Ghost Story - The Image and the Reality (Demo) [1990]

The truth hurts. While so many undeserving acts receive recognition and pundits beyond belief, those whose fates are as tragic and fragmentary as Ghost Story becomes lost in the billowing wind. Fortunately, with the technological benefits ushered in by the 21st century, hunting down an obscure demo such as the Atlanta quartet's ''The Image and the Reality'' becomes a much easier task than to have acquired the demo by tape trading in the early 90's. Ghost Story and their second demo are significant for two reasons: not only does the sound existing within these five tracks possess the potential to champion most thrash or speed metal outings that were being put out by 1990, but the sound itself is quite unique, a stunning tribute to the power/speed/thrash traditions of the 80's that, without conspiring to move the genre's foundations in any manner, manages to become one of the most potent and memorable heavy metal demos of all time.

Yes, you heard it right, and the joke is on you if you're smirking behind your PC reading this, smiling at the laughable crudity of the cover art, because ''The Image and the Reality'' is fantastic. There is no tandem to quality here, since each track serves equal portions of ass-kickery, but I love that the band diverges from the linear thrashing simplicity or speed/thrash filth offered by so many of its peers, and a general feel of power metal here runs parallel to the well-forged arsenal of riffs, which are entirely memorable excursions into the wide fulfillment of the genre at large, and you're bound to hear anything from ''Rust In Peace'' era Megadeth to more progressively oriented speed/thrash a la Angent Steel, Toxik, Coroner and Watchtower to more obscure power/thrash acts from the early 90's like Mystik or Stygian. There is a certain hooking quality to the riffs that makes them both immensely entertaining and also slightly moving. ''I Won't Change'' is a good example, with a broad thrashing rhythm accentuating the verses and moodier breaks into ballad-esque arpeggios and melodic guitar solos. But the group also harnesses these chugging, looming that feels completely satisfying in terms of mood and sway, with pure wisps of clear power metal melody reminiscent of early Fates Warning crowning the remaining bits and pieces. Of course despite the marginal variants, Ghost Story's focus remains a furious dialect of speed and thrash metal, like the excellent verse of ''Repent'', full of twisting but uncomplicated riffs which sound like an awesome addendum that Dave Mustaine forgot to add to his first two Megadeth discs. At any rate, the rhythm section remains extremely tight and killer, with no frugality of headbanging material.

Rob Thompson's vocals here are part of what makes the demo so damn unique. A versatile detachment from the classic harsh Teutonic rasp, but retaining enough audibility, poignancy and an arousing timber to sound fresh, I'd say he sounds like a more controlled, gruffer Sean Killan, but all the same he can seamlessly weave into a different tone according to the undercurrent of guitars: granted, he doesn't feel like a majestic soaring banshee destined to bewilder a listener as on a classic like ''Think This'' or ''Control and Resistance'', but he still sounds almost immediately distinguishable than the umpteenth 80's thrash rehash I'd hear. For a demo, the production here, just like everything else, reigns supreme. Sure, you might need to raise the volume a tad before you can really hear the music, but the drums have a crisp tone to them and never perambulate in terms of volume as on an occasional demo recording; the guitars are copious but they never overfeed the mix; and the bass is surprisingly audible in a Steve Harrison kind of way, ballasting the metallic crevices of the guitars with some sweet, raw lines. In terms of instrumentation, Ghost Story sure dwell into a lot of 'contemplative' discourse riffing, more often than a regular thrash act, but the long moments are never dull as to cull boredom from the listener and they're smart enough to break off from the more melodic, moody instruments-only plateau just in time to cut into a fierce chorus or bridge. Every song is truly legendary here, within its minimal cult status: from the introductory arpeggios of ''I Won't Change'' to the irresistible chorus on ''Silent Masses'' to the unforgettable gap riff midway ''What Few Even Dare'' which has stayed with me ever since my first spin, ''The Image of the Reality'' is one of those rare recordings, which, assuming the shape of another abstruse obscurity, heightens to the level of a full-length, beating so many at their own game that it makes my flesh prickly just thinking about it. Truly, its only fault is its brevity and slightly cramped production that feels only natural. Otherwise, find this at all costs, and if you're a collector of heavy metal demos, you've already wasted your time reading this reviewer's fanboyish rant about it.

Highlights
''Sanity Web''
''What Few Even Dare''
''Silent Masses''

Final Rating
Masterpiece [9/10]

Cyclone - Brutal Destruction [1986]

It might be a sad fact that Cyclone suffered from anachronisms throughout their brief career, but they nevertheless managed to emerge as one of the best Belgian thrash outfits with only two full-lengths at their belt. While their sophomore was a tour de force in the realms of classic, albeit chunkier Bay Area thrash, complete with a characteristically dark and alluring atmosphere, back in 1986, when Bay Area thrash was just finding its way around the woodwork with cornerstones like ''Master of Puppets'', ''Reign in Blood'', ''Darkness Descends'' and ''Bonded By Blood'', the Belgians were keeping more to the German rule book, boasting a vicious, uncompromising Teutonic aesthetic which Kreator, Destruction, Sodom and Tankard were promulgating at the time, doused in speed metal. As crazed and energetic it may seem to purists, ''Brutal Destruction'' is not the most memorable piece to be excavated from its time, even though the Belgians obviously had a good head start.

Cyclone always seemed one step behind the world, which is probably why they were lost in the throngs. Had this record come out 2-3 years before its release, it would easily had been hailed as one of those cult pre-'85 recordings, with ragged production values and undiluted, sporadic speed/thrash riff ballasts supporting its cult status. But that's not the case here, since ''Brutal Destruction'' feels like an average ringlet in the whole circular universe of thrash recordings, even at a time when the genre was still fresh and malleable. Still, that's not to say ''Brutal Destruction'' is bad; while I'd still say this isn't as impressive or technical as something Dave Mustane would have crafted at the time, speedy guitar licks and delicious lead snippets inserted into a broader, savage thrashing undercurrent, Cyclone is notably 'German' here, with a sound that reminds one of the earliest Destruction and Kreator records peized randomly and stuffed into a nice speed metal cauldron, yet not as evil as some of Sodom's early recordings, stripped almost entirely from all sense of melody. Ripping, ribald muted tremolos and occasional heavier moments that borrowed a riff or two from ''Pleasure to Kill'' give the impression that the band members where still uncertain whether they should go by a more straightforward speed/thrash aesthetic or a slightly more complex hefty thrash barge (it turns out they picked the latter in the end, although not on this record) with reasonably outrageous and corny song titles (''Take Thy Breath'', ''Incest Love'', ''In the Grip of Evil''). Unmuzzled and road-driven as these riffs are, it's hard to take Cyclone too seriously, even with the evident energy bestowed upon their performance: this is 'real' 80's metal for sure, but it also feels more moderate than the higher octane body of works that was being put out at that time.

