• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

The Mist are an old Brazilian thrash outfit that started life in 1986 as Mayhem before changing names and releasing some killer albums and an ill-received EP before calling it quits in 1997. I first followed them on account of having vocalist Vladimir Korg, who I knew from another thrash band called Chakal that released one of the greatest Brazilian thrash records ever with Abominable Anno Domini, and while I don't think The Mist quite measured up, they still released some awesome albums with their debut, Phantasmagoria, and the follow-up, The Hangman's Tree, so I was happy to hear they had returned a few years back and released a comeback EP in that time.

That's enough history for one review, so let's get to The Circle of the Crow. Stylistically, they are still very much a thrash band, though I'd say their approach has gotten more diverse with the years, for better and worse. It's certainly for the better with the killer opening track, "My Inner Monster," which sounds like Testament in their prime, complete with face-smashing riffs, killer solos, and Vladimir's primal and unique vocals, which haven't aged a day. Sadly, we don't get anything that measures up to this opening, instead having the decent but unmemorable "Over My Dead Body," the well written but too modern for my tastes "The Blackmail of God," which is largely elevated by a killer chorus, and the simple, oddball closer "The Tempest," which starts off like a bluesy, AC/DC-styled jam before kicking up a gear into clear thrash territory.

That reads like I dislike most of this release, but honestly, The Circle of the Crow is a solid album that mostly suffers from being top-heavy and maybe stretching itself a bit thin as it tries new things. Grievances aside, there are no dead spots on this album, and every song has good guitar work and excellent vocals even when they do things that just aren't for me, making this a damn welcome return that shows promise for the future. If nothing else, get this for "My Inner Monster," which is probably one of the best thrash tunes of 2022 you didn't hear.