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Good Thrash Metal is about being 21 years old and pissed off. It springs forth at the listener with youthful gusto and fury. The anger is isn't necessarily righteous, and it doesn't have to be. Thrash is about conveying energy through piles of riffs and solos. Boston's local heroes Razormaze fit this description perfectly. They blend shouted, spitted vocals with old school Thrash riffing and shredding. The True Speed of Steel is a mere thirty two minutes of traditional Thrash that ends before it even began.

There's nothing revolutionary here, and while that causes the album to become less engaging at times, it doesn't hinder its quality too much. Playing old school Thrash should never necessitate innovation. It can be no-frills and fun, and songs like "Slaughterotica" with its infestingly catchy chorus are great examples of that. Later in the album, tracks like "Lobotomized" and "Slave to the Maze" continue the trend of quick, pulsing Thrash songs accented by Alex Citrone's squealing vocals. A good Thrash album isn't complete without shredding leads, and David Carlino provides that without fault. This kid can shred! His solos cascade up and down the fretboard with the same intense ferocity of 80s Thrash. Case in point, this is Thrash made the way it should be. It isn't just created for the live show; it comes out just as forcefully on CD.

This album only has one flaw, but it's considerable. At a few times during the record, Citrone's squeal is replaced with these shouts that sound more like a gobbling turkey than a Thrash singer. It just sounds comical, and interrupts the fast paced intensity of the music. It makes the album disjointed, and at times, hard to take seriously. They're goofy and unnecessary—and frankly, stupid.

Razormaze have been tearing up the Boston scene for a few years now. It's time for them to take it up a notch and bring their sound to the worldwide metal audience. With an album like The True Speed of Steel, they have the potential to reach beyond their currently localized popularity. Time will only tell if they end up doing it. With broader distribution and heavier promotion, they shouldn't have any trouble doing so.