Fully entrenched in the category of the Also-Ran Thrash Bands, England's Onslaught existed through the mid to late 80's without ever quite securing a permenant lead singer or making a huge impact on the music world. On In Search of Sanity, which proved to be their last album, the band recruited Grim Reaper's Steve Grimmett for the vocal department and proceeded to write and record a fairly decent piece of work. With a guitar sound reminiscient of Metallica's Master of Puppets era (though not as commanding) and melodies that remind me a bit of Anthrax, Onslaught rumbled through the nine tracks with a sense of reasonable execution. A certain degree of chemistry does seem to be lacking overall on the album as it tends to sound too tame to really be as ferocious as it should be. However, the cover of AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock" is quite listenable and the lengthy "Welcome to Dying" is also noteworthy. While In Search of Sanity is hardly a genre defining piece, it is an album that should appeal to anyone with an interest in the late 80's thrash scene.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 01/1999

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