Whiplash - Power and Pain - March, 1985

When I first heard Whiplash, I was a little surprised to find out they were from New Jersey and not Germany. The riffing is aggressive as fuck and the vocals are totally shredded, much like Sodom or Kreator. Whiplash are more speed than thrash, but their aggressiveness makes for a bit of a thrashy experience. Songs like "Red Bomb" and "War Monger" really blur the line, but for the most part this is really solid, aggressive speed metal but worthy of a mention in the thrash conversation.

1. Stage Dive
2. Red Bomb
3. Last Man Alive
4. Message in Blood
5. War Monger
6. Power Thrashing Death
7. Stirring the Cauldron
8. Spit on your Grave
9. Nailed to the Cross

Score: 7/10