Copyright (c) 2007 THE THRASH METAL GUIDE
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z V.A.R. (CZECH)
Based on "Pod Vodou", these guys play melodic thrash, which for the time sounds quite retro, but also quite toothless and soft. The tempo is mid to up at best, and somewhere towards the middle the music acquires the expected modern tendencies, which stay till the end, spoiling considerably the little impression made previously from this pretty pedestrian effort. The last three tracks abandon the thrash idea, one of which is a cover version of Black Sabbath's early hit "Children of the Grave" sung in Czech, and done awfully.
Personal Destruction Full-length, 1992 Official Site VACANT GRAVE (USA)
This band offers cool thrash/proto-death metal akin to Funeral Nation and Revenant (in the more technical parts). The music is aggressive and quite fast, bashing with full force at times, but leaves room for more technical exploits: the jumpy hectic "Room For 1 More", which comes served with nice, but short leads; the excellent mid-paced instrumental "Graven Scripture", which is the most melodic (except for the wild frantic ending), but is truly one of the best tracks. "Killer Instinct" starts as a ballad, and keeps it going for about 2-min, but after that the guys turn it into a stylish intense death/thrasher, with another cool lead guitar work implemented later on. "Supernatural Force" is also worth mentioning, which uses the main theme from the cult horror film "Halloween" in the beginning, but later evolves into a more aggressive thrasher, accompanied by a cool melodic section. The performance on the whole album is actually above average, and even the more ordinary immediate tracks come with interesting riffs and tempo changes: check out the last two jumpy, semi-chaotic numbers "Evil Deceiver" and "Vacant Grave". The band looked well set to give the fashionable at the time thrash/death mixture the desirable technical twist, but like Revenant they didn't last beyond the obligatory full-length debut.
Eternal Nightmare EP, 1989 My Space VAE VICTUS (CANADA)
Based on the demo: aggressive fast thrash which bears resemblances to Slayer's "Reign in Blood" and Dark Angel's "Darkness Descends", but the songs here are longer, and at least the leads are more proficient. The problem is with the fuzzy guitar sound, which partially decreases the impact from this otherwise very hard-hitting music. The vocals are quite good, sounding like a cleaner, and a higher-pitched version of Tom Araya, with a pinch of Russ Anderson (Forbidden).
Demo Demo, 1987 VAGINATOR (CHILE)
This Chilean trio pulls out cool classic speed/thrash with touches of crossover; the music is quite fast, reaching a Wehrmacht-like intensity at times: "Masacre Vaginator". "Basura Callejera" is a nice aggressive speedy thrasher, followed by the drunken joke song "Demolicion (Los Saicos)", which is kind of underwhelming, breaking the monolithic brutal sound up to this point, although a big excuse is brought near the end, with a fast-paced thrashy exit. "Vaginas All Nite" is more moderate thrash/crossover, but "La Mataflaite" is brutal thrash at its best in the best spirit of the Swedes Merciless and early Pestilence.
Demo-lición Demo, 2008 My Space VALIENT THORR (USA)
Based on "Immortalizer", this band pull out decent melodic heavy/thrash, which owes a lot to 90's Megadeth (circa "Countdown to Extinction"), and Exciter, when the music picks up more speed. Some songs are softer ("Tomorrow Police", "Nomadic Sacrifice") with a strong classic heavy metal spirit, but most of the time the guitars thrash with conviction and melody, and often with speed ("No Holds Barred", "Red Flag"). The sound is simplistic, but the guys nicely vary the tempos alternating more energetic tracks with heavier mid-paced ones. The lead guitar work is particularly good, but the leads are short, since the relatively short length of the songs (3-4min) hardly requires more.
Total Universe Man Full-Length, 2005 VALKYRIA (RUSSIA)
The band's self titled debut is outstanding progressive thrash, rubbing shoulders with mid-late 80's Living Death and Mekong Delta. The very first riffs from the opener "Ravens" will prepare you for a classical music-inspired guitar wizardry, combined with fast, sharp riffage. The tempos stray into all directions, with some parts seeming discordant and too chaotic, also infused with keyboards, which are a bit overused at times; this touch and some fast sections will draw comparisons with the 90's power/speed metal scene, but just when the listener starts to get a bit disappointed, comes a brilliant complex technical passage to save the day. The music is fast-paced, with quite a few straight headbanging moments, and some really aggressive riffs: the instrumental "Valkyria". The singer plays a secondary role here, and his mid-ranged, levelled tone is not really exceptional, making him sound like Wolfgang Borgmann (the first Mekong Delta singer).
