Clearly a product of the Bay Area scene, Testament were probably the first of the "second wave" thrash bands (if there truly was such a thing) to release a full-length album. Obviously influenced by the likes of Metallica and Exodus, Testament were melodic, technically sound and uncompromisingly vicious. Most songs are played at surprisingly fast tempos, given the difficulty of the material, especially when taking into consideration the speed at which they would be played some 25 years later by the same musicians, save one (drummer Louie Clemente). Testament's main strength is the proficiency of their members at their given roles. They lucked out big time when Steve Souza left to join Exodus and hulking frontman Chuck Billy stepped in. In his prime, which evidently was some time around 1987, the man could sing, shout and shriek like no other, sounding like the unholy descendant of James Hetfield, Tom Araya and a pack of wolves. Lead guitarist Alex Skolnick is probably the first true virtuoso we've seen in thrash metal. His leads range from damn good to awe-inspiring, leaving pentatonic-rager Kirk Hammett and whammy-bar afficionadoes King and Hanneman in the dust while giving Dave Mustaine a run for his money. Eric Peterson has always been underrated in the riff-crafting department, but it's clear he was excellent right from the start, blazing through firey riff after firey riff. The rhythm section of Greg Christian and Louie Clemente is nothing if not solid, and while neither player shines, they lay the foundation for the others to do so. The main gripe with early Testament was always the production, and this is a valid complaint. The guitar sound is muddy, and while it is nowhere near the worst among mid-80's thrash records, it is certainly surprising given that it was released by a major label. There's a whole lot of good stuff here though, as most of the songs are thrashers of the highest order, with only the odd clunker -- one being "Do or Die", a song all but forgotten in the Testament catalogue, and a few songs undeserving of the 'classic' label bestowed on them, namely "The Haunting" and "Alone in the Dark". Of course, there's also the fact that Testament doesn't really present anything original on The Legacy, largely echoing their predecessors. The execution though, leaves little to be desired. 1. Over the Wall 2. The Haunting 3. Burnt Offerings 4. Raging Waters 5. C.O.T.L.O.D. 6. First Strike is Deadly 7. Do or Die 8. Alone in the Dark 9. Apocalyptic City Score: 9/10
Once the title track of Voivod's third release kicks in, it's pretty clear that we're not in Kansas anymore! Vicious riffs coupled with odd chord choices assault your ears, while a driving, distorted bass and pummeling drums make you look to the sky in fear of alien invaders. Then, a madman prophet starts shouting and screaming in your ear, and you realize... this is what Voivod was meant to be! Voivod's first two albums were sloppy, messy blasts of punkish thrash that left much to be desired. Their third though, is easily the most unique thrash album to be released at this point. The band does a wonderful job of creating a filthy, horrifying, robotic atmosphere in almost every song, that you truly feel as if you are lost in space, as one of the tracks suggest. What's amazing to me is just how much of a total mindfuck this album is. I had never enjoyed this album when I spun it over 10 years ago after thinking myself a true thrash metal fan. Even when I listened to it the first time for this review, it didn't click, but I heard something interesting, so I persevered and I'm glad I did for Voivod is not truly a thrash band and thus they do not play a conventional thrash style. The feel, the atmosphere, the drive behind the music is different than say, Slayer or Exodus. Voivod exists on a different plane -- not necessarily a higher one -- where Slayer delves the depths of human depravity, telling tales of murder and satanism, Voivod looks to the skies and wonders what evil lurks above? The execution is not totally perfect, of course. There are some parts of songs that feel totally disjointed from others, which is an expected result of a band trying to become more progressive and focused but an undesirable one none the less. Snake's vocals are also a bit of an acquired taste as he talks, whines, shouts, screams over the exotic soundscapes below, but then again, how many metal vocalists aren't acquired tastes? At any rate, personally, this is huge. Until a week ago, I hated Voivod. 20-year-old me is shaking his head, going "dude..." It just goes to show you, just because you hated something before, if you allow yourself to be open and to grow (I can hear my wife laughing now), you may find some value in that thing you hated. 1. Killing Technology 2. Overreaction 3. Tornado 4. Forgotten in Space 5. Ravenous Medicine 6. Order of the Blackguards 7. This is Not an Exercise Score: 8.5/10
