Avenger of Blood - Celestial War

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 It seems that thrash is making a comeback and nothing proves that point more than this new EP from Avenger of Blood.  "Celestial War" is an all-out assault that will pummel you from start to finish.  With influences ranging from Slayer to Destruction, and others, Avenger of Blood will have you duck-taping your CD player shut.  This disc is full of relentless aggression and I'm lovin' every second of it.  Punishing, brutal riffs and addictive, killer vocals are the main course, surrounded by appetizers and deserts of eerie, scorching leads and soul-piercing lyrics.  One listen to "Fallen Entity" and you'll be singing along all day to the lines of, "The nations trembled at your wrath/But now you are reduced to nothing!"  This disc is much better than I ever thought it would be the day I first received it.
 
There are a few downers here, but ones that I am more than willing to look past due to the awesomeness of the project as a whole.  Occasionally this one-man band tends to "overdue" a riff to the point of running it in the ground.  However, they are all so dark and tasty that I find myself not really being bothered by this at all.  A drum machine is also used, but if you are not a drummer, this fact will be almost unnoticeable.  And the good news is that ex-Tortured Conscience drummer Shannon Frye has now joined ranks and will be brutalizing our ears with the real thing next time around.  Production is also a bit of a setback with a little too much high end.  But you can still crank this bad boy and enjoy the music without it becoming to much of a distraction. 
 
Overall, this album is a headbanger's dream come true, and you'd be crazy not to pick up this thrash metal delicacy.  E-mail the band at avengerofblood@hotmail.com for info on ordering this fine and tasty meal.  (Review by Matt)

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