Laaz Rockit - 'Left For Dead'

Several Bay Area thrash bands from the '80s were and remain very popular, such as Metallica and Megadeth. Others had moderate success over the years, with bands like Exodus and Testament coming to mind. Others faded into obscurity. Laaz Rockit were one of those bands. They released a handful of albums to a good amount of critical success, but not a whole lot of commercial popularity. Their last studio album was back in 1991.

A few years ago Laaz Rockit reunited, and Left For Dead is their first CD of new material in a long time. It received a European release this summer, and is now available in North America via Blistering Records.

The best parts of Left For Dead are when Laaz Rockit returns to their thrash glory days and unleashes shredding guitars at lightning speed. There are some of those moments, but for the most part the speed is slower but the intensity is greater. There are some really good riffs and they've made the songs really groovy.

Michael Coons is Laaz Rockit's vocalist, and his thrash yells are raspy and distinctive. On a couple of slower songs he also sings melodically, which isn't as effective. When a band hasn't made new music in almost twenty years, you don't really know what to expect, but Laaz Rockit has aged well.

Laaz Rockit wasn't an elite thrash band back in the day, nor are they today, but Left For Dead is an effective comeback. They show their old school chops, but also have modern influences and more diversity than they did during their original incarnation.

(released November 4, 2008 on Blistering Records)