After two full-length releases, Anthrax have proven that they are quite capable of writing music that is catchy as hell while remaining every bit as heavy. Their second album, Spreading the Disease featured whiplash-inducing thrash riffs coupled with infectious choruses infused with gang vocals and lead singer Joey Belladonna's soaring vocals -- the latter being a feature that separated them from the rest of the thrash metal pack, who's lead vocalists could usually be heard shouting, screaming or growling over the same type of riffage. Enter Among the Living. The vocal approach has remained largely unchanged from Spreading the Disease. Belladonna is still truly singing over thrash riffs with barely even a hint of gruffness to his voice. The gang vocals seem even more prevalent however. It's almost as if Scott Ian has heard the Metallicas and Slayers of the world, and decided to add some sandpaper in the vocal department to match the ridiculous heaviness of the instrumentation, which is indeed ridiculous. There are very few albums at this point in time that sound as bone-crunchingly heavy as Among the Living does. "Caught in a Mosh" in particular embodies the Anthrax sound -- heavy as all hell, but every bit as catchy as anything Motley Crue could write. Songs like "Indians", "One World" & "NFL" follow suit, thrashing like mad and engraving themselves into the minds of bangers the world over. There is a problem, however. That problem is filler. Songs like "A Skeleton in the Closet", "Horror of it All" and even the title track certainly present heavy enough music but are too simplistic in their riffage, so much so that the overall result is rather underwhelming. The feel is more punk than metal, more "go through the front door" than "find a second-floor window and kill 'em from there". There is a savage cleverness to albums like Ride the Lightning and Peace Sells, but that attribute is not always here. Anthrax writes front-door, smash-you-in-the-face riffs, and that's it, and it's OK for the most part. If this is Anthrax's finest moment (which, in the eyes and ears of many, it is) then it is no wonder that they are considered "Band No. 4" in the Big Four. 1. Among the Living 2. Caught in a Mosh 3. I Am the Law 4. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) 5. A Skeleton in the Closet 6. Indians 7. One World 8. A.D.I./Horror of it All 9. Imitation of Life Score: 7.5/10
It's funny the way you place things in your mind when you haven't put a whole lot of thought into where those things go... I always thought Taking Over was a bit of a step down from Overkill's brilliant debut, but upon further listening and really doing a hard comparison of the two, it's a real tough call. Taking Over is at least Feel the Fire's equal, and maybe even a couple points better! The overall sound on Taking Over is the same as it was on the debut, which is no surprise given that a lot of these songs were written around the same time as those on Feel the Fire. The guitar tone on Taking Over is heavier though, and the band sounds tighter as a whole while retaining Overkill's already trademark reckless snarl. Songs like the opener, "Deny the Cross" as well as the eyebrow-raising tandem of "Use Your Head" and "Fatal If Swallowed" string neck-snapping riffs together in an almost organic fashion, making this one of the more complete and developed albums in the major growth period of the genre. There are some weak points of course, like Blitz's vocals at times which seem to be just too clean, most notably on "In Union We Stand", though this is certainly not the rule but the exception. Overall, it's a very solid thrash album, and if nothing else, listening to it a few times with such a critical ear made me realize that my favourite band is even more awesome than I originally thought! 1. Deny the Cross 2. Wrecking Crew 3. Fear His Name 4. Use Your Head 5. Fatal If Swallowed 6. Powersurge 7. In Union We Stand 8. Electro-Violence 9. Overkill II (The Nightmare Continues) Score: 9.5/10
Enthusiasm. Blood Feast does have that going for them, at least. They play heads-down thrash, fast and dirty with vocals just about as shredded as Possessed or Kreator, but the material presented here is just not that good. The songs blend into one -- a blur of furious riffs, over-the-top vocals, and their best attempts at Slayer-inspired guitar solos. The band snaps you out of your thrash-haze every now and then with slower, darker riffs but it doesn't last very long. Heavy and fast this is, important or worthwhile, not particularly. 1. Menacing Thunder 2. Kill for Pleasure 3. Cannibal 4. Vampire 5. Suicidal Mission 6. Venomous Death 7. The Evil 8. Darkside 9. RIP Score: 3.5/10
If you were to put me in a time machine and send me back to say, March 1987, and then ask me who I thought was the best German thrash metal band at that point, I'd be hard pressed not to say Vendetta. While their brethren in bands like Kreator and Destruction were pushing the boundaries of extreme metal, Vendetta were clearly paying attention to what was going on across the Atlantic as they sounded much more like bands playing in California rather than Germany. Right from the start, there is a clear emphasis on riffs. With a crisp and clear production, there are passages that are as fast as any, but the band also demonstrates a clear understanding of dynamics with chugging, grooving parts that echo some of the better offerings by bands like Metallica and Exodus. Vendetta even border on prog at some points, keeping the listener wondering with riff and time changes throughout the album's 38 minutes. It's baffling that Vendetta didn't make a bigger name for themselves, because this is a very excellent addition to the thrash metal story. Sure, the vocals aren't anything special but certainly don't take away from the music, and while some songs seem to meander or lose their way at times, they are definitely well-executed for the most part. This is probably the best yet of those diamonds-in-the-rough that have made this exercise so damn enjoyable. 1. Suicidal Lunacy 2. Go and Live... Stay and Die 3. Traitor's Fate 4. System of Death 5. Drugs and Corruption 6. Revolution Command 7. On the Road Score: 8.5/10
