Now this is a fun record! Great, old school Thrash Metal with a Horror film lyrical slant! This is a record you pop in the car and crank LOUD! They Rise is loaded with tons of meaty, neck wrenching riffs, jagged vocals and an overall energetic vibe. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of Deceased both in feel & execution, but it’s not an obvious aping.
From song to song, this album delivers a very consistent & varied flow of Metal. This is not a record that begs dissection as everything is in your face and unmistakable. Even the song titles leave very little to the imagination. “Flesheater”, “Return To The Tombs Of The Cursed Blind Dead”, “Ripped Inside Out”, “Cover Me In Blood”…pretty self explanatory. This is by no means a deterrent, quite the opposite. It’s refreshing to have a band be so blunt.
The funny thing is that had this album come out 20 years ago, Denial Fiend would be Thrash Metal cult legends today. As it is, this is a fun side project (with members of Massacre, Six Feet Under & Death) that deserves way more attention than it’s likely to get.
