Ukraine might be more famous for its black, death, and progressive metal scenes—championed by bands like Jinjer and Drudkh—but there’s a simmering underground thrash movement too. Oriax are very much part of that charge: a quartet in the old-school vein who emerged from Uzhhorod’s metal scene in mid-2022.

By 2023 they were carving out their place in the thrash landscape, developing original material and releasing their debut demo, Reason To Die. A run of early shows built momentum toward their first mini-album, Reaper of Death.

They’ve now entered their most ambitious chapter with the full-length Torture Mechanism and an associated tour throughout summer 2026. The album preserves the spirit of early-’80s thrash giants like Metallica and Megadeth—raw yet precise, recorded on analogue tape, and packing nine tracks into 32 minutes of straight-ahead fury.

The beautiful acoustic opener “Raising the Reaper’s Blade” sets the stage perfectly before plunging straight into the doom-laden intro of “Victim,” where flashes of early-Metallica DNA streak through the rapid-fire riffing. “Obsession” starts with a clear undercurrent of NWOBHM, only for its galloping rhythm to unravel into a chaotic, whammy-bar-driven solo that throws the track delightfully off balance. That chaos clears the path for the raw, adrenalised opening of “Terrible Awareness,” a highlight loaded with even more dive-bomb theatrics.

“Absolute Despair” switches things up with an acoustic intro that quickly gives way to a savage, buzz-saw riff. In just over two and a half minutes it crams in an ascending guitar solo and another burst of whammy-bar chaos to close things out.

“Tied to Trees” is pure, unfiltered thrash, marked by an intriguing use of echo and a brief moment of clarity in its clean play-out—right before everything smashes back into a solid wall of aggression. Inspired by the book Love to Life, the track channels the perspective of a protagonist abandoned to die in the forest by a greedy companion, adding a grim narrative edge to its sonic assault.

You’ll get even more Metallica vibes in “State of Ignorance,” with its savage intro and massive guitar chops cutting across the bass. The rangy solo leaves no part of the fretboard unexplored. The track doubles as a protest against those who irresponsibly discard their rubbish to the detriment of the environment.

“Mental Patient” wanders into Megadeth territory, featuring skilful thrash precision and razor-tight rhythm work. The finale, “Criminal Hunt,” packs great drumming sliced into punchy riffs. There’s no coming up for air on this track.

Oriax are truly flying the flag for Ukraine’s underground thrash scene. They’ve delivered a record that feels authentically excavated from 1983: raw, fast, analogue, and proudly old-school. You can even pick it up on a period-correct cassette from their merch store.

These guys can shred!