FANTASTIC bay area thrash! I say they are more akin to early Exodus and Testament with a dash of Forbidden thrown in. Not as grind-y as Kreator and Sodom , although if you like those bands , you will almost certainly like HOF. High energy , in your face metal , that if it were to come out in 1984 , would have landed them in the upper echelon of the at that time rising American metal movement. Of course , probably on a more Deliverance style arc as Christian music is largely self promoted or spread by word of mouth.,Check out the video for "Prophecy" . If that doesn't blow you away ,then you should immediately type "Gaga" in your browser before you get hurt! Something to blow away heavy hitter friends with , as virtually no one will have heard of this in the secular market. I must also add that Jim Settle's vocals are TREMENDOUS.. near perfect for this style.Production is spot on and these guys ...well , as the opening cut proclaims..."Let the killings begin"!!! An absolute MUST , indeed!!!

Primal, catchy thrash with bold, spiritual themes

Released in 2017, NUCLEAR SUNRISE is the debut album by San Francisco’s Hand of Fire. They play superb brutal thrash in the manner of Sodom and Kreator, but with their own flair and biblical, apocalyptic themes. Seriously, if you’re a fan of those two bands and similar ones, NUCLEAR SUNRISE is a must.

The disc is streamlined at only 32.5 minutes and is all killer, no filler. My favorite track is the bravely prophetic “Reap What You Sow.” Other top cuts include: “Some will Say” with its memorable use of back vox; the thrash-mixed-with-doom “The Prophecy”; and the hooky “Burn it Down” with its notable chorus.

GRADE: A