05 February, 2014

Shrapnel: The Virus Conspires – new album

Shrapnel_TVC


Metal Hammer reckons this lot, SHRAPNEL, are pretty fucking awesome, Lords Of Metal thinks “this album is simply mandatory” and Ave Noctum believes ‘The Virus Conspires’ is “possibly the best British thrash metal album yet made” - so who am I to argue and why should I want to argue anyway? SHRAPNEL's full-length debut is out now (February the 3rd, 2014, in Europe and February the 4th in North America) on Candlelight Records; “fast, furious, and uncompromising, propelled by its freshness and electric intensity”, ‘The Virus Conspires’ was produced by revered studio wizard Russ Russell at Parlour Studios and features artwork from Eliran Kantor. Wholeheartedly endorsed by Metal Hammer's Dom Lawson (who also contributed his voice on the album), the CD is available for order here (Plastic Head UK), here (Candlelight Records' US store), via iTunes and other digital platforms and via Amazon.

According to SHRAPNEL, we should forget revivals and reunions - “there is only now and there is only thrash” and SHRAPNEL are reportedly one of the finest new bands to proclaim their devotion to keeping the thrash flame blazing. They “exploded” out from the deceptively genteel streets of Norwich, England, in 2009, “driven to provide what few others seemed to be doing: a sound that revolves around formidable core of pure-to-the-bone thrash and speed metal, but that never fails to keep one eye on the future of the genre too”:
“The energy in thrash is just so much more satisfying than anything else,” [explained guitarist Chris Martin] “It’s technically challenging and exhausting to play live and it gives you that buzz, that rush of adrenaline that few other genres do for me personally. Individually we are pretty different in our tastes but when you throw it all together it works. It's got to have balls and it’s got to have attitude. When you find a band that has that bite to them, that testosterone driven aggression, then it’s killer. And that’s what we do!” 
Counting lead guitarist Nathan Sadd, guitarist Chris Martin, bassist Adam Read, drummer Chris Williams and frontman Jae Hadley, SHRAPNEL released their first EP, ‘No Saviours’, in 2009 followed by second acclaimed EP, ‘The Devastation To Come’, in 2010 which was recorded with Russ Russell to whom they returned in the autumn of 2012 to piece together their debut full-length album:
“I honestly think our live shows are where we really come to life,” [confided in Dom Lawson guitarist Chris Martin] “We have the most metal bassist of all time. We have a frontman who looks like a Viking ready to pillage! Everything is aggressive, everything is loud and we mean it. We’re tight, we're fast and we're driven. I want bands to leave me half dead so why shouldn't we do the same thing?”  
SHRAPNEL features: Jae Hadley – vocals, Nathan Sadd - lead guitar, Chris Martin – guitar, Darryl Abbot – bass and Simon Jackson – drums


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