Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I [1987]

Here we have an album that many consider to be one of the most influential Euro-power metal albums of all time, and that wouldn't be an inaccurate statement, only it was influential for a sound that I couldn't care less for. Helloween showed that they were a legit band capable of delivering doses of brilliance in their music when they released the masterpiece "Walls of Jericho," but this album is just... different. For one, "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I" sees the introduction of Michael Kiske on vocals, and while I have nothing against the man, it's a shame that Hansen could no longer pulled double duty on guitar and as the frontman, because his unpolished and enthusiastic approach to fronting the band was a joy to hear on the debut EP and full-length. Kiske's vocals are on their own outstanding, but they suit a watered down version of Helloween a lot better, and that's really what the band is on their sophomore - watered down. 

It may sound like I'm bashing "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I," but I do enjoy the album, it's not what I was expecting to hear after listening to the much more raw debut, a bonafide classic, and while this record is considered a classic, it just doesn't live up to expectations. For the most part, the kickass speed-oriented riffs that Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath mass-produced before are gone; replaced by more midpaced riffage akin to groups like Priest and Maiden, which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't spark the same feeling that amazing songs like "Ride the Sky" and "Victims of Fate" had. It's not all bad, though, as songs like "I'm Alive" and "A Little Time" are great midpaced tunes that show off Kiske's great voice, as well as the non-stop shredding from the guitarists, with the former track featuring excellent solos that are actually some of the better parts of the music at points throughout the record. This album also has one of Helloween's best songs ever in "Twilight of the Gods," an epic anthem with an insanely catchy chorus, stellar guitar playing on both ends, and Kiske's phenomenal vocal performance. 

However, I find myself needing to complain about this album again. It's very short and with only six songs of actual substance, all six of these songs needed to be overly-exceptional, but that's not the case. "A Tale That Wasn't Right" is an acoustic ballad that just falls flat and makes me want to hit the skip button, while "Future World" is another song that just fails to retain anything that could be considered awesome. I don't want to sound like some miserable cunt, but the song is just too damn happy sounding and has no real substance to it. Had these two tracks been cut from the record, "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I" would've made a terrific EP and another Helloween release that could be considered a major "win." The basic tale of the tape for this record is one that sees the band evolve their sound (which is a natural thing for bands, and one that we as fans have no control over), but not for the better. There are still some great songs here that save it from being a total flop, with "Twilight of the Gods" and the epic closer "Halloween" being worth listening to this record again on their own. This is a band that showed a lot of promise, but unfortunately fell short and it's safe to say this is the last record where I could summon enough fucks to give about the group after they teased me with their fantastic debut. 

Highlights

"I'm Alive"

"Twilight of the Gods"

"Halloween"

Final Rating

Barely Awesome [8/10]

Helloween - Walls of Jericho [1985]

Even with the sudden thrash surge that was taking over the metal underground in the mid to late eighties, Helloween didn't hop onto the bandwagon, at least not the way that other German acts were at the time. When the band released their debut full-length "Walls of Jericho," there were a few other up and coming bands in Germany by the names of Sodom, Kreator and Destruction, all of which released their ruthless music in one form or another around the same period, but instead of releasing a record full of vicious riffs and ugly vocals, Kai Hansen and company delivered the best record that Helloween has ever put their logo stamp on, and it had none of the aggressive assets that made those future-legends stand out. Sure, the music on here is faster than anything the band would ever release again, but I'd hardly call it aggressive or barbaric, especially with all of the melodies and solos that make up a significant portion of the music.

