Well, time to sound like an asshole again, so here goes: Very few bands manage to do thrash metal right, the way it sounded in its 1980s heyday, and a lot of that is because you can’t just pick up an old album and capture the essence. But it can be done on rare occasion, and it’s glorious when all the buttons are mashed just right.
Ready for Death are back with record no. 2, that being “Pay With Your Face,” and this 12-track beast really nails the punk-fueled, politically minded, smashing madness from an era that never can be repeated. The attitude is here as is the brutality and the sense of humor as the band—vocalist Artie White, guitarist Dallas Thomas (formerly of Pelican), bassist/synth player Luca Cimarusti, drummer Shawn Brewer—tears through these 34 minutes, wasting no time at all and maximizing every second. Yeah, it reflects on morbid times, but it’s also a blast to hear, and these guys would not be out of place on a bill sandwiched between Exodus and Anthrax.
“Spacebreeders” rips open with drums echoing and guitars raining down, howls trudging over you like a reckless machine. Guitars spiral as the humidity ticks up, blistering with meaty pounding. The title track is a fast one, attacking with speed, hammering vocals, and a smeary assault that wrecks skeletons. “Cannibal Cops” is ridiculous on the surface, but pleasingly so, and digging into the track, they’re fucking going for it. Gang shouts of the simple chorus rampage as guitars rule, the vocals wrench, and the stirring chaos envelopes. “Motherfucker, it’s the cannibal cops,” White warns, torching to the end. “God Send the Asteroid” is an understandable title considering where we are, and it’s a punk-fueled blast, complete with catchy guitars, hardcore-style brute force, and animalistic devastation. “Going to the afterlife!” sounds like a charge delivered tongue in cheek as the heat finally subsides, the guitars melting away. “Doomsday Everyday” is another quick blast, the group shouts of the title rampaging your spine, brutality leaking out of each crevice, a scalding soloing giving one more violent shove. “The Harvest” chugs as the temperatures rise, and then things fully fire up, metallic riffs pulling walls down. “You’re running for your life,” White howls repeatedly, the pressure building before a scorching end.
“Digital Witch” begins with weird noise chicanery and doomy riffs, and then it’s onto a full beating, guitars teasing and mashing before burning away. “Lawbreaker” has menacing guitars and screams curdling, a beating administered as the guitars begin to flex. The heat becomes insurmountable as the back end of the track stomps guts, the guitars blaze anew, and an explosive gust brings an abrupt end. “Project T.A.R.A.N.T.U.L.A.” lumbers, the drums thundering, the guitars picking up the pace and twisting muscle. The title is howled over and over (well, at least the T.A.R.A.N.T.U.L.A. part is), lodging itself in your brain as the playing soars, and thrashy madness consumes. “Sewage of the Divine” destroys, guitars churning, sinewy playing leaving bruises. Guitars agitate melodically as the thrashiness multiplies dangerously, lighting up one more time before fading. “Utopia of War” has the bass driving and a more atmospheric aura backing the punishment. Slashing colors play tricks with your brain as relentless howls of, “You suffer!” run into ravaging drums and intense melody. Closer “Rat Chaser” begins with drums rupturing, savage power exploding, and a swarming, suffocating attack. “Chase rats!” is yelped over the chorus as the playing levels, guitars slink, and a strange cosmic vibe disintegrates.
Ready for Death bring a refreshing edge to a reality that is really not the best on “Pay With Your Face.” It also returns to a time when thrash metal often sounded fun and furious but also packed harrowing messages that strangely still resonate today. If it’s all over for us, there’s nothing we really can do than watch the ruling class burn everything to the ground, and this music will go a long way toward soundtracking that insanity.
For more on the band, go here: https://readyfordeath.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://translationloss.com/collections/ready-for-death
For more on the label, go here: https://translationloss.com/
Meat Mead Metal 