An intersection of “forward-thinking Thrash and Prog Metal” is what’s offered by this US band. “When Time Becomes Loss” is their fourth album.

Old school, technical thrash … such is “Morbid Reflections”. Round and round goes the riff in a hypnotically downward spiral. It’s raw and sounds underproduced but it’s deliberately so, no doubt to give us greater access to this rocking thrash piece tinged with a heavy dose of technicality. For fans of Revocation, Havok, Death and Hexen, they say … let me add Motörhead to the list. “Call from the Abyss” has the technical riff, the croaking vocals, a dazzling guitar solo and the raw energy. “Malediction” keeps the fire burning, chugging along at pace and bringing dark atmosphere through cutting guitar work and fluid death-thrash melody. It’s decent stuff and good old rock n roll in a dark and grainy sense, and both instrumentally and vocally it’s fine and powerful but it doesn’t really stray outside a narrow window.

“Abstract Commands” is typical of the fare on offer, breezily taking up three and a half minutes, “Conscious Descent” starts with a slower guitar line and suggests something different, but no, we’re back to the usual thrusting thrash within no time. It does have an impressive dreamy passage appearing briefly in the middle. This sort of variation and mood change was much needed but I was finding there was too little of it. The chunky “Reborn in Tragedy” follows. Like “Conscious Descent” it heads off into an instrumental oasis and a death metal trance towards the end, so credit to the band for switching the mood. The title song closes the album. It’s a template for the rest with its melodic thrash, flamboyant solo, driving energy – all good qualities

“When Time Becomes Loss” is a well-produced and well-managed album. Whilst the band do deviate from the melodic thrash norm, they don’t do so often enough for me and revert to type too much. Whilst I wasn’t dazzled by it as a whole, this album flows and there’s plenty of good instrumental work and rocking songs to enjoy here.

(6.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://www.facebook.com/Hemotoxin

https://pulverised.bandcamp.com/album/when-time-becomes-loss