After releasing the five-song self-titled EP several months earlier, Helloween unleashed their debut full-length "Walls of Jericho" which could only be described as Europe's answer to American classics that were released a year earlier such as Omen's "Battle Cry" or Jag Panzer's "Ample Destruction." The Germans had the speed, riffs, melodies, solos and everything else that goes into making a top-notch '80s speed/power metal record. But most importantly, they knew how to write songs that didn't get boring or tread upon a repetitive path that would bore the listener. There's a great mix of faster riffage that was undeniably influenced by bands like Venom, Metallica and Slayer, midpaced riffs made to get your headbanging and plenty of phenomenal solos and melodies that provided even more reasons to fall in love with the music. Kai Hansen's vocals usually draw a pretty split response from Helloween fans, but I have zero complaints about his style or performance on this album. His vocals aren't exactly pretty (like the man who would later take the reins in Michael Kiske), but they fit the music. His high-pitched yells aren't on par with Halford, but they aren't horrible, in fact, they make classic songs like "Ride the Sky" and "How Many Tears" the epic anthems that they are as his vocals mesh with the rest of the music perfectly. 

The only complaint about "Walls of Jericho" that I can make is that the band decided to start the album with the best song the band ever wrote in "Ride the Sky," a masterful song full of terrific riffs, an unforgettable chorus and plenty of lead guitar wizardry. Luckily, the rest of the songs on this record are awesome as well. "Reptile" and "Guardians" are both worthy songs and both show off Markus Grosskopf's bass skills, which is just another reason why Helloween kicks so much ass on the debut. "Phantoms of Death" is a bit more epic than the other songs on here as the verse features (what I believe is a) keyboard parts that back Hansen's vocals as well as plenty of amazing solos and melodies throughout, while "Metal Invaders" and "Heavy Metal (Is the Law)" should please all of the speed-freaks who need their dose of fast riffs. This is definitely one of my favorite power metal albums and it's easily one of the best old-school metal albums from Germany. It's a shame that the band would abandon this sound down the line (the next album, actually) to pioneer the typical Euro-power metal (ugh) that's become prevalent today, but I can always come back to this masterpiece and enjoy Helloween in their finest hour. 

Highlights
"Ride the Sky"
"Phantoms of Death"
"Gorgar"

Final Rating
Masterpiece [9.2/10]

Helloween - Helloween [1985] (EP)

Power metal wasn't a full-blown subgenre by the time 1985 rolled around, with only a handful of bands playing the style of music that was very rooted in the vein of bands like Maiden or Angel Witch, only the music was usually faster and thrashier. Bands like Omen, Savage Grace, Jag Panzer (and the earlier incarnation of Tyrant) and Fates Warning all took their stab at paving the way for this new form of music and they released some damn fine records, but this was mostly being done in the states. Enter Helloween and their self-titled EP, a five track showcase for the young group who would later become much more important in Europe's power metal movement. The music here isn't like the band's latter material that they're more well-known for, but it doesn't shy away from the speedy onslaughts that were made awesome on records like "Battle Cry" and "Metal Church," providing plenty of quickness in the riffs and a lot of substance as well. 

This EP is the brainchild of the master himself Kai Hansen, who not only brandished the kickass riffage on "Helloween," but handled vocal duties as well. His high pitched approach isn't anything overly special or innovative, but it suits the music perfectly and any fan of traditional metal probably wouldn't be able to complain about him. The man is also an absolute beast with his ax, too. The amount of insane soloing throughout this EP (and pretty much every other Helloween release he played on for that matter) is crazy. It doesn't matter if the man is shredding away, playing solos that are as fast as the riffs, or writing more melodic leads that are meant to add some memorability to the songs, this man does not know how to write a bad solo. The rhythm section is also solid. The bass playing and drumming aren't too much of a highlight on their own, but combined with Hansen's impressive guitarwork and vocals, they don't really need to shine so much. 

