Throaat – Black Speed

Throaat are a band that know what they are: straight out blackened thrash metal. It is this strict adherence to genre makes “Black Speed” both fun and disappointing. If you’re a fan of blackened 80s thrash, pick this one up now! You’ll love it!

That said, there are huge issues.“The Tortures” opens the album off well and kicks all kinds of ass with its Slayer throwback riffs and death metal guttural vocals. Not a bad track just there isn’t anything making me what to listen to it again.

“Her Atlar Needs More Blood” is a better effort with a bouncier riff and has a lot of promise. This however gets derailed as the song slows down and doesn’t pick up again until the admitted stealler bridge with some great guitar work. I feel this song and a lot of this band’s problem is that they are held back by “trying to be like Slayer”. Don’t follow that; Slayer were held back by trying to be like Slayer.

“Explode From Living Flame” is my second favourite track on the release: fun guitar lines, the super loud bass works well and the drumming is perfect. It’s a true headbanger with a strong vocal performance and an excellent thrash/black metal bridge that is the best thing on the record.

“Rampage” has an excellent bassline to open the track; I love it. When Throaat are more thrash than black metal they are awesome. This is the strongest of all the tracks and my personal favourite. This is pure 80’s thrash in the vein of Venom but with more brutality. It works so well; so it is funny that the next track is a Venom cover. I am sure that wasn’t an accident. The Venom cover isn’t too bad but it is what it is.

I dislike the bass playing at points on this record; the lines are just out of place and it is too jarring. The rest of the lads are playing well but there is nothing that is a huge standout here from a musicianship standpoint.

“Black Speed” is one of those albums that you can hear the guys are trying but there is something just off. In this case, it is trying to something that we’ve had and still have in Slayer. It’s a chain for “Throaat”; making their tracks not bad but rather just there. Sadly, that is the pitfall of thrash based black metal: it is easy to mess it up but just as hard to surpass early Slayer to bring something new to the table. It is worth a listen and I am looking forward to the next release.

Throaat “Black Speed” is out now on Invictus Productions.

Tracklist:
1. The Tortures
2. Her Altar Needs More Blood (Sign of the Coven)
3. Exploding From Living Flame
4. Rampage
5. In League with Satan (Venom cover)

Throaat are:
Grave Rat – Bass
Impurifier – Drums, Keyboards, Vocals
Destroyer – Guitars