Germany is full of great thrash metal bands, the big Teutonic 4 of course some of the pioneers of the genre. But underground it seems culturally part of the music scene there and is teeming with great thrash bands. Centrate are a newer band who recently put out “Ritual” which borrows from the likes of Sodom and Destruction with a more American brand of thrash but in a raw and grittier way.
“Voodoo” has a bit of a Slayer vibe which can be found here and there on some of the other songs, the dark earlier material of “Seasons Of The Abyss” and “South Of Heaven” maybe a little obvious to some. But it’s the more mid-tempo groove oriented tracks like “Forever Mine” which works much better in favor of the band, it’s more modern sounding but still retaining a sense of the old school thrash sound. “Soul Collector” is another great example of hooks and nice tempos but where it doesn’t work is when they try to become a bit more aggressive and in your face where the sound kinda gets lost in the chaos that ensues like in “In The Face Of Death” .
But luckily that’s far and few between and the band rely on writing good hooks and staying where they sound better. There’s a lot of inspiration from the old school thrashers of the 80’s here, the Megadeth inspired “Old Mans Table” has that feel that screams 80á thrash but in saying that, it’s hard for thrash metal to not borrow elements from the originators as it’s that core sound that is prevalent in the genre. And it’s what the fans like. The album remains strong towards the end, “Revenge” begins average but ends with some killer chugging riffs and double kicks while “Exorcism” adds a little hardcore to the sound while holding back a little on tempo but still remaining a solid song.
Thrash metal will always remain a favorite among the hardcore old schoolers and you either get it or you don’t. With Centrate there’s a lot to like here that sticks to a certain formula but maintaining something more modern but gritty at the same time.
TRACKLIST
Voodoo
In The Face Of Death
Forever Mine
Soul Collector
Old Man’s Table
Infected
Kill The Death
Revenge
Ritual
Exorcism