The vocals give that frenetic Paul Bailoff effect; they're amateurish (not unlike the sophomore) but there's enough shrieking and shouting to be heard to make them enjoyable. I'm not going to lie that the guitar tone and the production levels are surprisingly impressive for a record out of 1986. The chords, the drums and even the plodding, one-dimensional base lines are all suitably integrated into the mix, and if anything, the leads, in all their frivolity, are still fairly entertaining with a sporadic blues attitude, reminiscent more of a ''Kill 'em All'' than ''Infernal Overkill''. To be honest, there are good tracks here: ''Long to Hell'' and ''Incest Love'' are both quite compilation-worthy, fiendish shouting and successively rabid riffs galore. ''Fall Under His Command'' is probably my favorite tune here, possibly because of its swirling panorama of guitar solos and a bulky, percussive main riff coupled with some more fanciful, tremolo picking episodes, but in the end, none of these tracks are really on a par with the premium material that was being released in '86-'87, nor do they cast a wide net of creative reinforcement upon the genre. Needless to say, I'd vie for the Belgians' sophomore over this any day for its sheer crushing majesty, but ''Brutal Destruction'' yet remains as one of those half-unearthed mid-80's speed/thrash gems that deserves a discovery (or rediscovery) at the hands of collectors or purists, and even beyond that it remains a spry and rampant declaration of the genre's hostility against those who supposedly flattened out its tires with tongue-in-cheek during the early 90's. Poseur-free as always.

Highlights
''Incest Love''
''Fall Under His Command''
''Long To Hell''

Final Rating
Mediocre [6.8/10]

Cyclone - Inferior To None [1990]

Unable to come into commercial fruition due to the financial constraints of Justice Records, Cyclone ''Inferior To None'' is perhaps one of Belgium's best-kept secrets of the 80's and early 90's, not solely for the fact that I've almost never seen a genuine metalhead give a nod towards its direction, but because it retain some of the 'classical' approach of thrash that largely dissolved by 1990. In fact, so much of this album's musical constituents are built on the foundation of ''Master of Puppets'' and a handful of other pivotal Bay Area thrash records that it's hard not to admire the Belgians' commitment to the transition from the rougher, frolicking Germanic aggression of their debut ''Brutal Destruction'' to the grandiose scale of this record, even if took them 4 years. I imagine ''Inferior To None'' was still sucked in by the painstakingly devoted heavy metal subculture existing in and around Belgium in the 90's, but even today you could count yourselves lucky if you caught a glimpse of it scanning lists or obscure forums, which is shame because this is easily one of the best  Belgian thrash outings, ever: I'm not going to shake my head and moan in despair for the sheer underestimation that has entailed this record for over 25 years, but this would be a good place to start on telling you why you should start adding it to your collection.

Surprisingly, ''Inferior To None'' is less glazed and technical than, say, a band like Forbidden or Atrophy, sporting a dense, dark production quality that I can't exactly equate with any other thrash recording of the 80's or 90's. You have to give the Belgians some props because despite emerging on the dawn of groove and grunge the songs here are don't sound anything like Pantera of mid 90's Sepultura, with the groove and swagger of the rhythm is not unlike the transformation of Chastain on their 1990 ''For Those Who Dare'' which also bolstered 'groovy', even modern-ish production levels in contrast to the grainier texture of their USPM/heavy metal output in the 80's. But that aside, ''Inferior To None'' is such a dark and classy adventure full of riffs and fantastic, bulky drumming that it easily overrides the primal aesthetics of the debut, with pummeling verse riffs and lengthy songs not unlike the ones on ''Master of Puppets''. Of course the album doesn't contain one 'Leper Messiah' or 'Damage Inc.', but you can bet that the approach is similar, coated denser guitar tones and a far more ominous atmosphere than bands which were performing thrash in the early 90's; I also wouldn't say any of the songs are infectiously catchy, but honed with care and precision enough to make this one tantalizing bulk of a riff-fest.

Guido Gevels's vocals, admittedly, don't quite hit the sweet spot when it comes to operatic skill. I would compare the man to Sean Killan, but more controlled, yet despite this his fanciful singing falls perpendicular to the crushing parade of riffs and proves to transcend what might have been a painful attendance to thrash vocals 101, and instead we get a surprisingly effective performance. He'll occasionally go for a resonating shriek or bark, not unlike those of the legendary engineers of the Teutonic howl, like Millie, Tom Angelripper, or even Ron Royce of Coroner, as on ''So Be It'', and indeed even though I've dubbed ''Inferior To None'' a 'controlled' album, it only acquires that tag as an improvement over its predecessor, because there's such a wall of well balanced flesh and chaos to be enjoyed here that Gevels's raspier moments still hold credibility. To be sure, the leads here are spurious but not to the point that they're on par with the gigantic rhythm department which looms over the record like the daunting, titular door on the cover. The chugs and palm mutes are so scabrous and majestically heavy that ''Inferior To None'' doesn't always feel a far cry from a doom record, with something like ''The Other Side'' serving as a middle-paced crusher, delivering thrash justice. ''I Am The Plague'' is one the shortest pieces on the record and in my opinion, rushing and vivacious while still retaining the album's signature heft and eeriness. The band also manages to elude typical thrash/heavy/power pitfalls by supplanting a generic ballad for the beautiful instrumental ''Crown Of Thorns'', a sweeping humdinger with percussive, even anthemic drums and moody transitions.

All told, I wouldn't be able to cite so many 'golden' moments on this record since everything isn't exactly so different from one another (a few moments truly stand out) and I wouldn't have minded a greater sense of melody for a record of such depth; but in the end it all comes down to the sheer effort put into this powerhouse, which leaves me wanting for more. How many bands were performing thrash like this in '90? Devastation and Demolition Hammer would put out their respective anvils in the following few years, but those would be roving far too flirtatiously with death metal to be called 'pure' thrash. Even Sepultura would abandon the uncircumcised brutality of ''Beneath The Remains'' for something slightly more technical with ''Arise''. All the tech-thrash bands - Coroner, Toxik, Watchtower, Mekong Delta, you name it - were configuring intricate guitar palettes with machine-like precision (I actually do love their releases at that time, but that's another story) and there was little room for what Cyclone were harboring. It's far from perfect, but just settle on the ''Crown Of Thorns'' and give this disc a chance - you owe it yourself, thrasher.

