This Swedish retro thrash-metal band has been around since 1995. At that time the New Wave Of Thrash Metal (NWOTM) revival didn’t reach its peak yet. That’s probably why we didn’t hear that much of this band in those days. Due to a ten-year break, this is only their second full-length album. And at this present day, the thrash-metal revival is at its highest peak and hype.

It’s too easy to pin-point this band as another retro thrash-metal band that wants a piece of the action. Everything about this release is a typical retro thrash-metal release though; with the usual Ed Repka frontcover, the ditto production and the recycled 80’s thrash-metal riffs. Where a lot of the nowadays retro-thrash bands just recycle 80’s thrash-metal riffs from their heroes, there are just a few exceptions that give this genre a sound of their own.

Guillotine is such a NWOTM band that actually just recycles thrash-riffs from bands like Exodus and Testament. Where most other bands would fail to make this convincing, Guillotine pulls it off to make a decent and tight album of recycled thrash-metal. It sounds negative, but it is fact meant as a compliment, because everything about this record is how it should sound like. The music is brutal, fast and thrashy in your face! The riffs are fired at you with utter precision. I didn’t expect anything else from this band though, since it contains members of Nocturnal Rites and they sure know what they are doing.

Musically this is great fast 80’s thrash-metal in the vein of Exodus, Testament and Sacred Reich. One of the highlights of this album is the sixth song, ‘Skeleton City’, with just a neckbreaking headbanger riff in it. Another great thing about this band is the fact that they write lyrics about political and social-critical topics, instead of the beer/thrashing type of lyrics.

I think this band is one of the better ‘new’ coming NWOTM bands in Europe at this time. They will please a lot of youngsters that recently discovered thrash-metal through bands as Municipal Waste. And I’m sure this band will make a huge impression by blowing your head off on stage!