Like a storm raging out of Finland, the aptly named KATHRASH unleash a no-nonsense thrash assault on their first album, "Incident Nonexistent" (released February 5, 2021). The music here is about as pretense free as a crowbar to the head, drawing heavily upon thrash's roots in hardcore. This is evident right from the opener, "My Redemption;" heard in Valtteri Vuollekoski's singing (screaming/howling) and Severi Seppänen's pounding of the skins. Like all of KATHRASH's songs on "Incident Nonexistent," Sami Korpela and Jari Parkkinen lay down a great riff. The central line is banging, though at some points jumbled.

After the band brutally introduces themselves on "My Redemption," things settle down just a bit; though this is thrash, so sonic aggression can be expected and is delivered. Slightly slower than the first track, "Plague Doctor" is a prime example of what thrash is. KATHRASH fires away without preamble on "Medical Experiment," a song built around a cool riff and anchored by Seppänen's drumming. It took a little longer for me to settle into "Salvation by Cyanide" but once I did the reward was a solid riff within the melody (just had to work a little harder to hear it). The second half of the album begins with my favorite track, "Kill With Me," featuring a groove that's so very easy to enjoy. "Iron Sights" explodes out in bursts, then becomes consistently driving. The solo is note laden display of fretboard speed. "City 40" is groove-heavy and highlighted by a solo that's a bit more stylistic that heard in "Iron Sights."

Like "Incident Nonexistent" began, it ends with another track where the influences of hardcore shine through, "Healing Through Intoxicants." Seemingly disjointed at times, KATHRASH build the song around an anchoring riff. The guitar solo is played in three parts; a melodic opener, a note-heavy middle rush, back to a more stylistic closing. KATHRASH break no new ground on "Incident Nonexistent," an unapologetic 27 minutes of speed, power, and aggression. That is fine by me. After finally gaining my release after a year of being holed up due to the pandemic (thanks science), the tone of the album was, for me, almost cathartic. It's like KATHRASH is saying, in no uncertain terms, "It's time, have at it and get back in the pits!"