and particularly shines when it breaks away from the predictable frenzied tempo and focuses more on providing impactful, hard hitting riffing. Another Day In Hell showcases another side to the band which may surface again in later releases and leaves an exciting level of potential for the future. There are a lot of thrash metal bands vying for the spotlight but few that have managed to effectively combine the retro nostalgic vibe of the 80’s with a modern edge. This combination elevates DUST BOLT into the top tier of their generation.

Rating: 8/10

Trapped In Chaos is out now via Napalm Records.

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