RAZOR - Custom Killing (1987)

MM

Hmm, this is decidedly on the weak side. Malicious Intent was way better than this, but this still has a degree of charm, albeit it's once again hampered by the quietness of the guitar and the overloud bass and drums... Stace McLaren sounds like he's holding back with the vocals, almost like he's recording them in a bedroom and doesn't want to wake the neighbours. It's all a great shame, especially since this album saw a temporary change of tack from Razor, who decided to abandon their usual formula of 3 minute thrashouts for some seriously lengthy (and slower) tunes. It would have been interesting to hear them get the chance to try something different without being fucked over by the sound. Ultimately, though it pains me to give it a 2, I just can't honestly do anything else.

RAZOR - Violent Restitution (1988)

MMMM

In a year when many great bands were releasing sub-standard albums, it's nice to recall that this was the album that briefly put Razor back on the straight and narrow. 'Malicious Intent' (1986) and 'Custom Killing' (1987) were both lacking the killer instinct that made Razor's first two albums Thrash classics, and this one started to tip the scales back the other way, perhaps in no small part due to the replacement of M-Bro with a decent drummer! Sadly this was to be the last album for vocalist Stace McLaren and after that Razor were never really the same band.

RAZOR - Malicious Onslaught (1986)

MMM

Sadly, Canadian's Razor couldn't maintain their hit rate and with this their third album, they slipped down the order somewhat. It's all a bit half-arsed to be honest. Like they've given up. M-Bro's drumming, never the greatest, was getting noticeably less impressive and the whole thing has the feeling that it could have been better. Perhaps Razor's intention to release two albums a year was their undoing, an idea that was abandoned after this release. Still, there are gems to be found here, 'Night Attack' being a particular favourite of mine.

RAZOR - Executioner's Song (1985)

MMMMM

A stone cold Thrash Metal classic, most would give the honours to the follow up (Evil Invaders) but for me this is every bit as good and 'Take This Torch' is undoubtedly Razor's finest moment. The production is a bit patchy, but that still can't drag this monster down.

RAZOR - Evil Invaders (1985)

MMMMM

Brilliant as it is, Executioner's Song was a hotch potch of material recorded at different times and bundled together, hence the inconsistent production values. Here the band enjoy a better sound and deliver a full-on Thrash classic. Widely acknowledged as their best album, this is an essential purchase for any true Thrash fan.