Artist: Razor
Release Title: Open Hostility
Release Type: Full Length
Release Year: 1991
Artist Genre: Thrash Metal
Artist Origin: Canada
My Rating: 74%
Track Listing:
1. In Protest 2. Sucker For Punishment 3. Bad Vibrations 4. Road Gunner 5. Cheers 6. Red Money 7. Free Lunch 8. Iron Legions 9. Mental Torture 10. Psychopath 11. I Disagree 12. End Of The War
Total playing time 37:18
Razor were like the AC/DC of Thrash. Straight forward, one dimensional bashing album tracks without any hope of there being a peaceful ballad or an attempt to be all proggy and poncey. As the band grew through the eighties and into the nineties they gradually moved away from the thrashed up Motorhead mold they had in their hokey but loveable early days and started producing a more bonafide thrash sound on their albums, which began on the stellar album "Violent Restitution". The "Open Hostility" album appeared three years later and I'd place that into the box of must have albums by the band. The album tracks are the usual set of short, sweet numbers delivered with the usual vitriol and they have enough appeal for you to be pleased even tho they're all very similar in their approach. A few people tend to dislike this album because of the programmed drums but I think programmed drums are well suited to Razor's no nonsense, what you see is what you get mode of thrash. The production on the album lends itself to a heavier sound than there was on "Shotgun Justice" as well as the tracks being catchier too. There is an mp3 upload of the album track "Sucker For Punishment" above. This mp3 upload showcases the quality on show perfectly.
The first side of the album is certainly the stronger, the highlights being the brilliant "Sucker For Punishment", "Bad Vibrations" echoes the fun and catchy previous album tracks by the band like "Behind Bars", "Road Gunner" has some killer riffs in the verses and "Red Money" is very nifty. The rest of the album tracks are merely cool. A really solid album, a bit by the numbers with no surprises, like all Razor albums, but still when you're in the mood for take no prisoners thrash with some almost sing-a-long choruses, this band and Vio-lence are probably the masters. Check out mp3 downloads of the album tracks I recommended and buy it from amazon if you dig it.
