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Released on May 11, 2015 via Wasted State Records
Edinburgh’s Black Talon started off life back in 2010. After recording a three track demo in 2011 they released a single and video in 2012, ‘Incinerator’. Live shows with bands such as Warbringer, Onslaught, Gama Bomb, Havok, Xentrix, Skeletonwitch, Aura Noir followed. Finally, in May 2015, Black Talon are set to unleash their debut album Endless Realities. Alan Douches of West West Side Music, New York mixed and mastered the album. Christian Sloan Hall of Deathlord Art created the fantastic artwork.
As a person who is old enough to have been a witness to NWOBHM giving way to thrash metal back in the 1980s it’s encouraging to see that bands like Black Talon are still flying the flag. Back in the day the harshest elements of the NWOBHM sound got put into a cement mixer and churned-up with hard-core punk. What plopped out was thrash. Fast songs with less melody, more rhythm, shred guitar solos, and as many riffs as possible in the span of a few minutes.
Trash has seen a resurgence in recent years. Many of the classic thrash bands have also rolled back the years and tried to repeat what made them so successful in the first place. This is before they were influenced by God-awful grunge and nu-metal. A new generation of thrash metal bands have started to make themselves known. About 10 or so years ago retro-thrash bands such as Municipal Waste and Evile re-ignited the art of the riff. With their debut record, Endless Realities Black Talon pay homage to these thrash kings of yesteryear. They can also proudly claim their place in the retro-thrash scene of today.
Endless Realities is standard old-school thrash with a punk edge. Each song displayed massive amounts of brute force and musical dexterity. Tracks such as ‘Era of Suffering’ showcase thunderous drumming and blistering guitar work. Johnny Steele has a decent pair of lungs on him proving he can both bellow and sing too. We are also treated an anthemic 11 minute closing track, ‘Obey’. This proves that the band can write well executed complex songs fusing progressive elements into their songwriting.
Playing at near light speed makes individual tracks on Endless Realities damn near indistinguishable. Most songs bleed together. And I think this is where the problem lies. Listen to classics of the genre and you’ll hear that while the viciousness is there, so is variation too. Think about how Anthrax sounds different to Metallica or Slayer. Each band finds that edge that makes them different.
While Endless Realities is a technically proficient set of songs that pays homage to the classic thrash bands of old, Black Talon need to find that spark, that certain something, which will set them apart from the crowd. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this album. It’s a perfectly competent and well-made record but it could have been written by any number of the retro-thrash bands. Perhaps Black Talon can factor in more hooks and progressive sections to their songs on album number two? Recommended for fans of head banging and people who like to wear neck braces.
