INJURY – Unleash The Violence

Some bands stand tall on the frontlines to keep the old guard going. However, in order to get into the heads of the new generation of Metalheads, sometimes these bands need to use modern weapons in order to fire the rusted cannons of the old school. Slayer did it as well as Exodus, Testament, and almost all of the Bay Area Thrash movement bands.

Nevertheless, this incoming band is not American, but rather an influenced band from Italy going by the name of Injury. Through the Punishment 18 Records label, they have released their debut, Unleash The Violence, and Injury has established themselves as an Italian Old School Thrash band that won’t let go of what made this Metal subgenre so great. Their approach is an aggressive, take-no-prisoners style, with immense loyalty to the ’80s American Thrash origins.

Unleash The Violence, as much as it sounds like a Bay Area Thrash album, shows Injury content to not go overboard to form something new. On several occasions, their tracks held some banal Thrash riffages that kept going on and on. Tracks such as “The Execution”, “Death Routine” and “Messiah Of The Undone”, in particular, present a foundation to work from, but the final outcome on display here didn’t leave a mark. Nonetheless, the band did implement some elements that have been the prime enhancers of this subgenre, mainly NWOBHM melodic features. Those included some fine melodic entries along with the traditional British Steel kind of defying solos.

Along with the riff-oriented approach of Thrash and the NWOBHM installments, Injury were able to impress with their great opener “Ignorance” and the straightforward, violent-natured “Violence Unleashed”. Although these incoming tracks weren’t the best thing going, they still were rather solid, and there were some great mosh-type mementos to be found on “Denying My Soul”, “Busy Killing” and “Food Of Vultures”.

Injury used a modern kind of production to come across with the same antagonistic attitude that the older American Thrash bands once had. As a whole, Unleash The Violence is another Old School attack and overall it comes across pretty nicely. However, Thrash Metal has a lot to offer, even in an Old School form that might look as being riff-based. Now with their debut album under their belts, perhaps the direction of Injury may turn to their benefit with their next release.

Tracklist

1. Ignorance
2. The Execution
3. Busy Killing
4. Violence Unleashed
5. Messiah of the Undone
6. Food for Vultures
7. Death Routine
8. Fear of Nothing
9. Denying My Soul

Lineup

Sauro – Vocals
Paul – Lead Guitar
Artio – Rhythm Guitar
Mibbe – Bass
Jankill – Drums