CD Review : Atrophy – Socialized Hate

Reviewed - 02.05.07

Atrophy hailed from the same desert as thrash luminaries Flotsam & Jetsam and Sacred Reich but never quite reached the ‘heights’ of their Arizona peers. As with many third wave thrash bands (the first being the likes of Exodus, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer; the second being Testament, Death Angel, Sacred Reich, etc) the style was well worn and all the paths well trodden. Atrophy adopt a rather straight ahead, fast and furious thrash style topped with Brian Zimmerman’s laid back Mille Petrozza-esque vocal sneer.

This 1988 debut demonstrates much of what is good and not so good in bands of Atrophy’s standing. While their strong points; fine fettled riffing, tight and catchy arrangements are all in evidence, there’s little light and shade that might have lifted them up to the next levels of more successful and more interesting peers. The lyrical themes are again laudible as many thrash bands were, there is also the inevitable anti-pay-to-pray track Preacher Preacher. I’m sure record labels paid extra royalties for thrash bands covering this topic because just every one of them has! I could do without the Beer Bong comic track too, but then in the miserable nowadays I may have forgotten that thrashing was all about having fun too, and I have no doubt that this jokey thrasher went down well live.

Again, the title track offers some rather learned lyrics on the subject of slavery, control and subservience, which are just as relevant today, wrapped up in a neat thrashing bundle. Socialized Hate doesn’t disappoint in it’s approach, but just doesn’t have that x-factor that can lift it out of the also-ran category. It’s a shame and it’s not a bad album, but as with many other bands may have been trying to slot fast and clever riffs together while not quite injecting enough originality. Without that extra spark and with the passage of time, this is still an interesting album but not one I could recommend before any of its better peers.