Razorback (1987)
As with the Wooden Shjips, here's another surprise from my last Denver record buying trip. The cover you see is not what I have here (no loss I'd submit). Rather mine is plain white, and yes, it is indeed a test pressing. Priced very reasonably I must add.
I figured based on the year, and that the band are labeled thrash, that it likely will be to my taste. And it is. This comes from the era when metal bands were riffing mad, and the more they could squeeze into a cut, the better. And if the rhythms followed their lead, you have something truly progressive. Being from Connecticut, the band seems to favor the nearby northeastern groups such as Anthrax, Overkill, and Attacker. The vocals occasionally go for the gang chorus, which also calls to mind Exodus. The lead singer doesn't shriek like many of his contemporaries, sticking more to a punk aesthetic. The guitar tone is deliciously thick and heavy. Good solos are interspersed throughout. There's some Cliff Burton-like bass as well. While certainly nowhere near the most complex of tech thrashers, it nonetheless moves seamlessly from idea to idea. To get noticed in 1987, one would have had to do more than this, yet the album remains a solid effort for the genre.
Ownership: 1987 Giant (LP). Test pressing on Rainbo. Acquired in 2026.
8/12/26 (review)
8/12/26 (new entry)
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