MORTAL TERROR is a German Metalcore band with Thrash and Death Metal influences. Established in 1986, this is a band with 35 years of experience, and it shows. Bite Of The Underdog is their sixth full-length album and was self-released on December 18, 2020. One of the more notable things about this release is the "throwback" sound of the record. The influence of mid-late 80s thrash is very evident.

Starting off, the title track, "Bite Of The Underdog," crashes out of the gate and rams a DIAMONDHEAD style intro down your throat before giving you a heavy dose of thrash riffage. The primary vocalist uses a rough vocal styling but it's clean. The backing is a combination of clean and growl. The vocals remind me of quite a bit of EXODUS.

"Die At Full Speed" comes next and is a bit more NWOBHM in it's style. Again, the DIAMONDHEAD and early METALLICA feel is very prevalent. The drums and bass just pummel you throughout the entire song. With a bit of melodic metal thrown in around the solos, the song evokes great memories of epic metal songs from the past. Never ones to let up, the pedal is down to the metal and the song feels like it is racing along and not willing to relent.

The intro to "Black Church Of Rock 'n Roll" sees one guitar start off with a bit of a haunted tone, then the other joins. After that, the rhythm section enters and the song takes off. This is the song where the band exhorts you to "Give your soul" to the Black Church. Heavy Metal is a bit like a church, the fans tend to "worship" the bands they love, remaining loyal and praising the bands on high. This is the song that relates to that phenomenon.

"Hate For The Haters" and "Warheads" are two more songs that start with melodic type intros before ramming a heavy riff through your skull. Both are good songs that have good melodies and solid foundations. They just rumble along with driving beats and soaring guitars, especially at the solos.

This record is a trip down memory lane in a lot of aspects. MORTAL TERROR reminds me of the 80s more than almost any release in recent memory. Since I grew my love of metal in that era, this is a good reminder of why I love the music from that timeframe. The production is a little rough, but it doesn't detract from the overall sound of the record. The songs are good, catchy, with some chantable choruses. The musicians are obviously very skilled and they work very well together. Overall, this is a pretty good Thrash/Metalcore album.