Metalriff – Under My Skin

Metalriff

‘Under My Skin’

Australis Records

Thrash Metal

FFO: Metallica, Evile, Tonic Breed, Testament, Comaniac, Mindwars, Infrared,Thrasherwolf, Solitary

                In a very short existence, Metalriff have been very busy bees as the Chilean thrashers not only pile on the live shows, but also have managed to deliver an EP and a studio album in under three years. Not only that, the band are now gearing up to deliver their second album ‘Under My Skin’.

                With a work rate like this, it is hardly surprising that ‘Under My Skin’ follows in near enough the identical footsteps of its predecessor. Does this signal a lack of ingenuity or stagnation? Nah, not one bit, this is an album that has a momentum to it and that breeds a warm familiarity that is actually quite enjoyable. This feeling flows through ‘Under My Skin’ very well and although some of the songs are not the best, tracks such as ‘Puppets Clowns’, ‘The Emptiness’ and title track do have a fun early Metallica-esque vibe to them with plenty of fast paced riffs and wah-wah to boot.      

As a name, Metalriff may be up there with the worst band names ever conceived. But when it comes to their music, this band certainly know how to take hold of the hammer and pound the anvil and that makes ‘Under My Skin’ decent enough indeed.