We’ve already had four decades (for those who have trouble with numbers, that is 40 years!!) of Thrash/Death Metal slung at us by the quartet from Rotterdam, The Netherlands called THANATOS. And as a fellow countryman I have had the pleasure of seeing them live on several occasions. We even played the same dates when I was the sound engineer for DELIRIOUS (and even started emptying their part of the fridge because in our eyes we weren’t issued enough food and drink). As most of the Dutch Metal bands in the eighties and nineties, it was nigh on impossible to draw attention from abroad. There were already so many good bands around, that you needed to really stand out and/or do something new to get an international contract.

During their existence THANATOS have given us seven studio albums, five live releases, three EP’s and some splits. And yes, of course demos. And when you listen to them all now, you have to conclude that these guys always have had their musical feet firmly in the eighties and nineties, but also that these guys deserve a lot more credit than they have received so far. In that respect you can only applaud Agonia Records for releasing “Four Decades Of Death”. Plus, we need to thank THANATOS themselves for rerecording some of their songs and adding the 2006 and 2018 demos to finish the album.

Like I said, I feel that THANATOS should have been more famous (or is it infamous?) then they are now, as what they bring to the turntable really does rock my boat. This is Death and Thrash metal combined in such a way that it will get you nodding along while listening, or if you’re a lot younger than me, headbanging as a mad man and flaying your arms at the same time. This is good stuff if you love it the old-fashioned way. Don’t look for any contemporary influences, as they are none existent. No, THANATOS have always played the music that suited them best, and if you listen to “Four Decades Of Death” and are enjoying it, I suggest you start looking for their earlier albums. They are all worth your attention too, as all of them harbour good and straight forward metal with good songs that will put a smile on your face and blow you mind as well as your speakers. The question I have now is whether “Four Decades Of Death” is the last hoorah for THANATOS. I really do hope not.