I don’t know that anyone necessarily asked for an album that sounds like 3 Inches of Blood mixing it up with Turbonegro and Motley Crue during their Shout At The Devil heyday put through a Thrash blender but here we are with Oxblood Forge’s latest, Decimator. And yes, it most definitely is all that and a bag of chips.
From the instant “Into The Abyss” rips its’ way into existence with vocalist Ken Mackay screeching out with a vengeful fury, it’s apparent that Oxblood Forge’s latest is on the path to wholly embracing all things METAL. Pad the track with ripping solos by Robb Lioy and a steady rhythmic throttling from bassist Greg Dellaria and drummer Erik Fraunfelter and you have the beginnings of one fine ass new record from the Boston-based quartet.
The title track has a killer opening riff eerily reminiscent of “Looks That Kill” but that only adds to the wicked time loop that Oxblood Forge have created here. Elsewhere, “Forged In Fire” settles into a nice Thrash aesthetic filled with driving grooves as Mackay adopts a stately croon that sweeps over the majestic Metal landscape.
If Ghost Rider ever makes his way into the MCU proper then I think that Oxblood Forge has created the perfect song to capture the feel of the iconic demon with “Spirit Of Vengeance” which is as raucous and riotous as it is anthemic and accessible. “Mortal Salience” is fueled by grinding guitar lines from Lioy and a persistent pummeling from Fraunfelter while “Until The Gods Return (Hunt You Down)” has Mackay yowling all clean like once again and sounding a little similar to fellow Bostonians Roadsaw on this particular ripper.
Doom, thy name is “Screams From Silence”! At least to start and then OF flip the script, up the tempo, and turn this ditty into a rousing Rawker. And somewhere in the middle of the eight minute mega finale that is “Ironbound”, Mackay seemingly channels his inner Danzig (Like, Danzig I-IV Danzig) before some epic Lioy soloing that, when combined with Fraunfelter’s bashing and Dellaria’s bass bounce seemingly forms a veritable Metal maelstrom that somehow manages to capture everything which made Oxblood Forge’s latest so grand in one helluva closing package.
Decimator arrives on June 18th. Pre-order yours now by heading here. To keep in the loop on all things Oxblood Forge, including actual live shows in the not so distant future, follow the socials by clicking here, here, or here.