Martire – “Martire” – [Nuclear War Now! Product]

2007 reissue of these Australian black/death/thrash metal also-rans’ 1991 EP. No doubt inspired by the likes of Sadistik Exekution, Bathory, Sarcofago and other ‘almost-but-not-quite-second-wave-black-metal’ contemporaries, it’s a straight-ahead, atavistic, dirty thrash slaughter party. A1 is instrumental but the other five tracks have impressively tortured (and of course incomprehensible) shrieked vocals. Churning tremolo riffs and merciless blast beats that almost pummel over into grindcore territory cause some to label Martire (pronounced like ‘martyr’) early practitioners of what is nowadays called ‘war metal’ or ‘bestial black metal’– but I’m sure to them it was just thrash. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up; pure fucking Armageddon.