Norway's WYRUZ are a band that can write a mean riff. Right from the opening moments of this hour-long album, there's an almost constant onslaught on abrasive guitar work. They deal in an especially aggressive form of Thrash that's riddled with crunchy power chords, liquid solos and nods to Scandinavian Melodeath, so axe-maestros will find plenty to admire. Unfortunately though, while their musicianship is top notch the general song-writing isn't so great. "Judge And Jury" is a long way from terrible but it's also dangerously forgettable and repeat-listens only expose the flaws.

For starters, there's barely any variation between the tracks and it does seem like they only know how to write one way. Rapid-fire modern Thrash is fun, but fifty-one minutes of head-down pummelling makes for an exhausting listen, especially when there's nothing but a few sparse clean-vocals to differentiate between the songs. It's desperately in need of a catchy chorus or sedate instrumental to mix things up and while the guitar work is impressive, listening to one high-speed Thrasher after another soon begins to feel like binging on white noise.

That's not to say "Judge And Jury" doesn't have moments though. The opening "Carved In Stone" is a decent introduction, while the title track and "Public Enemy No.1" flirt with greatness, but they're not enough to make this an essential listen. They're surrounded by almost an hour's worth of workmanlike Thrash such as "The Final Sign" or "Desolation" which are lacking any vital spark and the whole experience comes across as distinctly average.

This is even more problematic because when you first put the album on, it sounds like it's going to be an absolute blast. The four lads involved have clearly put the hours in, are all talented performers and the opening bars are a real shot of adrenaline and excitement. Maintaining the same pace almost-constantly makes that initial rush wear off quickly though and when you realise that it could be played on shuffle without any discernible difference, it becomes a real issue.

Not an exceptional release then and with KREATOR, OVERKILL and WARBRINGER all having brought out some top notch Thrash these past months, WYRUZ are going to struggle finding an audience. They're great players, but tighter song-writing and stricter editing are needed next time.