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JERSEY DOGS
"Thrash Ranch" is basically
just what the title indicates, an album full of fist-banging,
head-slamming, intense, speedy thrash metal! Lots of extended
full throttle instrumental jamming, occassional chanting,
bass blasting and drum pounding.
Released in 1990, 'Thrash
Ranch' is typical of thrash metal from the good ol'
days. Bassist/vocalist LOU CIARLO,
does a competent job on vocals... though he seems to spend
more time whaling away on the bass than actually singing.
His voice is pretty good - sort of gruffy - like he smokes
2 packs of stogies a day, but his range is pretty limited
making many of the songs quite similar sounding.
JON ILAW
and MIKE BENETATOS crank
out some pretty heavy riffs with plenty of speed and technical
expertise. They do a decent job sharing the guitar duties,
dishing out some very cool solos and harmonious leads. Drummer,
MICHAEL SABATINI
does a superb job with intricate time changes and full speed
double bass drum thumping. The drums were miked very well
and his skillful playing stands out very prominently in the
mix.
Overall, JERSEY DOGS
"Thrash Ranch" is a
solid effort. The intro track 'Posse
of Doom' is an entertaining and crunchy
(mostly) instrumental (there are some brief voice clips and
sound effects at the outset). The rest of the tracks are mostly
straight forward thrash songs. Track 8, 'Greasy
funk chicken', is an odd sounding instrumental track
that stands out because it is more funk and slap bass than
metal. It's OK, but it's something you would be more likely
to hear on a Joe Satriani album. Other than track 8 the album
is consistent sounding and flows well from one song to the
next.
Anyone into 80's and 90's thrash/speed metal
should enjoy this album. The songs are well written and arranged...with
lots of great extended jamming in between the vocals. The
vocals could use some more diversity but they are certainly
good enough to get by. Definitely worth a listen if you like
thrash metal!
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