I was extremely surprised to hear that Thrash/Speed Metal titans ABATTOIR were re-releasing their 1985 classic "Vicious Attack". Furthermore, it's hard for me to believe that it is 30 years old! Hailing from the old faithful city of Los Angeles, California, ABATTOIR have had a very turbulent 30 years splitting up and getting back together several times since they first formed back in 1982.

"Vicious Attack" is exactly what a good Thrash and Speed Metal album should be; fast, in your face and to the point. It is precisely what the album states - a vicious attack. Even though this album was recorded and released 30 years ago, the audio quality still stands the test of time. The production is not smooth and 100% perfect, but it doesn't need to be. This album has a raw and delightfully basic feel to it. It is music before all these modern contraptions and devices were introduced to make musicians sound "better". When I threw on this album I felt like I had been whisked away to 1985 at their show chugging back a beer. The first song on the album "Screams From The Grave" has some killer guitar work and is incredibly catchy. You can also hear some slight punk elements. In my opinion this song is one of the strongest on the album, although at less than three and a half minutes long, I wish it was longer!

Three songs later we're assaulted with a brutal cover of "Ace of Spades" which I'm sure MOTÖRHEAD themselves are happy with. They took the song and put their own spin on it, it's slightly sped up and more thrash-y, which might not be for everyone, but they do it so much justice. Their final song "Game of Death" is mayhem. They went all-in with this song, the energy is pulsating through this track. Throughout there is constant changes in mood and tempo that makes you just want to headbang through the entire song (especially about halfway through, just before the solo).  This is a great song to end with, ABATTOIR made sure that the album ended on a high note and that you won't quickly forget them.

This album proves that music doesn't have to be modern and new for it to be good. "Vicious Attack" is a timeless classic. Re-releasing it is a great way to get their name back out there and celebrate 30 strong years in the music scene. I, personally, hope they go for 30 more, but maybe that's being greedy. Even if they don't, we're lucky that we have an immortal album like this to see us through.