Sceptre
Now Or Never

THE REVIEW

India is not exactly the homeland of thrash-metal, yet these Sceptre have nothing to envy from many American or German bands.

"Now Or Never" was released in 2008, ten years after the formation of the group, and offers a technically advanced and well-recorded old-school thrash. It is worth noting that this is the band's debut album, which faced considerable difficulties in recording, partly because the genre does not enjoy much popularity in their homeland.

The instrumental intro "Ocean Of Dreams" leads us to "...Incomplete" where the band's sound is immediately apparent, heavy yet never raw; the only thing that isn't quite successful is the vocals, which in my opinion add nothing new and tend to flatten the song in some moments, for example in the eighth track "Quicksand".

The arrangements are very well curated, and the drum changes by Aniket Waghmode are particularly impressive, especially in the title track and in "Twilight's End", also Janus Sanyal's bass stands out, not being drowned by the guitars as often happens in many albums even by seminal bands of the genre (some Slayer records come to mind).   

For genre enthusiasts, this is surely an album that won't disappoint, just listen to "The Enemy", the most violent track of the record and my favorite, or "Charred"; there are no moments of respite in these songs, and the duo Gilroy Fernandes - Teemeer Chimulkar (the latter also the vocalist) knows how to deliver heavy guitar sounds that are never flat or trivial.

"Search" deserves a special mention, the slowest track on the album, with its arpeggios and more rhythmic final part that somewhat reminds us of Defiance or Testament's "The Legacy"; one of the definite highlights of "Now Or Never". The following track "Circles Of Silence" is instead an oasis of tranquility, where a keyboard makes its appearance and accompanies a guitar solo that, for the first time, leaves a hint of oriental musicality: stunning.

It concludes with the very fast "Revolution", rhythmically exceptional.

Not very innovative, but certainly a great thrash album, complete and compelling. A must-listen!