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It can be easy to look back on the greats of U.S. Thrash like Metallica and Exodus and come to the conclusion that the scene died after their time. Anyone who's been following the genre closely knows this is far from the case, and the Bakersfield-based band Bombscare have been an example of that since their inception in 2013. It took them a while to get their 2017 debut, T-minus, out, but thankfully it only took three years to release another album afterwards, this one a 5-track EP with three new songs (not counting the intro track) and a cover of Forced Entry's "We're Dicks".

This is pleasantly straightforward and energetic old-school Thrash in the vein of classic '80s bands like Hellwitch, Slayer, and Nasty Savage. These lads play aggressively, but they also employ more technicality and experimentation than you often see in Thrash, like on the Nasty Savage-esque album opener "Cognitive Spirit" and the ambitious title track. These are all held up with some damn catchy riffs, a top-notch mastering job from Bill Metoyer, and vocalist/bassist Patrick Murphy's powerful, ear-melting delivery that's not too far off from that of Peter Hobbs'. Even the cover song is really well done, so much so that you could mistake it for one of their own songs if you didn't know any better.

These guys may not change the world of Thrash, but they certainly promise to make it more interesting with this EP. Go get it.