The thrash revival of the mid ‘00s had two distinct strains: there were the younger acts that sought to recreate the golden age of Reign in Blood, Master of Puppets and Bonded by Blood, but then there were also the grizzled veterans who saw an opportunity to give it another go. Anger as Art fit into the latter category, as every member had logged hours in C- and D-level thrash acts back when Combat and Relativity were operating at peak capacity. With two ex-Abbatoir members, a bassist who would later join Heretic, and Evildeads’ original drummer, this bunch had clearly done their time in the trenches. As a result, it was hardly surprising that “The Crush” sounded like a lost Exodus tune from the Baloff years, maybe also mixed in with some early Slayer. But it also wasn’t surprising that the tune felt more natural and lived-in than the bands Century Media and Earache were scouting circa 2006. “The Crush” opened Disfigure, Anger as Art’s third and arguably best album, and not only recalled ‘80s thrash, but also felt authentic on account of not only the member’s previous experience, but also their fundamental understanding of what thrash was all about.