The EP kicks off with "Starlight," a catchy number that features upbeat riffs, ear-catching melodies and a lot of shredding from the German extraordinaire (which is a common theme for pretty much all of the band's early material that Hansen played on). "Murderer" and "Warrior" both tread along a similar path as both feature their share of solid riffage, solos galore and more over the top vocals (sound familiar?) Of course there's a bit more variety to this EP and that couldn't be more evident than on the track "Victim of Fate" which has some stellar melodic riffs and Hansen's best vocal performance. The way he yells "You will burn in hell!" is fucking killer and reminds one of Grim Reaper's Steve Grimmett, before the equally kickass solos come in and make the track a must-listen. The final track "Cry For Freedom" is almost as excellent as the preceding song; the acoustic intro with Hansen's vocals make for a nice change of pace and show that the band is more than capable of writing more than just fast riffs and a bunch of solos. "Helloween" is definitely a great way to make some noise for a young band getting their start, and while I wouldn't call it a must-have EP for every metal fan, it's definitely worth listening to if you're a fan of the band or the power metal genre. It's just a shame that Helloween would go on to create some shite music that couldn't be any further from the early creations that made the band so awesome, but again, that's a rant for another day. 

Highlights
"Starlight"
"Victim of Fate"
"Cry For Freedom"

Final Rating
Awesome [8.7/10]

Deathrow - Deception Ignored [1988]

I’m sure many who first encountered the infamous ‘’Raging Steel’’ will be in for quite a shock when they hear this, their third effort, ‘’Deception Ignored’’.  Deathrow started as a speed/thrash group, adventurous and dynamic, and keeping certain aesthetics of the early Germanic thrash metal sound, hinted in the sublime savagery, or the crude malevolence, but never has a band been through such an anomalous change. ‘’Deception Ignored’’ is not a step up from its predecessor, it’s not two steps up, not three. It’s a hundred steps ahead its previous version. Over only one year, Deathrow enlarged their arsenal to the size of a modern army, going through a most dramatic change from what used to be an army no more sophisticated than Neanderthals, sharpening their crude weapons. Don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoy ‘’Raging Steel’’ (although I can’t say the same thing about the debut album) in its ways of simplistic butchery and dissection, lashing forth primal Teutonic speed/thrash, but this is something else entirely.

The year is 1988 and there already a far more complex band on the run: Megadeth. Even though Deathrow came later than the US giants and released two records that  were easily outshined by its peers, ‘’Deception Ignored’’ is a massive ‘’Fuck You’’ in the face of Dave Mustaine, making his skill with the guitar look like a chimp toying with a harp. It’s still very early, considering that the major influences that pioneered technical metal in general rose not until the early/mid 90’s. Deathrow manage to even surpass those guitar freaks at their own game. ‘’Deception Ignored’’ is an endless, prolific gate of riffs, keeping you busy for every second that passes, with any sort of trick, technique or strategy that you can think of. I’m flabbergast each time I hear the riffs, and I’m more amazed that they’re fabricated purely out of raw material and technical prowess, no pedals, no machines whatsoever; only savvy musicianship.

The riffs that ‘’Deception Ignored’’ spews are absolutely arduous brain bogglers. Each riff, each note is static flash of super-vigorousness, progressing simultaneously and incessantly, while both torturing your brain muscles and ripping, shredding through heaps and heaps of flesh, robotically slashing and trimming its way into who knows what. As fantastic as each riff is, they’re also enveloping and totally captivating, precise and decisive, and ridiculously melodious. ‘’Deception Ignored’’ houses many thundering powerhouses of crushing, vivacious thrash, but it’s the subtle fluctuations that go on in and above the strident bolts that bedeck the compositions. Each song is an even more tiresome composition yet it’s also one that’s even more entertaining, and the songs follow each other with no breaks (expect for the one minute piano intro on ‘’Tricton’’), keeping busy with rapid incursions all the time. ‘’Deception Ignored’’ is excessively decisive and direct yet at the same time it’s exceedingly tricky and deluding.

