 |
| Artwork by Matt Slime. |
North Carolina’s war-obsessed death-thrashers Suppressive Fire offered their first full-length in early 2016 with Bedlam, a powerful slab of Teutonic-inspired military thrash that had all the subtlety of a bayonet in the stomach.
The band doesn’t stray too far from that line of attack on their latest release, Nature of War. Even artist Matt Slime’s cover art is grim and nihilistic: Inspired by true events from World War I, it depicts hapless, gasmasked soldiers in a trench being eaten alive by starving wolves.
With this release, the band did add a new member to strengthen their assault. Bass player/vocalist Aaron Schmidt shifted to guitar and vocals, while Will Saenz was brought in to take over bass duties. This gives Nature of War a fuller, more focused sound, propelled by the double guitar blitzkrieg of Schmidt and Joseph Valhal as well as Schmidt’s scalding vocals.
After a brief build up, the album’s opener, “Violent Enlightenment,” throws you into battle with little time to react. From there, the album plays like a series of brutalizing mini skirmishes with stinging solos, pummeling beats, and the occasional slower part that gives you just enough time to catch your breath.
At its heart, Suppressive Fire is a rock band with a true appreciation for the riff, and nods to Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest can be heard throughout the album. Still, songs like “Dreaded Bastards,” “Earthripper” and “Nature of War” keep the band firmly entrenched in thrash territory, with death and destruction gleefully reigning.