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Hidden Intent is a band out of Australia that I came across in, of all places, Des Moines, Iowa. They were on a bill to support Lich King on one of the last shows I saw before the pandemic made going to a show a possible life or death proposition. They were all very down to earth and I had a 15-minute conversation with Chris McEwen (lead vocals and bass player) about the Mortal Sin patch on his jacket. It was nice to see a modern thrash band that was so well versed in more underground or little-known thrash bands from the past. The conversation was a good one, although the smell, not so much. Ahhhhh, the joys of a tour across the US on a shoestring budget and sleeping in a van for weeks...lol The band played a killer set with tons of energy and I made sure to make a mental note to check out any new albums from these guys. Fast forward to the end of February 2021 and here we have a new Hidden Intent record.

This album wastes no time at all getting started with some razor-sharp riffs with added melody lines as accents. The killer riffs aren't the only things that guitarist Phil Bennett has up his sleeves, as the lead work is also well above average. I love the fact the songs aren't just a straight wall of blistering riffs, but the band does a great job of letting the songs breathe a bit with really well timed mid-paced sections that just get you into that groove/breakdown area where the pit gets crazy and you just can't help but start banging your head even harder. Drums and bass are perfectly executed, and you just got to love when a band actually puts the bass prominently in the mix. It always gives the rhythm section that extra bit of power. The vocals are pretty standard for the genre, neither great nor bad, but no one comes for thrash for incredible vocals. It's all about the riffs and those pit sections and Hidden Intent know exactly what they are doing in that area. The little Slayer tribute at the end of "Pub Feed" is also a very nice touch. The only negative thing I can really say about this album is just how short it is. Same issue I had with the Forbidden Messiah review. Again, I guess it is better to leave people wanting more.

I normally say nothing about album covers. This one, however, does an outstanding job of showcasing that this band does not take themselves overly seriously. How could you not like rabid/zombie koalas attacking people while Paul Hogan is straddling an alligator?

Overall, if you like Artillery (in the speedier sections) mixed with Sacred Reich (in the pit/breakdown sections) this is an album for you. Fuck it, if you like Thrash Metal, this is an album for you. Go get it!