They may not have been prolific, but Blind Illusion’s place in the legacy of Bay Area thrash was assured with their debut album The Sane Asylum. 34 years after than seminal piece of work, the band are back with their third release, Wrath of the Gods. Although only Marc Biedermann remains from that album or 2010’s Demon Master, the good news is that the mix of technical mastery and thrash heaviness is still very much present and correct.
“Straight as the Crowbar Flies” reminds you of the band’s style, a chunky piledriver with some punishing riffs and Biedermann’s rasping delivery. “Slow Death” follows, a real bone crusher with added melody. In fact, this is one of the band’s true strengths, their ability to meld bruising riffing with memorable choruses and vibrant anthemic hooks. Alongside Biedermann, Blind Illusion’s line-up features Tom Gears on bass, Doug Pearcy on guitar (ex-Heathen) and Andy Galon on drums (ex-Death Angel). There’s a pedigree here that is evident in the tightness of the playing and composition.
What Wrath of the Gods brings to the table is all the goodness of the Bay Area vibe, but with a thoroughly modern twist. There’s more to the song writing these days, with a progressive element that only comes from years of practice and reflection. “Protomolecule” sees the band in full flow, intricate guitar patterns layered over a groove laden rhythm that is infectious. You’ll be tapping the foot from the moment this kicks in.
There may only be nine tracks on this version, which includes the two bonus CD songs but what you get is pure quality. The title track is set as the central pillar of the album, and it’s positioned in exactly the right place. It’s an epic piece that features some stellar guitar work and an underlying chug to fuel any pit. It’s also dominated by a hook that’ll have you humming it for days.
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“Behemoth” is probably the weakest track on the album, with a struggling vocal and a rather tepid feel, but that’s picking a little hard as it still powers with some quality. “Lucifer’s Awakening” closes the album, a seven-and-a-half-minute piece that ebbs and flows, with Gears vibrant bass lines standing out, in a Sabbath style manner. Indeed, there’s a bit of a Sabbath vibe to the whole song.
The bonus tracks don’t quite match the quality of the bulk of the record, but they are worth a listen. “Amazing Maniacal monolith” is a little tame but brings a huge riff along to the party, whilst “No Rest Til Budpest” is a singalong rocker that initially appears to be a throwaway track, but which kicks out all the jams. Certainly not one that’ll grab you in comparison to the rest of the album but it’s a different style that demonstrates the band’s versatility
With a range of options for the album including bone white splatter vinyl, this is a 52-minute workout that overall justifies the outlay. Welcome back to a legendary band.
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Wrath of the Gods is out on October 7th
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