Active for a decade at this point, Germany's FACE DOWN HERO took their name from a song of one of their favorite Bay Area Thrash bands - FORBIDDEN. So it really shouldn't be a shock to the airwaves that their sound has a lot of that second late 80's wave in terms of writing, execution, riff choices, and arrangements. On their fifth album "Product of Injustice" the trio lives for thick, hefty chords, a savage combination of grooves and triplets, plus a power melodic touch that keeps the ears abuzz on both a guitar and vocal level.

Christian has a vocal approach that is sinister, tough, and forceful - in league with James Hetfield if given a touch of a melodic German power touch, check out "Nothing" and the militant "Zero" for his menacing, convincing delivery. Musically the band have a ton of respect and admiration for the FORBIDDEN, HEATHEN, DEATH ANGEL, and TESTAMENT era of Bay Area thrash - a tier that incorporated elements of technical prowess, triplet stacking, and a steamroller guitar rhythm sound that I believe divided the masses because there was more thought and musicianship going on than the conventional uppity Thrash unit. For instance the clean echoing parts that weave in seamlessly against the electric proceedings for "The Reckoning with Myself" or the epic flow of "Scraping the Sky" that also features patriotic/ cultural guitar harmonies during the instrumental sections aren't aspects that can be learned in mere minutes: they take years to shape, mold and cultivate.

Not everything meets to my liking- I think the nu-metal bass and guitar wheedling during "The Pictureman" may be FACE DOWN HERO's way of experimenting to expand their horizons for a song or two, but it's not their strong suit and best reserved for the younger musicians to conquer (or leave by the wayside). Professional production values, spooky character cover art, and 9 songs that bring me back to my late teens with one of the best styles of semi-technical Power / Thrash that you just don't hear a lot of bands performing anymore - they should gain a modest amount of respect for their approach to the genre alone.

The best in the business know you can't stay stuck in one gear, executing idea after idea in the same manner. "Product of Injustice" succeeds because the song is king, diversity is the key, and these Germans deserve more adulation, sales support, and bodies at their live concerts.