Album review: Jasta – And Jasta for All

By DAN SOUTHALL

STARTING as an in joke on his podcast amongst some of his friends and guests during the COVID era lockdowns, the hardest working man in hardcore has finally managed to get his love letter to eighties thrash released. Everything from the album cover to the guests has constructed a great slice of crossover hardcore thrash with the help of his recording backing band, the Bellmore brothers Nick and Charlie, who have appeared on most of his solo albums now.

Opening with a riff that gives homage to the same album the cover is inspired by, “They See Us As Prey” builds up before exploding into the speakers. While Jamey Jasta is typically known for his commanding hardcore bellow, this project has him change it up for a gravely grizzled tone that suits the source material perfectly.

The next couple of tracks see Jasta jump into his familiar inspirational positive lyrical content, albeit to a thrash-as-can-be background, with vocal assistance from Testament’s own Chuck Billy on “Create The Now” adding extra weight to the message of positivity, and the power of getting through tough times. If there was breakdowns and played a touch slower this track could just as easily have ended up on a Hatebreed album.

The thrash royalty keeps coming as Scott Ian lends his tight right hand to “R.M.P.C”, a track that rests on the pace just enough after the explosive start to the album before it ramps up again in the Suicidal Tendencies-inspired “Suicidality” with Phil Demmel adding his deft touch.

The final guest on the album is Zetro from Exodus, bringing his uncanny vocal power and knack for a hook to “Assimilation Agenda”, a track ripped straight from the Exodus playbook. And why not? After all that is what this album is all about.

From here, Jasta and the Bellmore brothers show just why they have made a great writing team, having worked together on Dee Snider and Cannibal Corpse front man George ‘Corpesgrinder’ Fischer’s solo albums in the last few years. It all just comes together and works so well.

And Jasta for All has been advertised as ‘All rippers, no skippers’. All I can do is agree. There isn’t a dud track here and the album flies past in a little over half an hour, the perfect length for music like this.  All Rippers, no skippers indeed.

Hear …And Jasta For All on Amazon Music