Chicago's Znowhite burst on the speed metal/thrash scene in the early 80's, eventually winding up on Roadrunner Records and releasing Act of God in 1988. After numerous line-up changes previous to the release of the album, the roster here included guitarist Ian Tafoya, vocalist Nicole Lee, bassist Alex Olvera, and drummer Scott Schafer. The music on Act of God is very typical of the 80's thrash/speed metal scene, and sounds a little dated today, but has certain similarities to early Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, Testment, Toxik, Overkill, and Anthrax. Much of the guitar work is quite good throughout, with Tafoya's blistering solos and speedy crunch-o-rama leading way while Nicole's snarling vocal attack (she sounds a bit like Chastain's original vocalist Leather) cuts through the mix like barbed wire. Standouts include "War Machine", with its rapid fire rhythms and crushing riffs, the breakneck thrash of "Thunderdome", the epic metal sounds of "Rest in Peace" (perhaps the heaviest song on the album), and the 9-minute "Something Wicked (This Way Comes)", the albums longest and slowest track, with a doomy/proggy vibe that offers up something different from all the manic paced material.
As I mentioned earlier, the music on Act of God is quite dated sounding, and although Metal Mind Productions did a good job remastering the album, it's still not the best sounding metal album you will hear from the late 80's. That being said, Znowhite were still an important band on the underground speed metal scene, as short as their career was, and Act of God perhaps their greatest musical achievement.
Track Listing
1. To The Last Breath
2. Baptised By Fire
3. Pure Blood
4. War Machine
5. Thunderdome
6. Rest in Peace
7. Disease Bigotry
8. A Soldier's Creed
9. Something Wicked (This Way Comes)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
