UK thrash pioneers Onslaught return with a retrospective selection of re-recordings and covers on Origins of Aggression.
Four decades on from their debut album—and recently g a long-term record deal—Onslaught have put together this release in what will hopefully lead into a new studio album in the near future. Consisting of 22 tracks, Origins of Aggression begins with re-recordings of some of their earliest work. This isn’t a new concept by any means, and re-recordings can be risky; while they may be better produced and sound crisper, there’s always a danger that some of the original’s raw essence is lost. Fortunately, Onslaught have carefully selected tracks such as “Angels of Death,” “Metal Forces,” and “Fight With the Beast,” and the modern spin seems to amplify the energy of the past.
From a consistency point of view, the first half of the album feels effortless. The track lengths gradually increase, and the pacing carries a relentless energy as it transitions into the covers section.
The cover choices themselves make for interesting reading ahead of listening. Some inclusions are obvious fits for Onslaught’s style—Motörhead, Dead Kennedys, and Discharge, for example—but others immediately pique interest, such as their renditions of Killing Joke’s “Wardance” and Judas Priest’s “Freewheel Burning.”
Throughout the collection, there are elements of quintessential Onslaught, and it refreshingly feels like a project crafted with genuine effort and ion, rather than something lazily thrown together for the sake of nostalgia. The combination overall makes for a fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable listen.
Plenty of anger and aggression funnelled into something fiercely familiar.
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Origins of Aggression is out on 23rd May
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