Vio-Lence – Let The World Burn (EP)
Release Date: 4th March 2022
Label: Metal Blade Records
Pre-Order
Genre: Thrash Metal
FFO: Exodus, Anthrax, Overkill, Testament.
Review By: Rick Farley
Holy shit! It is 2022, and we’re getting new music from Vio-Lence! It’s been nearly three decades since these San Francisco Bay area thrashers have released new material. Formed in 1985 Vio-Lence are credited as being one of the “Big six of Bay Area Thrash Metal.” From 1988 to 1993 the band released three full lengths and an EP before disbanding later that year. Numerous shows, a demo and a DVD have popped up over the years but nothing of any real significance. Until now, that is. Let the World Burn isn’t a full-on return quite yet, but it’s a good place to start. Besides the obvious of this whole crazy world that we live in now, I’m sure the band wanted to also gauge the interest for new music. Personally, I am not a huge fan of EPs, but in this case it’s a smart choice for a band that hasn’t been relevant since the early 90’s. The intrigue for a band like Vio-Lence to return is huge, but an EP remains the proper way to go about it.
Showing my age, a bit, I have such fond memories of those early days. At the time, Thrash Metal was so vibrant, fresh, and exciting. It felt like a special fraternity of wild, drunk misfits partying and moshing about. Thrash Metal was always about cutting loose and having a good time. High tempo palm muted chugging, shredding solos, fast percussive beats with shouted style vocals about the ills of society, politics, or hell even about partying. Regardless of lyrical content, Thrash Metal has always had an undeniable spirit about it that just makes you feel good inside. Pure headbanging bliss. Thankfully, the boys in Vio-lence know this and have returned with their crushing EP Let the World Burn. Ready to take you back in time and kick your ass all over the school parking lot.
Original members Sean Killian, Perry Strickland and Phil Demmel are joined by bassist Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory fame and guitarist Bobby Gustafson formerly of Overkill. Phil and Bobby together in the same band, I must be in Thrash guitar heaven.
Opener Flesh From Bone is just a ruthlessly savage beginning track. That universally recognizable five chords chugged fast and left to ring out while a moving bassline runs underneath, then three chords, then two still ringing. The bass drum starts kicking in on beat until everything explodes into a furious byzantine style thrashy riff. Killian barks out his unmistakable punkish vocals like he just escaped the psych ward. Thrashy downbeats, shredding guitar solo trade-offs and some end of the song gang vocals make this the perfect opening track.
Maybe the most badass tune I’ve heard in a while is Upon Their Cross, a catchy little guitar lick with a slow note bend, over some pulsing thick low end, combined with tom and bass drum fills sound heavy as fuck as an intro. A mid paced fist banging chugging riff takes over, threatening to induce mosh pits on site. I dare you to try and not bang your head! Grimace faces everywhere, this is sick as hell. Another long face melting solo trading back and forth just shows that quality of musicianship is taken seriously. The song ends the same way it started, but just with Killian barking out “Upon the Cross.” Honestly, this tune wrecked me, so damn good.
So, as it turns out, saying Vio-lence still got it is an understatement. Every song is worth a mention. Just fun, violent, and thrashy as hell from start to finish. It’s a love letter to those grand days of twin guitar attacks and bruising hooks. If this is any indication of what to expect on the full length, they just might end up releasing the best Thrash album of all time. I know, I know that’s really pushing it, and I’m kidding. But seriously, Let the World Burn is some high-quality fucking Metal and the band being back and ripping so damn hard is something to get excited about. 
(4.5 / 5)
