Vs. Tuesday: One Song! Two Bands! Who Wins?! FIGHT! Nuclear Assault!

Last Friday saw the arrival of “Of Truth & Sacrifice” by Heaven Shall Burn via Century Media, a double album with a run time of 97 minutes, the creation of which has meant that the Germans haven’t taken to the stage in over two years. Upon that record sits a cover of “Critical Mass” by New York Thrash act Nuclear Assault, which appeared in it’s original form on the bands third studio record “Handle with Care” back in 1989. Their biggest commercial success, it saw them head over to Japan with Testament while the album later appeared on Loudwire’s “Thrash Albums NOT Released by the Big 4” list ranked at number #4.

So in the Red corner we have Springfield, Massachusetts Metallers Shadows Fall. Blending Metalcore and Thrash they had a big reputation for 20 years between 1995–2015 before going on hiatus as their members scattered to the four winds. By that we mean guitarist Jon Donais joining Anthrax full time, drummer Jason Bittner joining Arizona Thrashers Flotsam and Jetsam and guitarist Matt Banchard joining supergroup Act of Defiance with former members of Scar The Martyr and Megadeth. In the Blue corner we have Igualada, Catalonia Spanish Thrash act Crisix who record their version of the classic on November 2019’s “Crisix Sessions: American Thrash” alongside 7 other genre staples. Who wins? You decide!