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This power trio Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia has been around for about three years and instead of recording several demos, EPs, or splits before getting snapped by some label, these Metal brothers decided to compose enough songs for their debut full-length album and release it on their own.

The album cover reflects all the fears that we as people have about the state of this world; total devastation by nuclear weapons (I guess I should take a break from following the news THAT actively about the North Koreans' ruthless chest-pounding about the country's nuclear program). Well, the album cover aside, let their music do the talking.

Verminator's relentless Thrash could be described as a stripped-down, somewhat simple way of playing Thrash Metal. Put early Sodom and early Kreator together and then add a pinch of early Hirax along with some early Sepultura into their boiling cauldron and you get a pretty good clue as to how these Malaysian thrashers want to hammer and mangle your eardrums. They keep the energy levels constantly high, thrashing their hearts out without any gimmicks. Ajim on bass and vocals reminds me of a mixture of Katon W. De Pena (Hirax) and Steve Hatton (Xyster) with his marvelously nasal and rough vocal performance, which fits the band's straightforward and raw Thrash like an ugly, pimple-covered nose in the middle of your face.

Nothing really sticks with you after the first 2-3 spins of the album but, honestly speaking there's still something absolutely appealing and compelling about Verminator's amateurish, nasty, rebellious and yeah, even a bit awkward, Thrash Metal. Check 'em out, if only just for curiosity's sake.