Band:	Atrophy
Album:	Asylum
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	March 2024

01. Punishment For All
02. High Anxiety
03. Seeds Of Sorrow
04. Distortion
05. Bleeding Out
06. American Dream [feat. Kragen Lum]
07. Close My Eyes
08. The Apostle
09. Five Minutes 'Til Suicide

Lunatics are running the Asylum.

2024 looks to be a bumper year for old school thrashers; something in the cosmos has aligned and deemed this is the year for many OG bands to come out of the woodwork and release long-awaited new albums. Speaking of which, I hope you haven't been holding your breath since the last Atrophy album, otherwise your breath is going to stink something woeful. Thirty-four years later and well, the world is very much like living in an Asylum right now, so let's see if a band, who for the longest time didn't have a pulse, have their finger on the world's pulse.

Speaking of pulses, Asylum will certainly ensure those listening to it have one (disclaimer, test this at your own peril), as Atrophy get the blood flowing. It may have over thirty years since the band last put out new music, but they haven't forgotten how to thrash.

Starting as they mean to go on, Atrophy launch into "Punishment For All" and don't look back, flying into the thrash attack at full tilt. Sure, it may seem like textbook thrash, but when you have this talent in your ranks, you can breathe a level of life into proceedings that makes it more than the sum of its parts. Indeed, the vitriol qith which "American Dream" is performed sparks a reaction that will see you headbang and raise the horns automatically. The band certainly haven't lost their sense of conviction, with tracks like "Bleeding Out" being performed with a purpose that, well, bleeds through the speakers.

The production work in the Asylum is tight and powerful, giving songs like "Distortion" a wall of sound feel that just slams against your ear drums in satisfying, adrenaline-pumping fashion. Alex Perra balances all the elements Atrophy have to offer, and manages to push them all to 11 without any one element feeling buried in the mix. Added to this is the satisfying tone of each component, from Gibbs' solid low end to Shűtz's punchy snare and cymbals.

Atrophy were unfortunate to have not realised this sooner, as the years since Violent By Nature do show, particularly in Zimmerman's vocals. His phlegmy approach on "The Apostle" highlight how the intervening years have worn on his voice; it is still powerful and enjoyable, but you can't help thinking what could have been had the band been able to produce something sooner.

Ultimately, though, the biggest shortcoming on Asylum is that it isn't memorable outside a few moments, even with repeated spins, which is unfortunate in an age now where finding new music is easier than ever. While I certainly enjoyed what I heard, little stuck in my mind afterwards, which might see the album get lost in the shuffle. Asylum would have benefitted from a few catchier choruses and hooks to leave a greater impression, rather than one slamming wall of adrenaline-fuelling power.

Atrophy have finally made a long overdue return to the studio, producing a solid effort that sits next to their 80s output without feeling like a shadow of their former glory. While it might not set the world on fire, it is certainly worth your time and attention, especially if you need something to give you a heaping dose of energy.