Origin of the species: When the heyday of thrash metal was upon us twenty-some years ago, we never thought it would end. The battle cry of "Thrash 'til death!" somehow got lost in the shuffle of the late 80s funky bass craze, and just kinda faded from there. Many of our metal brethren were bummed, as metal either became commercial, industrial or extreme in nature. However, like bellbottom jeans, and that psycho ex-girlfriend of yours, everything seems to make a comeback. Just as quickly as the scene deflated, the re-invention of thrash has taken hold and grew into a virtual 'retro-fest', with some incredible heavy-weights putting forth head-banging gold, and even some of the fringe

bands are trying to cash in on the magic carpet of thrashdom lately. Although the lines between what exactly compromises and pigeon-holes thrash as a genre are completely in the ear of the beholder. In other words, what one thinks is thrash may be considered power, traditional, black etc. to others. Also, even with the information super-highway you are currently breaking the speed limit on, info about reunions can fall on deaf ears. (Pun intended.) In fact, even quantifying a 'reunion' can be difficult. How long was the band broken-up? Was there even an official announcement, or was there just a long hiatus? How many original members, and from what area of the band's history they come from need be involved? What about a death in the band? What about global warming? You get the idea.

Well, for our purposes here, reunions must meet three basic criteria: 1. The reunion must take place under the original moniker. Seems simple enough, right? So if the PISS MONKEYS broke-up, and for legal, or other reasons, re-formed as THE URINE SIMIANS or THE NUMBER ONE CHIMPS, it doesn't count. 2. Original recordings from the band must come from the '80s (the heyday of thrash), and resume in the last five to ten years. Now, there may be some purists out there only count reunions that contain all original members, however, with the revolving doors that some of the long tenured bands have, this would be nearly impossible. So scientifically speaking, if we take the tangent of the number of original members, and integrate the mean of the number of broken strings the guitarist had on their first world tour, we arrive at the answer that some original members are required. Care for a stroll down memory lane?

First, buy this: ARTILLERY - "B.A.C.K." (1999) Behold the triumphant return of Denmark's thrash titans. ARTILLERY put out several gems back in the day, and if anybody could live up to the hype, they nailed it. Calling it quits in '91, they released a collection of demos in '99 and interest in the band was high. Inner tensions in the ranks almost made a reunion impossible; including that no one thought they could top 1987's 'Terror Squad', but B.A.C.K. is arguably their best record to date. Riff after riff pummel your chest, and Fleming Condor's vocals are as shrill and sharp as ever. Just listening to him makes blood vessels burst in my eyeballs. Incredible changes and solos abound, and it

doesn't let up. Check out the killer extension of "In the Trash" from 'Terror Squad' in theaptly named "Out of the Trash". Even though they seemed to lose a step on the hit-or-miss 'By Inheritance', the return to the glory days in 2001 broke the spell, and placed them on top of the heap again. One note of interest is that 'B.A.C.K.' included Per M. Jensen on drums-later he would be behind the kit for THE HAUNTED.

Then buy: VENOM - "Cast In Stone' (1997) The mid 1990s were a pretty bleak period, not just for thrash, but for metal in general. Nothing could have been more refreshing than a foul blast of black chainsaw heavy metal from the UK's true sons of Satan. Reuniting the original lineup, "Cast In Stone" isn't just another 40 minutes of evil racket from Cronos, Mantas, and Abaddon (though that alone would be reason to buy it); it's a disc that finds VENOM operating as (gasp!) a super-tight, cohesive unit! The production is ballsy and crisp; old-school based but not old-school bound. Midpaced chuggers like "Destroyed and Damned" and speeding juggernauts like "Flight of the Hydra" are the

perfect soundtrack for a cauldron-stirring, beer-swilling good time. It even includes a bonus disc of re-recorded classics. If you're not ready to lay down your soul to the god's rock 'n roll, at least lay down a few bucks for "Cast in Stone" -- it's a major keeper.

Then buy: DEATH ANGEL - "The Art of Dying" (2004) This was one of the most anticipated releases of 2004. They did not disappoint. Their first official recordings appeared on the classic double album 'Live at Ruthie's Inn', where they expanded on their Kirk Hammett-produced demos, and stole the show. Right after drummer Andy Galleon's 14th birthday (I know what I was doing at 14, and it wasn't this complicated!), they released their thrash classic 'The Ultra-violence', which gave them bragging rights all over the metal world. After two more studio efforts, and tons of musical growth, the band disbanded after a horrific tour bus accident in 1990. Here it is fourteen years later,

and getting back was like riding a bike for these guys. They didn't forget their thrash roots, incorporating stylistic nods to what some consider their best work, 1990's 'Act III'. It is with 'The Art Of Dying' that DA have come full circle, grabbing only the best parts of their past and blending them with a hodge-podge of twists and turns. The record starts with the awesome thrash madness of "Thrown to the Wolves". Just the title gives you the impetus you need to start screaming the chorus in your head (or if you prefer, out loud….but let me warn you, the post office is not a good place to do this, because those security guys have tazers). The record kind of splits in two at that point, with the real ballsy stuff at the start, and later tunes like 'No' taking more from "Frolic Through the Park" era DA and "Word to the Wise" presenting a more 'Act III'/ ORGANIZATION vibe. Grab this one up; reunions are frequently doomed from the start.

Then buy: EXODUS - "Tempo of the Damned" (2004) These original thrash masters set a very high precedent with their debut release 'Bonded by Blood', crashing into the scene to lay down their indelible mark. They labored on, even when losing their lead guitarist (Kirk Hammett) and their vocalist (Paul Baloff). After a few great releases, their star started to fade when signing to Capitol records; and covering "Bitch" by the ROLLING STONES, and "Pump it Up" by ELVIS COSTELLO both on 1992's 'Force of Habit'. We could probably say that these two covers were the worst possible choices for a thrash band to cover, were it not for DESTRUCTION's version of "My Sharona".

Redemption, my friends, came hard and quick.'Tempo' gives EXODUS was a giant leap forward for the EXODUS attack, yet still reminiscent of Combat records-era tunes. Steve Sousa gives 150% here, snorting and snarling through tunes like "Scar Spangled Banner" and "Blacklist" and driving us all to speed metal hell. This is the best that EXODUS has sounded since the 80s. Holt and Hunolt's riffs pack their trademark punch and power, and together with some fantastic production, and no lack of classic crunch. If guitar solos were currency, these guys hit the lottery. Tom Hunting's drums sounds like they were freeze-dried in the 80's and rehydrated just for this record. To complete your collection, add this one. Note: Unlike a one-off release, EXODUS came out with a follow-up to 'Tempo…' called 'Shovel Headed Kill Machine' with some line-up changes, leaving Gary Holt as the only original member, but it is still a rocking disc.

Then buy: CELTIC FROST - "Monotheist" (2006) Probably the biggest buzz in the metal world had to go to CF when the facts were confirmed that a reunion would happen. One of the few bands that really did their own thing; they were never given their fair due outside of the underground scene. Despite their best efforts to cannibalize their sound into the highly profitable yet musically devoid glam rock world, CF fans never forgave the debacle that was 1988's 'Cold Lake'. They tried to gallantly recover, but nothing worked for them, and they faded away into obscurity. Several bands spawning from the Frost tree (APPOLYON SUN, MINDFUNK) with styles very far removed from CF went nowhere.

This brings us to 06's 'Monotheist. Two camps have been created in the long and storied career of CF, one recognizing the heavier early works, and the other being oriented towards the more avant-garde / industrial / goth later works. 'Monotheist' sparks a perfect mix of the two styles, trying once again to reunite fans of both camps. Heavy, droning, doomy guitar swims around your head, but we also have various industrial, goth influences-complete with some operatic female vocals. Some have mentioned a HELLHAMMER influence in deference to this disc, due to some downtuned riffs that numb the senses. Warrior's voice has aged well, and his vocals along with Martin Ain's gift for the macabre makes this more of a musical experience than just a new recording. All in all, a great release from the masters of metal mood.

