These guys have been hovering just below my radar for the last year and a half and in that time I have had ample opportunity to check out these Liverpool natives. Out of either apathy or laziness I just hadn’t.

It is safe to say that I’m not quite as enthusiastic about this modern thrash revival as I was 3 or 4 years ago, due to the glut of bands and a severe quality drop off after you get beyond the genre’s front runners (Toxic Holocaust, Muni Waste, Merciless Death, et al), so forgive me for sticking my toe in first with all these new jacks.

Like a lot of these new bands SSS have embraced the crossover style, but lean more toward the hardcore side of things. When I hear this band, I’m not hearing a formula being tinkered with, I’m hearing equal parts S.O.D., Crumbsuckers, English Dogs and Nuclear Assault in the mix. All great bands, and I do find myself reliving the fucking “mosh part” from “Sargeant D.and the S.O.D.” that pops up during “Invertebrate” so much that I’m willing to overlook the fact that the band does sometimes dip a little too close to “Toxic Waltz” territory for my liking.

Another thing about Short Sharp Shock (their extended moniker or so I’m told), is, if I’m judging accurately from the band pictures, is that these guys seem to be about 5 to 7 years older than your current crop of20nu-thrashers and perhaps even came from a crust punk background, gauging them by their appearance and the booklet design which is full of info, but lean on layout with lots of lyrical content and black and white images.

If these guys aren’t considered one of the elites of this new wave I think The Dividing Line is the record that’ll take them to the threshold, and I really expect the follow up will push them over the top.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments