Album Review: Self Titled Debut by Raging Death

Raging Death

Let's talk about a band from Silesia, Poland: Raging Death.

With a name like that it sounds to me that we're looking at a death metal band that's ready to rip the throats out of anyone who comes into their hall.

Well, our new Polish friends may very well be angry and brutal, but they're not even close to death metal.

Today our album review is that of old school thrash metal.

Raging Death has no issues with being considered old school or retro music. They even state as much.

"We are strong believers in true metal faith, our music is travel back to the 80’s, when metal was wild, loud and full of fury and anger. Fast, rough and with no compromise. Metallic punch stringht into your face!"

Raging Death

Look at these guys. I'm pretty sure that Jamie Oldaker of the Ace Frehley band was wearing those sunglasses in the 80's.

There is no shame in their game when it comes to being old school, but just how old school are they?

The record is naturally very fast, but I think we all expected that.

The vocals toe the line between Show No Mercy era Tom Araya and Joey Belladonna, but sounds better than either of the two.

The drums are actually tucked back a little too much into the mix, so aside from being the heartbeat, I don't have much to say about them specifically.

These songs gallop. The guitars do not have that 5150 Modern Metal tone...which is getting way overdone these days...but that chainsaw Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier sound. They're the kind of electric guitars that sound well, electric.

Floyd Rose Whammy bar solos? Raging Death has them in spades and even throws us the melodic change up sometimes. In fact, this album is largely about the change up.

Rarely do the very complex songs stick to any tempo but alternate. This is the album that ...And Justice For All would have been if Metallica was still playing thrash in 1988.

Release: 4/27/15
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label: Punishment 18 Records
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