It seems somewhat of a rarity these days to find those new breed of bands actually keeping the old school thrash sound alive, rather than just maintaining the Big 4 as an influence as opposed to taking their sound and making it their own. With a name I hope inspired by the cult first-person shooter, California’s HeXen embody the spirits of the greatest names ever to spearhead the genre and put on an absolute tour de force: incredibly infectious riffs, fast-as-light playing, a rumbling bass foundation and a drum display that truly encapsulates what made thrash metal great. Knee Deep In The Dead is a textbook definition of how to make something old new again and make it sound as relevant and god damn impressive as it was and always will be. Long live thrash metal.