The melodious side of ‘’Deception Ignored’’ offer both the possibly most technical side of thrash metal as well as representing complex classical music. Many of the melodies that flow with the stream of chugs are classical music notes played on guitar, and they sound especially clever with the thin, metallic surface engulfing the tone. A hint weaker, and the record might not have given off the anger properly and consistently, and a bit more distortion only meant that the notes would have all tangled and drowned amongst themselves. The vocal work on ‘’Deception Ignored’’ is just as schizophrenic as the wonderful guitar patterns that adorn it. They’re vicious but at the same time high-pitched and passionate when need be and despite appearing at seldom amongst the current of compositions, they make the best of it. With the songs following each other consistently, and each song consisting of near a thousand notes(or even more maybe), it is naturally hard to carve out the distinguished features of each track, and I still have some trouble with it, but once you get to know the songs, you’ll see each has its own character, and each one is a different excursion of the many-faced apparition that is Deception Ignored.

‘’Events In Concealment’’ introduces a mere eighth of what ‘’Deception Ignored’’ has in store for the listener, channelling between verse and bridge structures with ease while formulating riffs that both reek of Slayer, Exodus, Metallica and Deathrow’s own traits, semi-technical barrages of strident lashes. ‘’The Deathwish’’ is all about sudden strokes and lighting crashes that come and go like a tide sweeping across a try beach – only much faster. ‘’Triocton’’ is the second opus of the album along with ‘’Narcotic’’, gnawing the listener’s mind with visceral technicality and superior rays of chaotic thrash melodies, with certain angular sections that highlight the drums, and their accent giving beats. ‘’N.L.H.M’’ is relatively concise and it fits harmonious, almost sombre melodies into the stubborn thrash texture, bringing us both day and night within just three minutes, and ‘’Machinery’’ is callous incursion of dynamic, exciting thrash madness, queer and jumpy rather than completely tangled, but the brain suffers yet another exercise with ‘’Narcotic’’ as it’s dominated with rhythmic stomps, bobbing you up and down, featuring almost bluesy guitar riffs. The fun parade is concluded with ‘’Bureaucrazy’’ yet another slab of brisk zig-zags and pulls, and with it, the hardest mind exercise you ever had ends.

‘’Deception Ignored’’ is musically supreme to any of its peers, and slam in the face of any who imagine they can make it more complex. It’s the highest calibre of technical metal, and even its fellow countrymen eluded it during the time it was released, it still reigns supreme, at least for me. Despite the fact that I love it, and cherish it, it’s still one test that I don’t frequently take, due it’s particularly tiresome nature, and its sweltering spasm of riffs. ‘’Deception Ignored’’ is absolutelt brilliant, flawless, overwhelming and inaccessible for those who are not esoteric or zealous about its way. It’s peerless, but in a far more brain tangling way than you think.

Highlights

''Events In Concealment''

''Triocton''

''Narcotic''

''Machinery''

''Bureaucrazy''

Final Rating

Legendary [10/10]

Torchure - Beyond The Veil [1992]

Torchure were actually quite a promising death metal band, alongside some of their fellow countryman Jumpin’ Jesus, Morgirion and Atrocity (who unfortunately leaned towards Goth later on), but they were also one of those short lived bands, disbanding just a few years after  their creation. Civilisations become destroyed too, but their culture and creations live on forever, which just might be the case with Torchure. This, their debut album is probably the better known and the better of the two consecutive releases they unleashed, bringing Torchure’s prime elements on the last on table; a doomy cluster of unbridled thrash and death, joining to exhale a depressive bombard of riffs, doom-laden, yet surprisingly vigorous.

The album has queer song structures, and with such as mash up of death, thrash and somewhat melodious doom, they almost fabricate their own distinct sound, one that’s different from the US and Swedish old school death metal scenes for a change.  With such ambitious textures set, the band proves to be much more dexterous and experimental than many other groups who dwelled during the same time, but their efforts also effects the way the album moves, and with the subtle doom metal worshiping done and the nearly fifty minute album length, ‘’Beyond The Veil’’ turns into a laggard of an album, cauterizing and encompassing the victim very, very slowly. And due to its length, this record is something that you definitely have to spend your time with, so that you may fully comprehend the absurd structures behind the plain, comprehensible riffs.

