Review by Felix on August 2, 2026.

Since the mid-eighties, I have heard more than enough thrash albums to know what I like when it comes to this style. It should be furious, pretty straight, mostly fast-paced, honest, restless yet not hectic, with rasping, sharp guitars, powerful drums and an aggressive shouter. An audible bass marks a rare yet appreciated extra. Perhaps now you say that this sounds very generic and – thrash or be thrashed – you are totally right. But I like this style in its original, pure and non-experimental form.

Given this situation, I am happy to discover that I have four spiritual brothers in Brazil. Deathraiser’s “Forged In Hatred” meets all my parameters for great thrash. It spits on innovation, but it bursts out of the speakers with an overdose of energy, speed, and enthusiasm. I am sure that the jagged riffs give Hanneman a good feeling somewhere South of Heaven. They roll over each other, while the drums drive the songs on and on without the tiniest sign of mercy. Each and every song is a fine kick in the face. Those of a delicate disposition should wait with their teeth in their hands for the police or ambulance to arrive. Good luck to these guys; we keep on banging.

Don’t worry, Deathraiser do not run out of breath or ideas. Okay, do not expect a high degree of diversity during this wild ride lasting 34 minutes. But this is not a big disadvantage from my point of view, because the compactness of the single songs and the entire album make up for this. It is homogeneous, and it leaves us convinced that the guys are familiar with the early, groundbreaking works of their national thrash heroes. Naturally, I am speaking about Sepultura. “Beneath The Remains” served as inspiration for the creation of rasping speed infernos like 'Everything Dies', my personal highlight of the full-length. The arrangement, the guitar work, the defiant aura of the song – all these elements indicate a more or less close connection to Sepultura back when they were still good.

Maybe the album polarizes due to its narrow-mindedness, but stylistic variation is no value in itself. Obviously, “Forged In Hatred” wants to spread the pure dogma of thrash, and this is exactly what it does. This does not only result in a very positive big picture – albums like this one are almost a necessary statement in our times. We need a corrective to the bland stuff that bands like Kreator (once a legend, today lost souls) are producing these days. Their music no longer sounds like anger, rebellion, and passion, but like a dog that's caught its tail. Therefore, it is all the more a refreshing experience to listen to the spontaneous, absolutely non-sterile approach of bands like Deathraiser. Last but not least, the release also looks great. Admittedly, the 10,000th skull is a bit of a yawn-inducer, but the orange base coat, combined with the orange and black splatter vinyl, creates a perfectly harmonious look. However, I am sure that thrashers who hate mass-compatible sterility will enjoy this work in every available edition.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10