Hailing from Houston, Texas, the quartet THE SCOURGE has been in existence since 2012, and "First Comes Destruction" is their premiere 5 song EP release. Bassist Garrick Smith also does double duty as a live performer for the Power Metal act HELSTAR, so I know going in that this will be a set of musicians who are more than capable at their respective instruments.

The band play a style that is not 'in vogue' - Progressive-oriented Thrash Metal. If names like CORONER, ANNIHILATOR, RAGE, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, and WRATHCHILD AMERICA are unfamiliar to you, then THE SCOURGE will happily bring you up to speed on these bands. Add in a little bit of that fierce SLAYER energy and you'll get a firm grip of what you hear on magnificent cuts such as "Crawling with Chameleons" and the quick hitting, 2:22 opening instrumental title track.

Andrew Atwood and Johnny Laird rip on their axes, throwing down numerous exotic harmonies and quick hitting riff tricks that put 95% of the Thrash world to shame. Their playful, melodic side comes out on "Murderous Pride", a number that blends the old school power of Germany's RAGE with the chops and groove of the much missed WRATHCHILD AMERICA during their "3-D" days. As a matter of fact, Andrew as a vocalist has a little bit of Brad Divens in his gritty roaring pipes.

The only disappointment to me is the fact that "First Comes Destruction" is 5 songs and 22 minutes in length- as THE SCOURGE has the tools, the ideas, the songwriting, and the execution to deliver a killer full-length record. Brevity though has its advantages, as this EP has been on repeat mode ever since receiving it. So those who like a higher level of musicianship within their Thrash need THE SCOURGE in their collections.