The 2025 self-release by Dave Tinelt, Power of Discretion is chest pounding, hair swinging, riff centered nod to mid-80's thrash and speed/industrial metal. Previously fronting for a slew of bands in the same genre including Metreya and Mortal Sin, one of Australia's most notable thrash metal acts, Dave Tinelt, who wrote and composed much of the album himself, stands out like a Fistful of Metal in an era of modern metal core and industrial dark wave. The first track, The Maniacal Mind is the twenty second, wiry album intro of eerie, ambient, guitar solos and dark, spacy, trill of rapid chaotic lightning before the storm.

Axe to Grind, opens with a start-stop, panic hammer of cinematic power and rise to glory. Raspy vocals and martial chants follow with an intense and electrified fast thrash riff and shout-along chorus that is tight, yet aggressive, controlled, yet constant, well aligned with tight snare accents. Imagine concert shirts, tight jeans, leather clad fans lined on the rail moving in a ritualistic motion head banging as one, devil horns to the sky.

Am I Sane? is one of Dave Tinelt's most emotional tracks on the album. A mournful, clean, acoustic guitar arpeggios interlude layered in reverb-laden riffs ride dynamic yet somber, echoing vocals that move to a heavy to mid electric guitar wall that, for me, embodies all that is the metal groove. The track namesake fits the bill here. Splashing 4-4 drumming all about speed and precision carries us into an abysmal neck snapping windmill, rhythmic whip, if you will, while Dave Tinelt's main verse riffing to pre-chorus accounts for that full metal aggression built to insanity. Am I Sane? is a true classic in the trash metal genre.

Heyoka, a raw and spiritual, yet center-structured song, tracks energy around an edgy, linear arrangement, where Heyoka is a term in Native American, Lakota culture that means "warrior" (who was chosen by the Thunder Beings to fight the evil powers working against nature), Dave Tinelt's lyrics capture the lore of old while holding the demons back as he masters the storm. Heyoka has a classic kick pedal, 2/4 beat alongside ripping speed metal guitars that glide and weave around gritty, operatic, soaring melodic vocals. A mid-chorus break hits with a standout guitar solo that highlights the overall talent here. Back again to the formulaic riff, chorus, riff, the song lifts us to the heavens and back to the earth in triumph.

Overall, each track of Dave Tinelt, Power of Discretion is a raw and hearty, traditional, all metal and power memorable reverse, snap-back ball cap tip to the skateboarding, convenient store, arcade playing child terror of the 80's I was and still am. With topics ranging from government corruption and mental illness to Native American magic and aliens, in an age that leans towards technology polished, boom-bottom emo swill to whinny clamor drop beats to money frilled rap-rock tinged with synth-pop sing-song, I was glad to know acts like Dave Tinelt with an album like Power of Discretion are still smashing out the shank beats!