Leave Scars – Chain of Redemption (2015)

Hailing from Belgium, today we have Leave Scars and their sophomore release “Chain of Redemption”. As with many Thrash Metal bands, this outfit has only released two albums in the decade the band has been together, and luckily for us, the eleven tracks presented here are quite polished and well crafted.

Opening with the in-your-face riffage of “P.B.D”, the band sets quite a solid bar with a very melodic and fast-paced song. Evoking old-school Destruction and Exodus, the band plows through killer tracks like “Final Chance”, “The Faceless” and the anthem “Chains”. This last track suddenly busts out a melodic passage that completely elevates it to a whole other dimension. The vocals in this release are quite diverse as the swing between old-school Dave Mustaine (minus the whiny parts) to more mainstream Modern Metal and swing back into typical Thrash-styled screams.

After the melodic interlude “Redemption”, the band delivers the finest track in this release “The New Great Game”. This song has it all, killer tempo, crushing riffs, fast-paced vocals and demolishing guitar leads, another Thrash anthem. Giving us a sinister opening, “Devil’s Room” has the biggest European Thrash vibe of the album, and will surely bring some nostalgic moments back.  The band continues to tear it up with more killer piece filled with solid drumming and a destructive bass guitar line with “Believe is Gone” and “Stay Down”.

Closing with the all-out insanity of “Taste of Blood”, the band leaves on a very high note. Mixing old-school Thrash elements with a clean production and some Modern Metal undertones, Leaves Scars manages to deliver a very solid album. “Chains of Redemption” is filled with catchy songs that follow the traditional Thrash Metal rules, while carving a distinctive sound for the band. If you like Thrash Metal and are open to newer bands, this in an outfit you don’t want to miss.

Label: Spinal Records

Release: March 1st, 2015

Genre: Thrash Metal

Country: Belgium