Highlights:
Crown of Thorns
Slavery
Paralysed
I Am The Plague


Final Rating
Awesome [8.5/10]

Holy Terror - Terror and Submission [1987]

Perhaps the reason both of Holy Terror's albums are considered cult classics today is that their sound deviated greatly from their surrounding peers, and it still feels fresh today. The Californians never once shied from exhibiting their own, versatile influences, and, having an odder spectrum of influences from their counterparts who shamelessly aped Slayer, Exodus, Possessed and Metallica, I imagine they had a hard time coping with their difficulties that arose over the fact their sound was peculiar and the quite thrash machine-gun, especially considering many bands were still at their crude beginnings in 1987. Holy Terror formed in 1986, just one year prior to the release of their megalithic thrash classic, and afterwards, in 1988, they would release a sequel, ''Mind Wars'', also a tempered current of atmospheric thrash, right before disbanding in 1989. Holy Terror is now nothing but an addendum in history books, much like many of the emergent thrash acts that popped up in that period, but they've given us two wondrous classics for a multitude of glorious neck-snapping sessions, the former one being the better.

The Californians had a tight, punchy formula arranged from the start, guaranteeing triumph from the very start. Unlike so many other vile speed/thrash attractions of the time, who filtered the nasty, gritty violence of their chords with insatiable stupor, Holy Terror maintained their control with articulate diligence, and kicked asses just as intensively as, say, Toxik (''World Circus'' era), Necropolis, Blessed Death and other East Coast cults that literally sprinted with their guitar work. Of course, that's not just it. There is a delicious sense of professionalism sandwiched amid a passionate cry towards the glories of the mosh pit, and the five-piece merely play a simple helping of filthy speed/thrash here; the guitars are loaded with atmospheric considerations and can often burst into more epic proportions of thrash metal, somehow similar to the US power metal acts of the time. There is a subtle sense of western ambiance as well, certainly something you don't come across frequently, even in today's standards; a fluid, tempered set of gears motioning in a way as to allure a huge range of thrash aficionados, all rupturing through the static rawness of the core parameters of the recording.

Yes, ''Terror and Submission'' is that good. The rumbling tenacity of the rapid riff progressions are only matched by the accuracy of more complex patterns that are stitched to the broader forms of riffing to render them further interesting. I'm sure that listeners who were only mildly taken by the bulldozing plethora of riffs found themselves deeply immersed in a sea of Keith Deen's spectacular vocal performance. I'm totally going to sound like I'm kissing his ass here, but fuck, his timbre is one of the most original in the field of thrash;  a hoovering range of blessed high-pitched screams that I find to be the principle ingredient to Holy Terror's cult status and atmospheric, almost ''apocalyptic'' touch. Just take ''Tomorrow's End'' as an example; the dual guitars grind their way to the atmospheric pinnacle of the album, showering the listener with a blistering rain of tremolos, all while Deen is vibrating sonorously above them, a completion of the near-flawless tune for the apocalypse. Of course, ''Tomorrow's End'' is hardly my favorite piece here. The title tracks progresses with immaculate speed and efficiency, a viscous ray of melodies constantly protruding from the stomping barrages of base rhythm, an exercise of the traditional power metal formula, practiced upon a speed/thrash basis. ''Alpha Omega - The The Bringer of Balance'' is my favorite tune out the entire 42 minute thing, and having raped the replay button with that one, I can safely say that it's one of the foremost individual speed/thrash pieces out there.

The many evocative aspects of ''Terror and Submission'' transfer a plenitude of moods and imagery into the listener's mind. Yes, it's not so emotionally resonating as an atmospheric black metal masterwork, but it will still conjure portrayals of religious war, the apocalypse and desolation, something that, much like the band's other tenets, is seldom found on other bands. The leads are spurious and unforgiving. They start spurting their content out of nowhere, a delighting discourse through the entirety of the fret board, all of which are courtesies of the two masterful guitarists. I don't see how, after such copious and extensive right hand guitar work, the guitarists still get to keep their fingers, because this is one fucking blistering ride of nostalgia that nobody's bound forget so easily. So angry and forceful and dangerous that blasting this through your stereos on a vigorous car trip with your college buddies would undeniably make someone jump right out of the car, towards escapism and beyond. Yet ''Terror and Submission'' covers a wide enough territory to both decapitate necks and swirl like a controlled, seasoned tempest. It's carefully crafted, the intricacies well applied to the music, and it stands as an enduring thrash classic. Its sequel is also a great record, but the Californians would reach their climax in 1987. Speed and blisters forever.

Highlights
''Alpha Omega - The Bringer of Balance''
''Blood Of The Saints''
''Evil's Rising''
''Terror and Submission''

Final Rating
Masterpiece [9/10]

Terrahsphere - Third In Order Of The Sun [1991]

Though the 90's obviously did not provide with a wealth of thrash that was half as prolific or good as the 80's, emergent acts that culminated during 1990-1993 no doubt have a colorful, even mercurial appeal that I sometimes find to be superior to those of their more olden counterparts. I'm not claiming that New Hampshire thrashers Terrahsphere were bringing a slab of utmost distinction to the table, but they were certainly an enlightening band to come across during the years which thrash was slowly being torn asunder. Terrahsphere's sole album ''Third In Order Of The Sun'' was conducted by the underground entrepreneurs New Renaissance Records, which previously released an abundance of excellent underground obscurities from Soothsayer, Amulance, At War, Blood Feast and Dream Death to name a few; and I believe they found their perfect fit with Terrahsphere, a bristling, busy quartet of madhouse fugitives who don't shy from exposing their sympathy for science-fiction. Well, almost perfect.

You could really assert that the group is drawing influences from a number of suspects: early Toxik, Realm, Megadeth, Norwegian obscures Equinox, Sacrifice, and so forth, but to me they seem like an almost direct translation of Invocator's clinical, surging debut, only stripped up of some of the punch that really rendered the debut so hostile and raucous. Ah yes, the punch. Probably the sole thing that made me malcontent, but thankfully, the band deploys such a myriad of carnal, technical speed/thrash interpretations that it becomes nearly impossible not to succumb to the brisk, curving bevy of sci-fi induced grapple hooks, which take numerous forms of hostility over the coarse of the record, and what's more is that Terrahsphere have a manic vocalist behind all the superfluous machine-gun fire of acute tech-thrash spurts, a frenzied madman whose rupturing vocal cords gyrate between Flemming Ronsdorf of Artillery in his more rowdy days, Jacob Hansen of Invocator and Voivod's Snake. So whether it be the robotic tapping riffs of the opener, the Voivod-like chord progressions of ''Scioreality'' or the finalizing, frivolous leads of ''What Was And Will Be Again'', you've got yourself a genuine futuristic minefield, and every moment is explosive.

The single flare of the opener, ''Re-Emergence Of Atlantis'' is enough to inform the the listener that he/she has just stepped into the chamber of the sovereign of demented pandemonium, but bear in mind that Terrahsphere is not completely about razing, guitars and frenetic vocal output. Terrahsphere set the incomplete fundamentals of a sub-genre that could not reach large heights and would have otherwise boomed into something even more exciting. Sure, technical thrash metal with just faster tendencies is hardly a novel, even for the people of 1991, since Watchtower, Toxik, Deathrow, Hexenhaus and Mekong Delta dropped their pioneering works in previous years, but with the extra aid of fluttering craze behind technically adept guitars something truly attractive could have been born, but the number of bands worshiping the aforementioned acts are low today, so a tiny kindle in the lesser parts of the underground seems to have almost no impact at all.

