Released a few months ago via the ever-reliable Great Dane Records, Bloodride’s latest opus is a no-holds-barred thrash metal onslaught capable of pummeling you to death and burning your house down. These skilled Finns have a great knack for crafting memorable hooks, and from a purely musical perspective this outfit is not altogether that different to what Exodus, Death Angel, and perhaps even Destruction are doing nowadays – only that Bloodride are a tad more brutal, that is. The sound of the record is sharp and heavy while the musicianship is more than competent, and you can tell that they are having a ball ripping through apocalyptic pieces ala “Strange Roots”, “Bow to Disorder”, and the absolutely pulverizing “Inviting Darkness”. The title of the opening track “Rapid Fire” sums everything up quite nicely because we are talking about an album that is filled to the brim with blistering solos, aggressive vocals, deadly riffs, and punchy drums. A little more groove and swagger in places would not have hurt, and a couple of songs are interchangeable, but the overall result is a satisfying one and I like what I am hearing. The fact that the bass is so goddamn fat and beefy makes me very happy too.

If you are on the lookout for something groundbreaking or new then look elsewhere, but if you simply desire a well-composed and catchy LP with a sense of authority and conviction to it then you could do worse than checking this charming albeit lethal output out.