UMUR "Rehearsal Tape" is a demo release by German thrash metal act Battlefield. The demo was independently released in 1990. After releasing their debut EP "We Come to Fight" in 1987, Battlefield weren´t able to capitalize on that release and find a label to release a debut album, so in 1990 they took the consequence and started working and recording demo material again. This reheasal demo is the second out of two 1990 demos that the band recorded and released, before they were finally signed for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Still and Ever Again" (1991).

Although the basis of the music is still intense and powerful thrash metal, Battlefield have opted for a more experimental, technical, eclectic, and occasionally more melodic take on thrash metal on the three tracks on the demo. Lead vocalist Tanja Ivenz sings a lot more clean vocals than the raw staccato styled thrash metal vocals of her predecessor Cornelia Ernst (a lead vocalist lineup change occured between the two 1990 demos). The tracks are relatively complex and dynamic with many acoustic breaks and changes in pace and rhythms. The musicianship is obviously on a very high level, and I´m especially impressed by the many explosive leads.

This may be titled "Rehearsal Tape", and while this is undoubtedly a demo quality sound production, it still sounds pretty good to my ears. It´s not one of those rehearsal tapes which sounds like they are recorded on a cheap tape recorder in the middle of a garage style rehearsal space, with all instruments and vocals competing for attention and often blurring each other out. No...you can actually hear all details of the music when listening to this demo.

While I applaud experiments and the eclectic nature of Battlefield´s efforts on this release, it does end up sounding directionless and maybe a bit too experimental for its own good. A 3 star (60%) rating is still warranted though.

UMUR "Time to Rethink" is a demo cassette tape release by German thrash metal act Battlefield. The demo was independently released in 1990. It´s the band´s first out of two demo tapes released in 1990. Battlefield formed in 1987 and released the "We Come to Fight" EP that same year, but they had to return to releasing demos as they weren´t able to secure a label deal. The two 1990 demos lead to the band being signed to Rising Sun Productions for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Still and Ever Again" (1991). Not before a lead vocalist change had occured though, as "Time to Rethink" would be the last Battlefield release to feature Cornelia Ernst before she was replaced by Tanja Ivenz.

"Time to Rethink" is an incredible intense, fast-paced, and energetic technical thrash metal release, which shows great development of Battlefield´s sound since the release of "We Come to Fight" (1987). Ernst sings more clean vocals than she did on the 1987 EP, but she can still deliver rough staccato styled thrash metal vocals when it is called for. The music has become quite technical and relatively complex and eclectic. It´s definitely not straight forward thrash metal anymore. One of the main attracations is still the intense thrash metal riffs though, but this time around there are just a lot more experimental ideas thrown in, acoustic breaks, and more clean vocal parts.

Considering that "Time to Rethink" is a demo recording, the sound production is decent and you´re able to hear all details of the music. Upon conclusion "Time to Rethink" is a relatively bold display of new songwriting ideas and playing skills from Battlefield, but personally I think I prefer the slightly more straight forward thrash metal style of the "We Come to Fight" (1987) EP. The experiments aren´t always incorporated in the most sophisticated manner and they have a tendency to disrupt the flow of the songs. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

siLLy puPPy A true San Francisco original, HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE you never know what you’re gonna get with a new album as musical steelworkers forest molten metal into various shapes and forms. One thing is for sure and that is that each album sounds a bit familiar yet rather distinct and the party never seems to end as this musical project has been around for more than a quarter of a century if you count the days as Unholy Cadaver that is. Essentially the brainchild of guitarist / vocalist John Cobbett of Slough Feg, Ludicra and VHOL, this band has been hammering out exquisitely original metal since it’s blackened folk metal debut “The Bastard: A Tale Told In Three Acts” all the way back in 2001.

A true juggling act of eclecticism, HAMMERS has sallied forth onto the metal battlefield with an arsenal of sound effects and stylistic creativity. Ranging from trad NWOBHM and psych fueled hard rock of the 70s to blackened folk metal and technical thrash, this band and its rotating cast of characters never ceases to amaze with a new spin on its rather distinctly brash yet melodic ambit of colorful cleverness. Just when fans thought the band was down and out and devoid of any life, along comes OVERTAKER, the seventh release a mere six years after “Dead Revolution” took the band into a more energetic direction with technical thrash metal bombast as the canvass to paint upon.

Always one to take the path least tread, Cobbett continues down he path of “Dead Revolution” into the hybridizing orgy of technical thrash metal with an unholy threesome of progressive rock and psychedelia. Gone are the airy folk elements of yore and in are damaging stampedes of decibelage and uncompromising speed metal leanings bringing a bit of 80s excess to the world of creative complexity. Psychedelic thrash metal hasn’t exactly been a huge thing but that’s exactly where HAMMERS takes the deep plunge with OVERTAKER. Wasting no time getting to the point, the title track openings with a thunderous roar with galloping guitar riffs pummeling the senses like a war of the gods replete with chariots of fire lambasting the serene placidity of contentment leaving all but the adventurous listener along for the wild ride.