And perhaps the blossom of such a sound would have occurred in future years by its creators, but unfortunately, Terrahsphere did not live long enough to shed more light on their aesthetics. ''Third In Order Of The Sun'' has its flaws, no doubt, mostly that it lacked the meat it needed to pack a proper punch and because, despite the proficiency of the guitar work, it's still somewhat held aback, a merely combustive fragment of the albums it vaguely tries to exemplify, but through a voluptuous, though not brutal vortex of cavorting intricacies, bound to each other by cajoling elements extracted from outer space, it makes for a highly vibrant and enjoyable listen, and a reasonably good achievement considering the year it was released. Fluent debut which is second in order of the tech-thrash constraint, bested only by the initiating masters of the sub-genre.

Highlights
''Scioreality''
''New Clear Day'''
''Re-Emergence Of Atlantis''
''Inheritance''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.2/10]

Savage Death - Crucified After The Genocide [2010] (Compilation)

Perhaps one of the most staggering and resonating sojourns into the mid 80's reservoir of extremity can be attained best through the unearthing of classic demos that no doubt had their impact on the local scene, but where later on deterred and trampled into submission with the rising of stronger, to be mainstream acts, but I still feel such obscurities stuck in amid the very ooze of time bear the essence of the true energy of their period. Really, any underrated demo could have served the purpose here, but in this case I've chosen one of my underground favorites, Savage Death. While band's body work is short; only two demos ranging at about 35 minutes, F.O.A.D Records has blissfully uprooted the band from their subterranean prison and has brought the two works of savagery to disposal, all the better for collectors of unveiled antiquities.

And delving into the demos, you'll find that Savage Death's material is hardly a novelty for anyone who has the slightest idea what crudities were being churned up in the US scene back then, but even so compared to many of its contemporaries' axe-work circa 1985-1986, this carries a reasonable level of aggression, extremity, along with all the fundamentals that comprised the anatomy of an average speed/thrash neanderthal. In fact, had the group started their endeavors a year or two earlier, they might have surpassed their fellow countrymen Possessed, all thanks to a roiling, gyrating tone to serve as an arboretum to Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and even some of the earliest crossover thrash examples that laid in the very heart of the US. That being said, Savage Death's compositions are hardly sentient interpretations of precision. The tone is highly muscular in contrast to speed metal bands who took their respective influences from primal power metal and NWOBHM footings, but at the same time it's twangy, high-pitched and takes up the majority of space in the mix, the other quadrants unequally given to the dissipating, feral inflection of the vocals and the raw clangor of the drums.

Despite all the one-dimensional perspective of acquiring belligerence through meat, bones, grime and evil that are highly prevalent in both demos, the 1985 ''Mass Genocide'' and the 1986 ''Crucified In Hell'' have their vague differences that help butter up and radiate the emergence of diversity on the entire compilation of songs. One of the core reasons for this implicit difference may be the change in drummers; as Eric Young picks up the drum sticks in the stead of Dave Marks to do some snare-battering action on ''Crucified In Hell'', a distinction in percussion ambiguously forms, and additionally, the ever schizoid Joe Barrows also makes some slight changes in his rancorous toning. ''Crucified In Hell'' features a stockpile of tremolo wails too, unlike its predecessor, and on the same demo, the band begins a tighter focus on traditional crossover aesthetics, as seen on ''I Impaled Your Mother'' and ''Kill The Posers'', while ''Mass Genocide'' was almost purely devoted the meaty, grinding edge of its hostile brute blade, swinging voluptuously.

It seems like these vandals could have burst and released an expunging debut just a year after their second demo, but sadly, their brief discography never saw the light of a full-length that would have even trebled their potential for creating unbridled blitzkrieg. Yet, I suppose we should be thankful the band released two demos of sheer mid 80's speed/thrash excellence. Even for a critic who takes all his/her music quite seriously, this is a traumatic, raw onset of nostalgia, in which case translates simply into interaction, interaction and interaction. Certainly a sumptuous feast for anyone who gets pleasure out of early Slayer, Metallica, Exodus, DRI, Possessed, and primordial South American textbook examples of death/thrash like Sepultura, Vulcano, Attomica and Dorsal Atlantica circa 1986-1987.

Highlights
''Mass Genocide''
''The Advisory''
''Evil Dead''
''Savage Death''

Final Rating
Mediocre [7/10]

Baphomet - The Dead Shall Inherit [1992]

Every time there's a new morbid bludgeon going on in the current death metal underground, the origin of the that cadaverous formula is tightly bind to your typical Floridian suspects of brutality; Massacre, Morbid Angel to a certain extent, Deicide, and perhaps even some South American intensity thrown in. Though, I regret to admit that the current trends have taken reiteration to a point where it's almost a necessity, and while doing so, many overlooked gems are ignored or neglected. Borne of the crude and ghoulish cemetery grime and made of rotten flesh and bile, Baphomet is what you'd probably call ''a grotesquery of the genre'', which, at least circa 1989-1993, was considered  to be very true. Huddled in gore, filth and malignancy, Baphomet's ''The Dead Shall Inherit'' is a crudely underrated treasure to be found in the deepest, putrid trenches of the burial ground.

''The Dead Shall Inherit'' was probably overly brutal for even acknowledged mavens of old school Floridian brutality that I've mentioned, who brought the genre to a point of lush and wealthy, mainstream finesse. There's always some good in reconsidering the roots of one's masterful aesthetics that have been divided by dichotomy over years of development and sophistication. Baphomet still today sounds utterly regurgitating and macabre, weighing immense, muscular riffage upon heaps of carnality, forming an oblique hybrid of death and thrash fashioned in such a way that you'd get the feeling the composers were gushing out frantically in violent surge of adrenalin while shattering bones and flaying a marauded cadaver. It's possible that the band was trying to take the gurgling, decomposed ebullition of the roaming kings of gore and brutality at the time, so there are obvious differences; instead of keeping the listener distorted with clinical technical death metal showers, ''The Dead Shall Inherit'' weighs on pressure, excluding the busying, and fluttering their gory momentum with masterfully crafted implements of sordid, ruthless simplicity and sending the listener's pulverized skeletal complex into mire of blood. This is music that neanderthals would've simply adored.