The sluggish approach may be irrelevant at times, but it also relieves the listener from any sort of depressing, or moody need, like a recompense for the long, drudgy moments. The guitar tone is really a nice addition, because its somewhere between chubby, gritty and thin, and once the leads of melodies jump in, the tone blankets itself in an even nicer, warm, subtle and oozy tone with a little bit of cavernous melancholy even. And like I said, Torchure are more adventurous than many other acts of their time, and they’re unafraid to insert tons of drowning melodies on top of their crunchy riffs, serving as even more captivating hooks than usual, and of course, proving that the band isn’t at all inept in musicianship.

The percussion is well done, nothing more, but the vocals are exceedingly filthy and grotesque growls and rasps, and even gurgles when the vocalist drenches himself in repugnance. But the album as a whole is not really murky and even filthy for that matter, but doomy, ponderous and mighty, laden with musical prowess.  Throughout the whopping fifty minutes of doom-oriented death/thrash, you’ll find a fairly extensive amount of variation; sometimes you’ll feel the brisk attitude of thrash leaping in, like on ‘’Abysmal Malevolence’’ or ‘’In His Grip’’, while melody freaks will profoundly love ‘’Depressions’’, but the ultra opus of the record is the eleven minute doom metal epic ‘’Resort To Mortality’’, a transcendental slab of traumatizing riffs, and don’t forget that wherever you go, keyboards are always going to follow you. ‘’Beyond The Veil’’ stands out as a peculiar and gripping release, and for people who enjoy its dragging monotony more than me, it's a delicious feast. 

Highlights

''In His Grip''

''Resort To Mortality''

''Apathetic''

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Protector - Golem [1988]

It's a damn shame that Protector isn't as well-known as their fellow countrymen in Kreator and Sodom, but history has proven that being well-known doesn't make your music better, because I would take "Golem" over albums like "Extreme Aggression," "Tapping the Vein," and "Release From Agony" 10 times out of 10. There's a reason why Protector is adored by many in the metal underground (especially in thrash circles) and that's because their brand of thrash was different from the bestial sounds of their Germanic comrades. This music is deadly, precise and absolutely violent, much moreso than the Bay Area bands of the '80s and plenty of other thrash bands that popped up. 

One thing that becomes immediately apparent with Protector and their music are the riffs. Instead of opting for the rape of the E-string and the insertion of some powerchords, a lot of the riffs are ridiculously fast and feature a vast amount of shifting hammer-ons and single notes that make for a lot of headbanging, but also a lot of memorable moments. The riffs on "Delirium Tremens" and "Protector of Death" are fucking maniacal and Hasse's intense drumming only adds to the blistering fury. And proving that they weren't just speed freaks, Protector did a brilliant job of structuring their music and showed some stellar songwriting skills with tracks like "Apocalyptic Revelations" and "Only the Strong Survive," as both start with some pretty epic buildups that eventually morph into an insane assault that have fallen upon many a metalhead's ears. 

Everything else on "Golem" is top-notch as well. The aforementioned drumming adds a lot of heft to the music, as well as even more speed. Belichmeier's bass performance is another highlight on this album, as it's always audible and almost seems like another instrument entirely, rather than simply following the guitar patterns. "Germanophobe" is probably the best example of the excellence of the bass on this record and is a prominent reason why it's also my favorite track. Missy's vocals are disgustingly beautiful as well. They're lower in tone than Mille Petrozza's, but not as guttural, yet they're just as diabolical and suit the music perfectly. There's really not much more to say about "Golem" and Protector. This is just a band that makes violent and masterful music that should be fellated by every metalhead. 

