Cost: $2.00
Was expecting straightforward thrash, and while the underlying music is mostly thrashy, every track has prominent, almost gothic metal-style synths. Another review compares the vocals here to Dave Mustaine, and while there is a very vague similarity, the vocals sound far more like Steve Sylvester to me. Coupled with the gothic keyboards (although on a few occasions the keys are in a proggier style) and atmospheric sections, it does sound like some sort of odd thrashy take on Death SS (I'd say Heavy Demons or the more straightforward stuff on Do What Thou Wilt, as it doesn't really have the traditional metal influences or creepy/horror vibes of the old classic material, but there's no industrial/weird left field stuff here either). Stripped of the keys, the music would be some sort of modernish, mid-paced, melodic US-style thrash. They manage to decently pull off an idea that sounds absolutely terrible on paper, but I'm not too sure what to think of this, as it doesn't scratch any musical itches for me, thrash, gothic, or otherwise.
Also, just for the record, my apologies to the band--ever since getting this I've mocked the awkward grammar of the title, but on closer inspection of the (very ugly) cover, it's supposed to be "Still Alive" backwards. Huh.
