I saw Laz A.D. on friday may 22 2009 at the starland ballroom in new jersey and they were great old school stage present with some great lighting and excellent stage show plus great vocals and songs they had to be the second best out of the 4 bands testament being number 1 of course if you get a chance to see them it is well worth the money

later METAL RULES

I totally agree with everything Seth said. If you don't think this album is anything special, then you just aren't a metal head. This is some of the best new thrash metal, that doesn't sound like all the other bay area throwback bands. This is thrash for the new generation, and it's done so amazingly heavy and well. Another thing I would like to mention, The Onslaught was originally mixed and mastered by James Murphy when it was released in 07. So that makes me wonder about good ol' James. Did it take for them to be signed to Metal Blade for him to put some effort into the mixing the second time around? Why didn't he mix it the way he did, the first time around? Lazarus A.D. is from my hometown, and I am pretty good friends with them, in case you think I'm just some asshole running his mouth and that I don't have my facts straight.

I really like this record.

Quality new-wave of thrash band, hope these guys move on the bigger and better things. 'The Onslaught' is a great record.

The Onslaught has gone through some changes. This very album was recorded a few years ago in January of 2007 with Chris Djuricic (it's OK, I don't know who he is either). But why release it twice, you ask? Now under the label Metal Blade Records, the album is being remixed by James Murphy to be released worldwide. If you're a metal fan, you might recall Murphy was a member of legendary thrash act Testament. Hailing from the surprising location of Wisconsin, Lazarus A.D. have a solid foundation for production and exposure this time around.

Why is their Wisconsin heritage surprising? Because these guys sound like they're from southern California or even Europe, two historical locales for the genre. And everyone is aware the Swedes are metal aficionados, let's not forget. But can four badger gentlemen make it in the scene? If The Onslaught is any representation, absolutely they can.

The first two tracks are a great start to the debut (let's not argue technicalities and just agree this is the debut). "Last Breath" kicks off blistering and then becomes a Metallica-like song in the chug-chugging of guitars. The vocals don't even kick in until a minute and a half in, and they don't need to because the riffing does all the work. "Thou Shalt Not Fear" just screams Testament and that's all that needs to be said. It's hard to consider what the metal world would be like without those two monumental influences. The remainder of the album continues to remain powerfully aggressive with plenty of solos throughout. The pace of every song is intense; there's no time to stop to rest the ears.

Lazarus A.D. are incredibly promising and are a great discovery for someone looking for fresh, innovative stuff. These guys sound like they've been at it for years. If The Onslaught is just the tip of the iceberg for what's to come, there truly will be an onslaught to come.