Echoes of Thrash Metal: The Saga of THE CRUCIFIER

 

The Athenian thrash metal band THE CRUCIFIER has a long-standing presence in the Greek scene. Founded in 1995, they initially existed under the name CRUCIFIER until 2008. Apparently, due to other bands sharing the same name, they rebranded themselves as THE CRUCIFIER, a name they have retained to this day.

Beyond their extensive tenure in the scene, their career is also regarded as highly active and productive. In 2002, they released their debut album titled "Merciless Conviction." This album was a natural progression from the band's previous releases, namely the demos: "Infernal Pain" (1995), "Totally Madness" (1996), "Fear Is Your Mind" (1998), and "Innocent World" (2001).

With this release, the band balances influences from both German and American thrash metal scenes. Their primary influences include early KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, and SLAYER, with shades reminiscent of our own FLAMES. The vocals of Hlias "Thanatoid" Kyriazis resonate as a more extreme version of Mille Petrozza's vocals.

It's a dynamic debut filled with enthusiasm, rawness, and vigor. Fans of the thrash metal genre will certainly appreciate the compositions here. It's worth noting that this album was reissued by Hell Productions in 2009 with the band's "Innocent World" demo as a bonus.

In 2006, the band released their second album titled "Cursed Cross." Between their debut and this release, they also produced the 2004 demo titled "Cursed Cross." Despite a four-year gap since the band's debut, this release feels like a natural progression. The band sounds more refined and mature without compromising their aggression. They continue to deliver old-school thrash metal, perhaps with a greater emphasis on the Bay Area thrash metal scene.

This release undoubtedly marks a step up from their already impressive debut. It's an album filled with great riffs and pacy rhythms that will surely captivate fans of the genre.

In 2017, THE CRUCIFIER released their latest full-length album, as of now, through the Italian label Punishment 18 Records. Thirteen years since their previous release may seem like a long time, but during this period, the band remained active, participating in various split releases.

On their third release, the band maintains the recognizable metal style from their previous two albums. We're talking about '80s-inspired thrash metal drawing inspiration from both the German and American scenes, with a greater emphasis on the latter.

It's direct thrash metal full of aggression and power, with convincing performances. Once again, the band proves that they have solidified and shaped their own musical style, creating compositions that they, as fans of the genre, love to listen to. If there's any difference compared to their previous releases, it's that here the band incorporates influences from bands like early METALLICA, EXODUS, and DARK ANGEL.

It's a highly commendable release for the genre, and fans of this sound should definitely give it a listen.

Closing, I'll mention that in 2024, the band released a split album titled "Outbreak of Unholy Death" together with HellButcher and Flegias.

Νικόλαος Παραστατίδης