Of course, all these primal incursions come with a cost. Any sort of mood, embellishment and technical diversity is left to rot, omitted. Therefore, in the sense that the band's only implements are pummeling grooves and upright beats, you could say they were pretty ''non-bullshit'', but then again they would probably tell you the same thing. In addition to the hammering rhythmic department, Baphomet had sodden bass lines that really quivered and enlightened the discharge of the guitars as to decompose them even further. Like on ''Valley Of The Dead'', on the legendary intro riff, the bassist literally exposes all the stomach-churning contents of his body while this four strings bob to attain undeniable headbanging pleasure. Tom Frost's vocal timbre is also a shaking feature and oblique like the guitar work; I can't quite relate it directly to any well-known guttural vocalist. Consistent and punishing like a shower of meaty bricks falling upon unprotected heads, ''The Dead Shall Inherit'' will leave the typical OSDM freak sweltering, and should be the weapon of choice for anyone looking for his/her USDM fix. Feel free to abolish you neck, but make sure your next appointment with the doctor doesn't involve any ugly, violent music being blasted out. The consequences will be vital.

Highlights:
''Valley Of The Dead''
''Streaks Of Blood''
''Vile Reminiscence''

Final Rating:
Awesome [8.2/10]

Gammacide - Victims Of Science [1989]

Although at the time there was Devastation, who delivered their smoldering masterpiece two years later, Gammacide were ultimately the most spastic, ballistic thrash metal act coming from Lone Star State. This would, unfortunately be the the sole full-length release by the band, but during the uttermost pinnacle for thrash Gammacide ruptures an absolutely tremendous cataclysmic boulder-shower of brickwall riffs and immense nuclear bombardments hailing in an all-out pernicious atomic explosion, and so infectiously captivating are their riffs that it was literally impossible to shelter from the brick rain that never seemed to cease; the band's shtick was thundering with ridiculous abominations of ferocity and and riveting attention with their meticulous obscenity.

The very first time I encountered this frenzy, I was perplexed, to say the least. Gammacide could have easily reigned over the parched wastelands of Texas with such a stomping precision, but such a fate was never written in the cards. But ignoring their future misfortune, ''Victims Of Science'' is the gathering of the most violent thrash that was available up to that point, a shrewd aversion against society's imprudent actions against the environment, and pure, unbridled anger, absolutely pulsing through the gamma-radiated veins of the band members. Gammacide delivered so many riffs in single three-minute tracks that they could even be considered omnipotent riff deities, and there's also Vernam Ponville's Sean Killian-esque approach that boasted of relentless fury, and spasmodic leads drilling into the listener's subconscious like some mutated laser - these were all the surgical twists they could pull off, and who knows, they might have even fabricated more and even catchier material if they had lived through the massacre of thrash during the mid-late 90's.

''Victims Of Science'' can well be considered as one of the most neck-wrecking extremities that was prevalent in those days, and it's absolutely straight up ferocity at its finest, most purest. I even consider counting the band's later demo material as an inimical piece of this puzzle, and hell, even if you can't show relative enthusiasm against this distorted nuclear bombast, I'm assuming many will still give into its lyrics:

In the race to win priorities lost
Victory assured at what cost?
Defense network spread far and wide
Works off human sacrifice
Radiation that leaves us dead
Won't harm circuits encased in lead
Countries of the world are robbed of life
Battles are waged by satellites

Machines are given full reign
Electronic soldiers feel no pain
If they win who's to gain?
Your fate is sealed by emotionless steel

For the typical, banging thrasher there's not a single fail in this album. Even a more reluctant listener might as well be content with a dozen of listens to bear and behold this imposing ferocity and the ludicrous ingredients that make if what it is. It's hardcore, it's thrash, it's sheer brutality, and no matter how overlooked it is it can still send countless numbers of its fellow competitors spinning in dazzled exhaustion and still explode with an hooking, atomic, and even cheesy discharge. 

Highlights:

Observations

Victims Of Science

Chemical Imbalance 

Endangered Species

Final Rating:

Awesome [8.7/10]

Pestilence - Consuming Impulse [1989]

After delivering the awesome "Malleus Maleficarum" only a year earlier, Pestilence would unleash this monolith of death/thrash greatness on Christmas of 1989, and I could only imagine how awesome it would've been to unwrap a "Consuming Impulse" LP and see that near-iconic album cover staring back at me (what an unholy holiday that would've been). The thrashy record that preceded this one was a fantastic foundation for the Dutch quartet to build upon and they did just that, as nearly every aspect of the music on their sophomore is improved from the debut. The riffs, vocals, solos, songwriting, rhythm section and every other intangible part of the horrific music is better than it was on "Malleus Maleficarum," making "Consuming Impulse" a must-have for any fan of death metal, thrash metal or all around violent and gut-wrenching music made to crush bones and fracture skulls. 

I can't pick just a single highlight of this record, as it's impossible to choose between Van Drunen's brilliant vocals and the excellent riff-fest courtesy of Patrick Mameli and Patrick Uterwijk. Van Drunen provided one of his best performances on this album (second only to his amazing work on "Last One on Earth"), as he no longer sounded like the thrash frontman from the prior album, but a man who personifies death. Put together his brand of death growls which sound like someone who is dying from a slow shotgun wound to the chest with song titles like "The Trauma" and "Reduced to Ashes" and you've automatically got a winner. Throw in some of the catchiest riffs around and you've got an instant masterpiece. It also helps that the rhythm section is improved as well. I can actually pick out drum fills that caught my attention throughout the record and I never had a problem with the drumming during faster parts of the music or the fills during slower and heavier moments. Even the inclusion of synths at points doesn't bother me as the break in "Suspended Animation" is one of the most memorable moments of the album. The riffs are brutalizing, the vocals are horrendously perfect and the headbanging inevitably painful, yet entirely satisfying. 

When you kick off a record with a death/thrash classic like "Dehydrated" which features a terrific mix of thrashy and death metal influenced riffs, you've gotta wonder how the band would top that song later on, and then they do with another onslaught in "The Process of Suffocation." Every song features riffs of the "to-die-for" variety; riffs that are instantly ingrained in one's DNA and also induce plenty of whiplash, though no song has more chaotic and violent riffage than "Echoes of Death" which would put Demolition Hammer (the masters of violence) to shame. "Deify Thy Master" also balances out the heavy with the darker material with its sweet tremolo passages and melodies that foreshadowed what was to come later on in the band's constantly evolving discography. "Consuming Impulse" isn't only a vast improvement from the already stellar debut album, but a masterful work that has stood the test of time as one of the best death/thrash full-lengths ever. I can't recommend this album enough, so I'll let the music do the talking for me and if you haven't had the pleasure of listening to Pestilence's finest work, prepare to be reduced to ashes. 

