Hurrah for old guy thrash

In this current thrash revival, the last men standing will be the oldest ones. I don’t say that as some defender of the old school; I only look for the best, which sometimes lies in the new school. But in an artform that’s as codified as thrash is, the vitality generally lies with the codifiers. I say generally, because old bands do outstay their welcome — see, for example, old-school Swedish death metal.

When they don’t, however, and they’re still creative, they have the advantage of being first. They’re more experienced (i.e., they write better songs), and they don’t waste energy trying to fit within a style because they are the style. Latecomers who seek to fit within the style miss the point. The style exists because its creators broke the rules of previous styles. One shouldn’t “try” to be old-school; either one is or one isn’t. It’s a different story with latecomers who want to break the rules, but these Watchtowers and Coroners are rare. The current thrash movement is a retro one, and the elders still rule it.

For proof, see the output of ’80s thrash greats in recent years. Metallica and Destruction are exceptions, but Kreator, Testament, Megadeth, Slayer, Exodus, and Overkill have all had robust late-career efforts. They’re probably not classics, but one remembers songs from them, which is more than can be said for their understudies. It’s a little strange how amped-up these records are, but that’s probably because of (a) modern recording technology, and (b) the fact that the metal game has become much more competitive. To stave off returning to civilian life — Exodus’ Gary Holt speaks for many when he says, “What else would I do?” — the geezers are woodshedding as hard as the kids. Dave Mustaine turns 50 next year. He’ll still be shredding then.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYb92iwK-VQ

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The second tier has held up its end of the deal, too. Laaz Rockit, Death Angel, Sacrifice, At War, and Hirax have all had respectable fourth-quarter efforts. The latter two just came out with enjoyable videos. At War‘s video for “Make Your Move,” from last year’s Infidel (reviewed here), is above. It has fantastic production values. The stop-motion mechanical insects are immensely creepy, and the video is extremely violent in an abstract way. Sometimes that’s more frightening than actual violence.

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Hirax‘ video for the title track from El Rostro de la Muerte (reviewed here) has a more classic feel. It fetishizes the act of “metalling up” — putting on leathers, bullet belts, and so on. I say “fetishize,” because, yes, this bears similarities to certain gay aesthetics. It’s ironic how metal shows and gay biker bars are both packed with men wearing leather and metal, but with very differing views on sexuality. That’s not the most interesting old news here, though. I love the shot of the Jackson headstock. It’s an instant “tell” of old-school thrash. That distinctive shape, those sharkfin inlays — they scream Anthrax, Megadeth, Sepultura, and Slayer (Jeff Hanneman) from when they ruled the world. Their iron grip has loosened to varying degrees, but some of these geezers can still snap necks.