Review by Felix on February 7, 2022.

Young, wild and energetic – these words describe thrashing newcomers in many cases. Unfortunately, another characteristic feature is often their aimlessness. Indeed, sometimes it is not easy to channel your energy in a proper way. Just take the German Minister of Defence. She sent 5,000 steel helmets to Ukraine for support against Russia. Putin is in a state of shock! I’m sure this delivery gives us peace in our times.

Either way, I actually wanted to speak about thrash metal, or, more specific, about the debut of Chemicide. Songs like 'Thrash Will Conquer', 'Road To Apocalypse' or 'Radioactive Annihilation' are full of tension and have some good parts. In particular some instrumental sections impress, although the lead vocals are not the weak point here. But the final kick is missing. The four lads fail to overcome the invisible wall between solid craftsmanship and great music. I am confronted with Slayer-inspired riffing, an appropriate number of breaks and tempo changes and a fine degree of aggression. Nevertheless, I miss parts that stay in my memory. When I listen to a song like 'Vespers Of Nuclear Devastation', I really like it to a certain degree. But as soon as it has ended, I do not remember much anymore. I hate to speak about “thrash by numbers”, because this has an insulting undertone which denies creativity and individuality to the artists. Chemicide have put heart and soul into this recording, no doubt about it. But their immaturity did not allow a better result and so I am listening to somewhat formulaic, standardized thrash metal. That’s okay, but not outstanding.

Just like many other newcomers, the quartet shies away from any form of experiments. This applies to the music as well as the lyrics. Lines like “The sky spits fire” or “Time to take your life” do not indicate the highest degree of poetic innovation, right? On the other hand, Episodes Of Insanity does not fall victim to its own heterogeneity. It’s a compact full-length that makes no promises it cannot keep, at least not in terms of style. The riffs are sharp, but a higher level of expressiveness and efficiency would have been good. However, more important is that Chemicide never sound like amateurs. The band delivers a tight performance and the transparent production kicks the listener in the face in a pretty vehement way. Yes, there is no song that will withstand the test of time, but Chemicide are an option for those thrash freaks who live in the here and now. Hopefully, the here and now is not the last stop before a war in Eastern Europe. But I am confident. After all, Germany has supplied 5,000 helmets.

Rating: 6.7 out of 10