Back in 1986, I was just a fledgling Metalhead. I had cut my teeth on Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and KISS, but in 1986 three albums came out that changed my life: Reign in Blood, Master of Puppets and Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? All of a sudden I wanted the fastest music I could get my hands on. Enter the Best of Metal Blade vol. 1, my gateway to Slayer, Voivod and… Nasty fucking Savage. “Fear Beyond the Vision” became my favorite song from their beyond influential self-titled album.

That was the 80s. They released a couple of other albums and then broke up. They got back together again in 2016 after releasing Psycho, Psycho in 2004. They have been active since 2016, releasing a compilation of rarities in 2019.

Here we are in 2024. A contentious year already, but it’s been bearable with the fantastic albums that have been released so far. Anyway, Jeopardy Room is a fucking blast! The production is courtesy of Morrissound in sunny Florida where Nasty Savage began and therefore influenced the Florida Death Metal scene.

“Invocations” is the instrumental that leads into the brutality of the title track “Jeopardy Room” with one of the best lyrics “you’re Satan in high heels “! It’s ridiculous fun and gets the head moving right away. There’s a boom banging in the form of the single “Brainwashed” and the fist-pumping mania of “Southern Fried Homicide”.

The next song is “Witches Sabbath” a track I first heard on a Slayer bootleg from a show they played at the New Loft in Baltimore in 1984. So this whole goddamn time, I’m thinking it’s a Slayer song … fuck my life. It is what it is and it settles my quandary (after how many fucking years). I have loved the song and I’m super pleased that it’s included and updated.

“Schizoid Platform” and “Aztec Elegance” are the center tracks and both are solid, heavy-hitting numbers that are lethal razors on Jeopardy Room. The riffs are fatter than a bull on a tricycle and it doesn’t get old or start to wear on the ears. I listened to this creature from the Florida swamps for three fucking hours, I know the majority of the lyrics and that’s due to “Nasty” Ronnie’s vocal delivery; it’s biting and completely understandable which makes it easier to enjoy the album because singing along brings you closer to the feeling of the music because it’s part of you now.

“Operation Annihilation” is another fun and thrashing song, but it’s “Blood Syndicate” that starts with a chick going to town with a vibrator, fucking moaning and everything, it’s not exactly a song to get busy to, but that chick from the beginning keeps going through the whole song like a trooper.

“The 6^th Finger” is a killer instrumental with some modern Death Metal tremolo picked riffs and it starts punishment straight away. It’s a 4:22 beating that you know you’ve survived when the final meter of violence comes in the form of “Sainted Devil”. A great way to close out such a surprising album as this.

Jeopardy Room represents another great return to form, much like Atrophy they came back to show how it’s done. Now if only Laaz Rockit would come out of hiding and bring Hallow’s Eve along for shits and giggles, (as long as they don’t play Monument)… kidding aside, grab Jeopardy Room and show 80s Thrash some love, you won’t be disappointed.

[Visit the band's website]

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