__ __
_()__::_ _::_ ___:::___ ___:::____ _::_ _()_
||_> <__::__> <_,_) _ (_ __) _ (_ _> <________:||
|| \/ _/ | \_/ | \| \||
|| | | | | | ||
|| | | | | | ||
|| | | | | | ||
|| __ _ | | | | | __ ||
|| ||\/| | | | | | |\ ||
|| || | | | | | || ||
|| _:_ixxu | _:_:\____:::_____/\____:::____//_:____||_____||
||_> <_____!__> '|_> _ <_ _) _ (_ <__! ||
|| \! | | \/ | \! /______ ||
|| \ | | | | | //||
|| __ / | | | | | \\|
|| |> \ | | | | | | ||
|| |------ \ | | | | | | ||
== |> / | ____:____ | | | |> ==
|| | / |\ \ | | | | ||
|| / ------ \ | | ||
||\__ _____/| _ _______:_____/ \_____ _____// ___________||
`/ | _> | _> | > | _> | _> \'
|/ |/ |/ |/ |/
! ! ! ! !
Artist......: Degrave
Album.......: Metalithic
Year........: 2025
Genre.......: Thrash Metal
Type........: Album
Label.......: ShredHead Records
Language....: EN
Source......: WEB/FLAC (16bit)
Quality.....: 991kbps / 44.1 kHz / Stereo
Tracks......: 9 tracks
Playtime....: 00:36:37
Size........: 267.1 MiB
R.Date......: 2026-06-17
S.Date......: 2025-09-26
Url.........: https://open.qobuz.com/album/brlulqa0c9eyc
01. Usurper of Flame 7:11
02. Sing the Body Electric 3:24
03. Every Fucking Day 3:34
04. Lockdown 3:34
05. Abort the Court 2:36
06. Living in A Smokescreen 4:13
07. Ignis Accendere 1:43
08. Burn up the Sky 6:28
09. Death Is 3:55
From the murky depths of Missouri comes the fourth
full-length from native sons Degrave. If you recall, I
covered their previous, jaw-dropping release Volume from
2023. That was a metal as fuck album and... good news,
everyone! Metalithic fucking kills!
I mean that too, in no uncertain terms, this record is
solid as a rock, brutal as fuck, and unapologetically
METAL. Like, you can feel the iron and minerals in your
body reacting to the familiar, the glorious tone of the
guitars: that 80s Thrash tone that made albums by
Nuclear Assault, Sacred Reich, and of course, Slayer so
memorable and beloved by generations of Metal fans.
Metalithic stands as a testament to the legacy of Thrash
Metal, a bludgeoning riff after blistering riff, throat
grabber. From out of the gate, they're on fire with
"Usurper of Flames", and it brings a smile to my face.
It's unrelenting, and instantly, I got that head-moving
feeling. There's killer gang vocals and enough pinched
harmonies to make Cannibal Corpse blush (and these show
up across the album like punctuation marks of blood).
Isaiah "Cliff" Curtis is the star of "Sing the Body
Electric"; his bass just walks all over the song like an
angry girlfriend who feels greatly disrespected. It's a
bit of a slow burn at first, but then midpoint it blows
up with menace. Then "Every Fucking Day" has this sort
of punked-up flow to it. I get a hint of Obituary's
"10,000 Ways to Die" and that's not unwelcome at all.
This album is definitely a big leap forward from Volume.
This is in terms of production and musicianship from the
members. The solos are fucking mind-blowing. The riffs
themselves are like flying guillotines, and everything
pulls together tight as a bullfrog's ass.
"Lockdown" slaps the spit right out of your mouth from
the get-go. A brisk thrasher that could've been on Show
no Mercy right after "Final Command". Degrave doesn't
concentrate on Death Metal too much on Metalithic. This
is more of a Thrash workout than the Death Metal moments
from Volume. That's not a complaint, either. This is a
ripper of an album, and I can't help loving the
nostalgia brought through the boundaries of Hell by
these guys.
All killer, no filler continues with "Abort the Court",
and it's chock full of gang vocals; it's one of those
incredibly fun Thrash songs, sort of like Anthrax on
steroids. "Living In A Smokescreen" blasts by with
hardly a thought as to whether it's safe or not; a
rolling death trap that leaves bodies in its wake.
A highlight for me is the bass instrumental "Ignis
Accendere". Isaiah "Cliff" Curtis runs a clinic on
badass bass grooves amongst notes that crush upon hit. I
fucking love this track, hell, I love this whole album.
Degrave doesn't disappoint because they know what's up.
The wandering bass soon becomes part of the Acid
Bath-ish "Burn Up the Sky", a swamp ride into despair,
and the final track "Death Is" furthers that murky
feeling with some killer Corrosion of Conformity riffing
and a bass line that won't quit.
With Metalithic, Degrave has created a thrashtastic
album that offers you no respite from the beating from
start to finish. This is a thoroughly enjoyable rip ride
that will undoubtedly appeal to people who like
Obituary, Anthrax, D.R.I., and Slayer. Show these guys
some love and get this album!