Valkyria Full-length, 1993 My Space VALKYRIE (USA, NJ)
American power metal meets thrash; the American metal scene was full of similar demos back in the 80's: good, energetic music along the lines of Savage Grace, Attacker, early Helstar, etc. with good, proficient solos and catchy, sing-along choruses.
Past, Present,... Demo, 1990 VALKYRIE (USA, TX)
A really good 3-song demo of blistering speed/thrash recalling Viking's "Man of Straw" and Helstar's "Distant Thunder" (please note that this demo precedes both albums with a few years). This is great headbanging music, quite fast, and even technical at times, with vocals which reach for the high notes quite often in a way not too dissimilar to Larry Portelli (Blessed Death). "Reign of Violence" starts with a very popular theme which I still have problems recalling... (help here, please).
Choosers of the Slain Demo, 1986 VALKYRIE'S CRY (USA)
These Canadians are a very good reminder of the power/speed/thrash metal scene of the 80's, crossing quite a few influences, consequently sounding like neither of the old timers, but are reminiscent of more recent practitioners like the Danes Manticora, the Polish Hellfire, the Germans Sacred Steel, and the Finns Solitaire when they switch onto full speed. The album opens with the epic speed metal hymn "Iron Sword", but the cheesiness gradually fades away, first with "Black Knight" which is a battle-like speed/thrasher, and later on on the intense thrashterpiece "Beserker", which blast-beats for a while. "Viking Warrior" adds a cool tecnical touch to the proceedings, plus mighty galloping riffs. "Blessed By The Mace" excels in the lead department, thrashing with force again, before "Ride Of Sleipnir" takes on the exuberant style of Helstar's "Nosferatu", by retaining the speed. "Vortigern" is a short technical speed/thrasher, again reminding of the Helstar magnum opus, but "Valkyrie's Cry" is direct speed metal with an epic atmosphere. "Headless Horseman" closes the album in a smashing speed/thrashing manner, despite the misleading doomy intro. The singer is a nice addition with his mid-ranged clean tember, sounding like a less emotional James Rivera who seldoms tries to scream. It's always good to hear a band fully dedicated to the roots of the genre by mixing all the basic styles so well without overdoing it.
Valkyrie's Cry Full-length, 2009 Official Site VALOR (USA)
A good band from the 80's who pull out power/speed/thrash along the lines of Destructor and Hallows Eve, among other representatives of the American scene. These guys are better than both, bashing out quite aggressive pieces: the furious thrashers "Accept Him" and "Valor", the speed metal killers "Fight for Your Life" and "Masquerade", the mid-paced heavy pounder "The Flesh is Weak". The rest of the songs are slower, with "Empty Tomb" being an intense mixture of doom and thrash. The singer has an original low-tuned semi-clean tone, reminiscent of Jon Van Doorn (Deathwish).
Fight For Your Life Full-length, 1988 Fan Site VALUME NOB (USA)
Based on "Residue And Bones": an interesting but melodic mix of thrash/crossover with a groovy vibe, and stoner/doom; the music resembles a more thrashy version of Phil Anselmo's Down. The bad news is that it stays closer to the doom side, and consequently doesn't create an enjoyable, headbanging atmosphere for the thrash fan. Don't get misled by the title of the song "Brutal Attack": this is the softest track here, being an insipid doomy blues; the rest is just a little bit better.
The Most High EP, 2004 Official Site VAMPIRE (GERMANY)
Melodic modern thrash/death, mostly mid-paced with a gothic shade, occasionally blasting out (parts from "Ballad of the Two-Faced", which has nothing to do with the ballad).
Crimson Dominion Demo, 1998 VANADIUM (AUSTRALIA)
Surprisingly good, and surprisingly classic-sounding for the time of release thrash with a heavy dark atmosphere, recalling the late 80's Metallica period, among others. The guys mix heavy crushing riffs with faster more intense moments quite well, like on the opening "The Damage Done", but the better tracks are mid-paced with a sharp razor-like sound, in a good headbanging tempo: "Preacher Of Hate", the dark menacing "Sabotage The System". "Fight" goes over the top, starting like a ballad, before moving onto furious grinding passages, which in their turn are replaced by finally some cool thrash, and this mix goes on until the end; quite unexpected, having in mind the consistent character of the previously heard material; could be considered the highlight by some, or the awkward, offbeat track by others. The heavy ballad "Pain" is a winner, seeing the singer, whose delivery resembles a slightly higher-pitched James Hetfield, and the lead guitarist do a very good job.