In a scene as crowded as the NYC one was, already boasting the likes of Overkill, Anthrax, Nuclear Assault and Carnivore, it must have been difficult for a band like Primal Scream who, while not awful, didn't exactly have it all put together like those other bands. Primal Scream were one of those meat-and-potatoes thrash bands, who thrashed hard and probably lived much the same way. Like many of their New York brethren, Primal Fear had more of a punk vibe than their West Coast counterparts with Rob Graham (or was it Steve Alliano? I have no idea) bellowing Cro-Mags-style over some pretty quick riffs. Probably the most striking song on the album though, is when one of those aforementioned vocalists actually decides to sing over some more melodic instrumentation in "Kill the Light". At any rate, Primal Scream's one and only volume is an enjoyable enough experience, as pedestrian as it may be. 1. State of the State 2. War and Sin 3. Last Breath 4. Scream Til You Bleed 5. Kill the Light 6. Poisoned 7. Ignorance Is No Excuse 8. Megaton 9. Mr. McCreedy 10. Shot On Sight Score: 6/10
Sacrilege BC got lost in the shuffle when the big thrash bang happened in California, which is a shame because these guys played an extremely fast & violent brand of thrash. In fact, Party With God comes close to Reign in Blood in that regard, albeit with more of a punk vibe and much, much shittier production. It's not all speed though, with songs like "Skinned Alive" crushing the listener at a much slower pace before getting back to ludicrous speed for the guitar solo. There are times when the songs blend together a little bit, as Sacrilege BC were probably still honing their songwriting chops but songs like "Words of God" snap you back to attention. Judging by this album, Sacrilege BC deserved a better fate than to be a mere footnote in the history of thrash but it's gems like these that keep this crazy retrospective interesting. 1. Azemeroth 2. Crucified 3. Fun with Napalm 4. Born of Hell 5. Time to Die 6. Skinned Alive 7. Cancer 8. Judge Death 9. Death Toll 10. Words of God 11. Final Rites 12. Slaughterhouse 13. Victimized Score: 7/10
I somehow left Onslaught's debut album, Power From Hell off of my review queue, and I made sure not to make the same mistake with their second kick at the can, The Force. The Force picks up where the debut left off, except that there's a different vocalist and a more classic thrash metal sound to it. There are riffs aplenty here, and things start off very well but the album really gets going with "Fight With the Beast", continues with "Demoniac" and smashes you in the face with "Flame of the Antichrist". The sound is very aggressive and mosh-friendly, not unlike some of the better Bay Area output like Bonded By Blood or even Kill 'Em All but there's nothing really new here. With The Force, Onslaught solidifies themselves as yet another band in the seemingly endless army of blue collar thrash bands -- good enough to headbang to, not memorable enough to make a dent in your skull once the music is over. 1. Let There Be Death 2. Metal Forces 3. Fight With the Beast 4. Demoniac 5. Flame of the Antichrist 6. Contract in Blood 7. Thrash 'til the Death Score: 7/10
Back in the 90's, there used to be this commercial for light beer that this Necronomicon album made me think of. It went "If I wanted water, I'd ask for water." In this case, substitute 'water' for 'Destruction', and that pretty much sums up how I feel about this one. Necronomicon, at this point, are a poor man's Destruction, as they are sloppier than and not nearly as good at writing songs as those card-carrying members of the Teutonic Trio. In fact, there's really not one single song that is totally solid -- just when you think things are looking up, a weird guitar lead comes in or the vocalist does his best castrato impression. Necronomicon is a forgettable affair, and best left to idiots like yours truly to discover. 1. Dark Land 2. Possessed By Evil 3. Bloody Revenge 4. Insanity 5. Blind Destruction 6. Hades Invasion 7. Magic Forest 8. Iron Charm Score: 1/10
While Nasty Savage's debut was campy, goofy heavy metal with thrash metal influences, the band's second full-length on the other hand, is thrash-fucking-metal! They don't make you wait for it, either. The opening track, "Stabbed In the Back" kicks things off right with a downright dirty (maybe even nasty?) thrash riff. The rest of the album continues in much the same vein, with fast, twisting riffs offset by slower, groovier pieces. Nasty Ronnie's vocals have also improved. While he still hits those King Diamond-esque high notes, he mostly sticks to a lower register, snarling and shouting his way through all eight tracks (track nine is an instrumental). The subject matter has gotten more serious as well. While the debut album had song titles like "Dungeon of Pleasure" and "Metal Knights", Indulgence tackles heavier subject matter with songs like "Distorted Fanatic" and "Incursion Dementia" (which is a fucking monster, by the way). All in all, Indulgence is a hands-down winner, and if nothing else, signalled to California, New York & Germany that Florida was listening, and thrash metal's influence was growing. 1. Stabbed In the Back 2. Divination 3. XXX 4. Indulgence 5. Inferno 6. Hypnotic Trance 7. Incursion Dementia 8. Distorted Fanatic 9. ? Score: 8/10
Mortal Sin's debut is a bit of a throwback, as the band channels Metallica's Kill 'Em All with some Motorhead thrown in for good measure. The material here is neither very evil nor heavy, but it would definitely make for some good fun in the pit. Had it been released earlier, it would garner some higher marks but as it is these Aussies are just recycling what they've heard from their American counterparts. 1. The Curse 2. Women in Leather 3. Lebanon 4. Liar 5. Blood, Death, Hatred 6. Mortal Slaughter 7. Into the Fire 8. Mayhemic Destruction Score: 5.5/10
