Angelus Apatrida – Clockwork

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ANGELUS APATRIDA: a name that I never heard of before. I opened the Press release to find out some things about the band. In the first two lines I read that they are from Spain. In the next paragraph I read that they are playing Thrash Metal. I wondered “Thrash Metal from Spain? Is like saying country music from Russia!”. And, hell yeah, there are bands over there that can give you pure Thrash Metal!

Born ten years ago in Albacete, under not that good conditions as long as the musical infrastructures in their home town concerns, ANGELUS APATRIDA (meaning “stateless” or “renegade” Angels) released two self-released albums, “Evil Unleashed” and “Give ‘Em War” in 2006 and 2007 respectively and then begun making their name bigger in their homeland with many live shows. Now, with a big label behind them since they signed with Century Media they introduce themselves to a much bigger audience with their third album “Clockwork”.

After the intro, with a clock ticking, the first track “Blast Off” shows the band's intentions: old school Thrash metal, but without sounding retro and cud. It is not hard to see their influences. The 80’s Bay Area Thrash bands surely are their heroes. MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT (along with OVERKILL and DESTRUCTION) can be found in “Clockwork”. The good thing is that, despite they are following those music forms, they don’t just copy and paste but they have some nice, more modern, ideas in their choruses and bridges of the songs. Guillermo’s voice is somewhere between Dave Mustaine and James Hetfield, with some more growling moments, something not bad but I think they lack identity. The lyrics are dealing with the society and anger to the times we are living at (if I understood correctly). Last but not least, I have to mention the cover take that you will find in the limited edition of “Clockwork”, IRON MAIDEN’s “Be Quick Or Be Dead”. Even though they stayed faith to the original one, they managed to put some of their own personality and that gives them some extra points.

Well, will ANGELUS APATRIDA re-invent thrash Metal with “Clockwork”? No. Will they start a new wave of bands to play like them? No, since they are playing like the godfathers of Thrash Metal. Will they make our heads move up and down without a break? Hell yeah! Because they have managed to play something old but they gave it a boost by playing it with a fresh air and putting that some extra. And they do it well! Probably, one of the best new Thrash albums of the year.