OurStage

author: Brad at CD Baby With tracks like "Dearly Beheaded" and a lead singer who's nicknamed "The Goat," this Michigan thrash/death metal outfit ostensibly fits the mold for the kind of ravaging rock they play, but once you dig deeper, it becomes clear they're not the kind of group looking to follow in any footsteps. The music is based in classic thrash, but they take it in their own direction, tightening things up with fierce bits of guitar interplay that often break loose during the interludes that follow bullet-precise verses. "Iconoclast" is four minutes of unrelenting madness, a track that finds their two guitarists riffing on complementary rhythm parts, and eventually crescendoing in a solo that is brutally quick-fingered. The vocals employ a somewhat traditional death metal method, but instead of simply growling, there is equal focus on precision and cadence, forming a constant exclamation point that adds even more power to this already strident force. All of this is backed by a rhythm section that is clearly versed in the many methods of pummeling an instrument, allowing it all to come together and knock you right upside your skull.

Appearances are deceiving on Writhing's self-titled, self-released EP. Canvassed with typically blasphemous artwork by Jon Zig, the Detroit-based ensemble pounds out a tough six tracks of death-sounding Thrash bred from bay area brutes Exodus and Metallica with a partial influence from later icons The Haunted, though given the age and experience of the band's members, Writhing winds up sounding a lot closer to the genuine article and far more sincere. Jarhead grunts combined with more natural vocals gives these tracks greater distinction, beefed up with quality mastering by Peter In de Betou (Entombed).