BLIND ILLUSION is a Bay Area Thrash Metal band from the old days. Originally formed in 1978, they released one full-length LP during their first run, "The Sane Asylum," splitting in the late80s/early 90s (depending on source). Reformed in 2009, they released one additional album, "Demon Master," in 2010, but their true return to the roots of the band comes on October 7, 2022, when they unleash their newest creation, Wrath of The Gods on Hammerheart Records.

The album opens with the heavy riffed "Straight as The Crowbar Flies," a straight-forward Thrash Metal song meant to throw the gauntlet down and set the tone for the rest of the record. The riff is tasty, moving through a few phrase changes, but never dropping the tempo. The vocal pauses that end with a bass fill are well done, giving the song some extra cool features to let the listener know these guys don't write simple songs with no frills. Want another example? Check out that guitar solo!!

The intro for "Slow Death" is a fantastic show of all this band has to offer. Fast guitars, powerful drums and thundering bass. A solo during the intro is daring and works well here. As with the lead track, the vocals are mostly gritty, not crossing over into growls, occasionally getting a bit cleaner, but never fully smooth. "Protomolecule" goes melodic for the guitar section of the intro, but the bass and drums stay heavy. The bass does get a almost shreddy for the transition to the main riff, which sounds killer when coupled with that drum pattern.

The title track again opens with an intro, though this one is more centered around an eerie theme that will continue into the main body of the song. The guitar tones are heavy and dark, indicating "The Wrath of The Gods" is something to be dreaded, even feared. The layered, harmonic vocals add a little extra depth to the tone of the voice, giving it a bigger, more menacing sound.

The longest track on the disc is "Lucifer's Awakening," seven minutes of melodic lead work over heavy riffing for the guitars coupled with a chugging, solid rhythm. This track has a great bass/drum tempo that guide the guitars on a wild journey through a series of phrase changes, including cool leads and excellent soloing. It's a massive song with some almost Progressive Metal elements with the phrase shifts for the guitars and incorporating a bass solo.

The CD version has two bonus tracks, "Amazing Maniacal Monolith" and "No Rest 'Til Budapest." Here, we get Mongolian Throat Singing tones and lofty guitars leads, Punk Rock vibes, and choppy riff work that showcase more that this band can, and will, do to keep their music entertaining and worthy of notice by more than just the Thrash Metal community.

BLIND ILLUSION has stormed back onto the scene with this record, delivering something more than just a single, limited genre album. They've experimented with their sound, pushed the boundaries, and proven they are up to the task of standing with the rest on the world stage.