Artist: Violator
Released: 2006 RATING: 3.8/5
The Good: The reason that most people got tired of the whole "Thrash Revival" thing really fast was because a lot of the bands were really bad at it. I mean, they could play, but it was really noticeably not-fresh stuff, even as far as neo-thrash goes, which is saying something. Violator was a notable exception, however, and 2006's Chemical Assault fits well alongside second-tier thrash classics such as Forbidden Evil, Eternal Nightmare, and Epidemic of Violence, to name a few. The material is hardly groundbreaking, as mentioned, but it works; even the songs about such common thrash topics as nuclear war ("Atomic Nightmare", "After Nuclear Devastation", etc.) don't sound worn out. The material is well above-average, and the band's playing throughout is air-tight. The first half of the album is the most memorable, but the whole thing is worth the acquisition for sure.
The Bad: There's nothing new about this album at all; it's textbook 80's-style thrash, for the most part. That can be a good or bad thing, of course, depending on what you are looking for. No major concerns, however. A very solid album.
