INDULGENCE is not exactly a unique name for a band. On the contrary, it is one that a number of bands are harbouring as their own. This one is from the Netherlands, Noordwijk to be precise. The musical direction chosen is Thrash Metal, albeit with a Punk vibe added to it. The band has been going for some 28 years, but only now have been awarded the release of their second album, “Grim Times”. Their debut “Darkside” has been on the market for some six years now, and as far as I can remember I never had the pleasutre of listening to it. INDULGENCE is giving me 34 minutes of intensive and explosive Thrah Metal to explore. So, here I go.

Let me start by saying that if you are expecting INDULGENCE to sound polished, slick or easy listening, you can get that notion right out of your head. This is honest, raw, direct and uncompromising Thrash Metal, with all the flaws that this brings. “Grim Times” is filled with the recordings as they have been processed. That is why you will not be able to find a name as a producer on the sleeve. It just has been mixed and mastered, so the minimum interference is imposed into the real sound of INDULGENCE.

Is “Grim Times” an album for all Thrashers? I fear not, because you have to able to stand the Punky riffs, but also the uncontrolled stops and starts. You should look at this as INDULGENCE releasing an official demo through a record company. In this case, two, as Headbangers Records and Big Bad Wolf Records have once again worked as one team to get this released.

Does all of the above mentioned make “Grim Times” into an inferior record. Not on your Nelly! This is one hell of a pure album on which INDULGENCE showcases what kind of band they are. And they are a Thrash Metal band that can play with other Thrash bands, but also with Crossover, Hardcore and Punk bands, as their music has pieces where they overlap all of them. As for the songs, you need to give them time. If you do, they will grow on you and the quality of them becomes apparent. The tunes are certainly okay, sometimes even more than that. On the other hand, “Grim Times” will not be blowing people away. What it will do is entertain you. And that is what we all are looking for in our music.