Ursawrath – Emergence
Release Date: 29th August 2025
Label: Self-Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Thrash, Progressive Thrash.
FFO: Power Trip, Havok, Sepultura.
Review By: Jeff Finch
Anyone who thinks thrash is dead is…well, wrong on numerous levels. There is so much out there for consumption that it feels like the mid 80s again; fast guitars, blistering percussion, visceral vocals, all the hallmarks of thrash are out there in some capacity. Today’s band Ursawrath sounds like a hybrid 80s and 2010s thrash band, combining the energy of the 80s with the production and songwriting of the 2010s.
From the get-go, the band shows us what they’re about, opening track Thawed by Hell’s Flames full of time signature changes, a bevy of riffs, and an unrelenting pace, all while our vocalist angrily screams, giving somewhat of a Havok vibe. The band isn’t afraid to change things up, as seen with the shifts on the opener, so the relatively tame opening of Rot isn’t too surprising. Unfortunate is the riff they play repetitiously and with little gusto, saved by a bouncy beat bleeding into a ferocious tempo, the drummer wowing with his intense stamina. The rest of the track sees a ripping solo played overtop of sheer bedlam by the rest of the group, the ending proving to be the antithesis to the opening moments.
The band changes up their entire genre on In the Abyss, featuring groove metal riffs, drums guiding to the frontlines, and vocals ripped from death metal and black metal, a deep growl and a piercing shriek breaking through. It’s with this song that the band proves themselves to be just as strong as groove metal as they are at thrash. A bit of respite appears in the form of Reckoning, an instrumental interlude with middle eastern / native vibes due to the acoustic guitar, the bass creating a melancholy soundscape on top, the guitar and bass working in tandem to at least make the interlude interesting.
Among the last few tracks on the record are Glass Tower, a song where listeners truly learn to appreciate tempo changes, the triplet kicks leading a bouncy groove, such an intense shift from the merciless double bass but one the bands pulls off pretty well. Penultimate track Sentenced to Life begins its journey as a bouncy uptempo track but soon transitions into a hellacious thrash soundtrack, bits of death metal and black metal stopping in to say hi as well. Final track Unstoppable unleashes fury on the listener, as if they were working up to this point. The solos rip, their filthy fretwork matching the rhythm section 1:1, a final shout of “unstoppable” ripped straight from a black metal track.
Another band this listener did not know before diving in, Ursawrath has crafted an album that certainly made an impression. Modern thrash has a habit of getting stagnant, mostly because they’re all trying the same thing, so the shifts to groove metal here were a welcome surprise and one that keeps this album from being lost among the crowd. If they go that route on their next one, results will be the same: a great album with room to be spectacular.
(4 / 5)
