Review: “Revelations” by Doubting Thompson

It’s been a whirlwind five years for multi instrumentalist Jeff Thompson (vocals, bass, guitars, drums) as he has brought to the King’s table a trio of EPs under the moniker Doubting Thompson that have culminated in the career milestone of joining the Sliptrick Records roster alongside the likes of Bury The Kingdom and Bleed Again. Influenced by the classic Old School Thrash acts of the late 80’s and early 90’s like Testament, Exodus and Slayer, he’s made his name with incendiary lyrical dissections coupled with brutal riffs executed with the technical precision of a laser guided missile strike with both this 2017 self titled affair and 2021 “Chaos Theory” being very well received.

While Thompson’s work has it’s roots in the classics it is far from rose tinted spectacle wearing a nostalgia trip down the yellow brick road of memory lane. Instead “Revelations” brings some crossover elements to blend Old School Thrash riffs and shredding guitar solos with aggressive tendencies. If Thompson was a comedian, he’d be smoking on stage as a kind of Bill Hicks or Denis Leary type of character, swearing and shouting about anything and everything with the audience in fits of hysterics. But his weapon of choice is the axe and here his audience snaps their necks to the riff attack as he brings while thinking about the state of life in America which is the subject of four of these five incendiary cuts. “Class Warfare” is loaded with gang chant able lyrics and while the drum machine works overtime the attack begins classic driving riffs and a rhythmic pounding, the solo work being absolute class. Your classic tongue in cheek humour laced ragefest of pummelling rhythms and neck snapping riffs, “Wisconsin” then tears Thompson’s home town a new a** hole over fretboard smoking riffs as everything in his line of sight gets a verbal s*** kicking. Some might say he’s a grumpy old man, who got out of bed on the wrong side while others might simply say he’s not sugar coating anything which is refreshingly honest. “Revelations” continues the lyrical venom, this time offering up a scathing commentary on the internet age, pointing the finger at corporations and fictional news with the injection of a little melody for the chorus but the real surprise comes with instrumental “Sludge“. Without the scathing lyrical commentary Thompson showcases his abilities with leads and we end up with something of a classic, straight out of the Megadeth playbook and proves that he has the ability to dispense with speaking his mind to deliver something razor sharp. Thompson needs to get out of Illinois [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Class Warfare
2.Wisconsin
3.Revelations
4.Sludge (Instrumental)
5.Dumbf**ked

“Revelations” by Doubting Thompson is out 31st May 2022 via Sliptrick Records with more available over at bandcamp