Description
Still sealed digipak
Perhaps best remembered for consisting of three guys named Tony: Tony Portaro (vocals, guitar), Tony Bono (bass), and Tony Scaglione, as well as the fact that the latter temporarily replaced drummer Dave Lombardo in Slayer during his first, fleeting split from the group in 1987, New Jersey thrashers Whiplash never achieved more than local cult success for their efforts. Naming themselves after the legendary Metallica song that virtually defines the thrash metal genre, Whiplash formed in late 1983 and recorded two demos before submitting the aptly titled Thrash Till Death to New Renaissance Records 1985 Speed Metal Hell compilation. Signed by fledgling Roadrunner Records shortly thereafter, they debuted with Power And Pain that same year, and then quickly followed it with 1986’s Ticket To Mayhem, which saw new drummer Joe Cangelosi stepping in for the briefly Slayer-bound Scaglione. The 90s were surely the bane of the thrash band, as even titans of the genre were looking for new ways for their music, like Load, Re-Load, Risk, and even Slayers bouncy bed-shitting Diabolus In Musica. Change is not always a bad thing but the mentality seemed to trickle on down to even Whiplash, whose 1996 offering Cult Of One hardly rankes among their top three albums. The new vocal slot was filled by Rob Gonzo, who is perhaps one of the most debilitating factors of this album. Gonzo has a vocal style very typical for the time, not terrible mind you, but full of the crass Phil Anselmo styled emotional huah, with a dash of Ozzy influence in places like the bridge of Apostle Of Truth. The album seems to begin where Insult To Injury left off, with some clean guitars that herald the chord smack down of Such Is The Will. Even the grooves of the verse have some speedy fills but Gonzos vocals doesnt really fit the track. The rest of the album is groovy and just half-thrash. It goes from anything to Armored Saint to Down, Black Label Society and even Alice In Chains. Cult Of One isnt the worst 90s album from all those great 80s thrash bands but just another example on how rough the 90s were for those bands.
Track list:
1. Such Is The Will
2. No Ones Idol
3. No Fear To Tread
4. 1,000 Times
5. Wheel Of Misfortune
6. Heavenaut
7. Lost World
8. Cult Of One
9. Enemy
10. Apostle Of Truth