Highlights

"Delirium Tremens"

"Germanophobe"

"Only the Strong Survive"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.7/10]

Paradox - Heresy [1989]

Germany is the Sweden of thrash, a place where you would find hordes of thrash bands. All particularly vicious and savage, the German thrash metal bands were altered and influenced heavily by their most primal countrymen like Kreator, Sodom and Destruction. This trio shaped and respectfully  embodied the German scene, thus constructing into the scene that it is now known as. Paradox, however, were a slightly peculiar group, displaying much different influences and sounds on the table than the already present  unpolished, vicious form of thrash that seemed to flow in the vein of all the German bands of the 80's and early 90's. Everyone brags about their debut album, a relatively fun piece of techy speed/thrash that was already highly present, or their later offerings which still aren't bad offerings, however, these people ought to be informed that ''Heresy'' is their true magnum opus, their most influential, their most effective and their sharpest. ''Heresy'' introduced even more melodic riffing and here, Paradox churned together Bay Area-oriented thrash with power metal most successfully. This is album is gleaming and teeming with energy, and its definitely something that Bay Area thrashers or old school power metal nerds should check out.

Usually well composed songs and simple song architecture doesn't catch my attention right off, but on this album, every aspect is put into place in a very organized manner, so the typical verse-bridge-chorus structure actually becomes an enjoyable experience because you can actually sing along with the catchy choruses and remember the riffing whenever in explodes once more. Every riff is just razor-sharp, and Paradox manages to constantly absorb the listener with a diverse assault, without even being so technical or heavy, showing that a simple, crushing riff isn't the only thing that fuels the fire of a thrasher. Like I said, the album is teeming with energy and vigorous bursts of pure melodic, Bay Area influenced thrash which comes in an abundance. Speaking of melody, I think Paradox is one of the first bands that successfully merge power metal with thrash metal, and not only that but also add some technical spunk on top of the riffs to boast their quality. The power metal influence is inserted in every element of the music is a healthy dose, but certain riffs have a more epic side to them, showing that the power metal influence is the main thing that keeps their blood boiling. The leads are also stellar, dual guitar harmonies, with shredding passages, and the much common sound of the groaning tremolo bar, screaming and shouting, as if being tortured.

The vocalist is an obvious reminiscent of Joey Belladona circa ''Among The Living'' era Anthrax. His style is perhaps a little more high-pitched than the famous thrash frontman, but it only complements the music better as power metal is all about screaming your lungs off with intense energy in the vocal department. There's a vast array of technical and melodic thrash riffing on the title track which tends to live slightly longer than any other song on the album, and ''Search For Perfection'' starts where the title track left, carrying out the robust thrash energy with some more simple riffs, and ''Killtime'' introduces some lower fret tremolo descending and  even more melodic spikes constantly battering the listener. ''Massacre Of The Cathars'' is one of the albums most stellar highlights, gathering all that has been previously done in one package and then displaying them in a most eruptive way. Just as it produces some expeditious power/thrash riffing, it also follows the same path as its primal German ancestors, bringing forth some engaging thrash crushers, while still keeping the the substance sturdy. Paradox truly concentrated and worked hard on this album, because while many people are blindly adore the primitive death/thrash aesthetics originated in Germany, their eyes cannot endure the flashiness of this masterpiece, rendering it a true underground gem.

Highlights:
''Serenity''
''Search For Perfection''
''Massacre Of The Cathars''
''Heresy''

Final Rating:
Masterpiece [9.2/10]

Assorted Heap - Mindwaves [1992]

Let's say that you liked the debut. I cannot promise whether you will like ''Mindwaves'' or not, but I can say that this album is almost nothing like its predecessor. I was quite shocked by the deliverance of the music and how it changed in a mere year, how a brutalized death/thrash crusher like Assorted Heap all of a sudden turned into something different. Surely, during the early nineties, new sounds were rapidly developing. Primal cavemen were all of a sudden transforming into technically proficient virtuosoes. I might have expected such a precipitous morph into technicality from Assorted Heap, but their mutation here is something else entirely.

Whereas ''The Experience Of Horror'' is stubborn, frenzied and monstrous, ''Mindwaves'', turns down the savagery and archaic sound, and increases the atmosphere. The sound is thrash, under everything else, but above the music it gets intense and atmopsheric, even gothic at times. The production on this album leads to a gate which just brings up more ambiance, it's darker and more torturing than the debut. You cannot find a single trace of the savage, primal riffage that was highly prevalent on the debut, as they've been replaced by ultimately crushing stompers. They're extremely simple but feel like an iron mace shattering a skull. With such heft and density focusing on the riffs, the album becomes beyond heavy, leaving shattered bones. The immense ''What I Confess'' is the absolute climax of the album, featuring both stampeding thrash genius and a number of gothic acoustic guitar medleys and ambients, all cased in one eight minute bag.

Well, the sophomore still attains some of its predecessor's primal savagery, as seen on the title track, though still executed in a controlled way. The vocals have also changed from the traditional Max Calavera-esque death/thrash madness, to a more comphrensible style, principally still guttural, but darker. The sophomore has so much difference than the debut that I'd bet if you wouldn't have known that the album were from the same band, you would have never guessed that they were. Synthesizers, ambients, acoustics and atmosphere are only the general aspects that differ. Comparatively, I like ''Mindwaves'' more, because it has the groove and dark, almost atmospheric authenticity that the debut never came even close to having.

Highlights
''Dealing With Dilemma''
''What I Confess''
''Mindwaves''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.7/10]

Assorted Heap - The Experience of Horror [1991]

Around the year 1991, two of the three Teutonic thrash kings (Kreator and Destruction) were no longer a force to be reckoned with. Kreator would release the abomination known as the "Renewal" demo and Destruction had already began to fade away after releasing some mediocre material, thus a new thrash powerhouse needed to step up. Whether or not Assorted Heap was that band is all a matter of opinion, but their debut album "The Experience of Horror" definitely made a great case for the Teutonic tech-thrashers with its blend of aggressive thrash that Germany is known for, and technical prowess. 

This record is often referred to as one of the death/thrash subgenre which I still don't understand. Sure, the vocals are akin to Max Cavalera (Sepultura is another one of those bands that gets incorrectly tossed into the death/thrash category), but the riffage is far from the riffs of bands like Merciless, Ripping Corpse, Massacra, and the other familiars. The opening track "Unexpiated Bloodshed" features a solid mix of riffs that make for an above average track, with some riffs that have a technical edge to them, ripping thrash riffs and midpaced headbangers that all weave in and out of the song for its four minute entirety smoothly. The title track follows a similar pattern though it has a bit more technical riffing as well as some stellar bass interludes. 

Assorted Heap also made the decision to include acoustic guitars on "The Experience of Horror." The track "In Vain" is a minute long instrumental that consists of a relaxing acoustic passage that transitions into the next song "Sold Out Souls" nicely. I must also comment on the bassist's performance on this album because he does a tremendous job of providing some awesome fills that could be compared to the great Roger Patterson (though, not quite that great). The bass pattern on "Trick to Your Mind" is terrific and serves as the main focus of the song for that point, rather than a guitar riff or melody. There isn't much more to be said for this six song record, other than it is clearly superior to anything that Kreator or Destruction released around the same time. 

Highlights

"Unexpiated Bloodshed"

"The Experience of Horror"

"Sold Out Souls"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10] 

Mangled Torsos - Drawings of the Dead [1994]

Let me just start off this review by stating that this record is some weird death metal. No, that's probably an understatement, seriously this is some abstract music, yet I like it. It's not weird in an overly technical kind of way, though these Germans definitely know how to play their instruments, but in just the way they structure their music, as well as random little nuances that appear throughout. The general weird atmosphere on "Drawings of the Dead" is probably a good selling point for these guys, as they are unique, but it also serves as a hindrance on this record (More on that later). 

First off, the vocals on here are something that immediately jump out at the listener. On the first track of this record, "Unsuspecting Sacrifice," the listener is treated with some dark melodies that loom over some heavy chords, but you can't help notice the growls that are also being spewed out of the singer's mouth as they don't really add anything to the already bleak intro, they're just there. The twin vocal assault on this album is ever so present, as one of them (I'm not sure which) sounds a lot like Chris Barnes. The growls are plenty heavy, but at the same time they're rather coherent and understandable, while the other singer sounds more like his fellow countrymen who use their guttural vocals more so for thrash, but the same effect is present here and it sounds great. 

