Thrash will never die. Right when I think it might, it just gets up again and starts wreaking havoc all over again. In the middle of a global pandemic, Brexit, and Middle Eastern mayhem (okay, that one isn't new) come Bay Area Thrashers, INFEX. Formed in 2021, INFEX has three full-length albums under their belt with "Burning in Exile" having been released on August 13, 2021. Checking right now to see if that was a Friday.  [walks to kitchen to check calendar]. That would be a hell yeah. Why did I even have to go check? No mystery there. The only mystery is how these guys are not on a major metal label.

Okay, let's start from the top. Nine tracks, thirty-eight minutes. No keyboards, no choirs, no acoustic interludes. Thematically it's destruction, socio-political commentary, and beer . . . the trifecta of Thrash. The lyrics read like really angry (and long) poetry. I mean, "Blood of the Wicked" has over 15 stanzas and the word count of a heavy novella. Topics range from the evils of politicized religion, a need to resist the power, the effects of eco-devastation, and, yep, the glory of beer. I was stumped over the title of the final track, "7.62," but about fifteen seconds of research revealed that it refers to the 7.62 x 51 mm round that was adopted by NATO back in 1954. So, we can add "war" to the list of topics. Like I said, this is true Thrash.

It's difficult to pick standout tracks on this album. There are no real ups or downs, just a solid straight-line of consistently executed mayhem. The riffs are solid, the solos are good, the vocals are guttural but articulate, and the rhythm section is a sonic blast throughout. If you're looking for innovative experimentation, you're not going to find it here. If you want reliably rendered Thrash, this is your stop. With that said, for best tracks I'll go with "Exiled" for the boots-of-lead break at midpoint; "Beer Run," because how can it not be a standout track? Just too funny and too good; and "7.62" because it's exactly what a good Thrash song should be-serious socio-political commentary thrown against a backdrop of violent riffs and explosive percussion.

Altogether, very good album, this one. Purists will wring their hands and debate ad nauseum over just how Thrash INFEX really is-whether or not they are truly 'crossover,' whose lineage can be detected in their riffs, how guttural their vocals are or are not, and what the precise bpm is rolling off the kit. I don't know about all that. The music is good, and they seem pissed off enough (although I'm not sure what Californians have to rant about. The cost of gasoline? The scarcity of avocado? It ain't exactly Venezuela there). Anyway, INFEX. Look 'em up, drop a few bucks, blow your woofers and piss off your neighbors . . . again.