CoC’s 2nd album, which is I guess considered crossover in that it moves away from their hardcore roots and towards a more metallic sound, isn't really all thrash and speed; there's some doom metal in the mix too. Of course the punk / hardcore influence isn’t ever that far away, but the jazzy song structures are a bit hard to follow which makes for a weird record. There are odd tempo changes, left turns, and parts that sound composed completely independently and stitched together to make a song. It reminds me a bit of a heavier version of Black Flag or Bl’ast - no surprise that Bl'ast is thanked all over the record and they’ve toured together multiple times.
The second side sounds a lot different from the first - for good reason, they were recorded at different studios at different times. Overall I find it better than the first side, because it’s weirder, and faster (but my favorite song is actually on Side A. go figure!). It closes with the instrumental title track that starts as a sludgy dirge and ends up a ripping thrasher.
No doubt a talented group, but this collection of songs has no catchy anthems or mass appeal here, even during the metal heyday of the 1980s. It’s a different and good album, but it’s not great. Cool Pushead art.