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The United Kingdom's Onslaught has a somewhat bizarre history. After starting as a Hardcore band in the early 80s, the band jumped on the Thrash bandwagon and released a couple of albums, including the well respected The Force before being signed to a major record label. The label execs forced the band to shitcan vocalist Sy Keeler in favor of former Grim Reaper singer Steve Grimmett, well known for not being a Thrash singer. It took the band nearly 20 years to shake off this setback and start making music again in 2007. They've been going strong since then and VI is, as you might have guessed, their sixth full-length album.

Back in the fold since the band reformed, vocalist Sy Keeler is a prototypical Thrash singer with a loud, abrasive shout that occasionally strays into extreme territory. The man projects power in the way Chuck Billy and Steve "Zetro" Souza do and, musically, I would put VI up there with Dark Roots of Earth and Heroes of Origin. The guitars are a buzzsaw of abusive riffs and the solos absolutely scream while the rhythm section pummels your eardrums. There are no surprises on VI, though I like the vaguely Middle Eastern melodies woven into songs like "Children of the Sand" and "Enemy of my Enemy." Other song titles, like "Slaughterize" and "66'Fuckin'6," should leave no doubt what to expect from the rest of Onslaught's latest offering.

VI may not stray far from familiar ground but it is played with unrelenting speed and energy and the songwriting is excellent from start to finish. No self-respecting Thrash fan should miss this one.