Onslaught – Generation Antichrist
Onslaught’s seventh album marks the studio debut of vocalist David Garnett. He replaces longtime frontman Sy Keeler, whose return in 2007 marked the Bristol thrashers’ rebirth. The newcomer has a Cronos-like rasp that’s perfectly serviceable although at times perhaps a little generic – it might take another album for Garnett to fully inhabit the role. In terms of breakneck riffage, however, Generation Antichrist is hard to fault; there’s so little flab on display it seems possible, even likely, that the band have taken inspiration from the recent work of US acts such as Testament and Exhorder, which similarly cuts to the chase. That said, the title track and Empires Fall exude the gritty UK thrash flavour Onslaught have made their signature.
