Radiation - Plutonium Overdose

Vrana is a man obsessed with all things nuclear and atomic. From his label, Atomic Vision Productions to his band Radiation, a thrash trio producing copies amounts of clicks on any local Geiger counters, there is a definite recurring theme present. Plutonium Overdose is a fast-and-bash effort. Five songs in twelve minutes crammed onto a 7" platter and ready to produce the type of energy required for a viable thrash release. There are few compromises present. All five songs are rippers with deafening bombast and unrelenting attack. Aided by a clear production which highlights all the instruments, the production, while underground sounding and raw, is still professional sounding. There's not much to complain about if you are a fan of classic Teutonic thrash from early Kreator, Destruction, and of course Sodom. Naturally, there's some seepage of other scenes into the reactor, but even so, the influences here are stable. 

It's immediately apparent from opening track "Atomic Age" that Radiation have removed all frills from their stripped down attack. Sharp drum chokes accent transitions to give a sharp and violent pace to the track. Traditional thrash beats and double bass rhythms grace in between. The guitar tone is that of an old reciprocating saw on high speed. Bass is properly modulated to fill in the background with depth and heft. The Drumming is chaotic and reckless. It's all a perfectly respectful amount of abandon. "Towards a Shining Blaze" is borderline Aura Noir-esque thrashing black metal. Vocals are often barks and deeper grunts of spittle which slicken the tracks. "Orbital Bombanfall", an instrumental, is rigorous in it's back and forth between fast driving chugs ala mid-period Bolt Thrower and slower riffs more akin to Agent Orange Sodom. 

"Sword of Damocles" is my pick for best track. It combines the fast, thrashing foundation of the band with simplistic shifts in melodic tension that stand out amongst the other tracks. The chorus is the key to my ears. It jumps up a step and a half from the Eb root note to an F# root note building a hefty aggressive sense of drama and impending doom. The track is a winner and goes straight into my favorite's playlist. Even though the overall EP length is expectedly short it is sure to please fans of the German school of Thrash or blackened Thrash overall. It's not breaking any barriers, not breaking any trends, but it will likely break a few necks. A no-nonsense 7" that will nest nicely into any metal collection.