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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHailing from Atlanta, Georgia Murder Van hit all the criteria that their hilarious bio leads us to expect. Old school thrash riffs, a hint of doom, raw production values and some tight ass drumming. The only thing that I don\u2019t want from a thrash band is a death metal style vocal, when I think of thrash vocalists, I want to hear a clean vocal al la Joey Belladonna or Coburn Pharr. Saying that, Sepultura are one of my favourite thrash bands and they certainly incorporate the death metal growl. Maybe I\u2019m just talking bollocks\u2026Ha ha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not say that there isn\u2019t plenty to love about their latest release Crooked Smiles. The four track EP (I\u2019ve never been a fan of EPs, either build up enough songs for a full-length LP, or just put out a single), the only EPs I\u2019ve really connected with are the fantastic first release from Queensryche back in 83 and maybe the Alice In Chains acoustic EPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opening track Clawing the Casket<\/em> tells us exactly what Murder Van (Great name!) are all about, fast riffing, breakneck drumming and shouty vocals get your head banging from the off. I really do like the production here, it gives us that old school thrash feel, the drums actually sound like drums, I\u2019m not a fan of the whole digital recording thing. This EP sounds like an analogue recording, I may be wrong on that though. The other stand out track is Factor X<\/em> with it\u2019s moody and almost pretty opening, this doesn\u2019t last long though and we are soon back in full on metal mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n