The first thing I thought once I started listening to "Nothing Left" by HELLHOUND was "wow this sounds a whole lot like Bay-Area Thrash", which is not something you get that often nowadays, now that quality thrash metal is becoming rarer by the day. Especially with the specific, high quality breed that is the Bay-Area Thrash, it seems so unlikely that we would get something great and new, without it being from one of the staples of the genre such as MEGADETH. As it turns out, my original thought of exactly where and when this band originated, was entirely correct. HELLHOUND originally formed in 1982, in Sunnyvale California, and despite splitting up far too early and way before they could reach their full potential, they managed to re-form in 2008, and although they have now parted ways with the original vocalist, new vocalist Joe Liszt more than makes up for that loss.

"Nothing Left" is a fantastic example of what made the thrash genre so important to metal, and is a massive throwback to the early days of the genre. I can't help but feel that it may be too late for HELLHOUND to build up the massive following that they deserve, and that they probably could have gained if they had stuck around during the rise of bands such as The Big Four (METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, and SLAYER), and other thrash greats such as KREATOR and EXODUS. It feels like a massive missed opportunity for HELLHOUND, but "Nothing Left" has a lot to offer and could well prove to be better late than never. According to the bands Facebook page, this is the "final chapter" for the band, making it seem like they have already called it quits again, but if this is indeed the final chapter, it's a hell of a way to go out.

Right from the opening bars of "Red Sun, Black Sand" the album kicks off in a great way. With the obvious smell of classic thrash nostalgia, the track is a fantastic way to introduce the album, and to many people (including myself) a fantastic way to introduce the band. Throughout the rest of the album it doesn't ever let up and never feels tired or uninspired, again making me so frustrated that we don't have more HELLHOUND to listen to. "The Bleeding Edge" is the sort of song that could have got a lot of radio play in the 80's as it's their most "single" feeling song on the album. It has a great hook with powerful riffs and a catchy chorus. "Dark Discovery" is my personal favourite with its wailing guitars and the great melody through it. "Beyond Time & Space" starts extremely dark and distorted before launching in to those classic pounding thrash drums and yet another great sounding hook. On a side note, I swear almost every song on the album has a good hook to it, so I apologise if I mention that again. The final track "Killing Spree", is another good song but doesn't totally feel like an album closer for a band that seems to know that we may never hear from them again. There's this cool drum fil near the end that you would usually get to close out a concert and then it just suddenly stops. As I said, it's a good song but I felt like I wanted more from it.

So while the time of the thrash gods may have come and gone, HELLHOUND does a great job of reminding us what thrash in the 80's was all about. As I said it's a shame that they didn't stick around back when they had the chance to prove themselves and make a name, but "Nothing Left" is an impressive and thrilling album that really does say that, at least for this band, it's better late than never. It has everything that it should, with its epic guitar solos, catchy riffs, rough vocals, pounding drums, and noisy fast bass. That teamed with inspired song writing, makes this a must have for any old school thrash fans. Unfortunately I couldn't provide a link to one of their videos because there don't seem to be anything but poor quality recording of live shows, but check them out at Hellhound | Nothing Left | CD Baby Music Store where you can listen to and buy this fantastic album.

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