Review by Greg on June 23, 2025.

For a band that celebrated its 40th birthday this year, I'd say you don't get out alive if you don't try something different once in a while. And so, amidst the numerous full-lengths ever put out by cult Virginian thrashers Deceased, cover albums appear here and there – and if their Rotten to the Core mini-series, focusing on punk, was sure to find some mixed reception, this Thrash Times at Ridgemont High, released in 2021, sees King Fowley and friends pay homage to fellow legends from their scene.

The most striking aspect of the whole matter is the tracklist. Damn, son. This is what the youngsters would call a based collection of songs, I think. Abstaining from any obvious, overplayed choice by the usual giants, the list of bands featured brings to mind the excitement every one of us felt after delving deeper into the goldmine of the 80s: Whiplash, Blessed Death, Sacrifice, Stone, Artillery, Razor, Voivod, Darkness, Cyclone, Rigor Mortis, Deathwish, Bulldozer... hell, they hacked my laptop or what?! Kudos for such a choice, hoping it will help to shine even more light on these historic bands (I read at least 2-3 names deserving of way more recognition than they actually had). The amazing thing about it all is that, despite the release year, this is no modern neutering of classics, not least since Deceased are, like, synonymous with being truly 100% old-school. As such, Thrash Times at Ridgemont High plays almost as smoothly and organically as the OG records, despite the absence of long-lasting members Les Snyder and Mike Smith, who did not participate in it.

For all this, choosing a highlight was almost impossible. 'Get Stoned' is an easy pick, upping the ante of the already sky-high insanity level of the original, and the same can be said about 'Death Squad'. 'Demons' and 'Demon Preacher' are likely among my favourite thrash songs ever, and they get a great treatment as well – although I'm so goddamn happy to see covers of Rigor Mortis and Deathwish shoulder to shoulder that I would have settled for a lesser performance anyways. Would you blame me? Not to mention the reawakening of my national pride after hearing Bulldozer's 'Ilona the Very Best' wrapping up the whole thing. On the other hand, the songs where Fowley had to take his chance at a falsetto-like high register, like 'Pray for Death' or 'Take This Torch', weren't the most pleasant, although the latter is well worth it to hear for the millionth time what is, in my opinion, one of the most legendary riffs ever penned by Dave Carlo in the bridge.

Honestly speaking, Thrash Times at Ridgemont High is a fantastic release for what it aims to be. A nice and humble gesture from a huge band, as well as a truly respectful tribute. Recommended, and if there's a name you've never heard of among the 12 tracks, go track down the originals too. It's worth it.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10