Australian thrashers, In Malice's Wake, creates a destructive and raging atmosphere on its third full-length release, Light Upon the Wicked. This band of Aussie brothers, consisting of Mark Farrugia (drums) and Shaun Farrugia (vocals, guitar), Karl Watterson (bass) and Leigh Bartley (lead guitar), packs a hell of a punch on its ten relentless tracks. Combining Teutonic thrash influences such as Sodom and Destruction with Bay Area elements in the realm of Testament, Light Upon the Wicked proves to be a lethal combination. Shaun Farrugia’s vocals possess a similarity to Chuck Billy’s guttural growls while the rest of the band combines brutality with melodic guitar harmonies.

The menacing instrumental intro, “Onward Human Suffering”, does a good job of opening the record, while the venomous followup “Bear The Cross” pummels the listener with an old school German thrash flavor decorated with a vicious chorus. Rapid fire riffs and a relentless rhythm section are front and center on “In Darkness”, making it one of the most sweat-inducing tracks on the album, although “Annihilation Frost” comes in a close second. Although the tracks have a certain familiarity to them, the band isn’t a carbon copy of any of the aforementioned influences. Their own originality shines through with an old school thrash approach combined with a contemporary flavor, giving a vibrant sound to this tried and true genre. If you like thrash metal, Light Upon the Wicked is definitely worth 43 minutes of your time.