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Italy has been a hotbed for European Thrash Metal for years now, alongside the likes of Germany, Greece, and Spain. Ireful claim to play "Raw Spaghetti Thrash" just to make it clear which of these countries they hail from, but despite how silly that sounds, Walls of Madness is actually a damn fine piece of old-school Thrash.

Sounding something akin to Master of Puppets if it was performed by old Dark Angel with a kick of Viking for good measure, this EP follows the retro Thrash formula so well that it could easily be mistaken for a lost gem from the '80s if you didn't know any better. The music itself is led by sharp, punishing riffs and the Devastation/Dark Angel-esque vocals of Anselmo Calaciura, but everyone on board sounds like they'd take our pansy asses back to 1984 if they could. Each of the four tracks on here are fast, heavy, and brutal, all of which are supported by a meaty production that's heavy and clear in a manner very similar to the one found on Master of Puppets. Really, the more I listen to it, the more the Metallica comparisons make sense to me, as these guys are tight and proficient players, they just happen to be significantly angrier than Ulrich and the boys were even in their prime.

As you'd expect, there isn't anything genre defining on here, but as far as homage to the old times goes, this is a superior example from a young, talented band. Anyone with an interest in Thrash should be keeping their eyes on Ireful, and you can start doing that by getting The Walls of Madness for your collection.