Well, it's clear that at some point after Living Death's second full length, Metal Revolution, the band decided that they wanted to start getting serious about thrash. The common thread in this four-song EP is speed; vicious, relentless speed. Vocalist Thorsten Bergmann screams along in a register probably only reserved for Overkill's Bobby Blitz at this point, and the rest of the band screams along right with him. The songs themselves aren't exactly all that memorable or groundbreaking, but the aggression the band shows here is definitely a step in the right direction. 1. Nuclear Greetings 2. Bloody Dance 3. The Way (Your Soul Must Go) 4. Child of Illusion Score: 6.5/10
If Deathrow's Riders of Doom (originally named Satan's Gift, which was banned or something so they renamed it) was as good as the crushing, dynamic instrumental that opens it, "Winds of Death", it would be one hell of a debut! Unfortunately, these Germans are a little overzealous and most of the album sounds as if it's in danger of becoming unhinged. There is a clear influence from bands like Slayer and Kreator, and there are parts of this record that actually sound fucking vicious, but the band has trouble putting it all together without sounding kind of ridiculous at times. Overall, a pretty enjoyable, albeit flawed album. 1. Winds of Death 2. Satan's Gift 3. Riders of Doom 4. Hell's Ascent 5. Spider Attack 6. Slaughtered 7. Violent Omen 8. Dark Tales 9. Samhain Score: 6.5/10
It's not like Cyclone's debut album is without merit. I mean, depending on what you heard first, maybe you like it better than Feel the Fire, or Eternal Devastation, but I doubt it. This is not a groundbreaking release in any way, and while it may be a pretty spirited affair, the over-the-top vocals and pedestrian songwriting make sure it becomes nothing more than an also-ran in the great 1980's thrash race. 1. Prelude to the End 2. Long to Hell 3. Fall Under His Command 4. The Call of Steel 5. Fighting the Fatal 6. In the Grip of Evil 7. Take thy Breath 8. Incest Love Score: 4/10
Wow, sometimes an album really surprises you. I wasn't expecting much from this British quartet, but this is some good thrash. Heavily rooted in NWOBHM, it's a bit of a throwback but this is some down and dirty, riff-crazy stuff with some excellent, powerful, melodic vocals over top. And really, that's it -- vocalist Danny Foxx is so likeable in his role that the rest of the band could be playing some pretty generic stuff and it may receive a passing grade. Luckily though, the instrumentation is up to snuff, so this is a very enjoyable experience. Also, with song titles like "Deathstiny"... I mean, come on. 1. Metalyzed 2. Gor 3. N.Z.F.E.D.K. 4. Lazarus 5. Red, Raw and Bleeding 6. Stormer 7. Taras Bulba 8. Deathstiny 9. The Third Wish 10. Death Heavy Score: 7.5/10
At War were pretty standard fare for a 1986 thrash band. They were the thrashing everyman -- hard-working, full of attitude and enthusiasm, but a little short on originality and songwriting acumen. The album starts off well enough with the title track, then lulls for a couple songs before breaking into "Rapechase", a song that would be controversial if anyone ever heard it. It also sounds a lot like Motorhead which is funny since the next song is a Motorhead cover. At War do a great job on "The Hammer", which is a good thing but it kind of hurts their cause. It's obvious that "The Hammer" is head-and-shoulders a better song than any of the originals here and it kind of just makes me want to go listen to Motorhead. 1. Ordered to Kill 2. Dawn of Death 3. Capitulation 4. Rapechase 5. The Hammer 6. Mortally Wounded 7. Ilsa (She-Wolf of the S.S.) 8. Eat Lead Score: 4.5/10
With a wicked name like Anvil Bitch, you would hope that they'd be more than some one album, flash in the pan. You would hope that they could do more than recycle Metallica riffs buried under generic thrash vocals with below average production values. Yet that's exactly what Anvil Bitch did. It's not totally fucking awful, but at this point, with more and more quality bands surfacing, 'not awful' ain't good enough. Throw Rise To Offend in the "Only Thrash Die-Hard Idiots Like Gord Need To Hear This" bin. Truly unremarkable. 1. Rise to Offend 2. Lie Through your Teeth 3. Vengeance of the Sword 4. Life After Death 5. Time to Die 6. Argue With a Sick Mind 7. Maggot Infestation 8. Neckbreaker 9. Arsenic & Cyanide 10. Fight For Your Life 11. Shark Attack 12. Anvil Bitch Score: 2/10
When you come across an album that looks as ridiculous as this one does, your first thought is that it will be hilariously awful. With song titles like "Essence of Sperm" and "A.N.A.L. Spices", how could this be anything but a riot? Suprisingly though, once you get past the pretty shitty production, The Severed Erection is a pretty competent thrash album. The first two tracks, "Ejaculator" and the title track are good examples of well written thrash songs, as long as you can ignore the juvenile lyrics. The guitar playing is excellent throughout, leading one to wonder if these Aussies could have flown higher if they had decided to create a more intelligent image for themselves. There are far worse bands who had multiple releases in the 80's than Massive Appendage, yet because of their idiotic choice of a band name and album cover very few people outside of Sydney probably ever heard this album until the internet age. Let me leave you with this: The chorus of the song "Massive Appendage" goes something like this, from what I can make out, "Massive cocks flying through the atmosphere. Oh my god they shot a load in his ear." Seriously. I could be hearing it wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's what they're saying. 1. War Zone 2. Ejaculator 3. The Severed Erection 4. A.N.A.L. Spices 5. Massive Appendage 6. Constable Nosey Parker 7. What's Happening to the World 8. Auntie Claire 9. Essence of Sperm 10. Interlude 11. Get Fucked Score: 5/10