In many ways this album is like a family reunion of sort. Ex-bassist / vocalist Jamie Myers (now of Sabbath Assembly) is back and sounding like a she-demon exhaling flames of passion as she shreds her vox box as if she’s exorcising demonic forces. So too does former guitarist Mike Scalzi also of Slough Feg join in for a couple vocal performances. Other than keyboard wizard Sigrid Sheie, this rendition of HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE is a completely new beast with none other than drummer Blake Anderson and bassist Frank Chin from the tech thrash powerhouse band Vektor. No wonder this album is an Earth-scorcher. Ironically the keys point to classic Deep Purple which makes this sound like Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord have had their consciousness downloaded into more youthful thrash metal devotees. A strange yet satisfying mix indeed.

This album proceeds at a breakneck pace thrashing and flailing about like a wounded dragon spitting fire storms. There are fleeting moments of psychedelic dominance however. You know, nice little rest stops during a dreaded battle between forces. “Don’t Follow The Lights” offers an intro and outro of downtime as well as some trippy key action in the middle. Since prog rock is a key element into the entire HAMMERS playbook, of course off-kilter time signature freakouts punctuate the thrashy insouciance that only unrelents for the occasional neoclassical gymnastics or metal exit stage-lefting. Add some mellotrons and Hammond B3 and you have a recipe for the most bizarrely performed thrash metal album since well, i guess ever! Almost like a clash of the titans moment here. Thrash metal, prog rock, psychedelia, female vocal classic rock. Better than i was hoping for! HAMMER on, people!

UMUR "Deception Ignored" is the 3rd full-length studio album by German thrash metal act Deathrow. The album was released through Noise Records in January 1988. It´s the successor to "Raging Steel" from 1987 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Thomas Priebe has been replaced by Uwe Osterlehner.

I don´t know if it´s the addition of Osterlehner to the lineup or if it was just a desire to evolve and change their sound, but "Deception Ignored" sounds vastly different from the two thrash/speed metal albums which preceded it. Deathrow have opted for a much more technical oriented thrash metal style on "Deception Ignored", and the tracks are generally pretty complex in structure featuring many different sections. Other than the slight German accent of lead vocalist/bassist Milo, it´s not audible that this is a German thrash metal band playing at all. The music has a distinct US feel to it, and is closer in style to US technical thrash/speed metal acts like Realm, Toxik, and Watchtower, than to contemporary German thrash metal artists like Kreator and Sodom. So it´s safe to say the development between "Raging Steel (1987)" and "Deception Ignored" has been very significant. Actually to an extent where it could have been two completely different artists recording the two albums (not completely unlike the major difference in style and sound between "Dreamweaver (Reflections of Our Yesterdays) (1989)" and "Mourning Has Broken (1991)" by contemporary UK thrash/speed metal act Sabbat).

Deathrow are an exceptionally well playing band and the level of technical playing is generally very high on "Deception Ignored". It is the kind of album where your jaw drops a few times during the playing time, because of the dexterity and skill on display. The tracks also feature some very creative songwriting ideas and unconventional twists and turns, which make "Deception Ignored" an intriguing listen throughout. Milo´s vocals are however in part pretty standard raw thrash metal shouting and nothing out of the ordinary for the genre. He gets the job done, but more interesting or distinct sounding vocals could arguably have made the album better, and the thrash metal type vocals end up being one of the weak links of the album. He occasionally sings more high pitched power/progressive metal type vocals, and he shines more when performing those. An example of that vocal style is heard on "Narcotic", where the vocals are more impressive. Another slight weakness is the catchiness of the songwriting. Technical playing and complex song structures are great and all, but more catchy moments and a higher memorability factor of the tracks could also have made the album stronger.

Pointing out a couple of weaker features on "Deception Ignored" (and mind you neither the catchiness of the songwriting nor the thrash style vocals are major issues), does not make it a bad quality album by any means though. It is widely regarded a technical thrash metal classic for a reason and it is a high quality album in almost all other departments possible and pretty much a one-of-a-kind release on the contemporary German scene (yeah I know there are other technical German thrash metal acts from that time like Sieges Even and Mekong Delta, but to my ears Deathrow were still a pretty unique case). "Deception Ignored" is nothing less than a mandatory listen for fans of technical 80s thrash metal. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The Last Prostitute" is the third and last full-length studio album by Dutch death/thrash metal act Decision D, before they disbanded in 1995. The album was released through Dark Horse in 1995. It´s the successor to "Moratoria" from 1993. Decision D formed in 1986 and released the "Testimony of Faith" demo in 1990 and the "Testimony on Stage" live demo in 1991 before being signed for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Razón de la muerte" (1992).

Stylistically "The Last Prostitute" features a sound which is a continuation of the technical death/thrash metal style of "Moratoria", but a little more groovy and not quite as complex and focused on technical playing as the successor was. Which should of course not be understood as if "The Last Prostitute" isn´t a technically well played album, featuring loads of tempo changes, technical drumming, sharp technical guitar riffs, and the ever odd vocals by Edwin Ogenio, who seems to have scaled back his most deep death metal growling in favor of a raw thrash metal styled vocal attack (although the growling vocals appear on occasion). He still breaks out in vocal weirdness from time to time, but it´s a little more restrained compared to the vocals on the first two albums.

"The Last Prostitute" is a well produced release, featuring a sound production which helps the material shine. The tracks sound powerful, sharp, and every detail is audible in the mix. "The Last Prostitute" is a technical thrash metal release for those who want to challenge themselves with something a little different. Decision D arguably ended up releasing a couple of pretty unique sounding albums in the genre, and this is one of them. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.