Onslaught Celebrate 40 Years with 'Origins of Aggression'
- jaybroderick
- May 12
- 3 min read
By: Jay Broderick - When you speak of thrash metal, it's tough to pick a number one band from the US. Metallica? Megadeth? Slayer? Hmmmm... How about Canada? Sacrifice? Razor? Annihilator? Perhaps just as tough. Let's move across the Atlantic to Germany. They've got Destruction, Kreator and Running Wild. Who do you place on top? For sure it won't be an easy selection. But how about the UK? Now, of course there are NWOBHM giants Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and under the Black Metal moniker, there's Venom, but for straight up thrash metal? To me, there's only one... and that's Onslaught!
Originally formed in 1982 by Nige Rockett and Paul Hill, Onslaught are the Warlords of the United Kingdom thrash metal scene. And just like that, 40 years have passed us by since the band's debut album Power From Hell was released in 1985. But my heavy metal brethren, don't fret at lost time, for there is always reason to celebrate. Especially when it's a 40th Birthday!
With 7 studio albums, 2 live albums, and an induction into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in 2022, Onslaught is set to release Origins of Aggression, a venerable "greatest hits" album. But this isn't just a list of previously recorded music being arranged on a new vinyl pressing. The band actually did some work here, and re-recorded 10 of their best with newest vocalist Dave Garnett who joined the band in 2020. The new recording contains select tracks from the band's 1980s albums Power From Hell, The Force, and In Search of Sanity. The 2-disc release will also include 12 cover tracks, from some of the best hard music our ears have ever feasted on.
Shall we???
Origins of Aggression starts off with the band's 1983 What Lies Ahead demo track "Thermonuclear Devastation of the Planet Earth", which was later recorded on their debut album Power From Hell. The track has a hardcore punk vibe that immediately kicks this celebratory recording into high gear, and frankly, it never looks back.
The first disc of this album is arranged chronologically, with the first few tracks from their debut album, then a few from their 1986 release The Force, and closes out with 2 tracks from In Search of Sanity, released in 1989 (this was my introduction to the band). With my first listen through happening as I was driving, I quickly realized that I had arrived at my destination. As the recording transitioned through tracks like "Angels of Death", "Metal Forces", and "Shellshock", I was completely engrossed. I literally had no recollection of how I got to where I was going. Probably not a great thing while driving, but damn, the thrashy guitar licks, and pounding bass transported me back to the glory days of thrash metal and hardcore punk. And make no mistake, this was a straight up ONSLAUGHT! No sappy ballads here (sorry Testament... I still love you)! Just pure aggression. And while the first few songs are on the shorter side, Onslaught put together a mix of tracks clocking well into the 5 minute pace.
The second disc of Origins of Aggression contains 12 cover tracks from some of the biggest bands in punk and metal history. Onslaught cover 3 Discharge tracks "A Look At Tomorrow", "State Violence State Control", and "Drunk With Power". The band maintains (of course) the hard edged, hardcore sounds of the early 1980s punk movement in these songs, as well as others from The Expoited, Killing Joke, and U.K. Subs. But of course Onslaught is a metal band, so it wouldn't be appropriate to not include their versions of Motorhead's "Iron Fist", Black Sabbath's "Warpigs", and Judas Priest's "Freewheel Burning". While it's near impossible to match the wails of Rob Halford, vocalist Dave Garnett slays the vocals here. Very cool to listen to.
Track Listing
Disc 1
Thermonuclear Devastation of the Planet Earth
Black Horse of Famine
Angels of Death
Power from Hell
Metal Forces
Let There Be Death
Fight with the Beast
Thrash Till the Death
In Search of Sanity
Shellshock
Disc 2
Iron Fist (Motorhead Cover)
Holiday in Cambodia (Dead Kennedys Cover)
A Look at Tomorrow (Discharge Cover)
U.K.82 (The Expoited Cover)
Freewheel Burning (Judas Priest Cover)
Wardance (Killing Joke Cover)
Give Me Fire (GBH Cover)
State Violence State Control (Discharge Cover)
Holidays in the Sun (Sex Pistols Cover)
Emotional Blackmail (U.K. Subs Cover)
War Pigs (Black Sabbath Cover)
Drunk with Power (Discharge Cover)
Onslaught has been a powerhouse in heavy music for 40 years, yet Nige Rockett and company have somehow amped up the ferocity to 11, with their 40 Year Anniversary recording, Origins of Aggression.
Onslaught Online
Album Release Date: May 23, 2025
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