Finnish thrashers HOME STYLE SURGERY have been around since 2008, but their latest release Brain Drill Poetry is only the second full-length release. While the first demo was put out in 2009, under the perfect title Never Ending Demo, they have been busy putting out demos, singles and compilations every year until 2014. It was not until 2018 when the band released their first full length release Trauma Gallery, and started to create more progressive thrash metal as opposed to the early material, where it featured more straight forward thrash. With this 2021 album, we look to see if they continue down the Progressive road or take a turn back towards their more, in your face, Thrash Metal material.

The album kicks off with the track "Brain Drill Poetry" and comes in at one minute and fifteen seconds. It is melodic, but also carries a quick pace, and with the clean vocals, really reminds me of a DEATH ANGEL with the smooth fitting vocals. "Necrodecoration" though it does not blow the roof off, it is a heavy song. The guitars are excellently put together, and compliment each other at every point in this track. A nice soaring solo over some blistering fast drums carry this riff fest of a song to the end. The next track up is "434" and the starting brings a sense of some JUDAS PRIEST on speed. The vocals have a lot going on, at times a deep thrash growl, to clean vocals, to an almost Power Metal ballet, and even some raspy screams at times. The bass is at the forefront of this tune for me, and the rhythm section in general, carry this song. With that being said there are still a few guitar riffs that are worth the listen on this track. The album moves right into the next track "Petrified in Vertigo" with a killer opening riff that gets the head banging before morphing into a classic Thrash takeover. I think anyone who is a fan of Joey from ANTHRAX would enjoy the style of the vocals on this album. Though this song will not break the door down, it definitely shakes the foundation with powerful duelling guitars and speed driven drums.

The album continues with "Actio in Distans" and is a whirlwind of thrash created by the guitars at a mind numbing pace, that truly go hand and hand at every point on this album. They mutate verse to chorus, chorus to breakdowns and solo's without hesitation or jeopardizing the tempo, and it is most evident in this song. The track "Exit Homunculus" enters in with a Black Metal chord progression before kicking it up to a heavy punk meets a New York Grindcore. It is the heavier of the songs on the album, though it is a slower pace then the most, until the mid way point, where the music returns back to driving thrash that has embodied most of this release. The album finishes up with the track "Surgical Sculpture" and as I went back to hear some of their earlier album, this seems more like the Thrash they have started with. With some lyrics describing the reformation of a human carcass as how the demented surgeon sees fit to create their Frankenstein. The song is well written as the guitars are on full display, never letting up and is killer riff after killer riff, while the bass and drums maintain the created chaos.

This is definitely a Thrash album but has many elements to it, even though it could be just for a riff, an opening, or a guitar solo in a song. There is a technical and progressive side to the guitar riffs, but they are done well and usually jump right back into a frantic pace. The production seems to done well, there are no dominating features on the tracks and is pieced together well. A good album and will be enjoyed by anyone who has a soft spot for some old school thrash metal and is a step up from their previous release.