The Damage Done Full-length, 1995 VANITY 4 (HOLLAND)
Based on "Zoön Politicon", this band offer classic thrash with a more avantgarde, semi-technical twist. The songs vary from funky variations to energetic thrash/crossover outbursts in the D.R.I., Nuclear Assault vein. Not bad, but the hectic approach, and the sudden, sometimes awkward switches from one style to another, might make someone dizzy.
Zoön Politicon Full-length, 1994 VANITY RUINS (GERMANY)
Modern Swedish thrash/death metal with a more brutal attitude, consequently staying closer to death metal; the pace is quite fast, with the odd cool intense thrasher ("Wait") roaming around.
Demo Demo, 2008 My Space VAPULEADOR (ARGENTINA)
2 songs of classic aggressive thrash with screechy vocals and hollowly-sounding drums.
Thrash o Muerte Demo, 2008 VARGA (CANADA)
On "Prototype" the band play modern, groovy thrash with industrial touches along the lines of later period Skrew, or Prong; not anything special, with several passages which have nothing to do with metal, let alone thrash. "Oxygen" takes a turn miles away from the thrash metal genre.
Prototype Full-length, 1993 VASTATOR (CHILE)
Vastator mix traditional metal with excellent speed/thrash, similar to Agent Steel's "Skeptic Apocalypse". The bass work is particularly striking: this guy is one of the finest bass players in the world right now. "Guia Para Odiar a Tu Projimo" is actually a compilation of the band's older material, consisting of demos mostly, and reveals fine speed/thrash metal with direct mighty sharp riffs, quite fast-paced, and a singer who sings gruffly, semi-cleanly most of the time, recalling Mark Shelton from Manilla Road, but when he screams, he easily reaches John Cyriis, although this doesn't happen very often. Some of the longer tracks have their quiet, slower sections, but the predominant sound is quite intense, spiced by more melodic hooks and strong bass support.
Guia Para Odiar a Tu Projimo, Antologia 1988-1998 Full-length, 1999 Official Site VECTOM (GERMANY)
"Speed Revolution" will hardly cause a speed revolution, but is a fine slab of the mentioned in the title style. All songs impersonate the genre very well, and this album, along with the early works of Helloween and the Germans Warrant's debut EP, have done a lot to establish speed metal on the European metal scene. Vectom's style is more simplistic and direct, with a clear nod to thrash, and unlike the other two aforementioned acts, they never break the speedy pattern, adding slower, mid-paced numbers. Variety is hardly the key-word when talking about this album, but this is a good headbanging fun all the way.
Speed Revolution Full-length, 1985 Vibrations of Doom VEDONIST (POLAND)
Vedonist are one of the young hopes of the Polish metal scene, and the presence of two talented guitarists, who also take part in the speed/thrash masters Hellfire, ensure plenty of memorable guitar hooks. The comparison between the two bands, however, ends here, since Vedonist are decidedly the more brutal act, with their roots deep in the retro thrash/death metal camp. The music in the debut is brisk thrash/death metal with more nods to thrash, and very brutal low-tuned death metal vocals. The guys stick to the conventional, not very fast approach, with quite a few technical moments, which produce fine interesting numbers: "Host Of Human Desires", "Break The Disembodied Altar", which remind of Infernal Majesty's "Holier Than Thou". "A Moment Of Reflection" is a really good "acoustic versus lead" instrumental, followed by the closing 9-min opus "Anhedonia Society", which surprisingly sounds too conventional compared to the aforementioned much shorter tracks, and although the riffs are heavy and fast for most of the time, the slower, almost epic passages, albeit not that frequent, seem to lack focus and edge.
Awaking to Immortality Full-length, 2005 Official Site VEHEMENT (ITALY)
Good retro thrash not miles away from the more recent Exodus efforts and the last Onslaught offering; so apart from the edgy retro guitars one will come across several modern moments which alternate throughout the album, as more preference is given to the former. There is a good balance found between the all-out fast thrashers, which touch the Bay Area more than occasionally, and the slower moody ones. Watch out for the excellent "No Reason To Fight For" near the end, which seamlessly blends the two trends, finished with a magnificent melodic doomy outro, very close to the best one on the metal scene: remember Candlemass's "Cry from the Crypt".