Highlights
"Dehydrated"
"The Process of Suffocation"
"Suspended Animation"
"Echoes of Death"

Final Rating
Masterpiece [9.5/10]

Pestilence - Malleus Maleficarum [1988]

It probably isn't even necessary to get into any kind of detailed intro for this band. Pestilence is the reason for a couple of massive things in the metal world. Firstly, this is where the death metal god Martin Van Drunen got his start before venturing off onto other amazing projects (including Asphyx, Hail of Bullets and even Bolt Thrower for a bit). The other notable deed from the Dutch masters is the release of this awesome record "Malleus Maleficarum" and the masterpiece that is "Consuming Impulse." This album is the first of what would be a varied discography for Pestilence, as none of their full-lengths sound the same. The debut is definitely the most raw release (and it could even be considered primitive if compared to the later albums) and shows this four-piece band excelling in a genre that was still at a creative peak with other top-notch thrash releases like Morbid Saint's vicious "Spectrum of Death," Coroner's dark, technical thrashterpiece "Punishment For Decadence" and Forbidden's awesome debut "Forbidden Evil." 

I mentioned that this is the band that saw the introduction of my all-time favorite death metal vocalist Martin Van Drunen. However, his vocals on "Malleus Maleficarum" are unlike his tortured growls of his latter work, as they're more suited for a violent thrash group because they're much less throaty or deep, sounding like a mix of Chuck Schuldiner and Jeff Becerra. The riffage, too, is much more thrash-oriented than the band's later albums, but it doesn't affect the quality whatsoever. The wicked riffs that are seemingly littered throughout this album could hang with just about any of the others heard on plenty 1988 releases. The rhythm section didn't really do anything overly impressive, but they did their job well and that's plenty enough to make the music here heavy and headbang-friendly. The lead guitar work is another highlight on this album as the two guitarists showed that they're not just playing brutal riffs and trying to be heavier than the every other band, but that they're capable of writing memorable songs filled with awesome melodies and solos. 

The album-opener "Malleus Maleficarum/Antropormophia" starts the record off on a darker note with a kickass buildup featuring tremolo riffage which eventually leads to some thrashy riffs from hell. "Chemo Therapy" is an absolute curbstomper of a track with its whiplash-inducing riffs and an incredibly catchy chorus. "Parricide" and "Cycle of Existence" are just further proof that Pestilence are indeed masters at riff-crafting, with terrific midpaced sections and vile tremolo bursts. There aren't any complaints that could be made about "Malleus Maleficarum," and while it may not be as good as the record that came after it is still a quality listen and an album that is very worthy of your time. Let's just add this album to the list (and it's a pretty decent size list) of brilliant releases from the Dutch, sit back and bang our heads silly to some of the finest death/thrash to be bestowed upon the metal masses. 

Highlights
"Parracide"
"Chemo Therapy"
"Cycle of Existence"

Final Rating
Awesome [8.7/10] 

Snyper - Manifestations [1988] (Demo)

Introducing Snyper, a carnal and highly overlooked British thrash assault. For many people, these UK thrashers are just another addition to a growing old school thrash demo collection, but for me, or any other thrash-obsessed metalhead, it's simply a marvel of the Internet. There are many reasons why this five-piece never made to the grand league, and probably the most crucial ones is that they were from the UK, which, although mustered a fair amount of convincing thrash acts including my favorite Xentrix, never actually got the attention or support they required, and the second one, is an even more obvious reason; the band could only spew forth a handful of short demos and a split with numerous English thrash vandals, and so, here is their premier demo, ''Manifestations''; where is all began, in a way.

Snyper's style was probably renowned and copied countless times before it was even released, so yeah, in terms originality, Snyper scarcely stands out. I suppose we can call it an estranged mingle of semi-technical thrash with raw Bay Area elements and a few speed/thrash twists here and there, and the reason I can't quite describe the style of this demo is that it consisted of only one damn song, which pretty much erases the hope of a long paean emerging out of nowhere. The sole ephemeral track ''Manifestations'' can nonetheless boast a fair measure of energy, and besides espousing this sort of dark undertone to go with raw projection of riffs, Snyper has a burden of happy, almost ecstatic melodies springing out of nowhere, and a vile sound that I can relate to Mercful Fate with bits and pieces of Venom and Bathory. No, this isn't black/thrash, but the vocals can deliver harsh and ruinous growls, which makes it sound as if a madmen of a surgeon were plucking out bits of your intestines with a blunt scalpel while you're still conscious. Yep, scary shit.

Snyper's beginnings were humble, but the band showed proficiency, and they were apt to improve, but that never happened, unfortunately. Their augmenting potential was probably obliterated somewhere in the early to mid 90's after they released their final demo ''Something Illusionary''. I don't think even most die-hard thrash fan will become deliriously addicted to this demo, or any of Snyper's material for that matter, but giving this demo a spin every now and then for the sake of its some what evil and spurious contents can never result badly, and what's more, is that Snyper's arsenal has just begun to expose its frivolous afflictions, so be warned, for the band's best is yet to come.

Highlight
''Manifestations''

Final Rating
Mediocre [7.7/10]

Snyper - Obituary [1988] (Demo)

For a demo being released in the same year as the previous and somewhat immature installment ''Manifestations'', UK hit n' run thrashers certainly stepped up their game up by a good pace. Not only does Snyper ameliorate the material on the previous demo to form a robuster demo, but ''Obituary'' also stands out with its dexterous approach, its leaps and frivolous excursions, all building up into a single fifteen minute demo of three songs - possibly the best the UK thrashers will ever conjure. Seriously, you can never go wrong with such vigorous splashes in the face like this, and with a itsee bitsee bit of experimentation, Snyper are in the top of their game.

The ''experimentation'' I'm talking about here is lucidly not any major change in the bands style, and in fact, it would be wrong to actually call it an experimentation, but the thing is, on ''Obituary'', Snyper adorn the bloodthirsty thrash craze with fragments of queer twists, which, probably belongs to the same kind of ecstatic  diversity on the previous demo, only more embraced. First off, there demo has a far crisper and cleaner production than ''Manifestations'', and second, with the improved clarity and crunch, the riffs sound better executed, not to mention better penned. The band has obviously grown fonder of tremolos and brusque plods of melody entwining with carnal, raw chops and speed/thrash ruptures, and they utilize these blithe melodies to congeal with the tremolos, forming a solid hooking line of strident narrating riffs.

The vocals have stayed pretty much the same, which is something that I'm very glad about; they're still ghastly and throaty, the way I like it. This time, however, the importance of the vocals have increased. With the band sticking to the primal hostility that they had fancied quite a bit on the previous demo, the vocals become an essential part of the savagery department, emanating the raw insanity throughout the veins of the riff patterns and ultimately, pervading the primal energy. You're bound to have boisterous headbanging time whilst you listen to this, and moreover, this demo deserves accolades for having such a primitive and brisk feel to it, quite literally topping a good number of its fellow peers and countrymen during that time. My only complaint was that it was far too brief, as with all the band's demos, to fully enjoy, but hell, I still like it a lot.

