PARADOX – Riot Squad

Paradox has been thrashing the Metal scene for some time now, but with considerable inconsistency. Despite being around for twenty-five years, they’ve only put out five full lengths. The band’s lineup has been very inconsistent, with Charly Steinhauer being the only mainstay. For Riot Squad, the band has elected to adhere to a traditional sound. By no means have they shown any semblance of interest in reinventing Thrash. What you have here is a slab of metal that’s tried but true.

There’s nothing at all innovative about this album, yet in this instance, that should be of little concern. This is the type of album that reminds one of metallic days long gone by. What’s especially nice is the evenness amongst songs. Once the first song hits, the fury never wanes. Steinhauer and crew prove that consistency can be a great formula for success. No one song stands above the others, but that doesn’t detract from the listening experience in any way.

As evidenced by the reviews here on MER, there are plenty of wannabe Thrash-giants out there. Nothing wrong with that, but they might want to be more considerate of what their forefathers, like Paradox, have done. This group has given Thrash fans an album that is unpretentious, but more than satisfactory in terms of sound. Will Riot Squad blow anyone away? Probably not. But it seems to serve as an excellent example of what perseverance and loyalty to roots are all about. Old school thrashers should take note. This is an album worth listening to.