All That's Behind Full-length, 2008 Official Site VEHEMENT (USA, Illinois)
Cool heavy classic thrash crossing the Slayer-esque aggression with the stomping approach on Sacred Reich's "The American Way", adding the odd proto-death riff ala Devastation from time to time (the excellent speedy thrash/deathster "Inhale The Mist"). The speed gets "lost" (but not "forever", thank god) on the galloping thrasher "Forever Lost", and on the short acoustic instrumental "Creation", which is really a nice atmospheric "Creation". "Intergalactic Landmarks" jumps in mid-pace, too, but inserts cool technical licks which stay around for the next "Overtrolled" which is a fine blend of fast and heavy sections. The headbangers will welcome "Prepare For War", and especially the raging death/thrash closer "Procrehatred". The singer has a gruff semi-death/semi-angry tember which gives the album a slight modern "colouring". Some of the band members also helped Carcass Chris from Usurper around the same time in his side-project Eternal Hatred where they played pure classic death metal. Later they changed their name to Conglomeratorz with which they have two albums released.
Unbalanced For Mankind Full-length, 1999 VEHEMENT (USA, Indiana)
An obscure trio who specializes in the typical for the time groovy thrash, the difference coming from the more brutal death-tinged vocals; the guitar work is predictably heavy, but the pace seldom varies, being in the mid-parameters. Some cool leads can be heard, and generally the riffage is really heavy and crushing, but 11 songs of the same heaviness are not very easy to carry, even by fans of Pantera and Puncture, to whom this album will most likely appeal.
Sour Ground Full-length, 1995 VEKTOR (USA)
Based on "Black Future", these guys pull out quite good technical/progressive thrash sounding quite fast and aggressive for most of the time, a tendency clearly shown with the opening "Black Future" recalling late-80's, early-90's Kreator, among other acts. With each subsequent song things become more elaborate although the following "Oblivion" is also fast-paced incorporating elements from late period Death and a couple of great melodic leads near the end. "Destroying the Cosmos" carries on in the same vein now recalling the speed metal scene of the 90's "decorating" the speedy approach with a nice balladic break and sparce blast-beats at the end. "Forests of Legend" is the first more serious take on a more progressive song-writing preserving the fast-paced riffage all over, also providing great balladic intro and outro. "Hunger for Violence" is exemplary speed/thrash with not much technicality, except for a short twisted Coroner-like riffage in the middle, racing with the speed of light. "Deoxyribonucleic Acid" is more controlled in the beginning resulting in more complexity, but also more melody in the lead department mostly; watch out for the second half where blasting death metal will reach your ears. "Asteroid" is all-out speed once again, no technical play here, even smelling crossover at times. The end will surprise even the most optimistic: two long compositions of exemplary progressive thrash combining fast headbanging sections, very technical guitars, mellower interludes, a bit of death metal, 90's power/speed, and more. This is quite a treat definitely reaching outside the thrash metal "box" to a wider gamut of fans, and can easily be classified as "the fastest progressive metal act in the world" at the moment.
Demolition Full-length, 2006 My Space VELLOCET (GERMANY)
A blend of hardcore and thrash from the early days of the German thrash metal scene, but less impressive than the majority of the practitioners at the time. Their second album has nothing to do with thrash, being melodic heavy/power metal.
Captive of Reality Full-length, 1986 Vibrations of Doom VELOCET (ARGENTINA)
Cool power/thrash with a classic edge; the album is a pretty decent mix of heavy, slower and speedy songs, featuring a nice ballad as well ("Almas Negras"). The shorter tracks are direct, intense all-out thrashers ("Autoeliminación", "Como el Tirge"), whereas the longer ones are more laid-back, but still deliver the goods with hard riffs and cool melodic hooks.
Cuando La Oscuridad Reine Full-length, 1999 Fan Site VELOCITY (UKRAINE)
Melodic speed/thrash of the classic variety, not miles away from their neighbours from Russia Master's debut; the guys do not conceal their infatuation with the 90's power/speed metal as well, although full-blooded pieces of the kind are not that many. The guitar work is simplistic and direct, with slight deviations into a more intriguing play, mostly in the lead guitar department. The singer ruins things a bit, with his harsh semi-death metal delivery, and some adjustment in this department for the future would be desirable.
