Description
Crossover, as a genre, has been so removed from the public conscience since its salad days in the mid-80s that very few modern bands are able to dip into its aesthetic without sounding like a mere nostalgia act. Liverpool, England's SSS are one such band. Short Sharp Shock, as they are known to their friends, make no apologies about their fixation on all things 80s crossover, but their 2011 album Problems To The Answer still succeeds in bringing a contemporary freshness to the style without breaking out of character. The album kicks off with The Kill Floor and the thrashing madness begins immediately in a hardcore-crossed Sodom style. I don’t know why but the vocalist just reminds me of Tom Angelripper on the Better Off Dead album, but way more pissed off! Come again imagine Demolition Hammer with Sodom’s vocals and a lot of hardcore influences. That description alone is enough to make every thrash fan salivate instantly and check out this album. Anyway blink and you’ll miss a bit as most tracks here are pretty fast and short, with only seven tracks out of twenty-five being over the two minute mark. Problems To The Answer is a pretty good album and SSS is a young band that’s decided on honouring their influences and just loves to play old school 80’s style crossover thrash. And this is the real deal, with equal parts of hardcore/punk and thrash mixed in to form an explosive assault on the senses. This is an album that is noteworthy of your attention if you happen to like thrash with a DIY attitude. Thrash on Track listing: 1. The Kill Floor 2. Out the Loop 3. Birdshit 4. Laughing Leads to Crying 5. White Bread 6. Eat Me, Drink Me Burn Me 7. Foreign Body Plot 8. Roar 9. Sick Pleasures 10. Direct Action 11. What Would Cards Do 12. Man against Man 13. Tales out of School 14. Rats Nest 15. Cathode Control 16. Painting by Numbers 17. Quick Fix 18. Future Primitive 19. Trapped inside Two States of Mind 20. Politics of Convenience 21. Here Comes the Neighbourhood 22. Deep Sleep 23. Speed Freaks 24. Dismantle the Dream 25. Strangenotes