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Album Review – Reanimator / Commotion (2022)

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This unrelenting Canadian Thrash N’ Roll beast returns to action after seven years with their strongest effort to date, offering us all an overdose of heaviness, rage and rebelliousness.

Since the creation of the band in 2005 in the beautiful city of Montreal by Patrick Martin and Maxime Cormier, the unrelenting Thrash N’ Roll beast Reanimator dug an important place in the Quebec metal scene, offering incendiary Thrash Metal dotted with old school and more contemporary elements, kicking some asses wherever they go. Now in 2022 the band currently comprised of Patrick Martin on vocals, Philippe Lemire and Joël Racine on the guitars, Frédérik Bizier on bass and Francis Labelle on drums strikes again with their third full-length opus, entitled Commotion, the follow-up to their excellent 2015 album Horns Up. Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Jef Fortin at Badass Studio, produced by Carlos Ponte and Dany Soucy at Bam&Co-Heavy, and displaying a sick artwork by the band’s own bassist Frédérik Bizier, Commotion will certainly please all diehard fans of thrashing masters the likes of Exodus, Megadeth and Municipal Waste, bringing to our ears an overdose of heaviness, rage and rebelliousness with a vibrant Québécois twist.

The strident guitars by Philipe and Joël ignite the title-track Commotion, exploding into ass-kicking Thrash Metal to the demented screams by Patrick while sounding very classy and violent at the same time, also presenting some electrifying guitar solos. The Ditch is another song perfect for slamming into the mosh pit, with the metallic bass by Frédérik walking hand in hand with the rhythmic beats by Francis in a nonstop thrashing extravaganza for lovers of the genre; whereas instead of burning the witch, it’s time to be Burnt By The Witch, drinking form the same fountain as Bay Area monsters such as Exodus and Anthrax. Moreover, simply bang your head nonstop to the razor-edged riffs by Philippe and Joël. Then putting the pedal to the metal the band offers the infernal Terry Fire, a play word with “terrifier” as you might have noticed, where Patrick sounds utterly enraged on vocals accompanied by the massive bass punches by Frédérik; and L’Appel Du Vide (or “the call of the void” from French) is a great song entirely sung in French with Patrick being nicely supported by his bandmates’ backing vocals, sounding frantic, dirty and visceral as expected.

Necronomicunt carries a beautiful name for another explosion of old school Thrash Metal by Reanimator where the band’s guitar duo is on fire from start to finish, slashing our ears mercilessly while Francis dictates the pace with his unstoppable drums; and grab a cold beer and head into the circle pit to the sound of Anti-Sobriety, offering us all more of their thrilling riffage, bestial drums and deranged vocals. After such high level of insanity, the band slows things down a bit and brings forward Wretched Affliction, presenting some interesting breaks and variations while Patrick keeps roaring like a beast (despite being a bit below the rest of the album). Back to a more direct, venomous sonority it’s time for the crushing Heads Or Tails, with Philippe and Joël once again stealing the spotlight with their refined riffs and solos; and lastly, let’s bang our heads and raise our horns together with such talented Canadian squad in Out For Justice, with Francis hammering his drums in great fashion while the roaring by Patrick sounds more insane than ever.

If you have what it takes to face this Canadian raging bull of Thrash Metal, you can enjoy Commotion in full on Spotify, and of course purchase the album by clicking HERE or from Boiteamusique.ca. Don’t forget to also check what those metallers are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their inebriate, thrashing music. As aforementioned, Horns Up was already an amazing effort by Reanimator, but the evolution in their music from then to Commotion is beyond awesome, therefore placing them among the best metal bands of the current Canadian scene. And may the heaviness of the Thrash Metal blasted by Reanimator keep hammering us all for many years to come, always fierce and dauntless like the “abominautors” they are.

Best moments of the album: The Ditch, Terry Fire and Necronomicunt.

Worst moments of the album: Wretched Affliction.

