I went through a phase in middle and high school (in the 90’s) where I consumed speed and thrash for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Due to my upbringing, my menu was limited, but that just means I knew every word, riff and drum hit for the likes of Deliverance, Tourniquet, early Living Sacrifice, and Vengeance Rising. It wasn’t until much later that I got a more full realization of what the speed and thrash world had to offer, but at that point I had moved on to other forms of metal.

The last few years I have wanted to scratch the itch again, revisiting many of my old favorites but adding lots of new to the mix. Little did I know that Vanishment was in my own backyard, hailing from Seattle. I discovered them a bit accidentally, thanks to the Instagram algorithm and my constant search for interesting shows to go to. I got an ad for an album release show, liked the clip I heard, and decided to check it out. Clearly it got added to my review queue in short order!

Vanishment recently released their sophomore album, “…And Now We Die,” blending speed metal with thrash and traditional metal influences, and adding healthy helpings of technical guitar leads and solos, an unrelenting drum assault, thumping driving bass, and an aggressive vocal delivery mixing the sensibility of speed and thrash with hints of traditional and power. The album release show that was the primary influence for my discovering them was also incredible, making me appreciate the band even more. Luck or not, I am glad I discovered them, as this album serves up a flaming hot slab of molten thrashy speed metal that will blow your hair back and make your head bang profusely. It doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel, relying on familiar mechanics, but it adds enough texture to keep things feeling fresh and interesting. It is energetic, aggressive, fast, and full of attitude!

Heavy riffs and thunderous drums greet you, converging into speed metal fury and lead vocalist Rob shouting an emphatic “Murderer!” and “Deceiver!” as opener “Scarred in Fate” picks up momentum. The verses blend power sprints and heavy chugs, with a punctuated chorus that is both catchy and in your face. There is a great harmonized dueling guitar solo that acts as a nice transition, and the ending salvo is nice and heavy.

“Darkened Innocence” has a driving melodic opening with cool varied drum rhythms, races ahead for the verse, and downshifts the rhythm into a headbang worthy chorus. The riffing is fantastic, mostly fast and furious but also triumphant, and you get plenty of licks throughout including the very thrashy late guitar solo.

“How I Bleed” leans a bit more into a thrashy traditional heavy metal vibe and less on speed, though this track still moves along at a rapid pace. Rob maintains a thrashy near shout delivery, but the addition of a bit of vibrato adds some depth and character. The guitars work overtime with riff tradeoffs and various leads and solos, relentless in their technical pursuits. The drums do a great job adding heft whether in the midst of a fiery blaze or a smoldering billow, an unstoppable force.

“Steel Demise” is probably the fastest song on the album, barreling forward with ludicrous speed that brings Slayer or early Vengeance Rising to mind, but with Rob’s more intelligible delivery. The drums are absolutely crushing, as are the guitars, fingers flying nonstop under the trance of speed. I love the use of slight tempo and rhythmic shifts to add texture to the onslaught, but this song is not ashamed of its hurricane force identity.

“Die in My Shelter” is primarily a mid-paced thrasher, but it kicks into overdrive here and there to keep you on your toes. Regardless of the pace, its dynamic guitar riffs are powerful, and you get plenty of odes to old school thrash in the plentiful guitar flourishes and solos. And that ending will blow your hair back!

A cool guitar melody that is a key thread in the fabric kicks off “Engraved Under Skin,” one of the most varied songs on the album. The band does a great job utilizing a variety of rhythms and tempos, including slowing way down near the middle with a more vocal-driven approach supported by the guitar lead. They layer in chugging riffs and drums before blazing ahead, then settle back into the melodic mid-paced cadence. The ending push partly reprises the middle approach before a thunderous finish. I do feel the vocals can be a bit too one-dimensional at times on this song, particularly the slower parts where they feel a bit conflicting with the surroundings. Rob shows in other songs just how how multi-dimensional his vocal blitzes can be, and I would have loved to have seen more of that in concert with the new layers this song has. Despite this, I love the broader strokes this song paints and would love to see more of these layers!

“Unleash the Storm” continues the trend of opening with fabulous guitar lead melodies, with some varied drum and guitar patterns mixed in for texture. Then the storm is truly unleashed in unadulterated thrash fury, blazing speed mixed with triumphant power riffs, giving “Steel Demise” a run at fastest song. The drumming is pulverizing, with gallops, blasts, and driving pounding. The guitars gets lots of opportunities to shine, with killer solos and dueling harmonies flying high above the drum assault. So much energy and power, easily making this another standout track. 

“Conviction” slows the pace way down with an emotive guitar driven melody, then oozes nostalgia in its speed metal transition, reminding me of early Tourniquet with its blend of speed and technical riffage. This song shines for me as a highlight for Rob’s vocals, demonstrating versatility between the shouty approach and some near power metal singing in a raspy guise. I love the tempo and rhythmic shifts that change things up, and the guitars are in full command while the drums destroy everything in their path. 

“Ellipsis” throws a curveball at you, a gorgeous acoustic instrumental piece that functions as an extended intro for the last song. The melodies are lush and gleaming, with dynamic flourishes layered in to add extra character and body.  It works so well at this point in the album, and I would love to see Vanishment incorporate this more into and around other songs.

Closer “Ashes and Bones” carries the sheen forward into a huge intro, emphatic vocals over a great guitar melody, which then becomes harmonized as the drums begin to drive more, ultimately hitting full speed metal territory. The guitar lead does a lot of heavy lifting here, powerful and varied lines exhibiting technical prowess and finesse that never seems to stop. This song does a great job blazing, slowing down to reasonable headbang speed,  and delighting with its myriad textures. It is another standout and a great way to close out this journey of speed and heft. 

Speed metal and thrash can feel formulaic at times, and Vanishment definitely uses a number of known rubrics, but they do a good job keeping things fresh and varied. I never get bored with this album, and it is a great listen from top to bottom. This is only their sophomore release, meaning I expect even more great things from them. Go check this album out and experience great modern speed metal!