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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Forgotten Gems-Deathrow-Deception Ignored

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Noise
1988

I first heard Germany's Deathrow on their 1986 debut Satan's Gift/Riders of doom and enjoyed it. I was huge in the thrash at the time and this album filled that need. It was basic German Thrash not far off from what Kreator and Sodom were doing around the time. The next year Deathrow released Raging Steel and the band sounded even heavier and tighter. By 1988 the band was on to it's third album. Again there is a progression, but perhaps it doesn't follow a course that everyone thought they follow. It's still thrash, but instead of just going in one speed they mix it up. The styles and the tempo receive some changes and the band handles this approach with expert hands despite the fact the previous albums were far more basic. They show great technical skill that the other albums never really hinted at. There are three tracks here that are over seven minutes a piece yet they fill the time with as much sound as they can. Now don't think for a minute that technical and progressive elements take away from the heaviness of this album. I have heard that argument stated in reviews by people who obviously did not have a clue. This is still killer thrash only you get even more ideas and changes mixed in. They sound great from the pounding of "The Deathwish" to the swirling chaos of "Bureaucrazy" to the unbelievable instrumental "Triocton". This was one of the most pleasant thrash metal surprises of the late 1980's and it still holds up well today.

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