Albums like Dark Angel's Darkness Descends are few and far between. The third of the 'unholy trinity' of brutal thrash albums from 1986, Darkness Descends is easily the best one. While Reign in Blood thrashed just as brutally as this, it didn't have the song development and variety to make it a genre-definer. Pleasure to Kill on the other hand featured some great songwriting, but didn't have the same emphasis on RIFFS that its American counterparts did, and it was just too sloppy overall. Darkness Descends succeeds because it combines the best parts of the other two. Great riffs are shoved in everywhere, Gene Hoglan's drumwork is exemplary and Don Doty's strangled vocals strike a perfect balance between melody and aggression. The one problem with Darkness Descends is that the pummeling the listener endures is so constant, it's hard to pick out standout tracks -- there's really little room to breathe. Outside of the intro to "Merciless Death" and the slower parts of "Black Prophecies", the brutality comes at the listener in waves, so much so that it can be an almost painful listen at times. Regardless of that, Darkness Descends takes thrash to a logical extreme without stepping into territories reserved for death or black metal as bands like Possessed or Sepultura did before. No, this is thrash in one of its purest forms. Unadulturated violence, pummeling riffage, expert drumwork, frenzied barking vocals -- a true classic. 1. Darkness Descends 2. The Burning of Sodom 3. Hunger of the Undead 4. Merciless Death 5. Death is Certain (Life is Not) 6. Black Prophecies 7. Perish in Flames Score: 9/10
There's a quote from Max Cavalera that I'll always remember that goes something like, "Back in Brazil there were definitely bands who had more talent than Sepultura, but Sepultura had the attitude," or something. That statement certainly rings true enough when listening to their full-length debut, Morbid Visions. Don't get me wrong, Sepultura certainly play fast enough, but there's a sloppiness to their playing and a repetitiveness to their songwriting at this point which do nothing to separate them from the pack of thrash bands who are already starting to flood the market. Max's vocals here are also nothing compared to what they would become -- raspy, barked and largely monotone. Where they do set themselves apart is the youthful, reckless abandon with which they play. The feeling is so undeniably evil that you can't help but get caught up in stuff like "Troops of Doom" and "Funeral Rites". It's not all just fast stuff either. There are moments, like the intro of "Show Me the Wrath" which are twistingly heavy at a pretty slow speed. Doom? No, but good thrash features variation in speed, and Sepultura are toying with that here. This is no landmark album, but it's the last of theirs to occupy that middle ground between thrash, black and death, and at the least it's a fun and nostalgic listen. 1. Morbid Visions 2. Mayhem 3. Troops of Doom 4. War 5. Crucifixion 6. Show Me the Wrath 7. Funeral Rites 8. Empire of the Damned Score: 7/10
Album number two in the so-called "unholy trinity" of 1986 is an interesting one. Kreator reaches speeds here that are unheard of other than on Slayer's Reign in Blood, the first of that trinity, although these Germans do it much more sloppily than their American counterparts. In fact, while the speed of "Ripping Corpse" and the title track are impressive, there isn't a whole lot of interest riff-wise. When you strip the songs down, a lot of them are pretty mediocre riffs played really fucking fast. The album really doesn't do a whole lot for me until we get to the mid-paced section in the title track, which is just ruthless. Mille and Ventor switch up doing vocals just like on their debut, but we are slowly seeing Mille taking over. Unlike the first though, I actually think the songs that Ventor sing on are better than most of the Mille-fronted ones. "Riot of Violence" is a killer thrash tune, while a lot of Mille's songs are just too fast and sloppy to be truly enjoyable, although "The Pestilence" is an absolute skull-crusher. All that being said though, Pleasure to Kill is a pretty important album in the grand scheme of things. Other than Possessed's Seven Churches and the aforementioned Slayer album, this has got to be the biggest influence on death metal at the time, not to mention its hand in moving the thrash genre forward to more extreme tempos and harsher vocals. 1. Choir of the Damned 2. Ripping Corpse 3. Death is Your Saviour 4. Pleasure to Kill 5. Riot of Violence 6. The Pestilence 7. Carrion 8. Command of the Blade 9. Under the Guillotine Score: 8/10
