Paradox: Tales Of The Weird

German thrash metallers Paradox return for a sixth album filled with aggressive speed metal. There are five songs here over five minutes, and the first, “Tales Of The Weird,” is over nine. A lot of the extended instrumental sections throughout add a mystical touch to an outing that has thrash, power and speed as important elements of its sound.

“SlashDead” has some amazing riffs and solos, performed in an epic style. While listening to it, you feel like you are going further and further into the darkness as the word “slash” keeps being repeated. “Zeitgeist” is by far the shortest inclusion, running under two minutes, and it puts a reprieve into the extremity of Tales Of The Weird, getting the audience ready for the grand conclusion. “The Downward Spiral” works a lot like “Zeitgeist,” but is more intense, laying the groundwork for closer “A Light In The Dark,” which shuts the book on this power, thrashy album that’s sure to appeal to thrash as well as doom metal fans.

In A Word: Trippy