The riffs on this album mainly gravitate towards the midpaced side of things and they're usually pretty doomy as well. The doomy riff that kicks off the title track is quite good and transitions into the fantastic riff right after flawlessly. The songs "Dereanged Body Love" and "Malignant Tumor" also have some stellar riffs that should have no problem in getting your headbanging in the midst of the doomy interludes and dark atmosphere. One reason for this atmosphere is because of the melodies that can be found throughout "Drawings of the Dead." The track "Dissemble" does a fine job of raising the hair on the back of your neck with its chilling melodies that slither along underneath the ridiculously heavy vocals. 

Now remember the beginning of this review when I said that this album is, for lack of a better word, weird? Yeah, it is. It isn't just the switch between the Barnes like vocals and the guttural attack from the other vocalist, that isn't really uncommon, but it's mainly from the odd structures among other things. Other things like the use of acoustic guitars in the middle of the songs. This alone isn't weird, just not very ordinary for death metal bands but Mangled Torsos manages to mix their softer side particularly well to add to the overall feel of the music, especially on the song "Lost Emotions." While the acoustic guitar isn't completely alone, it's backed by the heavy chords and fronted by the heavier vocals, but it works out. However, it didn't really work on the title track. After being treated with some top notch riffs, the song turns into a showcase for the acoustic guitar as it plays on its own for quite a while and dominates the song for the most part. Luckily, it returns to the high level it was at earlier, but one has to wonder just how great this song would have been if the acoustic section was shortened or even taken out completely. Another odd moment on "Drawings of the Dead" was the track "Morphea." It starts off with a great riff and just when you think it's going to pick up, the riff is still there and the vocalist is growling like a rabid wolf. The same riff carries on for two minutes and nothing changes, which is sad because the riff is damned good. 

In the end, Mangled Torsos delivered an album that not only stands out, but manages to retain a sense of ingenuity that ensures "Drawings of the Dead" is the kind of album that strikes you as abnormal at first and one that could have been better, but also shows promise that it will grow on you and become a record that often appears in your rotation. 

Highlights

"Drawings of the Dead"

"Deranged Body Love"

"Malignant Tumor"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.2/10] 

Nuclear Tribunal - Attack of the Salami-Smokers from Venus [1998]

This release sounds like thrash, grind and death metal all got together and spawned the not so perfect child. Nuclear Tribunal aren't the most known band on the block and there's fairly good reason for that. This isn't the greatest album in exsistence, but the eye catching artwork and the humour on the album alone make it pretty great and worth reviewing. I really do enjoy this album a lot but I could picture someone hearing this and asking themselves why they're listening to this garbage. "Attack of the Salami-Smokers from Venus" is definitely interesting enough to look into further.

The music on the album is pretty simple deathgrind played at a mid to slower pace which does pick up often enough to create a hammering assault. The drums are mainly blast beats and just a lot of use of the high hats and snare. The bass on the album is unfortunately not very audible (I'd be surprised if you could hear it at all) and the guitars are pretty straight forward with the music. The tone is more of a crunchy thrash tone than a grindcore or death metal tone but the tempos are definitely those that you would find in death metal or grindcore. The vocals are honestly, the worst part of the album, in my opinion. The production or whatever was done to them makes it sound like the vocalist is trying to perform underwater.

I bought this album off of Amazon for about four dollars (including shipping and handling) just because of the artwork. It was a random purchase that I'm not disappointed about at all. It's a fun album and I enjoy the music enough as uninspired and simple as it is.

Highlights

"Nuclear Tribunal (Hate Their Audience)"

"WW III"

"I Came to Shoot Your Dicks Off"

Final Rating

Mediocre [7.0/10]