Given that Possessed's first effort was one of the most extreme and brutal thrash metal releases ever, hopes must have been high for their sophomore effort. Presumably to the chagrin of many (some?) though, Larry LaLonde's dirty little secret seems to make a concerted effort to sound more like Metallica rather than Death on Beyond the Gates. While it's definitely not a bad thing to refine a sound to a desired goal, Seven Churches was such a revelation that this album can be seen as nothing but a disappointment. Is it an enjoyable listen? Of course it is. The overall tone is still oppressively heavy, with Jeff Becerra's barking vocals leading the way over the whirling guitars and pounding drums. What's that I hear, though? Is that a hint of melody in the vocals, especially noticeable on "Phantasm"? Is that a riff that sounds like an early demo of "Trapped Under Ice" ("Tribulation")? The answer is yes. This is a band who has decided to reel themselves in, and let other bands blaze the trail to death metal, content to become an also-ran in the thrash metal genre. I'm being harsh though. This is a good album, as far as thrash in 1986 goes, and probably among the top 10 releases of that year. There are still few bands heavier than Possessed at this point, but there are also bands who play tighter and write more interesting songs. 1. Intro 2. The Heretic 3. Tribulation 4. March to Die 5. Phantasm 6. No Will to Live 7. Beyond the Gates 8. The Beasts of the Apocalypse 9. Seance 10. Restless Dead 11. Dog Fight Score: 8/10
Earlier in 1986, Metallica released an album that featured songs with extended run-times, with somewhat more complex arrangements and riffs that were repeated over and over, almost to the point of ridicule. Later that same year, Slayer decided to go in the exact opposite direction. With the exception of the opening and closing tracks, Slayer almost forego song development completely in favour of short, violent bursts of evil the likes of which the world had never seen. Their tactic is successful in a way, in that when the album is playing it is very enjoyable to someone who loves fast, energetic, evil-as-fuck music. However, once the music is over there's not a whole lot to remember. If Slayer had made an album full of "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood", it would truly be one for the ages! But instead we have two fantastic songs, a few lesser lights like "Postmortem" and "Altar of Sacrifice", and then a bunch of under-developed drive-by's. The influence of this album is far-reaching, inspiring a host of death and thrash metal bands to up the violence and aggression, and to start playing those strangled-guitar solos that I kind of wish Kerry and Jeff never decided to play. Overrated? Absolutely. This is nowhere near the best thrash album ever, and I really question why so many people feel it is. Innovative? Somewhat. Hirax did the fast, short, metallic bursts already, but Slayer brings a new level of credibility, professionalism and pure evil to it. Is it good? Yeah, it's good. It's fun as hell, but just not very memorable nor is it deserving of a lot of the praise that is thrown its way. That said, it still shits on a good share of the thrash albums that have come out up to this point and beyond, which is a testament to just how good a band Slayer were in their prime. 1. Angel of Death 2. Piece By Piece 3. Necrophobic 4. Altar of Sacrifice 5. Jesus Saves 6. Criminally Insane 7. Reborn 8. Epidemic 9. Postmortem 10. Raining Blood Score: 8/10
I've always felt that the New York area thrash bands wore their punk influences on their sleeves more so than their Californian counterparts, and nowhere is this more apparent than on a Nuclear Assault album. Whether you sported long hair or a mohawk, Nuclear Assault's debut must have appealed to a wide range of punks and metalheads since it featured metal-as-fuck riffs coupled with a punk rock attitude. Add in some excellent songwriting and the howling vocals of John Connelly, and you have one of the better releases of 1986. Nuclear Assault could play as fast as anyone, but they also played a lot of mid-paced stuff that was carried by great riffs and powerful vocals. Hearing songs like "Brain Death" and "After the Holocaust" in a sweaty NYC club in 1986 must have been quite the trip because even though they may not be the fastest songs around, they evoke a sense of turmoil that would have to make for a great live experience. Given the amount of notoriety other releases from 1986 have garnered, I'm surprised that Game Over isn't right there with them -- I mean, it's fun as fuck, and there are moments that are as punishing as anything out there at the time. Sure, the guitars are a little thin and there are some needless interlude tracks, but this is a welcome addition to the thrash metal equation. 1. Live, Suffer, Die 2. Sin 3. Cold Steel 4. Betrayal 5. Radiation Sickness 6. Hang the Pope 7. After the Holocaust 8. Mr. Softee Theme 9. Stranded in Hell 10. Nuclear War 11. My America 12. Vengeance 13. Brain Death Score: 8.5/10
Hallows Eve's first album was a bit of an up-and-down affair, lacking focus and direction. Their second release is not a whole lot different, but it's definitely an improvement on the first. Hallows Eve are not the most violent band, nor are they the most technical but they certainly are fun. They play thrash with a bit of an Iron Maiden flavour, epic and grandiose, which isn't a bad thing, but given what else is out there at this point, Death & Insanity just isn't all that impressive. "Goblet of Gore" is a fine song though, as is "D.I.E" and even "Lethal Tendencies" is enjoyable if not a bit repetitive. At any rate, this is a decent album, probably for fans of the genre only. 1. Death and Insanity 2. Goblet of Gore 3. Lethal Tendencies 4. Obituary 5. Plea of the Aged 6. Suicide 7. D.I.E. (Death In Effect) 8. Attack of the Iguana 9. Nefarious 10. Nobody Lives Forever 11. Death and Insanity (Reprise) Score: 7/10
