ALBUM REVIEW: Destruction, "Born to Perish"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 09/08/2019

Label: Nuclear Blast

Another deadly slice of Teutonic thrash.

“Born To Perish” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. "Born To Perish"
2. "Inspired By Death"
3. "Betrayal"
4. "Rotten"
5. "Filthy Wealth"
6. "Butchered For Life"
7. "Tyrants Of The Netherworld"
8. "We Breed Evil"
9. "Fatal Flight 17"
10. "Ratcatcher"
Bonus:
11. "Hellbound"

The Review:

Destruction blast back, only three years since “Under Attack”, with ten tracks of efficient and cutting thrash metal. Now a four piece, thanks to the addition of Swiss shred-meister Damir Eskic and also the latest man to get behind the kit, Randy Black. Both newcomers put in a storming shift here; Damir really brings his A-game to the solos and Randy's drum performance is thrash circa 2019.

The opener and title track sets the tone here: thrashing drums, punishing leads and Sifringer and Schmier still providing a rock solid and destructive partnership. Sonically, this picks up right where “Under Attack”, “Spiritual Genocide” and “Day of Reckoning” left off: rock solid sound and razor sharp detail between the instruments. It's a long way from “Infernal Devastation” in terms of production values but the spirit of those days is still here.

Where Kreator remain a superb band, their sound has streamlined and become more subtle over the years. The same could be argued of Destruction, but not to the same extent as they remain a punishing and nasty proposition on record- less melody and more muscle. It seems that Schmier got all his melodic leanings out via the German Panzer side project a few years back, as what you get here is nothing less than thrash metal at all times.

The record steamrolls by with “Inspired By Death” and “Betrayal” following the title track with speed, violence and force. “Rotten” switches to the triplet/tanks rolling time feel that the band have used on past releases to good effect and it marks a good dynamic shift for the record. Likewise “Filthy Wealth” is not all out thrash- more like a Motorhead-type pace. It's no less effective and rounds out the first half of the album in style.

The second half of the record opens with the heavy-as-lead “Butchered For Life” (with a quieter mid section). “Tyrants of the Netherworld” is balls out thrash with a wall of guitars only letting up for a tasty drum break towards the end. A storming track! The final triumvirate of “We Breed Evil”, “Fatal Flight 17” and “Ratcatcher” are just as potent with the band applying maximum song writing chops to their speedy assault.

This is another good entry into Destruction's impressive discography. It does not top “Day of Reckoning” as their best album in the last decade, in my opinion, but it is right up there with the others. Another deadly slice of Teutonic thrash.

“Born To Perish” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Pänzer - "Fatal Command"

By: Richard Maw


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 06/10/2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

“Fatal Command” CD//DD track listing:

1. Satan's Hollow (4:04)

2. Fatal Command (4:57)

3. We Can Not Be Silenced (3:32)

4. I'll Bring You The Night (5:29)

5. Scorn And Hate (5:26)

6. Afflicted (4:42)

7. Skullbreaker (5:44)

8. Bleeding Allies (4:38)

9. The Decline (And The Downfall) (5:16)

10. Mistaken (4:54)

11. Promised Land (4:21)

The Review:

Pänzer came to prominence a couple of years back as a super group of sorts with members of Accept and Destruction combining to produce an album which sounded... mid way between those two bands. And very good it was too! The sophomore album by the band has seen Hermann Frank sadly depart, but the core of the band remain the same with Schmier and Stefan Schwarzmann still proving the thunderous underpinning to the band's sound. Pontus Norgren and V.O. Pulver fill out the line up this time around and the Swede/Swiss axis of metal works wonders.

The record is perhaps more anthemic than the debut “Send Them All To Hell” but it is just as metal; if not more so. There is huge choruses’ here- the opener “Satan's Hollow” is pure heavy metal, the following title track is more of the same. Big production and Schmier's manic vocals make this record feel energised and, in the right way, both retro and state of the art.

This is a harder proposition than Accept's latest (superb) album, but not at the level of intensity offered by Destruction. Schmier pushes and expands his vocal limits- as you can hear on “We Can Not Be Silenced”- and his willingness to turn in this type of performance says a lot about not resting on his laurels and giving his all to the record. There are mid paced chuggers like “I'll Bring You The Night” that nestle alongside more melodic and dynamic fair such as “Scorn” and “Hate” and you also get the pure heavy metal, verging on thrash, of “Afflicted” and the record is only half way at that point!

