Still thrashin’

Atlanta metal’s recent run of success is impossible to deny, with packed-out shows filling up local clubs seemingly every night. But despite the presence of labels such as Boris Records, and the strength of last year’s releases by acts such as Vimur and Cesspool, Atlanta’s metal scene is lacking that one signature release for 2015. That changes, however, with Sadistic Ritual’s Edge of the Knife EP, out July 20 via Athens-based Unspeakable Axe Records.

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Lyrics for the EP’s opening salvo, “Merciless Retribution,” such as “Scum of the Earth/Menace to society” are befitting of a metal/hardcore crossover song. But there’s no flirtation with any punk styling to be found anywhere throughout this straight-up metal assault. There are plenty of ways to see or hear Atlanta acts muddying the waters that separate punk and metal, be it Dropout’s blend of crust punk and Southern metal or the morbidity of Scavenger of Death Records’ Ryan Bell’s Celtic Frost-inspired project Evaporated Brain. But Sadistic Ritual’s approach sticks to, and masters, extreme metal’s thrashing roots.

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Thrash is as much a means to play fist-pumping, up-tempo rock ‘n’ roll as it is a creative outlet for depraved and blasphemous lyrics. Vocalist and lead guitarist Charlie Southern desperately growling “Chaos is pain!” during “Funeral Raid” is as haunting as any line from any recent doom metal slow-burner.

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Cool lyrics about our depraved and depressing society are great, but what really matters when dealing with thrash specialists is lightning-fast riffs. Southern and fellow guitarist Alex Parra are willing and able to rupture eardrums with songs such as “Executioner,” a heavy-handed rocker in the style of High on Fire, when Matt Pike would rather shred than encourage us all to get stoned.

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Much of Sadistic Ritual’s thrash assault, including the EP’s title track, has an old-school vibe — think Testament, had its music aged better. But the rest of the EP’s back end takes a more forward-thinking approach. “Restless Dead” is defined by a surprising string of tempo changes, without the band completely stepping off the gas. The highlight, though, is “Morbid Genocide,” a speed metal trip with lightning-fast guitar work and throaty growls comparable to the band’s best neo-thrash peers.

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At its core, Edge of the Knife is hair-slinging, fist-clinching thrash metal. That alone is a strong selling point, especially for the metal heads and touring acts who have been wowed by the band’s frenetic live energy. There is more depth, though, when considering the lyrical and musical strengths of cuts such as “Merciless Retribution” and “Funeral Raid.” These songs are not just blasphemous ramblings or mystical stories ripped from the Necronomicon, the inspirations of some acts’ creative strength and others’ cornball crimes against music. Sadistic Ritual is not afraid to put society’s shortcomings in its lyrical crosshairs, an approach that has kept thrash legends like Exodus, Death, and Sodom relevant for decades.

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Atlanta metal’s signature release of 2015 has arrived. (4 out of 5 stars)