I’m giving you all fair warning, allow yourself a wide berth when you take a listen to the newest offering from the Canadian melodic death thrashers, Raider, Trial By Chaos. I’m serious, I do not want any of you to email or send me messages blaming me for damage done to property, coworkers, or family members when you inevitably start a circle pit wherever you happen to be.
When Trial By Chaos begins, you start preparing yourself for a good ol’ fashioned thrash album. Lots of tremolo picking, accented drumming with a steady kick drum, you know…thrash. Then as the song develops more, you think, “maybe I’m not listening to a thrash album, could this be a melodic death metal album?” Finally, you realize they have pulled a fast one on you and you are listening to both.
Raider is very good at taking the two closely related genres and fitting them together in a way that sounds seamless. I really struggle to find any particular song, note, or beat on this album that feels entirely one or the other, or even out of place. The sound they have managed to pull off is just at the edge of raw and gritty, which is another reason why I think their blend of genres works so well.
I am really excited by bands like Raider, who further the metal genre by making it feel new. It’s not easy to blend subgenres or make others feel fresh, but Raider does it. They make it their own. Bottom line is Trial By Chaos is a must listen for fans of bands like Revocation and Enforced, and honestly, fans of fun. The band has said what they really want is to welcome and have fun with everyone, make people feel empowered, and just generally bring people joy. I think they succeed in that mission on Trial By Chaos.
Trial By Chaos will release on April 7th, so be sure to preorder, pre-save, or set a reminder.
Overall Score: 9/10
Review by: Dan Perretta
