"Release The Kraken" is the first release from the Cyprus based thrashers DARK VOID. This EP is made up of 6 tracks, one of which ("The Awakening") is not what you'd expect to be on a thrash album with its more acoustic and un-distorted sound. This track sounds like a finger-picked guitar melody which bring backs memories of Metallica's Black Album which, although pleasant to listen to on its own, isn't exactly going to get the listener pumped up to listen to 20 minutes of thrash metal.

However, the other 5 tracks on this EP are pure unadulterated thrash which is always a good thing. The thing that stands out about this EP is the vocals which instead of the usual generic shouting you find on thrash records is more close to death metal growls most of the time, similar to bands like TOXIC HOLOCAUST. There are a bit of shouty thrash vocals which aren't the best but the guttural growls make up for the sub-par thrash vocals.

In terms of musicianship, it's fairly similar to most other thrash records out there with insane drumming, accompanied by blast beats. In addition, the riffs are made up of fast power chords, often palm muted, on guitar. However, this is not a bad thing! Music doesn't have to be totally unique to be fun to listen to. If you're a fan of thrash, you'll like this band. The track that really stands out is "Near Death" which is 6 minutes of fantastic soloing and a brilliant mix of tempos and techniques. Overall, this EP is pretty great for a first release and there is very little to complain about apart from the vocals which can be hard to get along with. This is a pretty solid record and hopefully DARK VOID will keep this level of musicianship going with their future releases.