Armament [IND] – Death Strike [EP]

When it comes to retro thrash, I must admit I am not very enthusiastic, is just that I’m bored of all these bands trying to copy (not necessarily achieving it) the analog 80s bay area sound of Exodus, Recipients of Death etc. So when I received a copy of India’s newcomers Armament and their just released I was curious but not very positive to say the truth. The Ep in question, has 5 songs, 1 of them is a cover of Angent Steel “Unstoppable Force” and the first thing that captured my attention were the vocals…really well done and keeping the 80s vibe…if I would need to give a reference…probably David Wayne/Randy Rampage would be good analogies that come to mind. Another element to highlight here is the clean and proper performance, everything sounds really tight and well played, the balance of volumes between guitars and bass is just the perfect one, the drums probably need some more production, but they sound ok and I have no problem at this point. Overall I think is a good release to be a debut, maybe next time these guys can work out on a heavier sound production, but it is just a matter of time because they seem to know very clear what they want, and that’s what let bands grow in terms of music and concept. So there you are, if you like thrash with some retro elements…and at the top of it…from exotic countries, this EP is definitely something you may need to consider in your collection…really worth to get it. (Master Butcher)