Metal-Archives.com
Written by DGYDP on May 12th, 2008
... I'm going to advice all thrashers to stop wasting time reading this review and start looking for a copy... overall the guitar work is very good... After some short (2-3 min.) and regular (4-5 min.) songs I was blown away by a 9 minute epic track, easily the highlight of the album. A great guitar (and bass) solo of nearly 5 minutes in length left me sitting there, not being able to utter anything other than "holy shit". This feeling is enhanced thanks to the 5 minute long instrumental that follows. These two tracks alone provide Headshot a place in the "best of 2008 thrash" releases... If you like thrash, get this album!

Written by Wra1th1s on May 28th, 2008
... It has the pure catastrophic riffage of fucking Torture Squad but more syncopated; It has seriously tasty solowork with melodies on par with Heathen; and these bastards don't let up! I mean song after song, they grab you by the balls and make you their prison bitch with absolutely no choice other than to headbang until the album ends... Damn the Germans sure kicked the American's ass in thrash, then and now. Let's say that again, this is better than most of the new breed of thrash bands from America or even jolly ole England... Get it? Hell yes! By any means necessary. An album that is not to be missed, although the first few songs are kinda short. All in all, essential thrash...from '08!

[the complete reviews]

Thrashmetal Guide
"As Above, So Below" arrives after a long, 5-year hiatus, and sees the band in fine form, ready to provide some high quality thrash once again. "Isolation" starts thrashing intensely from the very beginning, and things get even more aggressive, with the following short Slayer-esque "Which Means War". "Old Patterns" deviates into heavier, more technical direction, recalling Nevermore, adding nice Oriental hooks to the proceedings. But "Bound To Fail" (which is not an Accept cover) restores the aggressive thrashing, with smashing lashing riffs; a tendency marvellously sustained by the next furious "Second To None". "Quest For The Sun" is the most melodic track, a power/thrash fusion, which boasts the best lead guitar work. More surprises come later on: "As Above, So Below"- a great dark progressive thrasher, again bringing Nevermore, and Communic, to mind; the guitar performance is stupendous, with some more brilliant Oriental tunes added, excellent leads again, and some complex crunchy riffage. This more elaborate approach remains for the blistering technical instrumental "The Swarm": a rare display of technical brilliance, which some of you might listen over and over. The closing "We Disintegrate" preserves some of the technicality, but is a more direct headbanger, quite close to the works of recent Kreator, for an upteenth time inserting some fine Oriental melodies, which are the light-motive of this very strong effort, by far the band's finest hour, and one of the most impressive entries from the thrash metal field for 2008.

[the complete review]