Described on their own biography notes as “raw, powerful and uncompromising thrash metal with thundering, artillery-like riffs and energetic choruses that leave you no choice but to mosh and bang your head” Mortal Strike are a thrash metal band from Austria, and they have described themselves perfectly!
Formed in the autumn of 2009, these are five guys from three different countries, Austria, Denmark and Germany, who all have the same one goal, to make the music that they all love.
Having won the W.O.A Metal Battle Austria in 2011, performing at Wacken Open Air, the world’s greatest metal festival, gained the band a high profile. Countless shows with some of thrash’s most legendary bands such as Warbringer, Darkness, Tankard and Destruction, as well as performances at festivals such as Wacken, Kaltenbach Open Air, Out ‘n’ Loud Festival and The Black ‘n’ Thrash Inferno followed, culminating with the release of their first full length album “For the Loud and the Aggressive” in 2014.
Influenced by many of the old school thrash bands such as Sodom and Kreator, as well as faster speed influences from the likes of Stormwarrior and pure old school heavy metal finding its way into Mortal Strike’s music, listeners should take heed of the title. If you like your metal loud and aggressive then this is the album for you.
Playing generic old school riffs with crushing guitar work and pounding rhythmic drumming, this album is a serious thrash assault from start to finish that could easily hold its own with some of the thrash greats. With songs predominantly about war and violence, the tempo NEVER slows down, the result being just under forty seven minutes of in your face metal.
There is nothing ground breaking about this album which could lend people to think it’s a bit one-dimensional and “samey” but maybe the band wanted to make something that would simply smash you in the gut and make your ears bleed. If this is the case, then they succeeded.
What is outstanding on this album is the production and the dynamics of the band. Each member of the band works well with the rest just like the cogs of a well-oiled machine. They seem to bring the best out in one another and the result is outstanding.
When I review an album I can usually tell by the end of the second track whether I am going to like it or not. I knew I liked this album by the end of the FIRST. I am a thrash girl at heart and this album was right up my street, a mix of Kreator, Exodus and Onslaught. With galloping guitars, double kicking drums and a singer with a voice that could easily be mistaken for that of Mille Petrozzi from Kreator, Mortal Strike are not just a retro-thrash band (a phrase I have read said of them numerous times!) They are a band who can play the thrash metal popular in the 1980’s as if they were playing in the 1980’s. This is an album that will catapult you back thirty years into the past and that, in my book, is in no way a bad thing!
They can play the music, they absolutely look the part and this album totally kicks arse!!
TRACKLISTING:
1. For the loud and the aggressive
2. Here comes the tank
3. Outburst of fury
4. Against the Wall
5. Mg 42
6. Smash the Tyrants – Storm the Gates
7. Strike
8. One against all
9. The Tides of War Arise #1
10. Unleash the Hounds of War #2
—Bonus (Only on CD-Version)—
11. Zombie Attack (Tankard Cover)
LINE-UP:
Chrir – Guitars (rhythm)
Matthias Gerstl – Vocals (lead)
Max Scheiber – Drums
Etzi – Guitars (lead)
Dominique Heine – Bass
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn Smith, The Metal Asylum and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
Originally posted on Ever Metal