Released in 2022 Bam&Co-Heavy

Track listing
1. Commotion 5:36
2. The Ditch 3:26
3. Burnt By The Witch 4:49
4. Terry Fire 3:32
5. L’Appel Du Vide 4:05
6. Necronomicunt 3:22
7. Anti-Sobriety 5:14
8. Wretched Affliction 3:58
9. Heads Or Tails 3:20
10. Out For Justice 4:56

Band members
Patrick Martin – vocals
Philippe Lemire – guitars
Joël Racine – guitars
Frédérik Bizier – bass, backing vocals
Francis Labelle – drums

Album Review – Terrifier / Weapons of Thrash Destruction (2017)

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A Canadian army of Thrash Metal proves through their phenomenal new album that thrashing is their business… and business is good.

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terrifierwotdalbumcoverasofdec21If you have already checked out our Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2016 you know that, at least for us at The Headbanging Moose, 2016 was the year of Thrash Metal, with bands like Testament, Anthrax and Death Angel delivering the cream of the thrashing crop. With that said, how about keeping the flame of Thrash Metal burning brighter than a thousand suns, with the first review of 2017 being not only a kick-ass album, but a tribute to this always thrilling subgenre of heavy music? Formed in 2003 in the city of Kelowna, in the province of British Columbia, Canada, but currently located in Vancouver, here comes Thrash Metal squad Terrifier (originally known as Skullhammer) armed to the teeth with their brand new opus, the thundering Weapons of Thrash Destruction.

The album’s old school straightforward artwork already tells you what you’re about to face in Weapons of Thrash Destruction, and after listening to such amazing album you’ll agree that the band’s motto could well be “thrashing is our business… and business is good.” Having release their debut album Destroyers of the Faith in 2012, followed by the EP Metal or Death in 2013, Terrifier offer in their new album exactly what diehard thrash metallers desire, being highly inspired by icons like Slayer, Exodus, Testament, Megadeth, Metallica, Overkill and Kreator, also adding to their musicality hints of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Pantera, Iced Earth and several other of their influences in heavy music. The band’s frontman and mastermind Chase Thibodeau explains their reason for being. “We formed this band because we love thrash and play what we think sounds cool… our music is fast, technical, heavy and melodic and shredding.”

Guitarists Rene Wilkinson and Brent Gallant waste no time and begin slashing their instruments in the opening track, the superb Reanimator, delivering the thrashiest riffs you can think of, with Chase screaming the song’s lyrics in a frantic Paul Baloff style. Inspired by the 1985 cult horror flick Re-Animator, it’s five minutes of nonstop action perfect for getting some hardcore bruises in the circle pit. In Deceiver, it’s confirmed Terrifier is a band that definitely knows how to craft true old school Thrash Metal, blasting more of their unstoppable blazing riffs while drummer Kyle Sheppard showcases his passion for metal through his insane beats; followed by Nuclear Demolisher, bringing forward sheer madness in the form of music. After an amazing rhythmic start, we’re treated to a heavy and cohesive sonority led by the beats by Kyle, with highlights to its electrifying guitar solos and to Chase’s hellish vociferations.

terrifierKeeping the speed over the “recommended” limit, fans of old school Exodus and Overkill will go crazy with the demented tune Violent Reprisal, especially due to its belligerent riffs, solos and vocals, whereas Skitzoid Embolism pays a fun tribute to one of the most iconic scenes from the 1990 classic Total Recall. This is yet another top-notch display of traditional Thrash Metal by Terrifier, with both Rene and Brent having sensational performances with their flammable guitars. And galvanized by the music bred by Exodus with Zetro on vocals, Drunk as Fuck epitomizes what Canadian Thrash Metal is all about, including the song’s spirituous lyrics. As the band states, “Heavy Metal is not just music, it’s a way of life”, so raise your beers to this awesome drinking hymn!

In Bestial Tyranny,  yet again we witness a tenacious band that is never tired of blasting high-octane thrash music, with Chase sounding completely demented with his screams while Rene and Brent, together with bassist Alexander Giles, form a “stringed trinity of Thrash Metal” throughout the song’s six breathtaking minutes. And violence never ends in this fantastic album, with Riders of Doom, an instrumental bridge displaying some nice guitar solos, setting the stage for their last onslaught of old school Thrash Metal, titled Sect of the Serpent, a song inspired by Conan the Barbarian (they do love the almighty Arnold, don’t you think?) played at the speed of light. Chase leads his demented troop of metallers, with Kyle’s berserk beats crushing the listener mercilessly.

