German thrash metal veterans Perzonal War have now been around for nearly 20 years, and here they have their first new release in three years, titled The Last Sunset for Metalville Records. Yes, the bands melodic take on vintage Metallica styled thrash hasn't deviated much, so if that aspect of their music has already rubbed you the wrong way, then stop reading immediately. If retro sounding thrash however is your thing, continue on dear reader.
There are plenty of enjoyable trash & classic metal anthems to be found on The Last Sunset, so let me just state right out of the gate that you are in store for a wealth of memorable & heavy tunes. Sure, Matthias Zimmer's vocals are spot on James Hetfield in spots, and tunes like "30 Years" and "Speed of Time" could have been leftovers from Master of Puppets or And Justice For All, but considering how lackluster Metallica's music has been for the better part of two decades, couldn't the world use a little kick ass thrash that reminds of those classic albums? "Salvation" contains plenty of inventive riffing, and the band mix doom, prog, power metal, and thrash on the highly melodic "Never Look Back", easily one of the best tunes on the album. Fans of Testament will love the barnburner "Metalizer", and the crushing title track features some massive riffing, breakneck rhythms, and plenty of catchy melodies. On the downside, "What Would You Say?" is kind of sappy, and "Times of Hate" is a generic, forgettable modern thrash tune, but the good far outweigh the bad here by a long shot.
Don't come into The Last Sunset expecting groundbreaking, original styled thrash, but what Perzonal War do they do quite well, which is deliver melodic, vintage styled metal that pays a big homage to the '80s Bay Area scene and drops in some atmosphere, prog & power metal for good measure. A very solid release that continues their strong legacy.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1. Salvation
2. Speed of Time
3. 30 Years
4. Never Look Back
5. Metalizer
6. When Faith Has Gone Forever
7. What Would You Say?
8. The Last Sunset
9. Times of Hate
10. I See Nothing
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