Mir Ludei Pogriaz v Svete Demo, 2007 VENDETTA (FINLAND)
Early speed/thrash metal along the lines of Vectom and Exciter, with a classic heavy metal number at the end: "Search In The Darkness".
Search In The Darkness EP, 1986 Vibrations of Doom VENDETTA (GERMANY)
These guys have done a very good job on both their albums and have even managed to sound more original than some of their colleagues despite the relative lack of popularity and success achieved by other less deserving acts. The debut is a sure-handed affair, which actually brought the Bay-Area sound to Germany. "Suicidal Lunacy" is a good opener with its both speedy and pounding guitars and the genuine semi-technical edge. The band combine more immediate, shorter songs ("Go And Live... Stay And Die") with complex, longer ones ("Drugs And Corruption"), which are the lesser side, since their length doesn't match the not very technical, and slightly repetitive nature of the guitar work involved. Fortunately, they're not too many, and the hard-hitting riffage heard for most of the time should win anyone in the end.
Go And Live... Stay And Die Full-length, 1987 Official Site VENESECTION (GERMANY)
Based on the "Dead Zone" demo, this band offer fairly good retro thrash in the Germanic tradition, with gruff death-ish vocals. The tempo is energetic, never too aggressive, and only occasionally acquires death ("Innocent Death") or black metal proportions (the "Bonustrack", which is atmospheric and mid-paced).
Divided Soul Demo, 2004 Official Site VENGANZA (SPAIN)
Based on "Contra El Fin Del Milenio", this obscure band offers classic speed/thrash, which start in the best possible way with the aggressive shredder "Diario De Un Hombre Muerto", but the next "Los Millones De Dios" reduces the speed, and is a nice technical thrasher, resembling their compatriots Ktulu's "Orden Genético". "El Gustillo Por Matar" goes even deeper into technical waters, and acquires an even softer approach. "Yo No Soy Juez" brings back some faster elements, but is more ordinary, influencing the following "Al Mundo Se La Suda". "Descabello" is more satisfying, recalling late 80's-Metallica with the dry technical riffs, an approach picked by the more dynamic "Sexo En La Sopa" and the closing "Iguales Ante La Ley", which also offers cool machinegun-like "fire" and a fine twisted technical ending. Despite the slight staggering witnessed in the middle, this album is a more than a dignified answer to the flood of 90's modern thrash efforts coming from all sides. The singer Silver Solórzano is the same one who also takes part in the speed/thrash heroes Muro.
Jaque Mate Full-length, 1994 VENGEANCE (POLAND)
A small (pun intended) demo of 4 tracks of small (pun intended), badly produced, mostly mid to up-tempo thrash in the Slayer vein.
Small Thrash Demo, 1988 VENGEANCE (USA, CA)
Quite a good blend of speed, power and thrash, with a bit more aggressive vocals than the ones you might be accustomed to, close to the ones used by Tony Portaro on the first two Whiplash albums. There is a hardcore joke ("Salvation"), too. The style is actually not miles away from Whiplash, mixed with heavier parts ala early Venom.
Demo Demo, 1987 VENGEANCE RISING (USA)
This Christian thrash metal band was the first one to give a more extreme edge to the Christian metal scene as an alternative to the radio-friendly metal of acts like Stryper, Bloodgood (their 2nd album "Detonation", by the way, is a brilliant speed/power metal affair, highly recommended), White Cross, Barren Cross, "Some Other" Cross, etc. The band started as just Vengeance, but later had to change their name due to legal claims made by the Dutch hard'n heavy rockers of the same name. The band shared members with another early Christian speed/thrash metal band: Deliverance, in their spawning stages, and the music on the debut bears resemblances to that band's debut crossing fast-paced speed/thrashers with more power metal-based tracks. The main difference comes in the vocal department, where one will hear the first attempts at a more growly death metal-type singing made by the band founder Roger Martinez. The aggression is probably bigger on the faster moments, with nods to Slayer and Dark Angel ("Fatal Delay"), but on the other hand there are balladic parts on a couple of tracks, as well as touches of crossover ("White Throne") and even doom ("Ascension"); a diverse and a bit unfocused affair as a whole, with also a couple of short brutal hardcore pieces scattered around.
