JURASSIC JADE — War by Proxy (review)

JURASSIC JADE — War by Proxy album cover EP · 1987 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Unitron
As far as music goes, most people think of J-pop stars when they think of Japan. When it comes to metal, most people think of Babymetal, which is basically the same thing with metal instruments. However, Japan was once home to some of the greatest underground thrash acts to have ever graced the 80's metal scene. One of the greatest of those acts are Jurassic Jade, who released their War By Proxy EP in 1987, one of thrash's best hidden gems.

Right from the start with "Who Saw Him Die?", Jurassic Jade is out for blood. The riffs rip and tear, and Hizumi's vocals are among the most raw and commanding in thrash. She can go from vicious barks to banshee shrieks that rival Tom Araya on the classic Slayer albums. "Call Down Curse", while only being two and a half minutes long, is perhaps the best with some excellent crash cymbal that really stands out during the chorus. The only time this EP ever lets up is with a short but sweet classical guitar outro that closes it out. Usually thrash bands start out with a classical intro, but I guess Jurassic Jade wanted to let the listener have a little relaxing time after the punishing thrashing.

The production is raw, sharp, and to the point. It makes the riffing that much more piercing, although it makes the album punchy and crushing in the right places as well. An example of that is with "Ao Shoku Haijin", which has such a deep low crunch for the drums. This song also is more of a mid-paced thrash track, being a bit of a break from the speed from most of the EP, which needs that punchy production to make it more effective. "Dead Men Tell No Tales" balances out the crunch and gritty speed, and has both a forceful and piercing sound.

Not only is War by Proxy one of the greatest Japanese thrash releases, but it is up there with the greatest thrash releases in general. Just like the US and German thrash scenes were quite different, so was the Japanese thrash scene. If you like your metal to shred your skin and punch you in the gut, check out this underrated masterpiece. Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to commment!
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Goblin Sessions Heavy Metal
THEM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tormenta De Arena Metalcore
VORAGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Infinite Metalcore
FUTURE GHOST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Heretic Melodic Death Metal
SUNCINDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Skull Burned Wearing Hell Like A Life Vest As The Night Wept Mathcore
FRONTIERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Future Ghost - Wolves (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Future Ghost - Nemesis Game (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Harrowed TwentyTenVideo
HARROWED
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Sunmancer - Realms of Dilemma (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 7 days ago
Sunmancer - Lower Cavalier (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 7 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed