Rapid Strike – God Take Me To Hell

Rapid Strike

God Take Me To Hell

by Phillip Lawless at 19 April 2012, 1:22 PM

“God Take Me To Hell”, what an apt name. Sitting down and writing this review was one of the hardest tasks I’ve ever been assigned. This album bored me so that I couldn’t even think of a joke or gag to write about it. Simply put, this album takes a music I love, Thrash Metal, and makes it mundane and completely unappealing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll sound the distorted trumpet of Thrash all day, every day. I try to give releases from newer Thrash bands a chance, and anytime a young band comes through my town paying homage to the founding fathers – SLAYER, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, etc. – I’m always in the front row, cheering them on. But here, I have to call shenanigans.

With this album, the first problem is the length – 13 tracks and over an hour long. Here, perhaps RAPID STRIKE should have stuck by the old adage of “leave them wanting more.” The album has three songs that are over six minutes long, a couple of five minute songs and six four minute songs. Heck, throw in a couple of filler tracks or intros, and that’s easily two albums worth of material. Also, there’s not much variation to be found on “God Take Me To Hell”. So, it’s a long and repetitive album.

Lyrically, the album is rough, at best. Snipers, hell, war, souls – these are all subjects that other bands have covered over and over and over. There’s absolutely nothing new here. Another major problem is the album cover. Just take a second and look at it. Yeah, I don’t know what to say either.

Finally, RAPID STRIKE commits a cardinal sin towards the end of the album. They put two of the six minute songs side-by-side. “Hard Road” and “90’s” are a clumsy duo that both feature flavors of regrettable Metal ballads gone by. Further, under no circumstances should this vocalist ever try to croon.

I really have no idea who this album would appeal to. I guess if a listener has already heard every single Thrash album from the late 1980s as well as all of the popular nu-Thrash releases from the past few years, they should maybe give this album a listen. Still, I would recommend drinking heavily first.