ONSLAUGHT

ORIGINS OF AGGRESSION

The aptly titled Origins of Aggression is the latest release from UK thrash legends Onslaught, arriving May 23, 2025, via Reigning Phoenix Music. The name says it all: this double album celebrates the band’s roots, featuring re-recordings of standout tracks from their first three albums and some carefully chosen covers. In my opinion, Power From Hell (1985), The Force (1986), and In Search Of Sanity (1989) remain some of the finest thrash records ever made.

Usually, I’m wary when a band decides to re-record a classic material, but this one hits like a well-placed boot to the chest. From the razor-sharp production to the locked-in performances, everything clicks in just the right way. Hearing these anthems reimagined by the current lineup is a blast, bringing fresh fire without losing the grit. And the covers? They rip. These punk and metal staples helped forge the band’s early sound, fusing raw aggression with streetwise swagger. Rather than simply re-recording the first three albums in full, this release offers a meaningful history lesson for new fans while providing a fresh listening experience for longtime classic fans like myself. I appreciate the double album format.

Disc 1 rips open with a barrage of classics: ‘Angels Of Death’ and ‘Metal Forces’ hit hard right out of the gate, locking you in with precision-sharp riffing and pounding momentum. The sinister ‘Power From Hell’ still gives me chills; I remember being fourteen, hearing that eerie intro explode into a relentless thrash assault—that was the moment I became hooked. And then there’s ‘Thrash Til The Death’, a pure fists-in-the-air anthem that’s been a permanent fixture on my ultimate thrash playlist ever since.

Disc 2 rips through a set of covers that hit close to home for the band, kicking off with a mean take on Motörhead’s ‘Iron Fist’. From there, it barrels into punk territory with hard-charging renditions of GBH, Sex Pistols, Discharge, and Dead Kennedys, fully leaning into their crossover thrash roots. They even tear through a fiery version of Judas Priest’s ‘Freewheel Burning’ that does the original justice. Founding axeman Nige Rockett, low-end bruiser Jeff Williams, snarling frontman Dave Garnett, skin-smasher James Perry, and six-string shredder Wayne Dorman inject each track with fresh venom, revving these classics up for a new generation without losing an ounce of their raw power.

As Onslaught prepares to tear across the globe on their 2025 world tour, fans can crank this beast up and revel in a new chapter of sonic destruction. Snag a copy and play it loud!