Lääz Rockit was part of the Bay Area thrash scene in the
early eighties that never achieved popularity or recognition like other bands of
that era. They first broke into the scene in 1984 with "City's Gonna Burn."
I always thought Lääz Rockit held their own while up
against some of the Bay Area's second-tier bands, such as Forbidden, Defiance,
Vio- lence and Heathen. However, not of the same caliber as heavyweights like
Testament, Death Angel or Exodus. But they had some good thrashing musical chops
in guitarists Aaron Jellum and Phil Kettner, along with a tight rhythm section
of drummer Victor Agnello and bassist Willy Lange, but also fronted by some
killer and distinctive vocals of Michael Coons.
Their fifth release,"Nothing$ $acred" was originally
released in 1991 at the beginning of the grunge, death and black metal era. Key
members Kettner, Agnello and Lange were gone, Coons' vocal style changed, and
the band strayed from their original sound displayed on previous releases like "Know
Your Enemy" and "Annihilation Principle." They soon disbanded a couple of years
after. Resurfacing in 2008 with their first studio album in fifteen years, "Left
For Dead," the band created some renewed interest and has prompted Massacre
Records to re-release their back catalog, lastly including "Nothing$ $acred."
There are decent tunes on "Nothing$ $acred," such as "In
The Name Of The Father And The Gun" and "Greed Machine," which has classic
thrash riffs mixed with 80s aggression. On "Necropolis," the guitar solo
absolutely crushes. This re-release features three bonus tracks, I don't know
where they originated from, but all three kick major ass, with "Ten Eyes" and "Plague"
being the standouts.
Thrash fans that know what to expect from Lääz Rockit and
already own the original should pick this up just for the three awesome bonus
tracks. Fans unfamiliar with Lääz Rockit should start off with their earlier
releases, but "Nothing$ $acred" shouldn't be neglected, because it does contain
some deadly thrash assaults.