In the Spotlight: Exhumed/Iron Reagan Split

by Mat Weir

If you’re a metal head, then forgive the obviousness of the next sentence. Tank Crimes is KILLING IT in 2014! Between the brutal album releases and this year’s Brain Squeeze (seriously considered quitting my job to see it, then I remembered I like to drink), this year is a promising one for the Oakland-based label.

They kicked it off with a brutal split EP by two of 2014’s heaviest; San Jose’s death metal legends, Exhumed, and Richmond, Virginia’s sensual thrash band & this year’s Brain Squeeze veterans, Iron Reagan. Each band has four songs to destroy your skull with and they don’t waste a moment when it comes to bashing your sanity with metal.

Exhumed’s new tracks are dripping with shredding guitar solos and they joyfully slaughter a 52 second cover of Minor Threat’s “Seeing Red.” On the other side, Iron Reagan rips up their version of early thrash metal mixed with hardcore punk in four short, fast & loud tracks. Anyone who’s seen the first family of thrash (don’t judge, I’m working on a better title) in the last year of almost-constant touring, will recognize a couple of these tunes, like unorthodoxly titled, “Holy Water Gets Me Wet.”

The split is already in its second pressing and it’s only April, so pick up a copy now on splattered, color vinyl. Time will only tell if Tank Crimes will continue to press it or if it will become a collector’s treasure. Either way, it’s brand new and already metallic gold.