We Brits invented heavy metal in 1970 and then reinvented it in 1979, for which we should be proud. However, when thrash metal evolved in the 80s, for some reason we didn’t do it well: perhaps we were too busy preening in the mirror being New Romantics instead. With the honourable exceptions of Venom, Sabbat and Onslaught, all British thrash was too derivative of the American school to take seriously, and Xentrix were our worst offenders.
Although these reissues of Xentrix’s three pre-split LPs provide some nostalgia value for the thrash-head (with bonus tracks and new sleevenotes), the content will put most listeners’ teeth on edge. The trebly, reverb-heavy Bay Area sound that instantly identified albums by Testament, Forbidden and Death Angel sounded weird on a British album back in 1988, and it sounds criminal now. The Preston quartet added to the sacrilege, first by getting all their riff ideas from Metallica’s first four albums and, second, for a novelty version of Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters theme (here in live form). Comedy plus creative sterility led to oblivion for Xentrix, and 20 years isn’t long enough for rehabilitation. Come back in 2020 and we’ll see if they sound cool then.