There is plenty of variety- “Skullbreaker” is a creeping and menacing track- not like the breakneck paced track I expected from the title. “Bleeding Allies” provides a stomping burst of pace and plenty of twin guitar work. The harder riffing of “The Decline (And The Downfall)” may please fans of Schmier's main band, but there is still a sense of metallic melody through the verses.

The final stretch of the album takes in the widdly “Mistaken” (great) and the fast and furious “Promised Land” (even greater!) and really closes on a strong statement for the record. This is a similar beast to their debut- powerful but with melody, hard driving but never out and out thrash. If that sounds like your bag- or for reference if you are a fan of Priest, Hammerfall, Accept and of course Destruction, there will be plenty for you to enjoy here. Classic heavy metal with a modern stainless steel sheen.

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Sodom - "Decision Day"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 26/08/2016

Label: Steamhammer

This is highly recommended for anyone who likes the gnarlier end of metal from Motorhead to Venom to Exodus to early Sepultura to Ravens Creed and so on. Nasty. And great!

“Decision Day” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. In Retribution (06:14)
02. Rolling Thunder (04:22)
03. Decision Day (04:03)
04. Caligula (04:01)
05. Who Is God? (04:35)
06. Strange Lost World (04:59)
07. Vaginal Born Evil (05:15)
08. Belligerence (04:00)
09. Blood Lions (03:17)
10. Sacred Warpath (05:34)
11. Refused To Die (04:27)
12. Predatory Instinct (04:44) (bonus track for vinyl and iTunes edition)

The Review:

From their early days when they played a kind of primitive black metal akin to Venom/Hellhammer, to the seminal albums of the late 80's, Sodom have occupied a rather special niche. They remain part of the German Big Three (arguably four, if you count Tankard) with Kreator and Destruction. Truthfully, I have never gone through Sodom's back catalogue in the same way as I have Kreator's, but that may now have to change.

“Decision Day” represents another quality release in the Sodom discography. You get eleven tracks of feral thrash. From opener “In Retribution”, through the title track and beyond, this is evil and dark music from masters of the genre. The technique is most certainly there these days, with Tom Angelripper backed up very impressively by Bern Kost and Markus Freiwald. Keeping to the power trio format has been the band’s strength over the years: think of them as a thrash Motorhead. You know what you want, what you are getting and what the band will inevitably deliver.

There are surprising moments of melody to go with the bombast- a lead break here, a tempo change there- it all adds up to a record that is well rounded and impressively adrenaline fuelled. The bass sound, as heard on “Caligula” is also mightily impressive. Sodom have kept the somewhat inventive/bizarre phrasing from earlier albums with titles like “Vaginal Born Evil" and have certainly kept their anger intact. This is metal of the old school variety- when it was still dangerous and a bit... well, scary.

It is on the most focused and succinct tracks which the band really shines- “Blood Lions” being a prime example- but the album is such that there is nothing spare here, nothing wasted. The song lengths are fairly uniform- around four minutes, although sometimes on either side of that and this is indicative of the fact that Tom and crew have their style down and write in a particular way as pertains to structure and changes. Ultimately, this is a huge strength: the band know exactly how to do this and they do it very well.

By the time “Refused To Die” rolls around, the album has proven to be very much a heads-down-see-you-at-the-end thrash fest. This is highly recommended for anyone who likes the gnarlier end of metal from Motorhead to Venom to Exodus to early Sepultura to Ravens Creed and so on. Nasty. And great!

“Decision Day” is available now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Kreator, Destruction, Slayer, Venom

Destruction - "Under Attack" (Album Review)

 By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/05/2016

Label: Nuclear Blast

From the opening title track, this is Destruction firing on all cylinders. The band sound focussed and angry. The production is pleasingly angular and metallic. Drums thrash convincingly (and don't sound identical to all other bands' drums!) as Sifringer and Schmier bring an impressively malevolent sound from their strings. How many records Destruction have left in them is not known, but if this anything to go by, their well is far from dry. Destruction have just made a worthy addition to their discography.  Make it a worthy addition to your record collection.

“Under Attack” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Under Attack (6:13)

2. Generation Nevermore (4:04)

3. Dethroned (4:50)

4. Getting Used To The Evil (6:08)

5. Pathogenic (4:27)

6. Elegant Pigs (3:40)

7. Second To None (5:11)

8. Stand Up For What You Deliver (4:20)

9. Conductor Of The Void (4:33)

10. Stigmatized (4:12)

The Review:

Destruction are indisputably thrash royalty. Along with Kreator and Sodom they make up the unholy trinity of Teutonic “thresh meddle.” There are now many records into a long and storied career... can they still cut it?!

