Battalion – Underdogs

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Switzerland’s answer to Evile, Underdogs is well-excuted revivalist thrash metal with strong vocals which aren’t a direct copy of Paul Baloff, Steve Souza or Joey Belladona, immediately elevating them above the current crop of young plagerists. Most of the tracks, like Wings of A Demon and T.F.F.M., are heavily influenced by Metallica, even borrowing one of the closing riffs to Seek And Destroy in the process in the case of the former, but as well as delivering the required selection of fast rhythms, solos and simplistic lyrics (Thrash Maniacs, Headbangers), Battalion also possess the ability to craft meaningful songs like Beggar’s Right and Stalingrad, as well as turn their hands to clean melody on Interlude, which on a Metallica album would be the intro to something very fast. Escaping Metallica’s shadow on this album is impossible, but it’s easy to enjoy it just for that reason because it’s so well done and sounds so good. The production and the riffing are first class and the songs sound original, even if the core sound isn’t. They probably won’t get away with it for a second album though, and will need to really start to define their own sound a bit more.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2010, Albums, Quick.Play Reviews, Thrash Metal, Battalion