Kev Rowland Satanika was founded by Cristian (vocals) and Gilberto (guitars) in Rome in 2009, with the aim of playing ‘straight-in-your-face’ Thrash Metal with a strong 80’s feeling. Direct, without compromise and oldschool! Boy have they nailed it. The current line-up is completed by Diego on drums and Antonio on bass, and together the quartet have produced an album that easily could have come out thirty years ago. Powerful, dramatic and intense, here we have thrash that at times also brings in elements of both Black Metal and Death which only adds to the overall powerful effect. But, as with the very best of bands they don’t take themselves too seriously, so we get some voiceovers that sounds as if they come from Hammer, with comments about witches and Satan etc.

But, that just makes the listener smile even more, as in many ways it reminds me of how Venom were reported by the rock press back when they first came out, as here is a band that are obviously in a very similar vein with even the provided band photo looking as if it has come through a photocopier with letraset writing, but it is still possible to make out the heavily studded forearms, just like the old days! It may not be doing new, and in fact their aim is definitely not to do that, but their playing is strong, they are a very tight outfit, and overall this their third album ticks all the boxes.

True, this isn’t as extreme as it would have seemed to be back in the day, as this sound is becoming ever more mainstream, but they nailed it and if you want some good old fashioned thrash then these guys really know what they are doing. www.satanika.bravesites.com