The foundation for Vindicator was laid in South Amherst, Ohio during Summer of 2005 when long time friends Marshall Law and brothers Vic and Jesse Stown got together with a singular vision. The band drew influences ranging from first-wave Bay Area and Teutonic thrash to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. As one of the frontrunners of what has come to be known as the "New Wave Of Thrash" Vindicator quickly gained a strong local following. Word of the three-piece metal powerhouse from the American Midwest spread rapidly throughout the U.S. and Europe, leading to an invitation from Heavy Artillery Records in 2006 to contribute a track to the 'Speed Kills...Again' compilation album. Not able to provide a track within the necessary time frame, Vindicator was forced to decline the offer but maintained close ties with the label. Vindicator reached a milestone in 2008 with the self-release of the band's debut full-length album 'There Will Be Blood'. A long anticipated release, it received strong support from old and new thrashers alike. The band spent the next year gigging nationally in support of the album with such bands as Raven, Overkill, M.O.D., Hirax, Destruction, Exodus, Kreator, Exmortus and many others. With the addition of lead shredder Mikey B. Lial Vindicator once again hit the studio in late 2008 to record tracks for a split release with 80's German cult metal legends Metal Witch. Entitled 'Outbreak Of Metal Vol. 1', the new tracks show the true realized power of Vindicator and hint at what can be expected from their upcoming sophomore full-length album on Heavy Artillery Records, tentatively scheduled for early 2010.

THE DOG BENEATH THE SKIN (Single) (2009) SLANEY RECORDS

This is a short promo single, released to promote the split CD, 'Outbreak Of Metal Vol. 1'. The main track is picked from the split CD, while the 2 "bonus tracks" are lifted from the bands independently released debut album, "There Will Be Blood". All the songs are full on thrash metal attacks, but the title track has much better production and overall sound.

OUTBREAK OF METAL VOL. 1 (2009) SLANEY RECORDS

Vindicator is one of many up and coming bands in the New Wave of Thrash Metal. Brothers Vic and Jesse left the power/thrash metal band, Violent Night, in September 2005, and quickly formed Vindicator. Opting for a full-on thrash metal approach, the results were first heard on various demos, before the band cut their teeth on the first full-length album, the independently released "There Will Be Blood" in 2008. Some headway was given for the band with this release, and eventually they were picked up by Heavy Artillery Records. But the band also managed to squeeze out this spilt-CD, courtesy of Slaney Records. Here they share the stage with German old school power metalers, Metal Witch. Vindicator delivers 6 previously unreleased track for this CD, including 2 cover songs. I have to confess that I thought I was in for yet another retro-thrash metal act that played thrash for thrash sake. You know, all speed but very little dynamics, or even instrumental knowledge. That was certainly not the case with Vindicator! These guys are the real deal, delivering a classic thrash metal sound, blending the melodic approach of the American Bay Area thrash metal, with the more aggressive Teutonic thrash metal of those early German pioneers. And if you take a look at the cover songs they chose for this release, it's apparent that a solid dose of punk/hardcore infusion can also be heard in the music. Marshall Law has a sneering voice, reminding me more than a little of one Mille Petrozza (Kreator). The guitars are all over the place, hammering out killer riffs that doesn't sound stale.  And you know these guys can play if you listen to the solos. The rhythm section is also taken good care of. Both the bass-work and the drums creates the perfect backdrop for this kind of music. Words like vicious and relentless has been used so many times on these pages. But they fit the music of Vindicator perfectly. I would also add playful and creative. My favorite tracks are "Shock Trauma" and "Humanarchy". I also loved the 2 cover songs, even though I am not familiar with the original artist.