Yes. Indeed they can. “Spiritual Genocide” from 2012 was a cracker, even better was “Day Of Reckoning” from 2011. “Under Attack” carries on the sound of those albums; tight, modern, speedy and distinctly Germanic in sound and vibe. Destruction have never had the all out aggression of Kreator, per se, or the crude violence of Sodom, but they have always had an abrasive and cutting sound.

From the opening title track, this is Destruction firing on all cylinders. The band sound focussed and angry. The production is pleasingly angular and metallic. Drums thrash convincingly (and don't sound identical to all other bands' drums!) as Sifringer and Schmier bring an impressively malevolent sound from their strings.

The breakneck tempos continue through “Generation Nevermore”, but the band is not afraid to slow down to rolling tank speed on the likes of “Dethroned” and then ring the changes again. There are nice flourishes to the likes of “Getting Used To The Evil” in the form quiet and loud dynamics, but mainly this is a speed fest. The riffing is razor sharp and sustains the middle of the album nicely- “Second To None”, “Pathogenic” and “Elegant Pigs” are all great thrash tracks from the top drawer.

The cunningly and punningly named “Stand Up For What You Deliver” is a track with a more triplet/galloping feel, which breaks up the record nicely before the frenetic home stretch. The final two tracks deliver a mid tempo assault and a final opening up of the throttle with the closing “Stigmatized” being particularly effective (lovely drum break). Having seen these boys live in 2010 supporting Obituary, I can attest to their aural potency on stage. They translate perfectly from stage to studio and vice versa. Towering vocalist/bassist Schmier also had the best sign off I have heard at a gig: “I'll see you in fucking hell mother fuckers...” And with that, he was gone! How many records Destruction have left in them is not known, but if this anything to go by, their well is far from dry. Destruction have just made a worthy addition to their discography.  Make it a worthy addition to your record collection.

“Under Attack” is available now

Band info: facebook

Kreator - “Love Us Or Hate Us”: The Very Best of The Noise Years 1985-1992 (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

 

Album Type: 2CD
Date Released: 06/05/2016
Label: BMG | Sanctuary Records |
Noise Records

 

 

When all is said and done, the vast majority of the two discs are absolutely killer. The first disc in particular is a rip ride through some of the greatest metal ever laid down. Two thirds of the second disc is awe inspiring too.  If you fancy an introduction to the band or need a one stop shop to replace worn vinyl or lost CDs, this compilation is undoubtedly for you as it is superb. What a band!

 

“Love Us Or Hate Us”: The Very Best of The Noise Years 1985-1992 CD track listing:

 

Disc 1:

Tracks 1-5 “Endless Pain” (1985)
Tracks 6-10 “Pleasure to Kill” (1986)
Tracks 11-15 “Terrible Certainty” (1987)

Disc 2:

Tracks 1-5 “Extreme Aggression” (1989)
Tracks 6-10 “Coma of Souls” (1990)
Tracks 11-15 “Renewal” (1992)

 

The Review:

 

Kreator form one part of the big three/big four of German thrash metal. Along with Sodom, Destruction and Tankard their status as Teutonic metal legends is not in doubt. This two disc compilation catches their classic career period and also their tailing off in the early 90's. Naturally, a band this good would not stay down for long and their post millennium albums have also been by and largely good to excellent (“Phantom Antichrist” is fantastic). Kreator these days have more melodic tendencies and the chaos is more restrained.

 

Melody and restraint are not words I would use in connection with the best of the material on offer here; “Endless Pain” is a more extreme version of Venom and the material from that nasty record played a part in the nascent death metal and even black metal genres. Similarly, “Pleasure To Kill” is revered as a thrash classic and often mentioned as the one album that could rival “Reign In Blood” for violence and intensity. There is no doubt that the material from those two albums sounds superb here; violent, chaotic and the aural equivalent of a riot (of violence). Tracks such as “Bonebreaker” veer close to Motorhead in approach, while “Under The Guillotine” is just brutal and devastatingly fast thrash, plain and simple. “Ripping Corpse”, probably my favourite from Kreator and indeed the “PTK” album sounds as vicious as it did when I first heard it.

 

“Terrible Certainty” is represented well here with clear improvements in musicianship and even production; this is a more clinical version of Kreator, but no less devastating. There is even a little melodic intro to “Behind The Mirror” which is a tiny portent of things to come in a  distant future for the band.

