Don't let the less-than-original EP title or the misspelling of the band's name fool you, these Portuguese thrashers can definitely be a lethal act. With the thousands of generic retro-thrashers and hundreds of pretenders to the throne, there really is a fine line that divides the new thrash bands. There are those who are incredibly mediocre and forgettable (A vast majority of them) and then there are those who know what they're doing, which in turn leads to a band that can deliver some solid to amazing thrash that can get the most stubborn of metalheads to bang their head. After listening to Nuklear Infektion's debut EP "Weapons of Massive Genocide," I think it's safe to say that these guys belong to the latter group, with their great mix of technical and brutal thrash.
The most impressive aspect of Nuklear Infektion's music, is their ability to bring a variety of influences to the table with only five songs. Each song manages to sound different than the one before it, yet all of the songs have the same feel, giving the band their own sound which is damn-near mandatory in today's scene. The title track that kicks off the EP is a decent mix of straightforward thrashing and flurried death-thrash tremolos that does a fine job of grabbing the listener right away, but it's the next few tracks that really stand out. "Preachers of Lies" introduces a much more technical side of the band, featuring riffs that incorporate some hammer-on style riffs that run the fretboard as opposed to the e-string rape that runs rampant in just about every new thrash act, and the break in the song where the bass plays on its own is a nice touch. "Progress' Holocaust" and "We're On Command" both feature some grade-A Artillery worship that would make the Stutzer brothers proud, with some great melodies and riffs that reek of that middle-eastern-ish feel that was prominent on the legendary "By Inheritance."
Solos typically aren't parts of the music that I look out for because they're just a bonus if they're great and they don't affect the music if they're not. Luckily, the guitarists for Nuklear Infektion create some fantastic solos that shred in an awesome manner, blending speed and melody for a brilliant sound. The vocals aren't anything special but they match the aggressive music well enough, which is all one can really ask for. "Weapons of Massive Genocide" shows that this group has all of the potential in the world to make a respectable name for themselves as they rise above the bland and intolerable bands that have plagued the world over.
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Highlights
"Preachers of Lies"
"We're On Command"
"Progress' Holocaust"
Final Rating
4.25/5 or 85%.