Then buy: MEGADETH—“The System Has Failed” (2004) The return of MEGADETH after Dave Mustaine dissolved the band following 01’s ‘The World Needs A Hero’, was met with skepticism by fans and critics alike. Dave has this reputation of being difficult to work with, and all the line-up changes that have affected the band throughout the years finally came full circle…. Longtime bassist Dave Ellefson couldn’t stand the weather anymore in DETH-land, but the good news is guitar wizard Chris Poland has had enough time away from the circus to buy in one more time. Poland’s guitar finally gives Mustaine some of the best lead support since the Friedman era. The combo of Mustaine

and Poland have written the best MEGADETH tunes since ‘Peace Sells…’, quite ferocious and worthy of the band's reputation. Check out the chunky and melodic “Kick the Chair” and the nod to the old school in “Back in the Day”. The material here is written to give the feel of the early 80’s works, but contains enough melody to make the songs crafty and full.

Live pick: NUCLEAR ASSAULT - "Alive Again" (2003) Betcha didn't think there was any band that fit into this category of a live, rare, and a reunion all at the same time. Sound quality here is quite thin, but the set list makes up for it. Dan Lilker, John Connolley and crew rip it up on tunes like "Buttf**k" and "Hang the Pope" showing that they can bring something potent to the table after all these years. Their unique mix of hardcore and thrash was unique during their 80s reign, but became almost commonplace after some time. The unusual vocals of John Connelly were what gave this band its edge, with his nasal siren-style standing alone in the field. Another pioneering difference was the length

of their songs varying so much…from under 30 second blasts to drawn out thrashing numbers. There also seems to be a controlled chaos to their playing style, in that it doesn't seem important to NA to get the music to sound perfect, but rather to throw it at you with such force that you cannot recover. NA is a band that most people either love or hate, but you gotta give 'em credit for trying really hard. Humor in thrash metal is rare, and the sentiment that NA brought….that not all thrash needed to be serious all the time….was alarming and alien to some, but gave others the spark to create without being so restricted. Check out our Cheap Seats feature on NA at the dogsite.

Avoid: HALLOWS EVE: "Evil Never Dies"(2006) Here is a tough one folks; more of those fine lines are crossed. Remember the incredible discs these guys put out in the 80’s? I mean, ‘Death & Insanity’ was often put on my turntable in a pre-meditated way, so that after I got off work, it was playing as the the way-too-tight jeans, and white high-tops were pulled on, and I could get pumped up to cruise in my Cuda and hunt for chicks. Maybe it is because of this fact that the release of this disc was so exciting. Expectations were high for a return to the ‘Monument’, but it falls short. Returning to the fold is original guitarist Skully, along with Tommy Stewart on bass. Gone is vocalist

Stacy Anderson, who gave the band its trademark vocal presence. Some bands can’t continue with losing their singer, and this seems like one of those cases. Skully and Stewart split vocal duties here, and frankly, I can’t tell who’s who. Ranging from guttural screams, to death growls, to some kind of grating clean vocals, variety seems to be the order of the day here. And the music, you ask? Well, if Baskin-Robbins can have over 50 flavors, I guess HALLOWS EVE can too. If you are expecting anything that sounds like the first three records, you will be in for a shock. Styles here range from a CARCASS-type death metal to punk influences, to more avant-garde song arrangements. Not that this is a terrible record, but in the world of thrash reunions, this project is not a journey back to the golden years, but one aiming at the future, without nodding enough to the past.

And in closing:It seems like these types of reunions have bands scurrying out of the woodwork lately. So if you're willing to sift through them, look for VENOM's "Cast in Stone", HIRAX's ‘The New Age of Terror’, and BLESSED DEATH's ‘Hour of Pain’, all of which are good sources of reunion fodder. Others that can whet your thrash appetite are NASTY SAVAGE’s ‘Psycho Psycho’, IRON ANGEL’s ‘The Rebirth’, and SADUS’’Out for Blood’. There is also hope in the immediate future for SEPULTURA, SACRIFICE, CORONER, and IMMORTAL. All in all, these reunions are a big treat for us die-hard fans, and if the albums receive the right kind of label backing, it could mean a chance for the band to grab

some new fans, and thereby make the universe a better place to live (or something like that).

- Murtaugh

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