As important as it is to support the Thrash revival wave sweeping North America (and other parts of the world), the individual bands within the movement must be subjected to the same standards of quality as the rest of Metal. It may be tempting to embrace the old school retro-thrashers purely out of relief at the welcome absence of Metalcore, but let's remember that the age-old criteria for a worthy listen still apply. And unfortunately, many of these new bands fall victim to that dreaded "scene curse" - defined simply as a total, crushing lack of originality.

Not ENTROPIA! This Vancouver, B.C. five-piece have hoisted themselves far above the pack with their sophomore full-length "Electric Chaos", available now, and are definitely a band to watch closely in the coming years. What makes them so special vis-a-vis the other Thrash Revivalists? They don't try too hard to impress; they just play the music they love. Rather than assault the listener with unbridled aggression and perpetuate the dick-measuring contest begun by their peers, ENTROPIA deftly combine the expected Thrash influences in their own unique and inspired way.

Opener "Voice Behind The Throne" makes this point clear right off the bat. Instead of leaping through the gate with a full-scale lightning ride, the band instead kick off the album with a head-bobbing groove and "Covenant" era MORBID ANGEL riffing. This groove provides the stylistic backbone for the rest of the album's eleven tracks. Thus, the frequent tempo changes and odes to ENTROPIA's influences don't make for a chaotic hodgepodge of sound; they're underpinned by a solid and assured musical theme that keeps the album nicely paced. Each member's performance impresses without betraying a desperate need to prove his chops; the dreaded "hey Mom, look at how TECHNICALLY I'm playing!" vibe is nowhere to be felt here. As for the influences, they run the gamut from the early '80s to the early '90s (and are relatively diverse enough to prevent ENTROPIA from becoming just another nostalgia act), but none shines more brightly than METALLICA. Why? Because vocalist Angus Lummis is perhaps the best James Hetfield impersonator ever to pick up a microphone (move over, Heafy). In this case, that's a plus. Lummis' vocal similarities to the legendary Metal titan feel more like a strange coincidence than an effort to stand out, and only add to the joyous old-school revelry. A perfect example would be the track "Disciples Of Aggression", a made-to-order sing-along anthem that has the listener grinning ear to ear with love for the genre. There's no hatred here, only love.

Thanks to the "scene curse" to which no one is immune, many of today's Thrash revival bands function as McDonald's meals - they're always the same, and after each time you wonder why in the world you just ate it, but it just tastes so delicious going down! ENTROPIA is one of the few notable exceptions. With "Electric Chaos", potential Thrash rip-offs instead become lovingly crafted homages, whose smooth cohesion help establish a distinct identity for this talented band. Don't call these guys Retro - just call them awesome.