Well, it’s shocked me that it’s taken this long to create a column dedicated solely to thrash metal, considering my undying love for all things thrash. Really when I say undying love, I mean, listening to thrash ninety percent of the time. It’s that serious / bad. But none-the-less, Axis Quick Thrashings is my outlet [and the rest of the writing teams] for my thrashy tendencies. What I hope to accomplish with this column, is to shed light on unknown thrash metal, that well, rules, and rules hard. Whether it is from the new wave, or from yesteryear, I will work diligently to bring life to these deserving bands; because let’s face it, you can’t have too much thrash in your life, right? Yea. So sparing you further bad noise, I’ll get right down to the task at hand. For the first ever official entry in Axis Quick Thrashings, I will bring you to the small country of Greece who is home to a band that has been has seen constant play on my mp3 player, Chronosphere.
Chronosphere plays thrash in a way that truly warms the thrasher heart. They play it old school, fast, and aggressive. Their debut album under the name Chronosphere, [they were formerly known as Homo Sapiens, and released only one demo in 2011, Hypnosis] Envirusment, is an ode to bay area thrash metal. The riffs are fast, bouncy, catchy, and of course reminiscent of that classic Exodus / Metallica fusion, that so many thrash bands new and old have borrowed from.
Vocally, you will hear Hetfield worship, but not to the point of a direct copy, but instead, worshipping executed properly. The vocals do lack that classic Hetfield signature that we are all too familiar with, and thank god for that. Nothing is worse than listening to a thrash band, and feeling like a legend has somehow infiltrated that given album, and completely turned it into an extension of their discography; that sucks. Like I said, Chronosphere’s vocalist, worships – but doesn’t copy.
In the riff department, we are faced with straight forward bay-area styled riffs. They’re fast, sharp, and most importantly, catchy. As I made my way through Envirusment, it was impossible to not headbang, or feel like my face was being sliced to pieces by the sharp tremolo work. I liked that. The one thing that divides thrash bands for me is their replay value. Are the riffs good enough that they garner a second listen? Are the songs catchy enough that they are cemented in my head? You know what I mean? I want the album to send chills down my spine, and remind me of why, I love thrash metal. Chronosphere is one band that completes all of those tasks, and more.
Much gets said about the current state of the revival and its lack of originality, but really, if you like thrash, how can you not like it the way it was meant to be played? Chronosphere are a band that reminds the metal world of why, in 2012, bands are still playing thrash. They re-enforce thrash metal’s legacy and stability as a genre that yes, after all these years it’s still relevant and consumable.
At the end of the day, Envirusment is an album full of sharp tremolo riffs, catchy song writing, great vocals, varied tempos, frenetic energy, and most of all an effort that demands repeated listens. If stepping into a warzone of chaos and a plethora of well-written riffs is your thing, then Chronosphere is mandatory. This isn’t mindless skid thrash; this is thrash of the highest pedigree.
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About the Author
Anyway I'm one of the co-founders of Axis Of Metal, which I created out of a love for all things heavy. Admittedly my first foray into music wasn't so heavy. At twelve i developed a love for grunge music, which then lead to a love of classic rock, and punk. Then as I consumed almost every piece of music in said genres I needed something with a bit more intensity, and something more extreme. One day I was walking through the halls in my high school, and i heard music blasting out of someone's headphones, and it was exactly what I was looking for. So after I found out that it was Slayer's "Disciple" I went home that day, and listened to every song Slayer had ever released, and that's how it all started.
So that's my story, so why not go out and listen to me blabber on, on the podcast or go and read what the Axis Of Metal's writing team has to say. Axis of Metal is created by metal heads, for metal heads.
