Onslaught – Origins of Aggression Review

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“Origins of Aggression,” an album that tells a story, but not a story as a tale – after all we are not talking about a Power Metal band, but a Thrash Metal band and tales are not their thing – this is Onslaught‘s tale, or, better yet, the story of the bands that Onslaught they are. This is not right it yet. “Origins of Aggression” is a two-CD album that contains 22 tracks in total across a double album format. The first disc features re-recordings of their most important tracks from the early years, while the second disk consists of punk and metal cover versions that shaped the band into the band they are today—songs that were jammed at rehearsals and tracks that inspired the band to pick up an instrument and play. 

Ok, then, as expected “Origins of Aggression,” except for Killing Joke‘s “Wardance,” – nobody is perfect, not even our heroes – there are lots of Hardcore covers. I’d say most of them are Hardcore what does not happen to be a surprise, because most Thrash Metal icons were huge Hardcore fans, but wanted to give their Hardcore bands a Metal music wrapping. That’s exactly what happens here, Onslaught gave their Hardcore heroes a Metal music wrapping. From the Metal side of the coin the expected Motörhead‘s “Iron Fist,” covered perfectly as it should be; the surprising Judas Priest‘s “Freewheel Burning,” surprising because I would expect any other song from the mighty Priest that received a very interesting wrapping; and, of course, the master of all-time Metal music Black Sabbath‘s “War Pigs,” which, by the way, got an exciting and totally different wrapping with the same chorus Dio used to do that gave the song a bestial feeling. Interestingly, Discharge happen to be the band which received most of the covers with three of them. It is funny to listen to the band covering bands as Sex Pistols or Dead Kennedys, bands that are not exactly loved by metalheads.

Then comes the re-recorded CD with the Onslaught‘s most well-known tracks that received a new recording giving them a kind of more modern sonancy “seeking a fresh challenge” as the band states in the press release as they signed a new long-term recording contract with metal giants Reigning Phoenix Music. I understand the band’s desire in doing this. Saxon and other did it. Some for contractual and legal reasons; others just because it would be cool. Whatever it is, the new recordings sound great.

Looking forward to the forthcoming full length.

Onslaught “Origins of Aggression” will be released on May 23rd via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Track Listing:

CD 1

1. Thermonuclear Devastation Of The Planet Earth (Re-recorded 2025)
2. Black Horse Of Famine (Re-recorded 2025)
3. Angels Of Death (Re-recorded 2025)
4. Power From Hell (Re-recorded 2025)
5. Metal Forces (Re-recorded 2025)
6. Let There Be Death (Re-recorded 2025)
7. Fight With The Beast (Re-recorded 2025)
8. Thrash Till The Death (Re-recorded 2025)
9. In Search Of Sanity (Re-recorded 2025)
10. Shellshock (Re-recorded 2025)

CD 2

  1. Iron Fist (Motörhead cover)
  2. Holiday in Cambodia (Dead Kennedys cover)
  3. A Look at Tomorrow (Discharge cover)
  4. U.K. 82 (The Exploited cover)
  5. Freewheel Burning (Judas Priest cover)
  6. Wardance (Killing Joke cover)
  7. Give Me Fire (GBH cover)
  8. State Violence State Control (Discharge cover)
  9. Holidays in the Sun (Sex Pistols cover)
  10. Emotional Blackmail (UK Subs cover)
  11. War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)
  12. Drunk with Power (Discharge cover)

Watch “Iron Fist” official music video here: