One of the surprises from 2020 for me - the self-titled debut album from
OrmskrikOfficial full-album stream still here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RahYPPMFUwkBlackened-thrash from Norway - SO good. Vocals are a bit more extreme than typical thrash (not too crazy, though), but the album can be surprisingly dynamic (and melodic) amidst the almost constant aggression.
Opener Occultness is an ok appetizer, but the goodies imo really start with the second song, "Destroyer of Worlds". After an opening riff that could fit in a classic Exodus album and an aggressive verse, the blackened influences start creeping in with the chorus. Then, another super-cool riff (and drumming) around the 1:45 mark and, a few seconds later, an acoustic interlude that builds up to a melodic, almost old-school Metallica section. Brilliant.
There's plenty of other tasty stuff next - "March of the Dead" (which in the last minute or so launches into a Disposable Heroes kind of riff). Then "Descend to Madness", which starts epic and keeps going back and forth between nasty thrash and tremolo-blackened riffing (with some very headbangable breakdown towards the end).
More great riffs in Hecatomb and The Morbid Arrives before a fantastic ending with Eye for an Eye - again thrash and black influences, then morphing into a truly beautiful finale, with harmonized Metallica-esque guitars and phat bass lines weaving in and out, and finally leaving the stage to acoustic guitars. Again, brilliant.
Highly recommended!