Thrash Metal is one of the most hardened Metal genres of all, because it’s hard to take things out of the German and North American standard models: or it’s brutal and aggressive as usual for German School, or more polite and melodic as North American School usually is. But from time to time, some bands try to push limits, and the Canadian act TRISKELYON is doing such thing on “Shattered Elysium”, the band’s third full-length. As the words above state, the band (where the mastermind is the guitarist Geoff Waye, who is known for his playing on bands as ARTACH, CATEGORY VI, OBERON, BETRAYER and WITHIN THE REALM) is on a Thrash Metal trend similar to the used by classic North American acts as METALLICA, ANTHRAX, OVERKILL, VIO-LENCE, FORBIDDEN and others, or in other words, crossing the use of the natural aggressiveness of the genre with melodies inherited from Hard Rock and traditional Heavy Metal.

It’s clear that Thrash Metal fans will like the album, because the energy delivered is full of Thrash Metal hooks, especially with staccato riffs and massive shreds of the guitars, but with solid instrumental parts, hooking melodic choruses, and due the presence of different singers, sometimes things shows a tendency to be a bit more melodic than the usual, in a similar way to what FLOTSAM AND JETSAM did on “Doomsday for the Deceiver” and “No Place for Disgrace” (pay attention to “Hellbound Hellions” to check such feature) , and on some moments is riven into the more aggressive side of North American model (in a tendency similar to FORBIDDEN and VIO-LENCE, as heard on “Sealed Hypocrisy”).

The sonority is good, but could be better, because some instrumental tunes used on the recordings are fitting 100% on the band’s musical idea. It’s not bad, don’t get the words in the wrong sense, but such form of music demands something with aggressive, but defined instrumental tunes. And to create a different appeal, there are many different invited singers to deliver their talent to the songs: Amanda Kiernan (INTO ETERNITY, THE ORDER OF CHAOS), Eric Forrest (E-FORCE, EX-VOIVOD), Tiina Teal (DÉTENTE), Amanda Jackman (CATEGORY VI), Armin Kamal (INFRARED), Dale Drew (SEA DOGS), Fíochmhar (ARTACH), Des Mason and Pete Healey, and the drums were played by Raul Marques (of BURNING TORMENT), and Dwayne Pike, Keith Jackman (CATEGORY VI), Rick White and Darrin Pope played the bass guitar parts.

By all the words written before, one can be sure that after the intro “Beyond Shattered Elysium”, this album becomes on fire, with melodies and aggressiveness clashing and bring excellent elements to “Endgame Euphoria”, “Anarchy Avenue”, “Hellbound Hellions”, “Sealed Hypocrisy”, “Under His Eye”, “Eternal Conflict”, “The Battle for Monte Cassino”, “Phantom Serenade” and “Whispers from the Shadows”. But pay attention to the band’s version for the old Pop hymn “Hungry Like the Wolf”, a hit of the English act DURAN DURAN, here on an aggressive version full of nasty guitars and double bass parts, but keeping the excellent melodic appeal of the original song. No description is needed to the songs, because all of them are truly great and full of their particular value and shine. It’s a matter of hearing and liking!

It’s obvious that TRISKELYON shows a very good and promising work on “Shattered Elysium” (the idea of using different singers is really excellent), and adjusting the production on the next time (the sonority of the album), no one will resist the band’s music.