The God Particle

New Jersey's Attacker has had a long, winding career since their lauded debut, Battle at Helm's Deep, was released in 1985, with several additional albums and lineup changes in the ensuing 40 years. The God Particle is their seventh full-length album and is full of thrashy, rambunctious heavy metal with some strong lead guitar work and the over-the-top vocals of Bobby "Leather Lungs" Lucas. Lucas starts the album with a Halfordian scream to kick off the opener "Knights of Terror" but musically, the thrash elements of rapid fire, sharp riffing and machine gun drumming take over, along with Lucas settling into a wilder, David Wayne-style delivery full of growls and screams. This gives The God Particle a Metal Church or perhaps a Helstar vibe but with a modern production and songwriting sensibilities. Modern thrash/heavy metal is not typically my cup of tea, but I found myself enjoying cuts like "Stigmatized" and "World in Flame" if only because of Lucas' unhinged singing and the exciting lead work combining to give them some individual flavor. I wouldn't call The God Particle a masterwork, but I've certainly heard a lot worse, so if a little "old school meets new school" sounds appealing, give it a spin.