Thrash metal fanatics now have another item to add to their list of plunder. Audiopain hails from the fjords of Norway and they've come up with a real cracker of gnarly Euro-thrash with the ominously titled "The Switch to Turn Off Mankind". These guys draw their influence more from European forefathers like Destruction, Kreator and Assassin than the Bay Area classics most neo-thrashers seek to emulate. That's fine with me, because there's far less of this kind of thrash out there.

I'd go so far as to say Audiopain out-Destructions Destruction here. Blasting off with "Hellbound", it's pure whiplash inducing rifferama with a raw sound and barely any decrease in velocity. It's the kind of metal that might be used to incite a mob of bloodthirsty zombies to chow down on helpless humans! Svarre's vocal attacks are agonizingly hoarse and high-pitched, giving them a really urgent sound that's different from the more gruff vocals of most thrashers. Lead guitar solos also pop up with welcome frequency.

The 25 minutes on this CD race by and I was jamming to every single track. "Holy Toxic" and "Termination Fields" have slight slowdowns for some mosh parts but other than that, it's all pure thrash, ending with the mighty "Cobra Dance". I had to mop the sweat from my forehead after checking this out.

The new age of Euro-thrash is upon us! Don't miss this one!