In a nutshell, the sonic Armageddon caused by Terrifier and their Weapons of Thrash Destruction goes beyond all expectations, proving one more time how underground metal can be just as mighty and exhilarating as the classic bands we love so much. In order to know more about the band’s fantastic arsenal of Thrash Metal, go check their Facebook page, SoundCloud or ReverbNation, and if you want to put your hands on such awesome thrashy armament, simply go to Terrifier’s BandCamp page or to the Test Your Metal Records’ Big Cartel page. Weapons of Thrash Destruction will provide you the precise amount of ammunition you need to kick some serious ass into the mosh pit, no doubt about that.

Best moments of the album: Reanimator, Nuclear Demolisher, Drunk as Fuck and Sect of the Serpent.

Worst moments of the album: Deceiver.

Released in 2017 Test Your Metal Records

Track listing
1. Reanimator 5:24
2. Deceiver 5:15
3. Nuclear Demolisher 4:26
4. Violent Reprisal 4:17
5. Skitzoid Embolism 4:08
6. Drunk as Fuck 4:12
7. Bestial Tyranny 6:13
8. Riders of Doom 1:40
9. Sect of the Serpent 6:44

Band members
Chase Thibodeau – vocals
Rene Wilkinson – guitar
Brent Gallant – guitar
Alexander Giles – bass
Kyle Sheppard – drums

The Metal Moose Show – Episode 2015-08-04

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If you want to get more information about any of the bands featured at The Metal Moose Show, simply Google the band and/or the song name to find their official website and Facebook page and, more important than that, attend their live concerts and buy their music. Here at The Headbanging Moose you can find detailed reviews of Russian Blackened Death Metal band Sarpentra and Canadian Thrash N’ Roll band Reanimator (just click on the links below to read the reviews). Support your local bands… AND FOLLOW THE MOOSE!

On The Metal Moose Show this week:

1. Cut Throat Queens – Blaze
2. La Menade – Nero Caos
3. Crimson Sun – The Storm
4. Midguard – We Are The Destroyer
5. Leah – The Northern Edge
6. Splintered Halo – Bloodshed In Wonderland
7. Sarpentra – Iron Nails Run In
8. Sanguine Glacials – Timeless Pt.1
9. Infinite Series – Stars And Fortnights
10. Serpentarium – Condemned To Fall
11. Evolution Now – Let It Go
12. Poynte – Erase Me
13. Punch Cabbie – Atmosphere
14. Vengeance Within – For Honor
15. Winter Deluge – Fall To The Wyrm Of Time
16. Downfall 2012 – Divinity
17. Andromeda Theory – Massacres Of The Fallen
18. Game Zero – The City With No Ends
19. Setraline – Dead Set
20. Coffincraft – In Eerie Slumber
21. Reanimator – Tempted By Deviance
22. Black Plague – Black Plague

Click HERE to listen to this week’s episode on Spreaker.

Metal Moose Radio YouTube | Spreaker | Mixcloud

Album Review – Reanimator / Horns Up (2015)

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Put your horns up and slam into the pit with one of the best and most entertaining Canadian Thrash Metal bands of all time.

zcoverWhat would happen if a hybrid of Anthrax and Testament was born inside a frantic circle pit during a Toxic Holocaust concert, and from that day on this deranged metallic creature had Exodus as its mentor to teach it a fuckin’ lesson in violence? That, my headbanging friends, is the most suitable depiction of Canadian Thrash N’ Roll band Reanimator and their brand new album, the badass mosh pit-generator Horns Up, a flammable parade of vintage Thrash Metal that will leave you completely disoriented so intense and fun it is. In other words, it’s like trying to take the bull by the horns, but having your ass kicked instead and feeling completely satisfied with that.

