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Back in the mid-80s, bands like Possessed and Slayer started pushing the thrash metal envelope, embracing harsher vocals, savage, squealing guitars and brutal, neck-snapping breakdowns. Brazil's The Troops of Doom have picked up the banner and shown their peers how death/thrash is supposed to be done. Trading high-pitched wails for evil, shouted growls and injecting their savage thrash attack with loads of melody and grooves, their second album, A Mass to the Grotesque, is a crusher from start to finish. There are nods to the past (check out the drum fills at the start of "Venomous Creed," which have a "Raining Blood" quality), but mostly forge their own sound even if it is built on the death/thrash blueprint. There are no spots where the balance between melody and aggression is lost, and the album flows well. A Mass to the Grotesque should appeal to a wide swath of fans, not just death or thrash maniacs, as it is an excellent slab of heavy metal.