Condor     

S/T

Demonhood Productions 2013

It seems like I have been waiting for this album forever and finally the debut full-length from Norwegian thrashmongers, Condor, is upon us.  But was it worth the wait?  Hell yezzzzzzzzzz!!!!  After the mandatory intro that sets up perfectly the first song, Rising Terror, I am transported directly to the thrash heyday of the 80s.  It's like the spirit of early Dark Angel was resurrected and was still spitting vicious brutality.  The riffs saw and buzz with demonic intensity and the vocals are raw and tormented.  The track breaks into a crunchy bounce before kicking in the door with some straight-on aggression.  Up next is my favorite track, Blood Fever with its hammering beat and that utterly genius fretwork at 0:27-0:28 of the song.  UGH.  The song has a really charging pace that just won't relent.  The guitar solo that drifts across the middle of the track has enough of a somber tone to contrast with the gleeful violence of the song.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, Pagan Ritual opens with a bouncy groove before unleashing a hellstorm of razor riffing.  The feverish chugging and speedy thrash riffing reminds me of a mix between early Kreator and We Have Arrived era Dark Angel.  And those are two of my favorite musical landmarks.  UGH.  Prophecies of Death And Destruction delivers blow after blow of cutting thrash riffs that strip your flesh to the bone!  The falsetto vocal shout is a nice touch and evokes some classic thrash masterpieces.  I am possessed by the low rumbling riff that is mirrored by the forlorn guitar solo.  The Possessor warbles its riffs before kicking into high gear!  Sacrifice unleashes a hellish barrage of audio barbarity that is tempered only by the subtle nuances that mature songwriting can bring.  The final REAL track is Chant Of Madness and contains a super-great Slayer riff that brings to mind Die By The Sword.  Just hear it at 0:26 mark.  UGH!!!!  The track drops into deadly grooves that twist and contort only to explode into a volley of fiery riffs that stab and pierce your flesh.  I can't stop banging my head.  Every song on this album is a neck-snapping classic of old school thrash.  I hear elements of all the old scenes; Bay area, Canadian, Teutonic, etc.  The is true thrash delivered with conviction and boldness that very few of their contemporaries can match.  "I am possessed!!!!"