At points the Slayer-cribbing is uncanny, so much so that vocal patterns sound identical, never mind some of the riffing. The same could be said for the rhythm guitar work in terms of Hetfield, the leads in terms of Hammett, and the shout-along chorus parts in relation to Exodus. Dashes of Anthrax and Testament also appear. The legendary Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica, Morbid Angel, etc.) produced this sterling affair and while his skills may not have changed much in the last two decades, the tools at his disposal have. The guitars sound massive, the drumming is clear and deep, the bass is thick, and the vocals are substantial enough without dominating. In a word: solid.

The press release indicates this to be a "return of heads down, no nonsense Thrash Metal!!" So it is. Standout tracks include "Man Against Machine" and "We Who Are About to Die." And now a word of advice from your friends at TartareanDesire. Don't mind those writers who have panned the band for being unoriginal, claiming the listener should instead find the source of inspiration. Remember when your friends said "if you like Exodus, then you definitely have to check out ____"? That proves derivative ain't all bad, friends. Bottom line: Enter the Grave is a quality release that will fix one's Thrash fix with a quickness. And no, it ain't the most original thing to come down the pike.... So what? [And yes, "First Blood" is indeed about those Rambo movies.]

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 53:02