Human Sacrifice Full-length, 1988 My Space VENGEFUL GHOUL (TURKEY)
This new Turkish band offer mid-paced power/thrash with a classic vibe, and a singer who is also a member of another good Turkish thrash metal act: Electrocute (he both sings and plays the guitar there, whereas on this one he feels comfortable enough just handling the mike), whose delivery recalls Schmier, maybe a bit more throaty. One of the guitarists is a girl, something not very common among the metal fraternity. "Ruinous" breaks the monotony with more intense riffage and stylish Oriental leads, and remains the best song here.
Premier Fury Demo, 2006
"Personal Destruction" is a much harder offering, containing vigorous intense retro thrash with good speedy riffs and sinister semi-declamatory vocals, but it is not exactly "Brutalni Chaos", like the opener's title tries to imply. There are whole 16 tracks here so expect a couple of more laid-back power/thrash numbers, which are also cool although the gruff vocals kind of don't suit them too well.
Závislost Full-length, 1995
Pod Vodou Full-length, 1998
Rozdvojen ale schopen Full-length, 2001
(15 Years) Fast Like Bikila EP, 2003
Za pìt minut po smrti Full-length, 2007
Life Or Death Full-length, 1990
21 (wow, they're still alive?!) years later the band is back, and the album title shouldn't keep you guessing long what you will be listening to, although the sound bears little resemblance to the one on the demo. This is indeed black/thrash metal, sounding closer to black metal, still serving cool fast headbangers, more thrash-oriented. The constant blast-beats, however, ruin the impression, leaving little room for the thrash rhythms to develop, and often does the album end up sounding closer to Impaled Nazarene, rather than, say, Aura Noir, or the Japanese trend in the genre. The singer now is a pure black metal semi-shouter, and fits the music fine.
Black Fucking Thrash Metal Full-length, 2008
"Vaginadictos" is a less serious and an inferior for that matter offering featuring more melodic thrash/crossover with sincere punk references. There are a few more brutal songs, but they are a little more than aggressive bashing with very simplistic repetitive guitars.
Vaginadictos Demo, 2009
The band's first two efforts have nothing to do with thrash, being pretty ordinary, uneventful blends of heavy, power and doom metal; have their moments, but would be a total waste of time for the thrash metal fan.
Legend of the World Full-Length, 2006
Immortalizer Full-Length, 2008
Like most of the Russian bands at that time, they got lost, and were back 9 years later with a shocking industrial, Rammstein-like sound (apparently the guys were thinking carefully about their fans during that time as to what musical direction to follow- pun intended, the album title: "Thinking of You"). For the enormous relief to the metal world, "Mystical Mass" is a nice return to the progressive thrash of the debut. It is actually a remastered version of the debut to a point that some tracks you might find hard to recognize, because they come with a better production, and a tighter musicianship.
"Popolni Riadu" is a more aggressive, thrashy version of "Thinking of You"; no traces of progressive thrash; apparently the re-release of the debut was made just to add some effortless cash to the guys' pockets, but not intended as a warming-up for another progressive thrash opus. The industrial metal fans will be delighted once again, and even the thrash metal ones might find something to like, since the guitars are quite sharp, and the pace is fairly dynamic, but it's obvious that the band have already moved on with no intentions to open pages long closed.
Thinking of You Full-length, 2002
Mystical Mass Full-length, 2005
Popolni Riadu Full-length, 2008
The EP is pretty close sound-wise to the full-length, but falls prey too often to the hardcore "traps", having a really hard time to recover after the fall. The two live tracks at the end restore the faith, if there ever was any in the first place, with their simplistic, but heavy hammering riffs.
Residue And Bones Full-length, 2006
Unsolicited Material Full-length, 1997
Retina Full-Length, 2008
Oxygen Full-length, 1995
"The Night of San Juan" is more varied and considerably slower, with some songs carrying a certain epic element, recalling, again, mid-period Manilla Road, and the concentration is not as much on speed anymore. The riffs are heavy, thrashy, but the lack of more energy makes them sound a bit forced. "Mongolian Mea" is a cool reminder of the debut, but there are not too many of the kind; the other attempt in this vein "Avenger" is more of a nod to the 90's power/speed metal scene.
