Dublin Death Patrol
DDP For Life Independent

by Matthew Hoffman
Staff Writer

Comments: Many fans of the Thrash Metal titans Testament have been licking their chops for the past two-plus years when the original band members came together for a brief reunion tour. News that they were writing a new record got those crazy followers even more excited. That specific record has yet to see the light of day and just when their loyal fans couldn't take it any longer Chuck Billy has created and released something to tide these sick bastards over. Man has he ever.

Billy, along with a dozen or so of his closest friends, including Steve "Zet" Souza (Exodus, Legacy) have went back to their roots and created DDP. Dublin Death Patrol is a group of friends that originated in the Bay Area's Dublin High School and have stayed "blood" tight ever since. The stories told about the old days explain the power these guys carried in the Bay Area. One of the best ones includes one where Lars Ulrich called up the crew and begged them not to kick Metallica's asses for making fun of a DDP member's name in an on air interview (see the DDP site for details).

Besides the awesome stories and the attractive bonds of friendship, who in the world could imagine tracks that feature the musical talents of some of the best musicians the area has even produced? Hell, bands like Tesla, Testament, Exodus, Laaz Rockit, Violence, Legacy and Machine Head are represented in this project. Just trying to picture the shrill, evil Souza vocals on the same track as the most imposing Thrash Metal vocalist ever (Chuck Billy) drew goose bumps.

Well folks, the CD is, if you can believe it, much better than expected. The quality of the tracks is exceptional, incorporating the high charging guitars of Exodus, the killer melodies of Testament and the overall chaos of Anthrax. And don't forget the spectacular combo vocals.

The first thing to discuss is the killer cover versions of three of the band member's biggest influences, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead and UFO.
The cover of Motorhead's "Iron Fist" is straight forward and true but with the Souza sickness contrasting the Billy depth to the vocals, man does it succeed.

Thin Lizzy's "Cold Sweat" sees more of the same amazing combo vocals from Chuck and Zet. Here Chuck sings near biker metal vocals while Souza layers shrill nastiness, all the while the guitars lace the fuck out of the song. Here killer solos, leads and lots and lots of talent are shown by the guitar section.

UFO's "Lights Out" is modernized and "thrash-tasized" into one hell of a killer remake. It is sped up and kicked in the balls until it fits the Bay Area formula. The killer guitar work is the most surprising from a group of lesser known musicians, but damn is it thorough and tight.

As far as the original material, the album starts with "R.I.P" and this is a wild old school thrash offering that favors the Anthrax, early Testament formula. Late in the song the music stops and when it starts again the last few minutes are Suicidal Tendencies style thrash. Damn is this a solid effort.

Up next Souza soars with his evil shrill delivery of the vocals on "Unnatural Causes." Those vocals contrast well with Billy's and the guitars soar on a tight, well-crafted deep-toned solo. The drums of Troy Luccketta (Tesla) also help this track blast forward towards success.

"Mentally Unstable" is probably the best orginal song on the record. The contrast between the stable Billy and the unstable Souza sees a spectacular duel vocal and both are top shelf. Billy's vocals are the harshest and deepest of his career, and Zet' rings out a shrill unstable tone that really kicks ass. The guitars here are also the best of the entire album and actually go a long way towards Petersen/Skolnick era Testament or Hunolt and Holt's Exodus stylings. Those are heady words but as amazing as it seems, they're certainly true.

Other cool songs include "Pigs in The Hollow" where Souza's voice is King and "DDP for Life," and "Sid Vicious" where Billy delivers them old school Testament stlye.

Folks this is the most surprising CD in years. A couple of cool songs were expected for this side project but a complete old school thrash effort is what DDP have delivered. The guitar work is first rate and really the overall show stealer here. Everyone knew the Souza-Billy vocals dichotomy was great but the music here is pure and full of old school energy. There is also a little "dirt" to the production to make it sound even more like a mid '80s release.

Bottom line is this is one of the best thrash records in years and belongs in all real metalheads collections, especially Bay Area junkies and guitar heads.

Get your pernicious monkey asses online and purchase one today at http://www.dublindeathpatrol.com/index2.htm.

Band Members:
Chuck Billy - Vocals
Steve Souza - Vocals
Andy Billy - Guitar
Greg Bustamante - Guitar
Steve Robello - Guitar
Willy Lange - Bass
Eddie Billy - Bass
John Souza - Bass
Danny Cunningham - Drums
Troy Luccketta - Drums

Track listing:
1. R.I.P.
2. Unnatural Causes
3. Mentally Unstable
4. Pigs in the Hollow
5. DDP for Life
6. Sid Vicious
7. Iron Fist (Motörhead Cover)
8. Cold Sweat (Thin Lizzy Cover)
9. Lights Out (UFO Cover)
10. Trail of the Executioner
11. Devil in Disguise
12. Corruption

HRH rating: 8.3/10