Highlights
Sacred Blade
Deathright At Sunset

Final Rating
Awesome [8.3/10]

Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence [1990]

Bands like Exodus and Slayer wish they had the intensity that Demolition Hammer had on this record. This band might not have been nearly as big as the aforementioned bands, but they didn't lack any of the catchiness or violent energy to be at the top of the thrash scene; they just showed up too late. Around the time "Tortured Existence" hit the metal underground, a lot of thrash bands were already fading out or completely changing their sounds to appeal to a wider mainstream audience (hopping on the groove metal train or even going nu-metal), but not Demolition Hammer. This group could have hopped on the death metal bandwagon of the early '90s, but instead released some of the most savage thrash ever, right up there with bands like Kreator, Morbid Saint, Dark Angel and Sadus. 

Listening to these 9 tracks will almost guarantee a headbanging marathon. From the insane opener ".44 Caliber Brain Surgery" to the closing monster "Cataclysm," there will be several moments throughout that will make you want to awaken your inner neanderthal and fuck everything in sight up. ".44 Caliber Brain Surgery" and "Crippling Velocity" are definitely the two most violent songs on "Tortured Existence," as they effortlessly blend ferocious thrash riffage that is beyond fast with heavy, crushing passages for maximum chaos to ensue. In addition to being speed freaks, the band also provides plenty of music that simply destroys. "Neanderthal" and "Gelid Remains" feature stomping riffs that could be rated on the richter scale. The guitarists for this album also like to duel each other when it comes to the solos. Every song has plenty of back and forth solos that range from shredders to complete whammyfests, and they add just a little more awesome to each track. 

In addition to being varied with their guitar aesthetics, Demolition Hammer is much more than just a brutal thrash act, because their music is entirely memorable. "Infectious Hospital Waste" just might be one of the catchiest thrash songs ever recorded, and the breakdown of the song sends chills down my spine every single time. There are terrific gang (riot) vocals throughout this album, and the listener can't help but shout along with them because they're that damn catchy. Vinny Daze's stellar performance behind the kit also propelled this record's music to another plateau, as the drumming pushed the riffage and tempo far and beyond at points. In addition to providing some decimating vocals, Steve Reynolds also brings some low-end heaviness with his bass playing. The bass tone is thick and monstrous, making its presence felt all the time; "Paracidal Epitaph" and "Cataclysm" both feature some great playing from the brilliant frontman. "Tortured Existence" is definitely one of the most violent thrash albums to ever be released and is a record that I can always come back to and enjoy time and time again. There aren't many thrash albums that I prefer to this one and very few top it, and surprisingly the band would top it with their next skull-fracturing release. 

Highlights

".44 Caliber Brain Surgery"

"Crippling Velocity"

"Infectious Hospital Waste"

Final Rating

Legendary [10/10]

Absu - Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. [1993]

Absu, a band who are now well-known for releasing consistent onslaughts of storming black thrash with a mythological and occult feel to them, were once an old-school death metal band, as evidenced on their early demo material. On their debut full length, “Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L.”, Proscriptor and co. bridged the gap between these two distinct and totally different styles…

It all begins with the very occult-sounding intro “An Involution of Thorns” setting the mood and then the first actual song “Descent to Acheron (Evolving into the Progression of Woe)” kicks things instantly into high gear with a death metally thrashing onslaught which eventually evolves into slower sections and a bit of occult weirdness thrown in for good measure then picks up again later in the song.

The whole album is actually rather varied, making this one of Absu’s most interesting releases. The influences range from Floridian death metal, old-school thrash (Texan legends Morbid Scream, in particular), early Darkthrone (Proscriptors drumming reeks of “Soulside Journey” era Fenriz worship) and a bit of early Incantation in the slower sections.

With “Barathrum”, Absu managed to put out a very unique album that has done something not many bands can pull off, which is to create a very dark and occult atmosphere whilst still retaining a certain degree of thrash metal in their sound. They slow things down a bit, use occasional ambient keyboards and showcase a meaty-as-fuck buzzsaw guitar sound but still hold on to the old-school metal spirit while drenching the music in occult darkness.

Running at only 30 minutes and 50 seconds, this is Absu’s shortest album. It is also my personal favourite among their killer catalogue.

Highlights:

Descent to Acheron (Evolving into the Progression of Woe)

An Equinox of Fathomless Disheartenment

The Thrice is Greatest to Ninnigal

Fantasizing to the Third of the Pagan Vision (Quoth the Sky, Nevermore Act II)

Final Rating: 9.0/10 Masterpiece

Abhorer - Upheaval of Blasphemy [1993] (EP)

A few years after releasing their demo “Rumpus of the Undead,” Abhorer would put out another release, the two-song EP “Upheaval of Blasphemy.” This new collection of material definitely showed the band’s improvement, as the two songs here are more memorable than the previous unholy tunes and they shaped the sound that the band would perfect on their full-length a few years later.  

Unlike “Rumpus of the Undead,” the production on this release is a lot better. Every riff, growl and percussion assault can be heard and distinguished perfectly on these two tracks, as the music is mixed terrifically. Abhorer also provided more variety on this EP (ironic given that there’s less material) as the riffs aren’t just non-stop tremolos. “Abandonment of Chastity” is a solid mix of the tremolo bursts and kickass midpaced riffs that are sure to thrash the listener’s neck. “Heathendom Incarnate” is a fantastic track that alternates between the two different styles of riffs, while weaving in some heavy vocals and violent drumming, creating a highly memorable song and one of the best tracks in the band’s arsenal. Overall, if you’re a fan of the previous demo, then welcoming “Upheaval of Blasphemy” into your collection should be no problem, because this is black thrashing death that is simply awesome. 

Highlights

“Abandonment of Chastity”

“Heathendom Incarnate”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Abhorer - Rumpus of the Undead [1989] (Demo)

Before all of the bombastic song titles and before the full-length, Abhorer got started way back in 1989 with their debut demo “Rumpus of the Undead.” The most extreme music around then were bands like Autopsy, Bathory, Bolt Thrower, Morbid Angel and Celtic Frost among others, but the four songs (not counting the intro) here are quite savage themselves, much moreso than the aforementioned bands who were the giants of the time. A lot of people may have not been prepared for the raw and sloppy music that coursed through this demo, because this music is absolutely filthy. The riffs, production, vocals and everything else just reeks of old-school. 

The first thing that anyone will immediately notice after the intro track clears is the muddled production. The quality of the production on this demo is shitty to say the least, but it adds to the overall feel of the songs quite nicely. The Celtic Frost/Slaughter guitar tone is murky and it makes the opening power chords of “Repudiated Faith” sound really dark. Throw in some whammy bar madness and incomprehensible growls, and you have the vile sound that Abhorer created. The majority of the riffs on “Rumpus of the Undead” are tremolo bursts and some occasional power chords, but there isn’t much variation in the riffs. Still, tracks like the title track and “Profane Immolation” crush as they engulf the listener in a shroud of evil, while they're simultaneously being pummeled by the rapid-fire percussion and insane growls. This Singaporean quartet definitely made an impact of sorts with this demo, but they would also go on to create much better music and leave an ugly and profound mark on the metal underground in Asia, and the world for that matter. 