"Hell Only Knows" is a fairly good comeback for the guys. The opening "Hell Only Knows" is explosive brutal speed/thrash/black, and the soaring hellish ala Rob Halford (think the "Painkiller") vocals sound almost surreal on this background. The aggression goes on on the excellent "Inner Fury", where one hears the previous Mark Shelton singing style coming back; this song is major intense thrash, with a very good bass-bottom again. The epic sound is not too late to manifest itself on the excellent doomy "Soul Of Heroes". "Unbreakable" is 2-min of pounding power/thrash, but "Bloodline" keeps the album on doomy/epic fields for another while. "Pounding Hearts" is first-rate galloping power/speed metal ala Helstar, and "Evilution (The New Step)" rages on bringing forward brutal blast-beats: another surreal touch compared to the more controlled power/thrashy rest. "Mansión En Llamas" provides a very desirable technical edge, and is very close to winning a place even on "Nosferatu". "Maxima Entropia" is a remastered version of an early track of theirs, with a more accentuated bass bottom, and the closing "Monseñor" is glorious speed/thrash in the best tradition of Manticora and Hellfire. These guys are back indeed, and in a way better than many of the much more famous names from the 80's.
The Night of San Juan Full-length, 2001
Hell Only Knows Full-length, 2007
"Rules of Mystery", from a thrash metal point of view, is the lesser work; the speed is by all means here, but the guitar sound has become more proficient, and nice melodic hooks can be heard here and there, plus improved bass performance. The style now resembles Helloween quite a bit, as well as Iron Angel's "Winds of War", and "Why Am I Alive" finally pauses for a break, being a heavy/power metal number, not even half as fast as the rest of the songs. This is not too bad, by the way, since here there are definitely more diverse, interesting songs, like the excellent "Feelings of Freedom", which is a nice blend of pounding, up-tempo riffage and very fast-paced one. When "Elixir or Death" comes with a more melodic and slower guitar sound one can't help, but frown a bit, since the obligatory solitary deviation has already been introduced, and now a second one of the kind would diminish the impact; a situation, saved by the much better speed/thrashing numbers "Caught by Insanity" and "Evil Run" at the end. The guys looked well set to join the forefront of the speed/thrash metal movement in Europe, but this remained their swansong.
Rules of Mystery Full-length, 1986
"The World Of Reversed Decalogue" is a much superior companion to the debut, again sounding closer to thrash. The lead guitar work is better, courtesy of the talented Xan (Hellfire), who overshadows the others on quite a few times, and the technical leanings are much more, producing the best songs from the band's discography: the nice thrashy monster with the "smelly" title "Anus Mundi", the fine technical riff-fest "Dead Chimneys Monument", the twisted symphony "Patients Of The Slaughterhouse", the 7-min of non-stop display of technical brilliance "Sonderkommando", and above all the closing "Lux In Tenebris Lucet", with Xan in top form gain, ably supported by the rhythm section, which is quite jumpy and hectic, and more aggressive with a death metal edge, which would make even their compatriots from Sceptic sit down and listen. This is a really cool album showing the guys more inspired playing with confidence and proficiency making waves on the technical metal scene although their full potential is yet to be realised.
The World Of Reversed Decalogue Full-length, 2008
"Demolition" is a sure-handed debut starting with one of the most impressive intros of recent years: the technical instrumental shred "Spiral Galaxy" which within less than 2-min will manage to warm you up in a way much better than many much longer songs, and to these ears remains the highlight of the album. Then the guy's staple high-speed technical delivery steps in with "Oblivion" (later remastered and included in the follow-up, again as a second song) and never steps down. If the former was a more conventional take on speed/thrash, "Fast Paced Society" puts the complexity on a much higher level, with the mid-section being much slower than the rest albeit not bad at all with its meandering progressive structure. "Venus Project" begins in the most abstract spacey way with weird clinging guitars, but soon after the guys start moshing pretty hard touching death metal as opposed to another peaceful mid-break where the clinging weirdness comes back this time accompanied by great technical riffage. "Destroying the Cosmos" follows a similar pattern with a calm surreal intro, but the speed here is more controlled, and the middle part is quite an experience bringing back the beginning supported by twisted illogical riffs which may puzzle the listener quite a bit who will partly be saved by the lead-driven blast-beats at the end. "Moonbase" is a monstrous composition lasting for nearly 13-min which breaks the "fast start-slow middle-fast end" pattern and is surprisingly laid-back in terms of speed creeping slowly forward with technical mid-paced riffs that are not bad at all creating a hallucinational claustrophobic atmosphere; it's just that to listen to them for a quarter of an hour without any more dynamic attempts made by the guys may prove a tiring experience to some. The closing "Tetrastructural Minds" predictably switches onto a faster play, but is a satisfying piece of clever up-tempo technicality with frequent slower pasages which again score high in the abstract twisted department.
