Sometimes it's hard for people to listen to Thrash Metal and not immediately try to qualify it compared to 'classic' bands in the genre, maybe even more so than any of Metal's subgenres. And who can blame them, when so many of Metal's most vital works came from the genre birthed by EXODUS, METALLICA, MEGADEATH, et. al so many years ago? That being said, plenty of newer Thrash bands have emerged, expanding on the sounds of their predecessors, including Brazil's SLASHER, who released their second album "Katharsis" independently this year.

SLASHER come out swinging from the get-go. Their sound is undeniably Thrash-based, but don't just sound like a band that knows how to play garden-variety Thrash; they take the key ingredients, a few Death Metal tricks like growled vocals and rhythm-punctuated riffs, and add their own personality to it, and let things flow from there. The result is somewhere between MALEVOLENT CREATION and TESTAMENT, with a bottom-heavy sound and aggression in spades on offerings like "Disposable God," "Overcome," and "Hostile." The riffs are creative but not overly-technical, and the Taddei Roberto's drumming is just relentless, song after song.

While there's plenty to like throughout the album, I found I liked the second half's songs better. The band takes their (collective) foot off the pedal for most of "Jamais Me Entregar," and it proves to be a good move as the song just slow burns and grooves with plenty of heaviness to spare. And just so you don't think they're tired after playing really fast for most of the album, the band kick things back into high gear on the next two songs before finishing with "All Covered In Blood." The totally throwback horror-movie sound-clip that starts off the song, and the monstrous pick-slide that follows it, are a great Metal moment by themselves, independent of the everything else. The opening guitar lick is deliciously sinister, and while I could do without the overly 90's-James Hetfield vocal parts after the opening verse, the rest of the song is simply punishing. Plus, the song title is just great.

While they don't exactly re-write the book on Thrash with "Katharsis," SLASHER give an inspired performance that proves that the genre is alive and well, and maybe better than just 'well.' It's a ferocious, pummeling, and downright heavy album that pulls no punches and should please fans of Death and Thrash Metal alike.