CRITICAL DEFIANCE - Misconception

Release Date February 9/19 (Unspeakable Axe Records)

This is the first full length release from Chile's Critical Defiance, and a good one it is. If old school, 1980's thrash such as Exodus and Kreator are still staples in your musical rotation, then this is for you.

At 8 tracks, and about 40 minutes, there are a few punchy three minute thrash assaults, and a number of longer 6 minute jams. The lead vocals from guitarist Felipe Alvarado are used sparingly and are of a shout/bark variety that would be at home on a Crumbsuckers release or any other punk album, but the excellent instrumental portions are pure thrash and take up the bulk of most of the songs.

The first two tracks, "Desert Ways" and "Spiral of Hatred" show influences of Destruction, while other songs reference Slayer, and Prime Evil era Venom. There may not be anything terribly original here, but the songs are well crafted and performed, and when they are over you will say to yourself, "man, that kicked ass!"....and isn't that really what matters?

Critical Defiance will be accused of mimicking old school thrash bands, but they have put enough originality into this release to rightly claim that they are creating a sound that is all their own. A band worth keeping an eye on for the future, and supporting in the present.

[7.5]