Making a mark in the northern metal touring scene over the past couple of years, Scouse thrash ensemble SSS (short, sharp shock to their friends) have finally got into the studio to record their new album Limp. Gasp. Collapse. (Prosthetic); the bands fourth full length release in all. As most thrash album bands do when releasing an album, the band reached a crossroads of whether to change or improve their sound, SSS stuck rather than twisted, and this release sees the band continue their chugging thrashing sound, only adding additional chug!
Limp. Gasp. Collapse. continues the bands’ now signature blend of Slayer and Anthrax inspired trash metal sound combined with the beatdowns and snarl of early metallic hardcore bands like Biohazard and Stampin Ground, which leads to a heavy sound with enough pace and aggression to stop it becoming lumbering at any point.Though the sound might be on the straight and narrow side of metal (doubtful this release will be getting a dubstep remix edition any time soon) and possibly on the straight side of the revival thrash scene with not one message of beer pong or destroying a menagerie of zombies on a skate board made from kryptonite, but at what they do, SSS are really damn good.
Like most bands in the genre, SSS quickly find a gear and stick to it on Limp. Gasp. Collapse. The album then ploughs through the rest of its run time with no thought of slowing down for the innocent bystanders stood in its path. In truth the album finds top gear about 45 seconds into the first track ‘For Your Own Good’, and from then on it’s a carpet bombing of chugging thrash riffs at a frantic tempo from there until the end.
Overall, Limp. Gasp. Collapse. is a slice of dense, heavy thrash that oozes dirt from its many chunky riffs on display. The album eclipses most of what its peers are doing currently in the scene, on top of having a booming production and in your face sound that really grabs you by the ears like a rabid escaped ape.
If thrash is your genre then you could be doing a hell of a lot worse than SSS.
7.0/10
DAN O’BRIEN