Although the band's style may remind of several past and present practitioners, it clearly shows a tendency towards individuality and a more characteristic approach rather than conscious emulation and sticking to safer already established patterns. While the follow-up sees an act with already well honed "weapons" ready to do a damage on a wider scale, the debut is less convincing sticking to the aforementioned repeated formula for most of the time although when the guys decide to break it, this "break" takes gigantic proportions ("Moonbase") sounding like it would never end. While this is hardly a complaint, here comes the singer whose hysterical high-pitched black-ish rasps are not exactly the most suitable choice for the music, but again add up nicely to the original interpretation the band gives to the more though-out side of metal.
Black Future Full-length, 2009
Welcome to Dimension Four Full-length, 1988
"Brain Damage" shows the band in an inspired form once again; within a short span of time the guys have managed to grow as musicians: the guitar sound is more technical, and the bass work is more impressive. Separate songs are quite good: the small semi-technical speed/thrashers "Brain Damage" and "Conversation"; the cool heavy semi-ballad (too many semi's here) "Precious Existence", which rivals any achievement in this field, including the much-vaunted Testament ballads; the great technical instrumental "Fade To Insanity": a smashing mixture of swirling leads and sharp riffs, started with an awesome bass performance: a variation of the Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". After it anything else would sound plain, but the two remaining tracks are quite good, the closing "Metal Law" being a really fine small speed/thrash number. The band seemingly had something more up their sleeve in the technical department, and their untimely disappearance (a very tipycal "syndrom" for the European scene: disappearance after two full-lengths) prevented them from making a more lasting impact on the scene.
A short, 3-track demo released in 2003 suggested that something new was in the makings in their camp, but it took four long years before it saw the light of day. "Hate" sticks out of the couple of more recent old veterans' reunions, being vintage old school thrash metal for most of the time in a way not too dissimilar to same year's Onslaught's comeback album "Killing Peace". Cool modern "updates" ala more recent Annihilator could be heard ("Hannibal, "Rise For Revolution") in the guitar work, but the Bay Area-influenced sound which was the base for their early works (the debut, more particularly), is pretty much intact. All songs are nice thrashers, with the possible exception of "Prepare Your Self For Hostility" which is a slower, groovy number.
Brain Damage Full-length, 1988
Hate Full-Length, 2007
Dead Zone Demo, 2008
Contra El Fin Del Milenio Full-length, 1996
"Once Dead" offers similar entertainment with less styles "courted" this time, thrash and crossover being the dominant ones. The pace is usually fast, with blast-beats included on the 9-min long "The Whipping Post", which is a sprawling composition with doomy and balladic elements inserted as well, the latter being accompanied by nice leads; and on the shorter explosive "The Wrath To Come". "Into The Abyss" is the other exercise in longer more serious metal, but is more consistent than the previous one, being mid-paced with a dark doomy atmosphere, without any sudden tempo switches.
Internal conflicts led to all the band members abandoning Roger Martinez and forming Die Happy where the music took a much more melodic direction. Martinez was determined to keep the band alive, and summoned new musicians for the recording of "Destruction Comes", which offered straight retro thrash with a slightly dry sterile sound. The guys do not deviate a lot this time, leaving those not very convincing style stretches aside, sticking to the up-tempo thrash formula with Slayer an obvious influence, and this effort could pass for their finest hour, adding to 1991's reputation as the last "fortress" of classic thrash. For those who would accuse the band in lack of variety comes "Thanatos": a softer piece, smelling doom/proto-stoner, and the closer "Raegoul" which is pure high-octane doom.
"Released Upon The Earth" starts surprisingly with the 6.5-min doom opus "Help Me" and some may start thinking that finally the guys have "sold their souls" to doom after the several "flirtations" with the genre made in the past. Well, not exactly since very soon after begins the moshing done in a cool, albeit not very speedy, classic manner again, with a few brutal "desserts" along the way: the death metal bomb "Human Dark Potential", which contrasts to the surrounding it much slower material. "Tion" is the other ball of aggression keeping the Slayer spirit alive, setting the scene for the speed/thrashing roller coaster "You Will Be Hated" at the end.
Once Dead Full-length, 1990
Destruction Comes Full-length, 1991
Released Upon The Earth Full-length, 1992