Out 20 March, 2026
Via Independent
Words by: Daryl Daryl
This album is a two-listener that rewards persistence, so keep reading to find out why. On first blush I was disappointed. It sounded familiar and yet lacking. Then I realised it had an old-school thrash tone that I know so well. So much so I took a break from programming to listen to Onslaught’s debut In Search of Sanity. And there it was, I hadn’t lost my mind. The album really does have an authentic thrash tone, and a bloody good one. That settled, I returned to the fray.
The vocals are a very modern mix of fry and cookie monster tones that generate a rhythm as much as a tune. They do put across the emotion intended and are backed up well when required with traditional chants. But they are layered on top of a bedrock of tone and riffage straight out of the 1990s.
Yet, that ‘lack‘ in the first listen still weighed on my mind. Could it be the juxtaposition of the new with the old? Was it the lack of vocal harmony? Or the bass… No, clearly audible in the mix. And then it hit me, like an ice-pick to the forehead. Searing leads and melody. The foot-stomping riffs and breakdowns are all there, everything a thrash fan could want was in place except those familiar screaming guitar melodies. Which is when the album looped and I started my second listen. Boy was I wrong! The leads and melody ARE there, but instead of searing high-pitched guitar masturbation, they’re more subtle, mid-range and incorporated into the riffs. It gives the band a unique sound. And I have to say, I like it. Third listen and you start to pick out more of the lyrics and the hooks. 1984. Broken Arrow. You start singing along and questioning why you ever had doubts.
Listen for yourself before you start the journey.
I’m so glad I stuck with Casualties of Violence because it just gets better with every listen. Which is something to behold because tipping the hat to those early thrash masters sets the bar higher than most would dare. Riffs that would have shone in the early careers of Scott Ian and Gary Holt. Produced by Andreas Linnemann (Baest), mixed and mastered by German producer Nino Helfrich with Joel Wanasek, Persecutor have delivered nine energetic tracks.
They combine the best from the classic bands with a fresh neo-thrash approach. The band’s characteristic melodic sensibility stands out, particularly on standouts like Acta Est Fabula, A Way in Life, and 1984.
Persecutor are very clearly fans of thrash and they’ve put in the hard work. They’ve created an album that captures the spirit of 1992 while delivering something fresh and new.
