Unified to create endless havoc, tough bastards armed to the teeth for the unleashing of terror and chaos, their way is of the thrasher, constantly looking to pick a fight, a true violent force in the world made of Metal. So what makes a good 80s Thrash Metal release? I would admit that I find as quite a hard riddle to solve. Whether it should be melodic or technical or plainly speedy and rough, unknown as the entire set of options can work pretty good and I believe that the 80s left a large quantity of examples to verify it. Lurching upon modicums of dirt and obscenity heaving from the debut release of the Finnish Thrash zealots of ARATIC, I unearthed the gruesomeness of the past, yet only partially exuberant and divergent. Not that I looked for anything special in particular as right from the first rattling of the band's debut, "To The Early Graves", via Violent Journey Records, I convinced myself that I know what would be next, in a way I was mistaken, but not for the better.

Apart from being musically straightforward, like a running blind bull into his own death, ARATIC grasped their influences of 80s Thrash, and a few Punk and Hardcore, burnings and just sped away fast into the realm of fire. I noticed various similarities of early KREATOR, SLAYER, DESTRUCTION, EXODUS, D.R.I., DARK ANGEL and the list can cruise even to the first steps of Death Metal. For one thing, I commend their ferocity, punching through holes, without stopping from nothing. A few of the mid tempo riffing shared several lead guitar licks, which have been quite common on EXODUS and SLAYER past crests, yet there were a few fast paced tremolo action picking that sounded quite Black Metal in nature. Some of these riffs even measured up to the classics. There were very few soloing efforts, and the ones that were appeared as mere banality, other than establishing something above average. The hellish drumming is without remorse or deliverance, plain chaos of speed with a few mid tempo lines, yet nothing special there as well as it just kept coming all the same. As for Henri Virolainen's vocals, suitably rough attitude, somewhere between the hoarse singing of Paul Baloff and DARK ANGEL's Don Doty, yet without the high pitched raspy tones. I actually liked his vocal type, even the reoccurring low end growls. ARATIC, pretty much like other Thrash bands of the new wave, fired all cylinders, making sure that their oncoming bequest will be suffered.

Generally, nothing within "To The Early Graves" made me flinch or to become overwhelmed, though I must recommend on the vigorous energy of these young dudes. No one could doubt their 80s admiration and how the classics are important to them. Several of their rhythms guitar lines, infused with the manic drumming, are a near perfect blend for any blood soaked moshpit. I cared less for their Hardcore / Punk inducements, but it is hard to escape that MUNICIPAL WASTE reverence, especially on today's current Thrash scene. The last closing track, "To the Early Grave", appeared rather hammering like the rest of them, yet catchy for one to pronounce it hysterically over and over like a mad dog. Its main riff is fairly ordinary, but good and its C part is a cause for celebration. "I Am the Night" and the blackened affair of "Puritanist of the Black Light" are also recommended for you to plunder. ARATIC is just another band, at least for now with "To The Early Graves", and you know the rest.