I like Thrash Metal. I really fucking do. I've also wished to have been in the Bay Area around the mid-80s to have witnessed all the awesome underground bands having a ball. Some of them hit the big league. Most of those big league bands have even lost it now but with this genre, the second-tier bands led by the mighty Exodus and Testament are still at it . What's better for a fan of this genre than Chuck Billy, the vocalist of Testament getting together with the ex-Exodus vocalist Steve 'Zetro' Souza, hook up with their buddies from back in the days, form a band, get into the studio, put out an album and take it live too?

Dublin Death Patrol was what these guys were called back in the days because they all came from the small Californian town called Dublin, hung out and went to shows together. They've managed to put out an album filled with some of the songs they wrote back then, some new songs and some nostalgic covers. Apart from Chuck and Zetro, there are members from Laaz Rockit (Willy Lange on Bass), Tesla (Troy Luccketta on Drums),  Vio-lence (Phil Dummel on guitars, also in Machine Head currently), his brother Andy Billy on guitars (from Chuck's pre-Testament band Rampage that also had Willy Lange) and a few others.

I've now listened to this about a dozen times because I didn't want to be overwhelmed by the relentless fanboy in me not letting me give it a rational review.

Chuck and Zetro trading vocals sounds as good as it does on paper and gives me goosebumps throughout. They're without a doubt two of the most unique and great vocalists in metal. Zetro with his Bon-Scott/Udo-gone-extreme nasal grunts and Chuck with heavier low end vocal style really complement each other.  But that's not this is only about. Songs too, are well crafted, short and to the point for the most part with beerbanging riffs, ripping leads throughout and the essential groove that the rhythm section provides. This shit reeks of old-schoolness, with the sound in the Accept-with-punk-influence ball park. Special hats-off to the production. This hasn't got any of the worrying modern compressed-as-shit mix that everyone including the thrash bands favour. Though what Andy Sneap does has come out well for bands like Nevermore and the newer Exodus, I'm not really a fan of it. This album has the perfect production. Raw, in your face and very warm. Guitars sound heavy and ripping and drums sound very thumping real indeed.

It's a fact that for any genre to be good, it has to have influences from the greatest of the bands. The 70s had the first generation of guitar heroes to look upto and this era of heavy music still remains my all time favourite. The nostalgic covers that I mentioned earlier are Iron Fist (Motorhead), Lights Out (UFO) and Cold Sweat (Thin Lizzy). Thrash bands got their influences from them and the others from that era, the nwobhm bands and many from the various punk/hardcore scenes. It was a cool tip of the ol' hat but I'd still have preferred three of their own songs in that place to give it the perfect score.

Recommended if you like old school metal. Essential if you're a fan of the Bay Area thrash. Hope to hear more from these guys.

Dublin Death Patrol - DDP 4 Life
Release Year: 2007 

Tracklist:

For more info about the band:
Official Site
Official MySpace Page