The problem with Hirax's first album, released a year earlier was that it was just too much of the same thing. 2-minute blast after 2-minute blast for a half hour can get tedious and is the main reason I've never been able to get into hardcore or grindcore. Whether it was intentional or not, Hirax improved on their debut in two ways. The first is that it's about half as long at a whopping 16 minutes. The second is that they figured out that good thrash isn't always full-speed ahead. That second point is the key to this album being much better than their first album. Even though the first three tracks are straight-ahead speed freaks, with the 40-second title track featuring something that resembles a blast beat, it's the second half of the album where we see Hirax start to vary their songwriting. "The Last War" features an excellent, punishing main riff that sounds very similar to what Slayer would start doing a couple years later. The slower parts also give Katon's soaring vocals room to breathe and in doing so makes you wonder why they didn't do more of it. It's a shame that Hirax wouldn't be heard from again (other than a demo in 1987) until 2004, because there's a whole lot of potential in this release. 1. Hate, Fear & Power 2. Blind Faith 3. Unholy Sacrifice 4. Lightning Thunder 5. The Last War 6. The Plague 7. Imprisoned By Ignorance 8. Criminal Punishment Score: 7/10
Dawn Crosby is the fourth female thrash vocalist we've heard from and is definitely one of the more intriguing ones. Somewhere between the melodic shouting of Sentinel Beast's Debbie Gunn and the proto-death metal stylings of Holy Moses' Sabina Classen, Crosby is somehow more pissed-off sounding than Classen. She comes off like a female Paul Baloff -- very little real singing talent, but all attitude, and just fucking livid-sounding. Indeed, she did have some issues, dying about 10 years later due to liver failure. What about the rest of the band? The album itself? Well, it's not awful, but it's pretty unspectacular. The band struggles to find an identity, mashing together some pretty decent, catchy choruses with verse riffs that just don't want to go together. The band definitely sound better when they're doing more mid-paced epic-sounding stuff, as opposed to the speedy, crossover parts they tend to fall into more often, but really the whole recording lacks intensity, so much so that it makes Crosby's vocals sound almost comical or tiresome. There are some bright spots, but they're mostly during the choruses when the whole band comes together with solid riffs and hooky vocals. Being that this is 1986, and we've already heard a large amount of truly classic thrash, well that just ain't gonna cut it. 1. Losers 2. Russian Roulette 3. It's Your Fate 4. Holy War 5. Catalepsy 6. Shattered Illusions 7. Life is Pain 8. Blood I Bleed 9. Widow's Walk 10. Vultures in the Sky Score: 5/10
This is the first review that I've had to totally re-write for this project. I originally gave Doomsday for the Deceiver a 7, which is not a bad score at all, in fact it qualifies it as a very good album, definitely above average. I didn't post the review right away because something didn't sit right with me, so I decided to listen to it again the next morning. It's fairly obvious I didn't give it enough of a chance originally, because I turned it up loud, let the aggressive riffing swallow me up and decided this is a whole lot more than a very good album. The overall sound of Doomsday for the Deceiver is extremely aggressive yet melodic, straddling the line somewhere between Metallica and Anthrax. Most of the songs are rip-your-face-off fast, with a lot of slow acoustic interludes and intros, some of which feel a little unnecessary. Jason Newsted's bass is fairly high in the mix, and I have to think it was at least part of the reason for him getting the call from Metallica because he puts on a fucking clinic on this album. Eric A.K.'s vocals are less aggressive than most thrash vocalists' of the same period, but they do fit the music well and give the music a bit of a Diamond Head feel at times. What a solid thrash album. There are some weaker songs, but the strong ones are textbook thrash mastery. It's pretty obvious these guys had been listening to the giants since they formed back in 1981. I can't believe I was going to give this a 7... 1. Hammerhead 2. Iron Tears 3. Desecrator 4. Fade to Black 5. Doomsday for the Deceiver 6. Metalshock 7. She Took an Axe 8. ULSW 9. Der Fuhrer Score: 8.5/10
Ever since he was unceremoniously ousted from Metallica in 1983, Dave Mustaine has vowed to be better than Metallica. This album was the closest he ever got. Sure, it's better than every single Metallica album, except for one. Ride the Lightning beats Peace Sells just because of the simple fact that it's totally fucking perfect, but Peace Sells is really, really damn close. There's so much to like about this album. First of all, the overall sound is really pleasing. It's a shame that albums don't sound like this anymore. The guitars crush, the bass is clearly audible, the drums and vocals are both where they should be. The songs are very well written too, all of them excellent, varied pieces of thrash metal that expand on Dave's original vision from Killing 'Em All is my Business. Then there are the riffs. Oh good fucking god, the riffs! These riffs are so twisted and neck-snapping that only an egomaniacal control-freak with a substance abuse problem like Dave Mustaine could write them. What about the guitar solos? Well, my friends, almost every solo on