Since the creation of the band in Montreal, Canada in 2005, Reanimator dug an important place in the Quebec scene, offering an incendiary feast of old school Thrash Metal seasoned with modern elements. After some lineup changes and after releasing a demo, a couple of EP’s and their first full-length album entitled Ignorance Is No Excuse (2009), it was about time for our society to be smashed one more time with the thunderous music by these talented Québécois metallers. The only question I have in mind is if the band was named after the 1985 cult movie Re-Animator, which in case you don’t know it I suggest you go watch it right now. As this classic film is a gory and hilarious variation on the Frankenstein story, it makes sense for the band to use its name due to their undeniable ability of resuscitating that Thrash Metal from the 80’s we all love so much.

Arising from the hellish realms of Thrash Metal, the opening track Electric Circle Pit will throw you into an electric circle pit of awesomeness due to its Anthrax-inspired riffs, creating a cool and energetic vibe where the harsh and powerful vocals by Patrick Martin will get into your head in a very good way. And while some people wait to be caught in a mosh, others simply rush for it like what happens in Rush For The Mosh, an old school Thrash Metal anthem with a Hardcore/Punk Rock atitude, sounding like many classics from the 80’s. Moreover, drummer Francis Labelle doesn’t let the party slow down with his beats, while guitarists Ludovic Bastien and Joel Racine are two unstoppable machine guns of riffs and solos.

ReanimatorHeaderThe next track, Tempted By Deviance, is perfect for that most traditional form of circle pit, like the one fans “worship” during the unparalleled classic “Toxic Waltz” by Exodus. The whole band is kicking fuckin’ ass, with highlights to the vibrant bass lines by Fred Bizier and to the excellent chemistry between Patrick’s lead vocals and the backing vocals. To put it simply, if they don’t add this song to their setlist, we riot.  Anyway, Thieves Of Society presents to the listener a modernized version of Thrash Metal from the Bay Area, in special its metallic riffs and rhythm, with the guitar solos halfway through it being like a journey back to the golden age of Thrash Metal. Then it’s time to slam into the pit with the nonstop monster known as The Abominautor: this is one of those songs where you go crazy slamming, screaming and drinking together with the band, yet another mandatory tune to their live performances. In addition, its guitars and bass lines are beyond tough, beautifully complemented by its amusing lyrics (“Born and raised in outer space / Came down to earth to kill posers / Decontaminating the human race / Ain’t got no pity for those losers”).

and it’s not over yet, motherfuckers, as Reanimator keep dilacerating our souls with The Mosh Master, a Thrash Metal onslaught where the heavy artillery imposed by Francis behind his drum set and the Rob Dukes-like hardcore vocals by Patrick will hit you in the head like a fuming panzer; followed by Still Sick, a song where their passion for heavy music gets even clearer when you see there’s no sign of slowing down at all, and I can imagine the level of devastation its basic but solid as hell instrumental is capable of causing live. Sounding like a (superb) tribute to old school Anthrax, Off With Their Heads is the type of song that would put a huge smile on Scott Ian’s face, mainly due to its sing-along lyrics, catchy riffs and fist-pumping chorus, before Mock A Mockingbird, the most Rock N’ Roll of all tracks, closes this excellent album. The bass guitar by Fred sounds a lot more vibrant, and we have to admit its last part gets pretty interesting with the hints of progressiveness and feeling provided by all musicians.

If you want to go head to head with this raging thrashing bull, go check their official Facebook page, their awesome videos on their YouTube channel, and buy Horns Up at their Big Cartel or BandCamp pages. What are you waiting for, you piece of “thrash”? Put your horns up and slam into the pit to the music by Reanimator, undoubtedly one of the best and most entertaining Thrash Metal acts from the Canadian scene.

Best moments of the album: Electric Circle Pit, Tempted By Deviance, The Abominautor and The Mosh Master.

Worst moments of the album: Mock A Mockingbird.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Electric Circle Pit 4:16
2. Rush For The Mosh 2:45
3. Tempted By Deviance 4:56
4. Thieves Of Society 4:36
5. The Abominautor 3:24
6. The Mosh Master 2:48
7. Still Sick 4:27
8. Off With Their Heads 3:31
9. Mock A Mockingbird 4:38

Band members
Patrick Martin – vocals
Ludovic Bastien – guitar
Joel Racine – guitar
Fred Bizier – bass
Francis Labelle – drums