Crionic - Different (1993)

This is some really good melodic/progressive thrash from the Czech Republic. At times they're pretty straightforward thrash/speed metal but they throw in a lot of melodic and progressive sections to keep it interesting. The production is excellent, with even the bass having a prominent part. The singing is of the atonal shouting style that was in vogue at the time. It's not great, but it doesn't detract that much from the music either. On the other hand, the guitar solos are a weak point -- they're not very well thought-out and are mostly blues-lick based and therefore not very appropriate for the music.

The best song is the instrumental "Irritating Inertia", but the whole thing is good. Why they heck didn't these get signed? For 1993, this would've been awesome. Heck, even now it's pretty cool. With some better guitar solos this could'a been a contender.

It's available as a free download from the band's website, along with most of the rest of their discography, which I will undoubtedly be reviewing in the future.