Coroner - R.I.P. - June 1, 1987

While the USA's west coast was getting attention for some excellent technical melodic thrash albums, a band from Switzerland named Coroner made sure we wouldn't forget about the European thrash metal contribution! And what a contribution it is -- fast, heavy and with riffs so far out the ass they don't stink anymore, Coroner's debut is a powerhouse of tech thrash. A fairly unique-sounding album, with perhaps a little Megadeth flavour to it, R.I.P. is as solid an album as you'll find. There really aren't any weak spots. All band members are musicians of the highest order, with only Ron Royce's vocals being less than spectacular but they fit the music and do not take away from it. Seriously though, put it on random. You won't find a bad track -- even the intros are good.

1. Intro
2. Reborn Through Hate
3. When Angels Die
4. Intro
5. Nosferatu
6. Suicide Command
7. Spiral Dream
8. R.I.P.
9. Coma
10. Fried Alive
11. Intro
12. Totentanz
13. Outro

Score: 9.5/10

Possessed - The Eyes of Horror - May 31, 1987

At some point after the release of their influential debut, Possessed decided they wanted to be less cutting edge death metal and more conventional thrash. After a good but slightly confused transitional album in Beyond the Gates, Possessed released this 5-song EP, and the transformation seems to be complete. There are still hints of death metal -- the vocals for one remain unchanged and while there are some pretty twisted riffs present they just aren't as evil and ugly as they were only two years earlier. Very solid thrash metal is what we have here though, with a much cleaner sound than we've heard from this band before. Unfortunately, this is the last we would hear from the band until 2003.

1. Confessions
2. My Belief
3. The Eyes of Horror
4. Swing of the Axe
5. Storm in my Mind

Score: 7.5/10

Heathen - Breaking the Silence - May 1, 1987

If it wasn't already obvious with the debuts of Testament and Death Angel earlier in 1987, it becomes painfully clear with Heathen's first album -- the Bay Area sound has arrived. Much like the two previous bands, Heathen plays an aggressive, technical style with heavy emphasis on melody and hooks -- and they are probably the best example of it so far. Breaking the Silence hits the ground running, with the first three songs being absolute winners packing all kinds of great riffs into wonderfully crafted songs much in the same vein as Metallica's Ride the Lightning years earlier.

Breaking the Silence is a little top-heavy as the real gems are all found in the first half although the album does close on a high note with "Save the Skull". The songs also start to get slightly repetitive as most seem to feature some sort of speedy gallop. The cover tune, a very well done version of Sweet's "Set Me Free" breaks up the flow of the album a little as well. There are no bad songs though as even the worst would still qualify as most other bands' best.

1. Death by Hanging
2. Goblin's Blade
3. Open the Grave
4. Pray for Death
5. Set Me Free
6. Breaking the Silence
7. World's End
8. Save the Skull

Score: 9/10

Mutilator - Immortal Force - May, 1987

Hailing from the same place as Sepultura, it comes as no surprise that Mutilator play a very similar style as those legendary thrashers did in 1986-87. Front man Alexander was even asked to join Sepultura when Jairo left the band in 1987 but turned the offer down. Fast, raw and verging on death metal, Mutilator certainly don't lack for enthusiasm or energy. What separates Sepultura from a band like Mutilator though is true songwriting skill. Even on Morbid Visions, Sepultura displayed a clear ability to build drama and suspense in their songwriting, and most of the songs flowed very well with lots of varied parts. When listening to Mutilator's first album, this is not the case. The band's end game is always the same: blinding speed -- which is all fine and good, but it gets a little predictable as the album goes on. It's a shame too, because there are a lot of cool mid-paced and even epic sounding passages thrown in that seem like they should lead to something even cooler -- but they don't. Just speed. I like speed -- this is a thrash retrospective after all, but sometimes there's just too much of a good thing.

1. Memorial Stone Without a Name
2. Blood Storm
3. Butcher
4. War Dogs
5. Mutilator
6. Brigade of Hate
7. Immortal Force
8. Tormented Soul
9. Paranoic Command

Score: 5.5/10

Artillery - Terror Squad - April 24, 1987

My mother always told me to never judge a book by its cover, and seldom has this advice been more valuable than when listening to Artillery's sophomore effort, Terror Squad. Terror Squad's cover is utter shit, apparently supposed to be an artist's rough draft, but the music contained within is some pretty strong thrash.

Artillery's second full-length builds on the strengths of their first -- fast and heavy with Flemming Ronsdorf's incredibly charismatic vocals providing the storyline -- how can you lose? You can't really... the album does start to take a bit of a dive towards the end -- there are still solid tunes to be found, but they're just not up to the level of the first four songs which probably rank as one of the better album sides in thrash metal history. At the time of it's release, Terror Squad was one of the absolute best European thrash records, and it still holds up -- cover not withstanding.

1. The Challenge
2. In the Trash
3. Terror Squad
4. Let There Be Sin
5. Hunger and Greed
6. Therapy
7. At War with Science
8. Decapitation of Deviants

Score: 8/10

Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence - April 23, 1987

Death Angel's debut is a bit of a funny one. One on hand, you have a young group of guys who have grown up immersed in the sounds of Metallica, Exodus, Possessed and the like. They are obviously talented, determined musicians who even caught the attention of one of their idols, evidenced by the fact that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett produced their demo, Kill As One. On the other hand, you have a young band so caught up in their hometown scene that they maybe go too far in trying to emulate that sound. The trademarks of the Bay Area sound are there: the vicious yet melodic riffs, the catchy choruses complete with gang vocals, the long and winding song structures.

Yet, there is something keeping this band and album from reaching the heights of those aforementioned bands -- the songs lack true, thoughtful development because it takes a back seat to youthful exuberance and the desire to actually become their idols. A lot of the songs drag on for far too long, cramming riffs together that may not necessarily fit. Songs like "Evil Priest" or the sprawling title track are prime examples of this, most likely going for Ride the Lightning levels of riffery.

The overall sound of the album though, is clear and heavy, especially remarkable when compared to Testament's debut, which came just two days before. Much like Testament though, there are some excellent individual performances here. Then 15-year-old drummer Andy Galleon's probably sticks out the most because well, he's FIFTEEN. Vocalist Mark Osegueda's performance is also notable, as he unleashes some pretty ridiculous screams while singing and snarling his way through songs like some kind of Bobby Ellsworth-Joey Belladonna hybrid. 

Is The Ultra-Violence the best classic Death Angel release? Most likely, which doesn't bode very well for their others. The debut is enjoyable enough though and is worth at least a few listens.

1. Thrashers
2. Evil Priest
3. Voracious Souls
4. Kill as One
5. The Ultra-Violence
6. Mistress of Pain
7. Final Death
8. I.P.F.S.

Score: 7.5/10

Testament - The Legacy - April 21, 1987

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

Voivod - Killing Technology - April 3, 1987

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

Anthrax - Among the Living - March 22, 1987

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

Overkill - Taking Over - March, 1987

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

Blood Feast - Kill For Pleasure - February 13, 1987

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

Vendetta - Go and Live... Stay and Die - February, 1987

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

Primal Scream - Volume One - January 13, 1987

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 - Party With God - 1986

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

Onslaught - The Force - 1986

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

Necronomicon - Necronomicon - 1986

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

Nasty Savage - Indulgence - 1986

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 - Mayhemic Destruction - 1986

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

Living Death - Back to the Weapons - 1986

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

Deathrow - Riders of Doom - 1986

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