I have been hovering around lots of Thrash Metal forums on the internet for quality underground bands and got across NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE earlier this year through their 2009 album 'Devolution of Species', so I was naturally more exited to dig this band with their latest release in 'Lex Talionis'.  The first impressions I had of this band even before listening to the songs were, that the band name sounds like a government organization, hahaha, but I guess that their X-factor here.

Speaking about the music itself in the EP, there are just 5 songs, but all the songs bring aggression and impressive music, and the most impressive quality - bring something new to the table. Hard hitting riffs, blunt shouting vocals all create a unique 'NNS experience' as I would like to call it. Frankly I haven't listened to their previous album carefully due to sheer lack of my time, but here the music goes on full aggressive more right from the first song. With song names like "Planet Satan", it's not very hard to comprehend what the lyrics might be about, though if they are what I think (about Satan), I have a mixed feeling towards that as this is a Thrash Metal band and not a Black Metal band. In any case, the music is not all riff based as I imagined before listening, as there are beautiful synthetic guitar work that I find in the songs that bring a unique listening experience in a Thrash Metal record. But the next 2 songs which are the covers of Finnish Hardcore/Punk bands KANSANTURVAMUSIIKKIKOMISSIO (KTMK) and VIVISEKTIO, sound more like Crossover Thrash than 80s Thrash as is promoted by the band, and as a whole are less than convincing. The album ends with a 29 sec demo, taken from their 1988 FEAR 2 demotape, which is another disappointment musically. So the album which started with great promise with the first 2 songs, disappoints in the latter half.

While the production quality is moderate, the album has a bit of both 80s Thrash and Crossover Thrash feel, but except for the 2 songs and with the 4^th song "Jeesus Oli Venäläinen Kantoraketti", 'Lex Talionis' doesn't really bring enough quality to the table to keep the listener interested, and sadly the 'mini CD' didn't reach my expectations, so I hope for a better record next time from these Finnish Thrashers.