Kingcrimsonprog British Thrash Metal band Acid Reign started off their career with 1988’s brief but promising Moshkinstein EP. They followed it up one year later with their debut full-length studio album, The Fear.

They start the affair off with a brief joke intro, but it may surprise you given the silly artwork and the reputation the band have for comedic stage banter and eclectic cover-songs, that their own original material is relatively serious and straight forward.

The music contained herein is very much a continuation of the Haunting The Chapel meets Spreading The Disease heads-down but charismatic thrash formula established on the initial EP. More songs in the same style. Its fast, its riffy, its got plenty of lead guitar workouts, and shouted vocals that you’d expect more from a crossover band (I mean, its not like they don’t have a bit of crossover in them musically). Its quite consistent throughout, focused, and doesn’t outstay its welcome.

Highlights include the memorable ‘Humanoia’ with its mosh-section, and the varied ‘Blind Aggression’ as well as the slower album closer ‘Lost In Solitude’ where the drums really get a workout.

The only drawbacks are that some of the songs go on a bit too much without fully justifying the extra length, and that the production is a bit tinny and thin compared to some of their American counterparts. (Picture if Sacred Reich’s debut Ignorance had a drum sound more like Napalm Death’s Scum).

Overall; It may not be up there with the likes of Peace Sells, Reign In Blood or Master Of Puppets, but it’s a solid album and worth checking out if you just can’t get enough Thrash.