Suicidal Angels - Profane Prayer

Suicidal Angels – Profane Prayer
Release Date: 1st March 2024
Label: Nuclear Blast
Order/Stream
Genre: Thrash
FFO: Warbringer, Exumer, Havok, Crisix.
Review By: Mark Young

Suicidal Angels have been in existence for a while now and have continually released music that bounces within the thrash genre, and their latest is no exception to that pattern. Accompanying bio notes that their line-up has been stable for the last decade and that this is their strongest and most concise release to date.

With that in mind, and with the talents of Ed Repka adorning the cover art providing Thrash brownie points, what do we have?

Well, we have a collection of songs that do indeed thrash, taking cues from the classic cuts of yesteryear whilst putting their own stamp on things. I admit that I blow hot and cold on ‘Modern Thrash’ mainly for the most part it doesn’t offer anything new to say. I’m not knocking the actual musical output; I can appreciate it for what it is, but to be held up against the classics released between 86 and 90 (for me) it has to be special.

When the Lions Die comes in with an intro piece that is designed to get that crowd on side, then onto the song proper. It motors along, owing a nod to the Gothenburg mob in how the fast and slower sections come together. Harmony parts are present and correct and is suitably metal. The solo break is a face-melter without being overlong, and it’s a strong start. Similarly, Crypts of Madness is an energetic offering that continues in that forward vein and show that they can put impressive songs together. Purified by Fire then comes in and blows them away, evoking some classic circa Silent Scream era. This is a blinder with a full-tilt attack and a classic harmony break-down that I adore. That momentum is immediately halted by Deathstalker, which is mid-paced, 8 minutes long, and doesn’t go anywhere. This is a classic misstep, and I hope that the title track makes amends for it. And it does to an extent, ploughing a bottom-heavy furrow before breaking out in a classic Thrash pre-solo that heralds some top-class fret magic.

The Return of the Reaper continues with that slower attack, whilst Guard of the Insane picks up the pace slightly. Both do the job of being heavy, but that energy required seems to have fallen away so that whilst they are good songs, they don’t excite as they should. Virtues of Destruction is that necessary energy I was referring to, this is frenzied and along with Purified by Fire are just head and shoulders above the rest. There is something in the way that these two are done that makes them this way, and in some respects represent what I think we should be hearing here. The Fire Paths of Fate goes back to some of the musical ideas captured on Deathstalker, but with the addition of ethereal backing against a stripped back riff. It’s controlled in the early moments, with some storming solo work in tandem with some frenetic riffing. Its build is everything that they were hoping to achieve earlier and is an impressive end to a slightly uneven release.

All in all, it is a good record. It never recovers from the positioning of Deathstalker midway through the album and for me should have been either cut down or removed entirely as it didn’t add anything to make this better than it is.