 

The band upped their game again for “Extreme Aggression”- the material from that album is tight and focused and well played too; it is the sound of a band in total command of their style and the tracks selected to open up the second disc are excellent. “Love Us Or Hate Us” is still a thrash anthem and sounds great here as do the other choice cuts from the album. “Coma of Souls” from 1990 gets a good showing here too; the band still plays in the traditional thrash style and the album is a good- if not great- one. Certainly it would be greater than what followed. The guitars sound reliably gnarly and the overall production is really quite good. Ventor's twin kicks are high in the mix with an almost “And Justice For All” style slap to the sound- but the snare is a little echoey and distant (probably a reaction to the bizarre compressed snare of “And Justice For All”). “People of the Lie” is the “hit” from the “Coma...” album and is included here. That makes five cracking albums in a row from Kreator in a short time period, too.

 

Thereafter, the issue of “Renewal” rears its head. It is no secret that thrash went through a fallow period in the post “Black Album” (and then grunge) landscape. Most bands changed; Testament released some simplified and slowed down records, even Overkill kind of aped Sabbath on the distinctly un-thrash “I Hear Black”. Kreator experimented with industrial sounds and slower tempos for “Renewal”. Honestly, the tracks from it here are not bad, per se, but just not why I would listen to Kreator (i.e. for brutal and violent thrash). Ultimately, the most and least you could say about “Renewal” is that it was a record of its time and place. It is bizarrely over-represented here and the samples and sound effects employed on tracks such as “Depression Unrest” sound out of kilter with the rest of this excellent compilation.

 

When all is said and done, the vast majority of the two discs are absolutely killer. The first disc in particular is a rip ride through some of the greatest metal ever laid down. Two thirds of the second disc is awe inspiring too. Kreator would claw their way back from the wilderness ten years later, but the band's exit from Noise Records and subsequent 90's releases are not their most celebrated moments. If you fancy an introduction to the band or need a one stop shop to replace worn vinyl or lost CDs, this compilation is undoubtedly for you as it is superb. What a band!

 

“Love Us Or Hate Us”: The Very Best of The Noise Years 1985-1992 is available now

 

Band info: facebook

The German Panzer - 'Send Them All To Hell' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/11/2014

Label:  Nuclear Blast

‘Send Them All To Hell’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Death Knell
02. Hail and Kill
03. Temple Of Doom
04. Panzer
05. Freakshow
06. Mr. Nobrain
07. Why?
08. Virtual Collision
09. Roll The Dice
10. Bleed For Your Sins

The German Panzer is:

Stefan Schwarzman | Drums

Herman Frank | Guitars

Schimer | Bass, vocals

Review:

The German Panzer is trad metal with heavy overtones of thrash- if not quite ever reaching that velocity. Being made up, as it is, of Schmier from Destruction on bass and vocals and Stefan Schwarzmann and Herman Frank of Accept on drums and guitars respectively, you should have an idea of what it is going to sound like. In short, these ideas should be confirmed when ‘Death Knell’ rolls out of your speakers. This is metal, heavy metal, plain and simple.

‘Hail and Kill’ is nothing like Manowar, in case you were thinking that. Mid-paced straight ahead metal is exactly what you get. Indeed, the band sounds like a composite of the more established acts that supplied the musicians. And if you like your metal heavy, melodic and speedy in places, this is no bad thing at all. ‘Temple of Doom’ ups the heaviness quotient. Twin kicks rumble on as a rather Overkill-esque groove is hammered out. Great stuff and catchy too! Panzer sounds exactly how you expect a German tank to move; it's efficient, relentless and straightforward.

‘Freakshow’ is Motorhead mixed with Priest- something German bands generally seem to excel at- glorious noise and melodies in one. Nice lead breaks too. ‘Mr. Nobrain’, despite the abysmal title, is very good and ridiculously catchy. Why? Is more melodic and even uses synth type sounds here and there- not one of my favourites, but an impressive six minutes plus nonetheless with some excellent guitar work. ‘Virtual Collision’ is as heavy as lead and really emphasises the stellar production job- a massive sound all round, really, with time changes and real structure to the composition.

‘Roll the Dice’ has a majestic intro and then a slow groove for the main riff with a surprisingly anthemic chorus. The band again plays to their strengths- strong hooks and memorable riffs abound.  ‘Bleed for Your Sins’ is a rager and the last track proper on the record. It's all wailing leads, angular riffs and skull crushing drums and Schmier brings his recognisable voice to the table and puts it to good use. ‘Murder in the Skies’ is a bonus track for the digipack and is a nice bonus cut- albeit that some of the melodies do not quite suit Schmier's voice, to my ears anyway, but then again it is a Gary Moore Cover. 

To sum up, this is a fine record and adds up to the sum of its illustrious parts. It is heavy, melodic and well crafted. If you like Accept, Destruction and so on then you cannot go wrong. Exemplary modern trad metal.

Words by: Richard Maw

You can pick up a copy mostly everywhere now and also here

For more information:

https://www.facebook.com/TheGermanPanzer

The Sludgelord News: THE BIG TEUTONIC 4 The legacy continues!

German thrash titans KREATOR, SODOM, DESTRUCTION and TANKARD, collectively known as THE BIG TEUTONIC 4, have announced the release of their second prestigious 10" vinyl record. After the huge success of the first release in early 2013, the next output will contain rare cover versions of iconic NWOBHM classics.

The 10” will be available on red vinyl and released via the Nuclear Blast UK Webstore. You can pre-order your copy here: http://bit.ly/BigTeutonicVinyl

The tracklisting reads as follows:

Side A:

KREATOR - Lambs To The Slaughter (RAVEN cover)
SODOM - Don't Walk Away (TANK cover)

Side B:
DESTRUCTION - Princess Of The Night (SAXON cover)
TANKARD - Iron Maiden (IRON MAIDEN cover)

THE BIG TEUTONIC 4 had this to say about the release:

Mille Petrozza, KREATOR: "As teenagers we were die hard fans of RAVEN. This song perfectly reflects the lifestyle back then and was the second cover version we recorded in a studio."

Tom Angelripper, SODOM: "When TANK released The 12“ Single 'Don`t Walk Away' in 1981, it was the first time I got in touch with this awesome band and the title track is still one of my favorite songs. They inspired me to become a die hard metal fan until the rest of my life and keep my own band as a trio ensemble."

Schmier, DESTRUCTION: "Shortly before we formed DESTRUCTION we were all together at a SAXON concert in Switzerland on their "Denim & Leather" tour. 'Princess...' always was on of my all time fave tracks from the british NWOBHM masters - this very unique riff was already the first step into speed metal, by that time we did not know how important this evening was - a night and a song that has definitely influenced us all the way!"

Gerre, TANKARD: "The first two MAIDEN albums are my personal favorites so it's a real honor to me, that our version of 'Iron Maiden' will finally be available on vinyl. It was super fun to record and even Paul Di'Anno once said in an Crossfire interview with Rock Hard magazine that he liked our version. There couldn't be any better accolade and we're very exicted to see THE BIG TEUTONIC 4 continued."

nuclearblast.de/thebigteutonic4

Source: Nuclear Blast UK

Crucified Mortals/Radiolokator Split (Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Split 7"

Date Released: 25/10/2012

Label: Doomentia Records







If you like thrash then you will find what you like about the genre in both bands, while they are distinct from each other they both know how to SLAY. Another recommended release from the excellent Doomentia Records imprint.

‘Crucified Mortals/Radiolokator Split’ DD/7inch track Listing

1) Crucified Mortals  Late Night Butcher (3:26)

2) Crucified Mortals  Covert (2:44)

3) Radiolokator  Intro (1:38)

4) Radiolokator Vzpoura (4:39)

5) Radiolokator Rozklad Krve (4:02)

The Review

Cleveland, Ohio's Crucified Mortals are straight up, brutal, uncompromising thrash. If you like Kreator, classic Slayer, Destruction, Exodus et al. then this is for you. Brutal riffs intertwine with bass drum flurries with some nice time changes and a VERY metal bass sound to beat you into submission.

“The Late Night Butcher” has all the traits you would want from thrash of any vintage, while “Covet” starts fast and uses the tried and true “snare on 2 and 4 to snare on 1 and 3” turnaround to great effect. Lyrics that would make Cannibal Corpse proud jump in as the thrash just keeps on coming...

Meanwhile, over on side 2 (or halfway, if you prefer), the Czech thrash beast that is Radiolokator start off with a lovely acoustic “Intro” that is reminiscent of the start of Sepultura's “Beneath The Remains” that fades away to usher in the menacing chug of “Vzpoura”. Excellent early shredding solo with nice cymbal touches abound as the bass drums roll. The pace is pushed to warp speed for the verse as the guitars intertwine nicely. There is an almost anarchic hardcore feel to the music- it is pretty extreme in terms of thrash. “Rozklad Krve” (a SAX cover, apparently) continues with machine gun kick pedal and frantic vocals. Blast beats show up here too- as noted previously this is extreme for thrash metal. Great riffs, tight playing and the ubiquitous thrash time changes work well to give a satisfying conclusion to this split.

If you like thrash then you will find what you like about the genre in both bands, while they are distinct from each other they both know how to SLAY. Another recommended release from the excellent Doomentia Records imprint.

Buy here

Band info: Crucified Mortals Bandcamp Crucified Mortals Facebook  Radiolokator Facebook