CRO-MAGS — Best Wishes (review)

CRO-MAGS — Best Wishes album cover Album · 1989 · Crossover Thrash Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Best Wishes" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US, New York based hardcore/crossover thrash metal act Cro-Mags. The album was released through Profile Records in April 1989. It´s the successor to "The Age of Quarrel" from 1986 and features two lineup changes since the predecessor as lead vocalist John Joseph Bloodclot has left and bassist Harley Flanagan has taken up the vocal duties in addition to playing bass. Drummer Mackie has been replaced by Pete Hines.

Stylistically "Best Wishes" is quite different to the powerful hardcore style of "The Age of Quarrel (1986)". I´m often reminded of contemporary Suicidal Tendencies and at times contemporary Megadeth, although Cro-Mags are still obviously a New York hardcore act playing thrash metal. Flanagan has a personal delivery, but not the strongest or most interesting voice, but the instrumental part of the music is generally very strong, featuring powerful thrashy riffs (and quite a few which are more traditional heavy metal styled), blistering melodic guitar solos and motifs (at times it sounds like Rocky George makes a guest appearance), and a well playing rhythm section. The latter still often play hardcore tinged beats, so it´s one of the elements of the music which points backwards to the band´s hardcore past.

The songwriting is strong and relatively varied for the genre. "The Only One" is a sort of power ballad (...not really but I don´t know how else to describe it), and a track like "Crush the Demoniac" is pretty much tradtional heavy metal through and through, while other tracks are more hard edged and thrashy. The real winner here though is the sound production, which to my ears is quite brillant. Powerful, clear, and sharp, featuring a very well sounding guitar tone and great bass bottom. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Unearthly Litanies of Despair Death Metal
ENGULFED
Buy this album from MMA partners
It Beckons Us All....... Black Metal
DARKTHRONE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Death Is Not The End Doom Metal
GLOSSA
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Way Forward Sludge Metal
BLACK TUSK
Buy this album from MMA partners
Till Aska Atmospheric Sludge Metal
WALK THROUGH FIRE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 2 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed