Time Signature Beneath the groove of hatred...

Genre: groove metal

This is modern thrash along the lines of Shadows Fall and God Forbid but with more focus on groove (probably inspired by Pantera). There is lot of melody and lot of power on this album. Yet, I think it lacks originality. There is nothing wrong with the musicianship, and the production is very professional, but theis album just does not offer anything new to the genre as such,

That being said, the last track "Eternal Vengeance" is in a class of its own. There are lots of interesting riffs and details here, and it is also in this song that Lazarus A.D. display originality and innovation in the combination of aggressive riffs and melodic vocals. This track is simply awesome, and I hope that it is a sign of great things to come for this band.

I am certain that fans of groove metal and modern thrash will absolutely adore this album, for it is very much the epitome of that genre.

J-Man Black Rivers Flow is not a bad album at all. There are plenty of interesting things here, to be sure, but it also strikes me as somewhat uninspired and generic. Those who've been paying any attention to the modern thrash scene should notice instantly that Lazarus A.D. isn't the most original band on the block (which isn't nessacerily a bad thing), but the music on Black Rivers Flow simply isn't great enough to justify a derivative approach. This just doesn't strike a single emotional chord inside of me like some of the stronger modern thrash releases do, and when the album is over I feel that it was a "mediocre listen" - nothing more, nothing less. There are undoubtedly people out there who will eat up the latest Lazarus A.D. effort; as far as my money is concerned, however, I'll be heading elsewhere.

The music here is modern thrash metal with some metalcore tendencies. Although that's far from my favorite genre of music, Lazarus A.D. has managed to deliver some high-quality modern metal on Black Rivers Flow. I'm not super impressed, as almost the entire album leaves me cold and uninspired, but people who dug their debut or are big modern thrash fans should enjoy this much more than me. Most of the album is a full-on thrash assault with little breathing room, but there is some good variation between all of the tracks. The only thing that's missing (for me, at least) are some really memorable compositions - those annoying metalcore-ish vocals and generic riffs get in the way of my enjoyment far too often. Aside from my gripes related to the vocals, all of the instrumentalists are extremely talented and play as a tight and impressive unit. The production is, technically speaking, excellent, but it seems far too sterile and clean for my tastes.

Black Rivers Flow has every ingredient to succeed as a modern thrash metal album. The musicians are talented, the production is top-notch, and the music is really heavy; yet somehow it comes across as uninspired and unmemorable to these ears. It's not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination - this is just way too polished and, dare I say, sterile for my tastes. People who enjoy polished thrash-metalcore hybrids should love this one, but you can definitely say I was a bit disappointed. 2.5 stars are deserved for this decent album. There's an audience out there for Black Rivers Flow, but it's safe to say I'm not in it.

Stephen One similarity between Lazarus A.D and Wrathchild America is that both of them played thrash, and both of them had to change their name because of the copyright dispute. Hailing from Wisconsin, the quartet carried the torch of classic Bay Area thrash in the veins of Testament and Slayer, with a hint of European's Kreator. "The Onslaught" that was released in 2009 marked their first step to the scene, and handled by James Murphy, the production result is in excellent shape.

The strong point on this album is the consistent songwriting quality delivered well by a tight formation behind the instruments. Songs like "Last Breath", "Every Word Unheard", or "Who I Really Am", are built on a classic thrash pattern with a fast-paced thunderous drumming and very friendly to the ears of Bay Area fans. The furious groove shown in "Lust" and "Forged In Blood" also another example on how fierce the band could be, even touched the edge of death metal fence. "The Onslaught Pt.1 - Revolution" which continued to "Pt.2 - Rebirth", in my opinion, is the band's peak moment, although the other great tracks are in the same quality with this one. "Damnation For The Weak" is probably the only decent song that I think is their weakest, but still it ain't bad at all.

Problem with Lazarus A.D is basically the originality issue and lack of variety, but it's forgivable considering they're still very young and this is their fresh start. An improvement over time is something hopeful and for now, I'm pleased with their effort and even feel optimistic with their next release. Surely a top notch pick for fans of classic thrash!