There is a reason why we look back at the Thrash genre and call it the golden days of metal. With our forefathers still raging with fury and skills, no wonder some musicians feel nostalgic and inspired by the movement to this day. Ah yes, it was a magical era of time, where the music scene had never yet witnessed such rampage and bestiality. 35 years later, bands all over the world still try and capture the spirit with this same brilliance. Fidel to the roots of thrash, ENCYRCLE come galloping in with a Nocturnal Speed Metal, inspired by their Northern origins straight from Denmark. As Thrash may have become less intense over time (dethroned by rougher genres), the raw feel to the quintet's music is enough to sense the brutal energy once so intimidating.

Aiming to recreate the primary essence of old school metal, the formation provided themselves with shredded leads, frantic drums and galloping rhythm guitars. Strident and shrieking through the night, the somber but alive feeling rises, calling Heavy and power metal as strong influences. The semi-operatic voice does justice to the ones the NWOBHM legends had back in the days; abusing tremolos and precisely accentuating the lyrics, in a way to make the heavy metal theatrical elements stand out. With tenor screeches inspired by metal gods Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST) and Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN), there's a lot of focus on N. Hydra's voice. Its unstable balance from shrieking growls to theatrical story telling is captivating and, for sure, creates an accessible metal. Without a doubt, the old school influences loom.

Breakneck tempos and double kick engage into a lively feeling, stirring and rousing through the endless rolling drums. With a glorious optic in mind, ENCYRCLE will surely give you the envy to put all responsibilities aside and rattle yourself into a muddy pit. Who could resist the classic group chants and the precipitated rhythms, marking the soil of any good Power/Thrash record? With undeniable melody through the very present lead guitar and a strong roundness in the grounded bass, most instruments seem to express themselves accordingly, but sadly, the bass could use more space.

Frequent choruses and a bunch of solo structures later, the record falls into repetitive patterns, but doesn't fail to deliver ambiance. The maturity is delivered through the details and the differences. The use of piano leads or chiming bells in tracks like ''Serpent's Dream'' or ''Chronoboros'' for instance, offer a haunting and foggy vibe, an atmosphere and sound experimentation that builds towards a serious tone. The band may rely on rapid riffing and high scales, but the rhythm sections and melodic ones are solid enough and, variations in tunes like ''Deathlust'' make up for the sometimes-obvious lack of diversity.

Truly, what made thrash so great back in the days was its capacity to transmit emotions and energy. Let's be honest, here. It's technical, well structured, complex to a certain level, but also filled with interpretation and feelings. There is much soul to it, and bands that wander into the genre often transmit that alive spirit to the listener. ENCYRCLE, through their eponymous debut, brought back this passion with great skills. From the relentless outbreaks to the flown away harmonies, the quintet balanced old school influences and twisted the overall sound in a way, I must admit, that feels like they've appropriated the genre.<