Brandishing a furious display of aggressive thrash metal with classic accents, Injector returns with this fourth album Endless Scorn ready to scorch the earth once again. Already impressed through the previous discography like 2018’s Stone Prevails and 2020’s Hunt of the Rawhead, at this point in the band’s career trajectory it’s more about solidifying specific hooks or channeling stronger songwriting mechanics to increase a footprint in a very active genre. After numerous playbacks you get the sense that there’s an added level of intensity and propulsion to these performances – combining the aggression with catchiness to galvanize followers of all types of younger and older.
Even when the band choose to ride in a slow, slithering manner where calmer guitar strains take a back seat to a robust bass line which appears in the opening sequence for “The Executioner’s Song”, the pace soon shifts into something more Exhorder meets Metal Church-like, the vocals shifting from raspy, Phil Anselmo-ish roars to this clean, almost alternative-ish charm that makes for a memorable chorus while the instrumental break contains a progressive, churning shift for the ages. Where the dynamic transitions take place can be surprising in a good way. Check out the Doobie Brothers-ish jangly guitar that soon transforms into this high-octane shred barrage during the lead break section of “Never Enter the Core”, or the tranquil nature to the instrumental “The End of Eternity” – where soothing guitar harmonies abound against some thunderous drumming before the triplet gallops crush a la Cyclone Temple from back in the early 90s. Never fear that heads down thrash has been abandoned – as the relentless abandon nature to “Path of the Wrathgod” or the Overkill meets Annihilator-esque musical force within “Mindcrusher” are two mandatory appealers, the supplementary gang vocals and energy hard to resist.
Ideally as musicians once you find comfort in your style and proper chemistry, the sky is the limit when it comes to creatively capturing things into a record that has staying power. Injector may have achieved that peak through Endless Scorn – hopefully garnering them better touring / festival opportunities as they climb up the ranks.