Whiplash
Power and Pain

Before debuting with "Power And Pain," Whiplash had all the prerequisites to embark on the metal ark of time: a solid background of 3 demo tapes, an anthem piece like "Thrash Till Death", just like the Onslaught and Tankard, and a moniker that pays homage to their guardians, the "old" Metallica. The "lash" is precisely Whiplash's music: raw and fierce thrash, suitable to regenerate in your ears like the morning work siren.

The band of the Tonys (Portaro, Scaglione, and Bono) hails from New Jersey, just like Jon Bon Jovi, with Portaro as the strategist, the group's Talleyrand of speed maneuvers. The group exists today, albeit without Tony Scaglione and Tony Bono (R.I.P), thanks to the singer-guitarist, who delighted when people commented that "Thrashback" from 1998 resembled Hetfield & Co.'s "Kill'Em All". "Power And Pain," released by Combat in 1985, a year rich in thrash releases, sees Tony Portaro handling all the rhapsodies, fitting to depict the effects of the juvenile cover art: Titan's hand, the rusty monster created by Hellingen, the archenemy of the comic book hero Zagor, seems to pulverize the head of the dislikeable Mr. Clean, a cover that will eventually inspire Vio-Lence of "Oppressing The Masses".

"Stage Dive" is the evergreen opener where the sound of "Kill'Em All" marries with a Slayer-like flavor and echoes of Exodus's "Bonded By Blood", all topped by raw yet energetic production, a bit of a predecessor to certain Floridian death metal; a track that encapsulates the platter's allure, dominated by Tony Scaglione's rapid drumming, filled with eternal drum rolls (à la Dave Lombardo), with Tony Bono's freelance bass (it can be heard, it can be heard) that continuously elbows its way in. Tony Portaro unleashes the violent riff: you can hear it by placing yourself inside some highway tunnel, just roll down the window and lend a fervent ear to the persistent "rooooaaaarrrr" and you're set. The refrain recalls Slayer's "Hardening Of The Arteries", but no surprises: the four Californians were a compass for many bands worldwide (Kreator in Germany or Sacrifice in Canada, to name a few).

The other diligent tracks don't stray from this recipe, which consists of rhythmic gusts mixed with straightforward chords, fortified by well-constructed solos from Portaro and his shrill, technique-free voice: a recipe that satisfies the most demanding palates who live off punk-metal escapades. The tracks resemble each other in structure, but they also have personality, drive, and their own appeal likely due to the title imprinting on the mind, or they are self-referential like the placid grenade "Nailed To Cross", with a vaguely "Heartbreaker" intro, or return (almost) as the title of the future relic compilation "Messages In Blood", facing off with the Teutonic Destruction in the guise of "United by Hatred". What remains constant is the cleverness of the swift refrain and a secondary guitar hiccup in the background, which bursts from the sound wall like the good old Alien. Enter the speed pearl "War Monger" refreshing the tale, with Portaro as a fierce singer of star wars who bellows like a hungry wolf, where the riff forge with liberating solo continues to earn praise listen after listen. But Scaglione also deserves recognition for continuing, with his pounding rhythm, to add flavors to tracks like "Red Bomb", or "Last Man Alive" (very Venom style), culminating in anticipating "Ticket To Mayhem" with the edgy "Power Thrashing Death".

This album, however, due to being released amidst thrash giants, is somewhat unjustly overlooked, and Whiplash's sound is celebrated as raw and uncompromising. Scaglione, despite his brief stint with Slayer, with associated complaints from King after leaving the band, exits the group facilitating Joe Cangelosi's entry, technically superior and further appreciated by Mille Petrozza, who would later want him in the Kreator of "Cause For Conflict". "Power And Pain" remains an effective album, well-aged, not innovative but certainly fascinating as it is played without embellishments, aligning with the thrash of the time which didn't see production and mixing, overseen by a certain Norman Dunn, as fundamental elements for a platter's success: genuineness, spontaneity, and the speed energy of the tracks were the best seasoning for the thrash feast, without paying too much attention to the cookware's quality.

With the follow-up "Ticket To Mayhem", Whiplash will reorganize their ideas and focus their musical direction, thanks to more refined production (but not sophisticated), with Cangelosi on drums and more accessible (and better structured) compositions, yet they lack the raw genuineness of their debut.