There are bands that have been stowed away and stayed anonymous throughout their career. The Dutch Thrash Metal band THERIAC is one of those. As I was very active in the Metal scene during a lot of those years in the Netherlands, I would have thought that I would have encountered them at least a few times back then. But that is not the case, so what I get to hear on “Years Of Chaos” is all really new to me. These guys from Amsterdam probably played a lot in their hometown and the surrounding area, but as I am from the south of the country with enough venues to see live bands in my area, I didn’t need to travel far to keep up with what was happening. THERIAC did record a lot of stuff in those years, with the demos “Staccato Thrashio”(1987), “Claustrophobia”(1990) and “Thoughts” (1991). As an extra the record labels have decided to add two live songs that were recorded somewhere and sometime in 1992.

And I have to say that when I listen to “Years Of Chaos” I do understand why THERIAC have opted for this as the title of this compilation. And even though the recordings have been polished and cleaned in the best way possible, you can hear where the band was in their development. The “Staccato Thrashio” demo has a bit of dull sound, but still sounds presentable. The “Claustrophobia” demo sounds a whole lot better, making the songs pop out in a lot more decisive way. The same goes for the “Thoughts” demo, although that one is just a tad less well sounding than “Claustrophobia”. And yes, even the live songs have been polished up in such a way that they really do sound good. To me they are the best sounding songs on “Years Of Chaos”.

But what surprises me more than anything is that with what THERIAC has laid down on tape and given to the Thrash Metal world I am rather confused as to why the band never got a record deal during those years that they were active. The quality of the songs is more than adequate, the way they play their Thrash Metal is eclectic, or if you will, chaotic. But it all makes sense, sounds rather impressive and should have been let loose on a very unsuspecting world back then. Especially as I feel that THERIAC could easily have competed with a lot of other bands from the Lowlands and even surrounding countries. So, my advice to you as a Thrash Metal afficionado is simple; if you like your music to have oomph, to surprise you and make your hair stand on end, you need to listen to THERIAC. In this case “Years Of Chaos” is the best medication to use.