Richard HolmesSong
Thermonuclear Devastation of the Planet Earth
Artist
Onslaught
Onslaught backstory
If you’re au fait with UK thrash, Onslaught need no introduction. Unfamiliar? Well it’s fair to say they were absolutely integral to the 80s British scene – and one of the few UK acts to flourish in a landscape dominated by California, New York and the Rhine.
1985’s Power From Hell and its follow-up, The Force, showed Bristol could go toe to toe with the Bay Area when it came to thrillride thrash. And while, like many of their contemporaries, Onslaught faded out in the 90s, they blasted back with the sensational Killing Peace in 2007 – good timing, given that thrash was being revitalised by young upstarts like Evile and Municipal Waste.
They’ve been active ever since, firing up fests (check out the Live Damnation record from ’09) and conjuring up ferocious albums like Sounds of Violence, VI and Generation Antichrist, with founding guitarist Nige Rockett keeping the ship on course.
And last week, the band revisited their past with the release of Origins Of Aggression, a double album of re-recorded early classics and covers, including versions of The Exploited’s UK 82, GBH’s Give Me Fire, Motörhead’s Iron Fist and Priest’s Freewheel Burning.
Thermonuclear Devastation of the Planet Earth – originally found on Power From Hell – is one of the tunes that made the cut. Let There Be Death, Fight With The Beast and In Search Of Sanity are some of the other highlights…
In Nige Rockett’s own words
“Thermo… is the very first song myself and (original bassist) Paul Hill ever wrote for Onslaught when we formed the band in 1982 and it’s still a very important/integral part of the live show right up to this day, as it never fails to induce complete chaos within the crowds.
“One real highlight I remember was performing it at the Katacombes (RIP) venue in Montreal, Canada. I kid you not, every single person in the venue turned the place into one awesome/brutal circle pit, it was absolutely insane.
“We still get one massive buzz playing this song live, it has such an incredible energy and a very cool back story to go with it!”
The verdict on Thermonuclear Devastation of the Planet Earth
Discharge bangers State Violence/State Control, A Look At Tomorrow and Drunk With Power all feature on Origins… and when you consider the influence of the Stoke punks on a nascent Onslaught, it’s no surprise that Thermonuclear Devastation… was a crusty, d-beat driven rager. Indeed, on Power From Hell, the band blended punk and metal with youthful exuberance, and it was all the better for it.
Sure, there was no real need to re-record this track, but this version benefits from some added muscle while still retaining a raw edge.
And David Garnett – who joined Onslaught in 2020 and replaced long-time singer Sy Keeler – makes the track his own, thanks to a gutsy performance.
What’s next for Onslaught?
The band embark on a European tour with Cryptosis this month, starting at MTS Records in Oldenburg, Germany on May 29 and taking in Belgium, Austria, France, Italy and Poland.
Onslaught will also be appearing at festivals including Rock and Bol Metal Fest in Bologna on July 26 and Barbeuk Metal Fest in Champtoceaux, France on August 23 – and will be making a welcome return to Manchester’s Damnation Festival on November 8-9.
The boys will even be heading down under in November, for a full Australian tour.
Origins Of Aggression is out now on Reigning Phoenix Music.