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Even with how common comebacks are these days, there are still some that catch me off guard. The revival of Arizona thrash legends Atrophy back in 2021 is one of those, now only having vocalist Brian Zimmerman from the original lineup while the rest of the new members have done time in acts like Malevolent Creation, Condemned to Dream, and Kill Command. Combining this radical lineup shift with the fact this is their first recording in 34 friggin years, there's definitely gonna be a bit of anxiety among fans over whether or not their return is faithful, let alone worthwhile. After listening to Asylum, I can thankfully say it's both.

You'd expect there to be at least some noticeable differences in approach and quality with such a long gap and with only a fraction of the original lineup, but nope, this is an album that could have easily followed Violent by Nature decades ago. Brian is the real selling point of this release, for his distinctive, violent thrash vocals have aged like fine whiskey, but the rest of the band does a great job maintaining the old spirit too. Guitarists Mark Coglan and Nathan Montalvo in particular breathe plenty of fire into the compositions, wringing out fierce, crunchy riffs and tasty solos, but every member is giving it their all across all 9 tracks, and there's not a single wasted of half-assed moment to be found.

The return of old legends to the fold can easily backfire and tarnish a once great legacy, but Atrophy just act like nothing happened since their glory days and confidently released one of the best thrash comeback albums I have heard in years. Prepare yourselves, for whirling, thrashing madness is coming to hunt your candy ass down straight from the Asylum.