Do you know: Reprisal Posted: 15/06/2019 by Philip Morrissey

For those of you who know, Saturday marks the debut of Metal United Worldwide in Cork. For anyone unaware, this is an event which takes place around the globe on the very same day. Gigs are being hosted in various countries including Australia, Thailand, Brazil, USA, Indonesia, Poland, Albania, Mexico, China, Germany and many more.

The Irish of this event is due to take place in Cyprus Avenue on Saturday 15th from 1.PM on-wards. It is scheduled to be a huge show with many different bands performing at it. Some may be familiar to you. Some may not. Here is an introduction to the many bands due to lineup.

Reprisal are yet another band foreign to our shores. That’s not to say they are entirely unfamiliar to us over here. Many might recall them playing with Bloodshot Dawn last year in Cork. A sharp and focused thrash attack, piercing riffs and an energetic style helped them to create a huge impression. They have managed to combine some of the key points of the old-school approach with the styles of the modern era. It has managed to receive high praise from the likes of Metal Hammer and Terrorizer.

According to guitarist, Ollie, it took a change of focus to get the band off the ground properly. “Theo, Sion and I had been jamming together for around 18 months (lots of riffs, not many songs), before deciding it’d be a good idea to get a frontman. Tom joined as lead vocalist just as we begun writing our ‘Ichneumanity’ EP.”

When it came to naming the band, they were careful to strike a balance. “The band name was chosen because it conveys a sense of intent and a degree of menace, but without being tiresomely METAL or overly indicative of a specific sub-genre.”

Each of the members decided to put forward their biggest inspirations. “Lets go with three each…

Ollie-Revocation, Testament, Sepultura
Theo-Napalm Death, Carcass, Motorhead
Sion-Emperor, Behemoth, Slipknot
Tom-Metallica, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Acacia Strain
Biggest shows so far?

They were straight up with their favourite live experiences so far. “Headlining The Dev in London during our show with Infected Dead this April was certainly right up there. Amazing crowd, amazing energy. Both appearances at Bloodstock Open Air in 2014 and 2018 have also been huge achievements for us.

When it came down to dream support, they decided to mention their influences, along with a few others.
“Add Exodus, Demolition Hammer, Coroner, Obituary, Psycroptic, Power Trip and Havok”

They are on the point regarding the state of thrash and metal in general. “We’re definitely in the valley, following the peak that was the ‘re-thrash’ era, and that surge in interest resulted in there now being more first-wave thrash legends actively touring than there has been at any point since the 80’s heyday. With other forms of extreme metal currently having their own renaissance (HM-2, OSDM, black metal), the best of the newer wave either push thrash to its musical limits (Vektor, Revocation0, or powerfully reinforce the elements that made it so great to start off with (Power Trip, Havok). I’d say its pretty healthy if you know where to find the good stuff!

They are equally as keen on the thought of Metal United. “It’s a great idea; the global appeal of heavy metal is something that should absolutely be celebrated and we are very proud to be a part of it.”

On the aspect of who they are looking forward to seeing, three bands are mentioned. “Kill All The Gentlemen, ZhOra and Cruachan!

This might be their last live performance for a while as other matters raise their heads. Important to see them when we can therefore. “We’ll actually be taking a short break from the stage in order to get properly immersed in writing the follow-up to our debut full length ‘No-one Survive The Sun’, that came out in 2018”

Reprisal are due to slay us all in the second part of the show. They are due on stage at about 17:35. Don’t miss them