Being a fan of the Thrash genre since the tender young age of 12 (I’m now 45) I have been fortunate enough to hear and witness the birth of some of the greatest Thrash music known to man. For some time it seems like the genre which I have hung my hat on as my personal favorite has been pretty flat. Now don’t get me wrong, there have been some pretty good “newer” Thrash bands that have hit the scene in the last few years, but where are the great ones at? Well I found one out of Florida that embodies all that is great about Thrash music: Create a Kill.
With a stacked line up of Metal veterans consisting of Gus Rios (Gruesome/Malevolent Creation) on guitar/bass/ drums, Alex Marquez (Solstice/Malevolent Creation) on vocals, Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth) on guest drums, Daniel Gonzalez (Possessed/Gruesome) on guitar, Matt Harvey (Exhumed/Gruesome) guest vocals, and Tobias Gustafsson (Cut Up/God Macabre/Vomitory) on guest drums you pretty much know what to expect. To say brutal and heavy would be a gross understatement.
Create a Kill recently released a record entitled Summoned to Rise via Repulsive Echo Records and it is something that brings my blackened heart great pleasure. Almost takes you back to 1986 and the heyday of great Thrash. There are a number of songs from Summoned to Rise that could very well have been on something as great as, say, Reign In Blood? … Yes, it’s that fucking good. Hey, I’m a huge Slayer fan, and I have no hesitation with saying that Create a Kill reminds me of the greatest Thrash band, the material is just that good.
Insane old school riffs for all your moshing needs, Jeff Hanneman style squealing solos (which made the hair on my arm stand up at points), brutal vocal deliveries that at times walk the line of really solid Death Metal vocals, and a ton of intense outstanding drumming throughout. Everything works on this album, from lyrical content, to the tone of the music, and of course that break neck pace the vast majority of the record offers.
Listen, I can be stubborn when it comes to new music because let’s face it, there is a lot of really bad music out there. Create a Kill’s Summoned to Rise is exciting, refreshing and done right. It takes the foundation that giants before them like Slayer, Kreator, and Exodus laid, and they built upon it. Nothing cute, nothing fancy, just the proverbial middle finger in your face that says “fuck you, this is what it’s supposed to sound like” and I completely agree with them – this is what my favorite genre is supposed to sound like. Great album, men, be proud, and do me a favor, make a tour happen, the Metal world needs music like this live and in their faces!
CREATE A KILL: Summoned To Rise
