The Brighton crossover thrashers utterly slay on their second EP!
Well, having previously reviewed (and greatly enjoyed) RAD’s first EP, ‘Toxic Slime’, last year, and also being suckers for a godawful pun (have George Thorogood’s lawyers been in touch yet, guys?), we had to cast an ear over this follow-up. We’re glad we did; the Brighton crossover thrashers have seriously upped their game this time around, and they were never slackers in the first place.
They kick things off with ‘First Blood’, a suitably ominous instrumental track with a chugging riff and some grin-inducing guitar shredding. It leads nicely into ‘Dead Meat’, which bursts out of the traps at high speed, alternating with some two-step worthy thrash riffing. Vocalist Andy’s gravel-throated roar is very much on top form, and as a whole, the band have never sounded quite as tight and focused as they do here.
‘Point Break’ and ‘Cyberdyne Systems’ (the latter featuring guest vocals from Chris Barling of Inhuman Nature) may suggest a love of classic action/sci-fi films, but make no mistake – this is cutting-edge stuff. Again, the repeated switching between mid-paced riffing and warp-speed hardcore fury keeps us guessing, and really gives the band the chance to fully utilise their musical chops. Oh, and that rumbling bass intro to ‘Cyberdyne…’, before it explodes into life? A seriously spine-tingling moment, and arguably the hardest-hitting track on offer here.
Previous single ‘Soundtrack To Slam’ does pretty much what it says on the tin, and does it well enough to have me damn near starting a one-man slam pit in my own kitchen. Ooh, and that solo must have had lead guitarist Ben’s fretboard screaming for mercy. The closing ‘No Time To Bleed’ rounds things off in fine style, mixing all of the above elements and infusing them with an extra jolt of urgency.
Like so many of the best bands, RAD may not take themselves too seriously as people, but ‘Rad To The Bone’ sees them take a huge step towards becoming genuine crossover thrash contenders. The songs within are more musically developed and intricate than anything the Brighton crew have done before, but they’ve lost nothing in terms of sheer power, and if you’re not yet acquainted with RAD, now would be a great time to say hello.
‘Rad To The Bone’ is released on 29th August – pre-order it HERE.
Main Photo Credit: BEN SWANSON
- First Blood
- Dead Meat
- Point Break
- Cyberdyne Systems (feat. Inhuman Nature)
- Soundtrack To Slam
- No Time To Bleed
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