Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Sarcasm
Label: On Parole Productions
Release: year_month
Length: 47:34
Rating: 3.5/5
The new Sarcasm album snuck out pretty quietly and unexpectedly after Something To Believe In. Sure, a good while before the record dropped, the old tomcats of Slovenian thrash did tease us with the single Z mano je slabo, but after that it was pretty much radio silence from the Sarcasm camp until the release of the simply titled Thrash. Expectations for Thrash were high anyway, thanks to the excellent Something To Believe In, and living up to them was a tall order for Sarcasm. That’s probably part of why Thrash is quite different from its predecessor. Just like the beast on the cover, this time around it looks like something that could have crawled out of a Japanese horror flick.
Even though an unconventional Sarcasm Thrasher stares out from the cover, that doesn’t mean Sarcasm sound unconventional. True to its name, Thrash is a record full of classic thrash that holds tight to the guidelines and standards of thrash metal. In that sense it may be a less daring and bold record than its predecessor, since it mostly looks back to the past and to a more straightforward kind of thrash, whose basic building block is, once again, strong and convincing riffs. Maestro Blaznik and his »partner in crime« Klemen Renko once again deliver breakneck guitar work that shines mostly thanks to simple but effective, colorful and varied riffs. Of course, there’s no shortage of racing solos and assorted shredding from both guitarists either. They’re nothing you haven’t already heard in thrash, but the guys are honest and dependable at what they do.
The same goes for the rhythm section, which is thunderous and as destructive as paving stones hurled at parliament. New member Vito’s bass, with a few exceptions, doesn’t come through all that often, since it mostly follows the guitar lines, but paired with Aleš Korošec’s drums it makes a solid team, a reliable artillery barrage backing up the infantry. Dime isn’t exactly a technical wizard, but he comes up with some colorful transitions that don’t rely solely on the typical cupa-cupa rhythm patterns. Muci may even have upgraded his performance from the previous album. His clean singing fits the music like a glove and is a real breath of fresh air in a thrash scene that has lately been boxed into screaming and half-growling when it comes to vocals. That said, Muci’s vocals also get a bit of a lift in places from some more aggressive parts.
So far, so good, but Thrash stumbles right where, given its name, it should be going berserk and grinding like a rabid bull. The quality of the album swings quite a bit: on one hand, Sarcasm win you over big time with bangers like Sarcasmatron, Z mano je slabo, Pravica and Balada o letalu Yu Ana (a tribute to the victims of the worst Slovenian air disaster, the crash of Inex-Adria Aviopromet flight 1308 on Corsica in December 1981, which would easily have fit on the predecessor in both style and theme), while the rest of the tracks wobble between »fillers« and songs that don’t leave the same impression as the ones listed above. Even though the spirit of old-school Sarcasm bursts through in places, they leave a slightly stale taste in your mouth. That’s especially true of a trio of songs that sing about the metal lifestyle in a pretty clichéd way, and the Slovenian lyrics come off a little clumsy too. Don’t get me wrong, Sarcasm deserve credit for a thrash album sung almost entirely in Slovenian, and the lyrics are mostly convincing (e.g. Pravica), but some rhymes sneak in that just don’t work. Sarcasm sounded a lot more serious on Something To Believe In, though it’s also true that in the flood of thrash bands with English lyrics they went unnoticed, and the Slovenian lyrics do give them a touch of uniqueness. On top of that, the unconventional duet with Serbian singer Dada is so different for Sarcasm that I’m still not completely sure whether it works or not. If a song gets under your skin like that, though, it can’t possibly be bad.
Despite a few shortcomings, these veterans and seasoned thrash tomcats have made an album that takes a dignified place in their long career. After the excellent Something To Believe In, Sarcasm proved that thrash still breathes in them with full lungs, and Thrash as a whole is like the intro to the record – an old car engine that’s hard to start and sputters a few times at the ignition, but in the end the machine fires up and roars just the way it should.
Lineup
Aleš Blaznik – guitar, backing vocals
Klemen Renko – guitar
Easy Mucy – vocals
Aleš “Dime” Korošec – drums
Vito Stričevič – bass
Production
Sarcasm
Track list
1. Sarcasmatron
2. Z mano je slabo
3. Thrash
4. Vitez teme
5. Smrt šeta sama
6. Pravica
7. Dej gas
8. Balada o letalu Yu Ana
9. Metalski blues
10. Thrasher
11. Zdravljica
