Blood Feast Infinite Evolution

I can’t lie, every time I hear/read anything about New Jersey Thrashers, Blood Feast, my inner teen angst goes into overdrive. No matter what I’m doing, I immediately want to listen to the band, jump in a Mosh Pit and start knocking motherfuckers out! I didn’t find the band until 1989’s release, “Chopping Block Blues”. It was a perfect storm - I walked into the local record store, the record was there, the cover was awesome, and the song titles let me know this was something I needed in my life. “Hitler Painted Roses”, “Hunted Stalked & Slain” and “Remnants”, with song titles like that it just begged to be purchased. I grabbed the album, took it home, dropped the needle and they’ve been a favorite of mine ever since. It didn’t take me long to go back and snag up their debut album “Kill for Pleasure” & the EP, “Face Fate”. Unfortunately, the band broke up shortly after the release of “Chopping Block”, eventually they did reform although without some of the original members, most notably vocalist, Gary Markovitch. Since then, the band has released a few EPS, some compilations and one more full length. While I much prefer Markovitch on vocals, these releases are still killer in every way possible! If we can call them anything, let’s call them heavier than the previous efforts – these releases aren’t slouchy and stand up tall and mighty with any of today’s Extreme Metal releases.

So why all the Blood Feast love today? The boys are back with another long player entitled “Infinite Evolution”. Sadly, the band has had to endure more lineup changes, another vocalist has bit the dust - Chris Natalini. I’d just gotten use to him; dude had some nasty vocals and was hell on wheels! Surprisingly, guitarist Adam Tranquilli has taken on lead vocalist duties and while I didn’t think it would work when I’d first read about it, I’m happy to report I was wrong. Tranquilli is an ideal replacement, not only is he the last man standing from the original line up, but he seems to truly represent and embody the spirit of what the band has always been about – Thrash & Extreme! It also seems to reason that there shouldn’t be any more vocalist changes in the future. While some will say vocals in music/bands like this doesn’t matter, I beg to differ... Delivery is everything in Thrash Metal, specifically when the music leans toward the extreme side of the Thrash. In other words, not everything has to have the cookie monsters of the world vying for attention – I’m so over that nonsense. Tranquilli does a fantastic job on this album at every turn, if I’m being honest, he sounds an awful lot like Gary Markovitch in many ways, but it could just be his cadence which is understandable since he and Markovitch spent so much time together crafting what this band was to become.

Musically, “Infinite Evolution”, is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Blood Feast – breakneck speed, razor sharp lead breaks and insane riffage. Aside from the intro track, “Crafting Carnage” the album doesn’t disappoint in the least. The intro is just that, it’s a noisy intro that I could do without. I’m of the mindset that I want some nasty Thrash served up from the moment I hit the play button, just unload all those riffs and let me bathe in them like I did back in the 80’s! Thankfully, the next track “Ravaging the Loins of Mary” comes out swift, unforgiving and just annihilates on every level. The track opens with a blitzkrieg lead break like something you’d expect from Slayer and from here we’re dragged all over the place at 300 mph and it’s more than good, it’s phenomenal! After several spins, I’ve come to feel this track is a prelude to the madness. “Never Will I Die”, “Of Hell” and “Outbreak” just pummel the senses with speed, grit and unadulterated old-school Thrash with a nasty attitude. There are also a few moments where I catch some Prog type vibes specifically in “Eyes of Glass” and “The Preacher”, yet it’s not enough to turn me off and the vibes are quickly shoved into lightning-fast Thrashing. (I’m not a Prog guy at all).

If you’re not mean, you will be after a few listens of Infinite Evolution!!! Is this Blood Feast’s best effort, no, but does it stand up against the other legendary albums in their brief catalog? Your damned right it does! I can go from “Chopping Block Blues” right into this album and I know I’m listening to the same band; the spirit is still there even if certain members have moved on. I’m absolutely stoked that Adam Tranquilli took the vacant lead vocalist spot, there wasn’t a better choice, and this album is all the proof you need. This album should be a how-to guide and a lesson to all the older Thrash bands that are still out there fighting the good fight – this is how you do it, take warning!

~ Black Angel

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