When I heard that The Force was from Paraguay, I was in disbelief since I never thought of Paraguay as a hot bed for Thrash. I thought Paraguay was famous (or infamous) for its corruption and contraband drugs. However, it's also famous for being a beautiful country for tourists and its football team.
Ok, let's not get sidetracked and stay on the topic: apparently, Paraguay has a decent underground thrash movement and brilliant old school bands have come out of the woodwork of late, one of them being The Force. One look at them you'll think that they are straight from the 80s thrash scene, with tight jeans, hi- tops and cut- off jean jacket.
The Force was formed in early 2007 when a group of friends decided to take matters into their own hands and form their own Thrash band. Drawing influences from early Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Overkill, Sodom, Destruction, Exodus etc., they started to play live gigs in their hometown and composing their own songs.
In the later part of 2007, they released their first EP titled "OLD SCHOOL METAL ONSLAUGHT". The EP was extremely well taken by the underground fans and the band started working on their debut album, which finally came out in 2008.
The aptly named album "Possessed By Metal" will definitely possess you with an old school vibe from the very beginning of the album. If you're judging the album by its cover, then you are so wrong because once you start playing this album, you'll want to keep playing for quite some time.
The album doesn't have cleverly thought out song titles: just songs that will just blow you away from start to finish. You can definitely hear influences of old Metallica and Megadeth in the first few songs. Think of Kill 'Em All and Peace Sells.What I like best about this album is the fact that there are hardly any filler songs: most of the most are catchy enough to listen to again. The riffs are fast as hell and unlike other albums, the bass is actually audible and has a 'thump' to it. Again, if you are looking for brilliant lyrics, then you'll surely be disappointed because most of the themes talk about thrashing, metal and beer.
The production on the album is not too raw, not too modern and not too raunchy. It's the perfect mix of old school vibe meets new school. The solos on this album really bled and flowed till the end of the album. A must listen: the epic instrumental Long Live The Metal Gods.
So, if you are an old school thrash fan, this will take you back to the old days. Recommended to listeners of old Metallica, Megadeth, Exodus, Overkill, Fueled By Fire, Vio-Lence, Sadus, Violator.
Standout tracks: Aggressive Assault, Storm of Steel, Heathen's Attack, Possessed By Metal, Long Live The Metal Gods, Thrash Till We Die
Links:
