Aftermath – No Time To Waste – Album Review

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In 2023, cult thrashers Aftermath sound angrier than ever and if you thought they sounded pissed off on 2019s ‘comeback’ album There Is Something Wrong, then you ain’t heard nuthin’ yet!

With the band appearing to nestle themselves in the middle of the crossover fury found on 1987’s Killing The Future demo and the progressive nature of 1994’s perennially underrated prog thrash masterclass that was Eyes Of Tomorrow, life-long fans are well catered for…. but there’s plenty for newcomers to chew on too.  

With animalistic animosity levelled at every aspect of Government and modern life’s penchant for lies, betrayal and corruption, Aftermath’s vitriol virtually spits out of the speakers. They’re as mad as hell and they’re not gonna take it anymore! So, with often short, sharp savage bursts of thrashing rage giving life to their dismay, it’s No Time To Waste’s opening triumvirate of its title track, “Original Instructions” and “Transform & Disrupt“ which deliver an immediate impact; anarchy – pure and simple.

Only when the more considered approach of “Up Is Down” rears its head do we encounter an Aftermath that recalls the more progressively-minded Eyes Of Tomorrow. An element of groove then creeps into “SLAVeABLE (We’re Not Your Animals)” which marks out the track as one of No Time To Waste’s more accessible moments. While the message remains clear, “SLAVeABLE (We’re Not Your Animals)” packs a catchy as fuck chorus and its stripped-back aesthetic, and almost hard rock flavour, showcases the bands ‘classic’ style in inimitable style. Unafraid to throw a little bounce and funk into the mix, “Echo Chamber” then gives off a satisfying Mordred vibe while retaining their own penchant for doing whatever the hell they want. And what they want, is to raise hell!

Aftermath break balls. Sometimes they’re subtle – such as on the infuriatingly catchy 90s alt metal-esque “We Can Do This Together” – and sometimes they eagerly smash their rhetoric round your face with a crossover thrash force of considerable power. Either way, they get your attention. Some may balk at Aftermath’s conspiracy-led hyperbole but there’s no denying that the band have crafted a varied and ever-entertaining dose of metal that nicely completes their trilogy (1994’s Eyes Of Tomorrow / 2019’s There Is Something Wrong / 2023’s No Time To Waste). 8/10