UK thrashers ELIMINATION gave us insatiable metalheads a taste of their offerings when they took the place of MASTER CHARGER at Bloodstock, blinding the Jaegermeister stage with a truly spectacular, soul-thrashing, balls deep, pure impassioned set. Boy, were they a tease-and-a-half?! The trio of thrash geniuses showed Bloodstock that they weren't there to maim, they were there to annihilate... and annihilate they did! They had the crowd eating from the palms of their hands and stuffed everyone full, like a fat, juicy bit of fois gras, filling them to the hilt with their deliciously furious cuts until their ears were fit to burst.

After a ten-year hiatus, and a fresh line-up, East Anglian thrashers ELIMINATION have evolved; their sound has matured to unbridled levels of ferocity to create a blisteringly epic eight-track thrash masterpiece in their latest full-length, "Echoes of the Abyss". These brutal thrash demons have firmly cemented themselves a well-deserved place in the New Wave of British Thrash Metal, with their barbarous, bloody thrash speaking for itself, with absolutely nothing to prove to anyone.

Kicking off, "Disciples of the Beast" gets the juices flowing with a Slayer-esque climactic build-up, with an especially delicious riff that slices through and a meteoric bass line that unnerves with the burst of bestial-infused drums. David and Leigh work in perfect synergy, offering some well-thought dual harmonies and moments that really grab you by the short and curlies, with Neil's gruff and forceful vocals offering a particularly moreish face-melting experience. What a cracking start to an album!

There's no pressure-cooker feeling build-up with ELIMINATION, "Black Wings" immediately strikes with incessant, boundless energy and melodic riffs that have you foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. The energy this trio of thrash filth brings is addictive, "This is War" spewing its brutal, bloody assault at your feet, delivering the skulls of your enemies in the form of the masterstroke addition of Aarran Tucker of Shrapnel with his venomous vocals, and a cut that's saturated with tormenting solos that have you fired up and ready to knock seven bells out of the nearest object to you. The thirst to be eliminated by ELIMINATION is real.

The guitar-centric offerings and spiraling leads on "Echoes of the Abyss" get better and better the further you delve into this filthy full-length. Bridging the album, "Price of Insanity" serves up those delicious Death-inspired harmonies we've come to salivate over, dialing it up a notch or two with some especially mucky solos, and Neil equally upping the ante with pure domination in his vocal delivery. The wrecking ball of cuts comes in the form of "Victims of Design", searing with diesel-fueled riffs and more aggression and testosterone than a cock measuring contest amongst football hooligans, post-match, in the pub, tanked up. You get the gist; it's pure spitting hostility at its finest. "The Nameless City" introduces elements of crossover to the album, whilst still retaining plenty of traditional thrash territory and "Blind" literally scratches your eyes out with its unnerving nastiness, the temporal switches and smattering of dissonance creating audial discombobulation of the finest quality.

Last, and certainly not least, the highlight, the piece de resistance of "Echoes of the Abyss", the one, the only, "Infernal". The magnitude and sublimeness of this cut is virtually impossible to do justice in words, so much so, I implore you to buy the LP to listen to this track alone. ELIMINATION clearly poured their souls into this piece, a composition that is so carefully crafted, so intensely well-considered and captivating. The guitar solos alone - of which there are four belters to enjoy - are an absolute treat, each one so overtly painstakingly written, bridging the timbres of different sub-genres so elegantly and seamlessly intertwined, the instrumental interaction is flawless. Personally, this track showcases the band's virtuosity perfectly and it's a magnificent end to an all-round incredible listen.

After their long break from wreaking havoc, ELIMINATION's return with "Echoes of the Abyss" is a welcome one, with the band having produced a sublime LP, thrusting an apt metaphorical middle finger in your face. It's worth noting that, whilst the guys have opted for programmed drums, their live gigs boast the talents of Chris Williams of Shrapnel playing as a human drum machine (of course, where his schedule dictates!). Regardless of technology being behind the band's beat, it really doesn't detract from being a formidable listen. The rambunctious trio will be sure to conquer the masses with this blistering release; thrash enthusiasts in perilous pursuit of complete eardrum annihilation will embark in their droves to get a taste of this meaty beast. I mean, if you don't have "Echoes of the Abyss" in your collection, are you even a thrash monster?

Do you think I sound a little dramatic? The release date for this fine slice of filth is 29^th October 2021; get your pre-order in, listen, and then judge for yourself.