Highlights

“Repudiated Faith”

“Rumpus of the Undead”

“Profane Immolation”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.2/10]

Artillery - Terror Squad [1987]

After establishing themselves in the metal underground with their stellar debut album “Fear of Tomorrow,” Artillery definitely needed to hit their sophomore record out of the park to even match the preceding record’s success. “Terror Squad” is that second album and despite its godawful album art it accomplishes a few new things for the band, and unfortunately fails to accomplish others, which ended up making the album a notch below the debut. Luckily, this 8-song collection is still strong and saw Artillery treading some new ground and adding some more “weapons” to their musical arsenal. 

One noticeable addition to the sound that was established on “Fear of Tomorrow” was the added variety in riffs. Not a single riff on “Terror Squad” sounds alike, as the structures aren’t just a mix of fast or midpaced riffs and some very well placed power chords. Stutzer’s fingers are flying all around the fretboard for these songs and it’s noticeable on tracks like “The Challenge” and “Hunger and Greed,” both of which feature riffs that could rival acts like Forbidden and Coroner. Of course these Danes could still thrash like maniacs, most noticeably on songs like “Terror Squad” and “At War With Science,” which are violent enough to incite a riot, while the latter also showed some technicality that would later become even more significant in the band's sound. 

Another highlight on this album is the awesome performance by Flemming Ronsdorf, who once again took the entire band to the next level. His gift for hitting incredible highs, vicious growls and beautiful, clean notes is unparalleled in the thrash subgenre. Morten Stutzer also shined with his bass playing, delivering fill after fill, and even being heavier than the riffs at points. The drumming wasn’t amazing, but it was solid and the drummer got what needed to be done to make these songs thrash.  I don't see anyone who enjoyed "Fear of Tomorrow" not liking this album. Artillery definitely made an awesome sophomore record with “Terror Squad,” and while not quite good as the predecessor, it’s still very memorable in its own right.

Highlights

“Terror Squad”

“At War With Science”

“Decapitation of Deviants”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.4/10]

Artillery - Fear of Tomorrow [1985]

If you take a look at the year of release for this record, then you understand that the thrash subgenre had not even yet entered its prime, so when some relatively unknown act (globally speaking) coming from Denmark hit the scene with their debut full-length “Fear of Tomorrow,” I’m sure not many people expected to hear something this terrific. Sure, this record isn’t usually referred to when people talk about their favorite Artillery album and it's never a common one thrown around in thrash circles when talking about "greatest thrash albums ever," but that does not take away just how well this album came out and how it is looked at now. This band is typically revered by fans around the world because of their masterful ability to weave in technical excellence with a thrashing energy and mentality, but on this album, it’s pretty much non-stop thrash mayhem. 

Before Artillery was making a name for themselves with the Stutzer brothers’ incredible fret work, they were smashing skulls with upbeat and fast riffs that were more akin to the bay area bands than the Germanic beasts in Europe. The opening track “Time Has Come” starts with an acoustic piece before it escalates to a track full of fury and shredding solos. “Out of the Sky” and “Fear of Tomorrow” are two of Artillery’s most thrashing onslaughts, with fast riffs that rip past the listener as well as stomping and crushing midpaced ones, battering drums, and Flemming Ronsdorf’s unique vocal delivery. Ronsdorf’s vocals are definitely reminiscent of vocalists from the USPM scene, where over the top vocals are commonplace, but unlike a majority of the power metal frontmen, Ronsdorf also possessed a real gruff edge to his voice that reminds me of Paul Baloff or Bobby “Blitz” during this time period. 

In addition to some catchy riffs and charismatic vocals, Artillery also provided a good deal of variety that other thrash acts at the time didn’t have. Germany had bestial thrashers in Kreator and Sodom, but songs like “King, Thy Name Is Slayer” and “Deeds of Darkness” provided plenty of head banging moments while also captivating listeners with top-notch solos and fantastic songwriting. One of the band’s most classic songs also makes this album a must listen, as “The Eternal War” has more than enough spectacular qualities than many a thrash band’s albums do, including some incredible riffs, bass lines and brilliant vocal passages. “Fear of Tomorrow” is an absolute classic, yet Artillery would still go on to top themselves and permanently stamp their name on the thrash genre. 

Highlights

“Out of the Sky”

“The Eternal War”

“Fear of Tomorrow”

Final Rating

Awesome [8.9/10]

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]

Stormtrooper - Armies Of The Night [1985] (EP)

The early and primitive aesthetics of many metal sub-genres were reached their climax during the time where they were first born, and no matter how much you enjoy the brickwall superiority and contemplating complexity of modern power metal bands, you can’t deny that the genre was at its best during the early/mid 80’s when it was dominated by pure raw energy, and the USPM scene always mustered some of the best metal around, brisk, tight, catchy, and even bedecked with carnivorous evil at times. Iron Cross’s sequential debut album is the best example to the early, evil-tinged power metal, and their fellow countrymen Stormtrooper is an act even more obscure, yet just as deadly and vigorous.

The year is 1985, and the USPM power metal classics have just been unleashed, with many more to come, and Stormtrooper’s debut Ep, ‘’Armies Of The Night’’ proves to be an especially original (for the time) five track barrage of early thrash savagery mixed with an energized portion of USPM a la Jag Panzer, and a dose of NWOBHM, since many genres haven’t culminated at that time. The production quality is also surprisingly clean, rendering the instruments audible, but a gritty tone is naturally unavoidable.  Stormtrooper even exploit a bit of punk to add some steam and intensity to the foray of riffs, but there’s also plenty of melody, not just bland chords played in an inexorable attitude, but a fresh breath of air every time another song kicks in. Another record that definitely contributed in the main structure of ‘’Armies Of The Night’’ is undeniably, ‘’Kill ‘Em All’’, but the music here is slightly more epic shrouded in fog than the genre defining masterpiece, and you can also be sure that’s it’s not as sordid, since this is after all power metal.

The rough, croaky delivery of the vocals is perfect for the music under it, raw, evil-natured and frantic, and even raspy when he tends to shriek out, a bit like Millie in his early days. But even though it’s raw and gritty, ‘’Armies Of The Night’’ is surely not dissonant and devoid of harmony, and ridiculously catchy, at that. Unfortunately, it Stormtrooper did last long, and shortly after this, their sole, release, the band disbanded, leaving us with only eighteen minutes evil power/thrash. Perhaps the Ep may not be on par with its peers that helped shape the genre, but it’s an Ep that any resident USPM fan should be zealous about.

Highlights

''Armies Of The Night''

''Steamroller''

''The Beast Within''

Final Rating

Awesome [8.3/10]