An unexploded artillery shell unearthed from the mud of Flanders Fields, Belgian Thrash Metal pioneers Cyclone have detonated a surprise assault after decades of silence. Their comeback mini-album, ‘Known unto God’, delivered via High Roller Records, marks a lean, mean return that bridges the gap between their speed-obsessed 1986 landmark ‘Brutal Destruction’ and the more complex structures of 1990’s ‘Inferior to None’.
Rather than chasing the hyper-polished, over-triggered production of modern revivals, Cyclone anchors this five-track effort in a massive, dry, and pummeling mix that hits like a brick to the jaw. The sonic lineage here is deeply rooted in classic Euro-Thrash, yet it heavily bleeds into the early 1980s NWOBHM and US Power Metal blueprints. Think of the dark, galloping urgency of Satan or Angel Witch colliding with the syncopated, street-level grit of Whiplash or early Nasty Savage.
The songwriting cuts straight to the bone, omitting any unnecessary filler. The title track, ‘Known unto God’, delivers a clinic in sharp, syncopated riffing and Guido Gevels’ biting vocal delivery. Meanwhile, ‘Nothing is Real’ pivots toward an unusual, melody-driven speed metal approach that injects an infectious, old-school heavy metal catchiness without sacrificing the band’s signature crunch. It is a tight, punchy, and highly focused re-entry into the underground landscape.
