Paradox – Electrify

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AFM Records
Produced by Charly Steinhauer

A highly respected band at the height of thrash in the late ’80s, it took eleven years for a third Paradox album to emerge with 2000′s Collision Course. It’s now taken a further eight years for the band to release its follow-up, Electrify.

Paradox are that rare breed of thrash band who maintain the technicality and speed of thrash, but retain the melodic and mostly clean vocals of traditional or power metal, where most feel extreme vocals are necessary to match the natural aggression of the music. Occasionally songs show hints of various classic thrash bands like Testament (Monument) and Megadeth (Hyperspeed Hallucinations), but otherwise Paradox’s sound is their own.

Second Over Third By Force, for instance, may start off with a very Megadeth intro, but it’s break-neck speed is more aggressive than Mustaine’s style, perhaps similar to Overkill at their fastest, with a strong, clean vocal. Monument may show its hints of Testament in some of it’s riffing, but the attention to melody and the vocal pattern is more like Annihilator.

The massively anthemic Portrait In Grey is more of a traditional metal song than much of the rest, and does a good job of providing an additional dimension of variety without sacrificing any heaviness. Later Infected proves to be the best of the thrash tracks with some blistering soloing and strong melodies but still at high speed and a rousing chorus.

A thrash-band-ballad comes towards the end with Cyberspace Romance (think Return To Serenity) before a return to a purer thrash sound for the closing title track. A sharp production from vocalist/guitarist Charly Steinhauer and exemplary playing from all concerned, as well as many different elements of a more traditional metal sound enriching the base thrash, has resulted one of the strongest thrash records that will likely be released all year. And certainly one of the least generic ones.

“ technicality and speed ”

Tracklist: Second Over Third By Force / Paralyzed / Monument / Portrait In Grey / Hyperspeed Hallucinations / Bridge To Silence / Infected / Disconnected / Cyberspace Romance / Electrify

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Thrash Metal, Paradox