SECUTOR - Thrash Or Die

6 songs
22:08 minutes
***** ***
(self-released)

Bandpage

The Big Four of thrash metal have always been Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth. As a metal fan of the Eighties with a more European perspective, I secretly like to think of Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Tankard. If this is also the case with Koblenz based metal band Secutor is beyond my knowledge, but one thing’s for sure: their first EP Thrash Or Die is a definitive tribute to the golden age of thrash metal.

Secutor try their very hardest to be authentic and relive the sound of the Eighties. They don’t have an official homepage on the Internet (which wasn’t a thing a quarter century ago), and next to the CD you can also purchase a cassette tape version. And don’t even think of a digital distribution!

The opener Thrash Or Die reminds me strongly of Sodom with its take no prisoners approach. The music is never too demanding, and there is also not that much vocal variety. The lyrics are also happy to dish up every possible cliché. "Fuck You Posers" and "Metal Is The Only Way" are only two lines that prove this point. And yet that’s beside the point. Thrash metal was originally not meant to sound complex. Its prime objective was to induce a fun time. A lively track like Raise The Tankard has for instance all it takes to become a classic of the band’s live repertoire. Another great track is Beer.Vomit.Metal. which shows parallels to Tankard. Only The Ancient Curse doesn’t find its pace but reconciles with a great guitar solo. The concluding track Secutor has more of a rock’n’roll touch and is an ideal hymn to conclude the twenty minutes of thrashing fun.

There is certainly still improvement to be made, but one may wonder if that is the purpose of this music. I guess Secutor are in it for the fun and beer, and Thrash Or Die is a fitting statement. I will definitely choose the former over the latter.