There’s an Aussie joke that runs something along the line of, what is the Australian animal that most resembles the Australian male? The bandicoot, because he eats, roots, and leaves. Ok, so technically it’s a wombat, but that wouldn’t have helped me set the scene now would it. Well the bandicoots I’m talking about here, Thrash Bandicoot to be exact, shred, blast and pummel their way to Thrash heaven.
Hailing from the steel city of Wollongong they really had no choice but to play Metal, obviously, and holy thrashers Batmen, these guys bring it in spades. You will absolutely need to make an appointment with your chiropractor after listening to this as your neck muscles and spinal tissue will be torn to shreds, and all this in under thirty minutes.
Unfortunately for us, the punter, there’s only five tracks to this EP however all the tracks are supersonically fast, splendidly brutal and fuckin fearsome. The title track, “Milwaukee Cannibal”, is the first one on the EP and begins very craftily with some slow and melodic guitar work which I think is purposely done as it gives you no idea of what is about to happen, false sense of security if you will before you are mown down and slammed senseless by some of the most unadulterated Thrash known to man.
Next hammer to fall is “Dissolve” my favourite track, which is exactly what this track will do to your brain. Magnificent lead work and some of the most remarkably fast drumming keeps you circling around the room like a frenzied banshee. “Trapped Society” keeps this going and also brings a classical riff that has no compromise.
“Class Warfare” and “Scaphism” round out our breath-taking and epic Thrash journey and provide more of the monumental beats, sledgehammer guitar work and indignant and threatening vocals that infuse and permeate throughout the whole album.
If you, like me, love Thrash, and I’m talking about really loving Thrash, then lay out some of your hard earned and get yourself a copy of “Milwaukee Cannibal”. Thrash Bandicoot may not have reinvented the Thrash wheel, but they have undeniably refined and honed it to the savage art form that brought about its existence all those years ago.
Rating – 5/5
https://thrashbandicoot.bandcamp.com/album/milwaukee-cannibal
The Metal Wanderlust 