this record is the type that makes you air guitar and stick out your tongue, prompting passers-by to wonder about your sanity. Yes kids, this is fucking THRASH METAL, capitalized forever. The fact that the so-called 'unholy trinity' gets talked about when talking thrash in 1986, the fact that Master of Puppets gets talked about when talking thrash in 1986 before this albums gets talked about is a fucking travesty. This is the best of 1986 (that I've heard so far, anyway -- maybe Anvil Bitch will change my mind!) and it would be absolutely fucking perfect if it weren't for one thing. THAT STUPID FUCKING COVER SONG!! Why, Dave? Why?! It's not a bad cover by any means, but it totally fucks with the momentum of this masterpiece. It also cuts the album's awesome closing track, "My Last Words" off from the rest of the album. Silly. Metallica kept all their covers on separate releases, Dave! D'oh! 1. Wake Up Dead 2. The Conjuring 3. Peace Sells 4. Devil's Island 5. Good Mourning/Black Friday 6. Bad Omen 7. I Ain't Superstitious 8. My Last Words Score: 9.5/10
Back when I was a semi-serious musician and used to play in a band, my bandmates and I had a saying about what constituted a good thrash riff. Basically, if the riff made you pull a stupid face and bob your head, it was a good thrash riff. When I listen to Destruction's second full length in my car, people must think I'm borderline retarded because Eternal Devastation is chock full of good thrash riffs. Eternal Devastation opens with an excellent song, closes with an excellent song and has some pretty good stuff in between. Destruction's style may not be as tight and polished as Metallica, nor as evil and oppressive as Slayer but they have a wild, rebellious sound that finally starts to really work after a pretty good EP and a debut full-length that had its fair share of issues. Everything just kind of clicks here, and Mike Siffringer really stretches his legs in some places, mostly in the rhythm guitar department but he also plays some tasty leads. This album made me realize that at this point thrash is finally its own genre. The NWOBHM leanings are gone from most of the really good albums and bands have had a chance to listen to, digest and be influenced by albums like Kill 'Em All, Show No Mercy, Ride the Lightning, Feel the Fire, Bonded By Blood, etc, etc, etc. Eternal Devastation, while not incredibly dynamic is an excellent example of a THRASH album, and one that is often overlooked because of the year in which it was released. 1. Curse the Gods 2. Confound Games 3. Life Without Sense 4. United by Hatred 5. Eternal Ban 6. Upcoming Devastation 7. Confused Mind Score: 8.5/10
This album is so laughably amateur that it's almost enjoyable. I'm actually surprised it's still floating around the internet, but then again, I've found some other pretty obscure (and bad) stuff that makes this album sound awesome. This isn't totally awful, but just ridiculously outclassed when you think of what came out even two years earlier. Apparently, these guys changed their name to Poltergeist after this album. I've never listened to them. Stand by! 1. Shark Attack 2. Antichrist 3. Games of Evil 4. Restless 5. Demon's Child 6. Avenger 7. Evil is There! 8. Marshall Law 9. Torero Score: 2/10
I've never paid a whole lot of attention to Tankard. I've listened to songs here and there, but they've always seemed a few notches below the Kreators, Sodoms and Destructions of the world. By the way, it seems that way because they are. This album is a chore to listen to the whole way through because it's one dimensional as fuck! Pick a random song and you can get swept up in the speedy alcoholism, but more than a couple tracks and it starts to fade into the background. Not only that but every single damn chorus is "Song Title! Song Title! Song Title!" with some gang vocals sprinkled in from time to time. This album may have been OK in 1984, even though Ride the Lightning bends Zombie Attack over and inserts random objects inside its behind, but this is 1986, the year of the big thrash blow-up. OK, I realize this sounds like an incredibly harsh review, and while I don't care for this album, it's not absolutely horrible, just quite of mediocre. 1. Zombie Attack 2. Acid Death 3. Mercenary 4. Maniac Forces 5. Alcohol 6. (Empty) Tankard 7. Thrash 'Til Death 8. Chains 9. Poison 10. Screamin' Victims Score: 4.5/10
Sentinel Beast are the third female-fronted thrash band we've heard from, and easily the best -- at least in 1986. This is some very good, intense, classic thrash metal, much in the vein of Metallica or a more melodic Slayer from a few years before. There's also a strong NWOBHM influence here, with Iron Maiden being a key influence as well, and not just because of the excellent cover of "Phantom of the Opera", but because it's quite obvious that vocalist Debbie Gunn has tried to emulate Paul Di'anno, and has done a pretty admirable job. She has a nice, husky voice that is more attitude than it is technical ability, and even though she isn't the most inventive vocalist and sings along with the guitar lines often, the overall results are usually more than acceptable because of that aforementioned attitude. All in all, this is a band that probably should have recorded more albums, but for whatever reason, didn't. From the firey bursts of pentatonic guitar fury to the surprisingly clear production, this album is a relatively early and unexpected winner. 1. Depths of Death 2. Mourir 3. Dogs of War 4. Corpse 5. Evil is the Night 6. Sentinel Beast 7. Revenge 8. The Keeper 9. Phantom of the Opera Score: 8/10
