Born in the summer of 2019 paying homage to the classic Exodus song, Lesson in Violence hails from Bavaria – a five-piece outfit that aligns in a straightforward, pounding style for this debut album The Thrashfall of Mankind. Leaving no mystery as to the energetic influences that comprise the aggressive vocal and musical approach, listeners can expect plenty of gang-like choruses, double kick tempos, crunchy/bouncy riffs, and transitions of the mid-tempo variety designed for plenty of pit-moving pushes and stage diving launches.
It’s evident when taking in the twin rhythms and manic vocal patterns that also have an accelerated element that these musicians’ study and absorb at the Bay Area altar – early Metallica, Exodus, and Slayer foundational to these songs. The high gear intensity of “Thrash Metal Mankind” plus “Rigid and Stubborn” gain proper melodic earworms in specific twin guitar harmonies or groove-driven transitions. Fiery Iron Maiden/Satan-like guitar work pushes “Liar” into mid-album highlight territory, while the militant choppy/stunted chord progressions for “Time to Kill” should induce immediate neck breaking syncopation – the fluid bass work from Roland Schäfer uplifting in key instrumental sequences. The tones and production values are crisp and clear – particularly favoring a snappy snare and beefy guitar template. Like many of the early thrash pioneers, Lesson in Violence has a wild card handling the microphone for Florian Negwer – his speedy delivery going from the screaming lunatic parade to a barking militant leader on tracks like “C.H.A.O.S.” and “Scum of Society”. Paul Baloff and Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza certainly two vocal mentors under Florian’s influence bank – he just needs a bit more seasoning to sharpen specific aspects of his approach to match the musical proceedings.
Churning through these eleven tracks in just under forty minutes, The Thrashfall of Mankind could easily have hit the streets in 1985 – which will be a good thing for most active thrash mavens. A decent outing that should allow Lesson in Violence to expand horizons a bit more for the next record, hopefully establishing more of their own sound.