2017 had a lot of Crossover Thrash releases, like NEW POWER TRIP, IRON REAGAN and M.O.D., to name a few. However, it's unfortunate to see a huge band such as DISABUSE being left out from majority of people's list. Being a huge fan of the band myself, I have always enjoyed their music ever since I found them two to three years back. DISABUSE is the first Dutch Crossover Thrash band to ever exist. Devised in the year 1987, DISABUSE quickly made it to the Metal/Punk Underground Stardom after releasing their debut album, which I consider as a Quintessential Crossover album-"Sorrow and Perdition." Their sound is an ideal blend of Aggressive Hardcore Punk, Thrash Metal and some Groove Metal. You can expect some nasty breakdowns and technical solos wrapped around a deliverance that will surely get the adrenaline pumped.

"Death Machines" is a complete madness, with a fiery title track-the album gets the adrenaline pumped with the very first track. Continuing the same Thrash sound on the second track "Detonate," the addition of some Doom Metal akin to that of early CROWBAR completely changes the pace. However, after a short Doom inspired Intro in the third track, "Dogma I" the song continues to revolve around the swiftly executed Thrash essence.  "River Runs Red" is probably the catchiest track in the album, with an addictive opening riff however for some reason, the vocals spoils the track for me. One among the brighter parts of the album is the effective use of Bass Guitar. Nowadays it is rare to see some band using a bass section. The outro on "River Runs Red" and Intro of "We Bring Democracy" clearly reflect the Bass Guitarist-Patrick's skills to add a memorable section between the song. The rest of the album is pretty solid, however I prefer the first half of the album as it's more heavier and perfectly executed.

Overall Death Machines is yet another solid album from the Masters of this specific style, DIABUSE. Good songwriting, catchy solos, nasty breakdowns, groovy and heavy riffs are all brighter aspects of the album, with the only drawback being the inclusion of some boring tracks such as "The Lost Children" and the instrumental track, that completely shifts the mood. Nevertheless it's the album as a whole that should considered-hence I don't find anything disturbing or boring while listening to the album at its entirety.