Back in the '80s when thrash metal was at its peak, there were tons of bands who didn't reach the heights of titans like Metallica and Slayer, but were more underground and had smaller, but loyal followings. One of those groups was Acrophet, a Wisconsin thrash band who released two albums before splitting. Both of their albums are being re-released by Metal Mind Productions.
Faded Glory was Acrophet's second album, originally released in 1990. The band's sound evolved a bit on this one, moving away from speedcore and more toward traditional thrash metal. The songs are more complex, diverse and memorable than on their debut. The tradeoff is that they are more polished and a little less intense.
For me, Faded Glory is the better of Acrophet's two releases. They are both good, but I like the maturity and improvement in songwriting and musicianship on this one. Acrophet is one of those groups that you may have missed the first time around, or may be too young to remember them. Either way, if you're into thrash, they are worth checking out.
(released April 15, 2008 on Metal Mind Productions)
