3.5 /5
Rating
Written by Luxi Lahtinen
Published July 4, 2014

Let Thrash be old school or no school at all, eh? Well, Japanese thrashers Riverge undoubtedly love to thrash and preferably the old-school way, to be accurate. It's quite unbelievable when you realize Riverge formed way back in 1985. They released a couple of cassette demos and appeared on a few compilations then went dark for 20 years until their first proper album was released in 2009 (Rebirth of Skull).

Another full-length and a split brings up to their most recent release, 2013's 7-track EP titled Back'th'rash. As I said earlier, expect no less than old-school Thrash Metal with a true vintage spirit and attitude. Riverge's stuff sounds like S.O.D. meets Slayer. Their Thrash comes across fast and furious, a crisp, heavy, violent attack and, best of it all, it also sounds amazingly well done. Riverge's vocalist Shoji Nakamura has a vocal tone that is similar to Tom Araya in his later years (no high-pitched screams or anything like that).

If anything, Riverge thrash their hearts out on this 7-song outing. Besides, you cannot lose with some old-school Thrash Metal madness, can you?