Review: Ursawrath – Emergence

Style: Thrash metal (mixed vocals, mostly harsh)
Recommended for fans of: Early Megadeth, Enforced, Warbringer
Country: United States
Release date: 29 August 2025

Ah, thrash—the genre of youth. Never mind the number of prominent geezers still in the game, hair greying and receding in the decades since their debut albums (hey, I love those guys): the genre’s ethos caters to the young and impetuous. During my high school years in the mid-to-late 2000s, my local Los Angeles scene experienced a major thrash revival. Acts like Warbringer and Bonded By Blood led the charge, and I was all for it. The rebellious attitude, gritty aesthetic, and raw energy appealed to all of us teenagers; sonic catharsis as we navigated the restlessness of adolescence. 

Pulling me back to that youthful exuberance toward chaos are Ursawrath, a young, Seattle-based progressive thrash band who just released their debut, Emergence. Well, they add the progressive moniker, but outside of a few proggier moments, this is a thrash record through and through. Seeing the tracklist alone—ten bluntly titled tracks covering a mere thirty-five-minute runtime—is almost enough to make me buy a flip-up Suicidal hat and a case of PBR. Does Emergence justify the purchase, or should I sit here hatless, sipping a boring seltzer like an adult?

Ursawrath play a modern take on old-school thrash, offering grit and simplicity while mixing in some complex, winding riffs and a contemporary edge to their production. “Glass Tower” showcases these elements melded together perfectly: the frenetic riffage retains a thrashy swagger throughout, and a big, shoutable chorus barrels in to smash the listener in the face. Meanwhile, “Echo Chamber” features a blackened touch, along with a chorus of grooving drums and clean vocals—a welcome complement to the album’s primarily harsh vocals. Both of these songs have more compositional heft than the others and stand out as a result.  

The rest of Emergence provides relatively standard thrash fodder. There’s nothing wrong with that, and the band clearly can deliver a proficient thrash track. “Rot,” in particular, propels through a series of catchy, rage-fueled passages with an energy reminiscent of early Metallica or Megadeth—and with a riff calling back to “The Four Horsemen” or “Mechanix,” you choose. The playing is tight, and the vocals are effective. The issue is, in a genre saturated so heavily across the years, it’s not easy to add something fresh. Many of Ursawrath’s straightforward songs are quick, lukewarm cuts that expectably sound like a young band playing strictly within a genre rather than contributing to it. This, of course, doesn’t stop the album from being a competent one, but I’d expect a bit more, especially from a group aiming for a progressive bend to their style. 

To Ursawrath’s credit, they pepper in a few songs that give a slight change of feel. The sludgy, groove-laden “In the Abyss” slows things down after three high-octane openers, while the swingin’ “Sentenced to Life” plays a similar role later in the album. Although appreciated, neither is particularly memorable, and the latter suffers from a few awkward transitions among its parts. A little atmospheric interlude also sits at the album’s center, carried by synth and clean guitars, though it’s not totally necessary given the record’s short runtime—a stronger focus on dynamic, engaging songwriting would rid any desire for a mid-album break. And that’s really the crux here: Ursawrath’s compositions don’t quite have that special sauce to separate them from the genre’s crowded ranks.

In the end, Emergence is a perfectly fine album for those looking for typical thrash fare. It’s full of energy and backed by solid performances from each band member. Beyond that, I wouldn’t expect to take much away from the record. Ursawrath haven’t gotten me excited enough to trade my seltzer for a tepid can of PBR, but maybe I’ll at least order that flip-up hat. I can’t settle too meekly into a conformist adulthood.

Recommended tracks: Rot, Echo Chamber, Glass Tower
You may also like: Xoth, Cryptosis, Sijjin
Final verdict: 5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives

Label: Independent

Ursawrath is:
– Adam Schaefer (bass, vocals)
– DJ Neelakantan (guitars)
– Lucas Robertson (guitars)
– Max Onsager (drums)