Czar Of Crickets [Release date 06.07.15]

In the mid-Eighties thrash metal was king. Early Metallica and Anthrax releases were hailed as future classics but for me it was the first two albums by Slayer which defined the genre. ‘Show No Mercy’ and ‘Hell Awaits’ both took no prisoners and, in the case of Hell Awaits, pushed the boundaries of extreme metal at that point.

Expenzer obviously have these albums in their collection along with many others from that period. ‘Kill The Conductor’ was recorded at the wonderfully named Thunderfart Studio in 2015 although the music harks back 30 years to the thrash glory years. Opener ‘Bitter End’ kicks things off in a hail of rapid riffs, furious drumming and bellowed vocals. Frontman Tom does a good job of keeping the vocals clear but with a harsh delivery, much like Tom Araya.

Title track ‘Kill The Conductor’ continues in a similar vein before things take a sludgier direction on the slightly ridiculous ‘A Dying T-Rex’ this would be a huge track in a live setting. Other tracks to look out for are ‘Erase It’ and ‘Light Speed Heart Beat’ which are both full on thrashers and ‘Silence Of The Amps’ which at seven minutes is the longest track. The extra few minutes allow the band to stretch themselves and indulge in a more complex musical workout.

The music may be from an earlier time, but Expenzer do a good job of making it sound fresh. The question though must be ‘does thrash still have a place in the current rock climate?’ The answer is yes but it is a niche market so don’t expect to see Expenzer playing your local arena any time soon.

I feel a sudden urge to listen to ‘At Dawn They Sleep’…  ***

Review by David Wilson

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