...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...


..::OPIS::..

ASSORTED HEAP to kultowy death/thrashmetalowy zespół z Niemiec istniejący w latach 1987-1992.



This band started like almost every other practitioner from the 80’s German speed/thrash roster, with energetic simplistic barrage in their case reminiscent of early Kreator, Necronomicon and Toxik Shock, and this is exactly what their debut demo contained, with a few more intriguing touches timidly suggesting at more proficient things to come.

By the time the album reviewed here appeared the guys had also developed an interest in the more brutal, death metal ways of execution, and had implemented them into their hyper-active, blitzkrieg thrash template. The resultant blend is one of the finest thrash/death metal hybrids to ever come out of Germany, a smattering heap of intense stylish rifforamas which supply never stops until the last note. The showdown begins with “Unexplained Bloodshed” which gradually builds up momentum with heavy pounding riffs before all fury gets unleashed, the hellish shouty death metal vocals ala Martin Van Drunen (Pestilence, Asphyx, Bolt Thrower) trying to keep pace with the super-speedy crescendos which are graced by episodic more melodic nuances those nice reminders of the fretwork of none other than Patrick Mameli (Pestilence again) as at this early stage the delivery is quite reminiscent of the one of “Testimony of the Ancients”, only not as highly-stylized and more speed-prone.

The title-track increases the technicality with intricate riff-knots rising out of nowhere, with the bass burping with authority underneath them, the fast-paced vortexes stirred not far from those on Invocator’s “Excursion Demise” which is another very close soundalike elsewhere, too. “Remembrance of Tomorrow” carries on with the aggressive “carnage”, the guys moshing with a lot of vigour, without too many technical embellishments this time, a direct maddening headbanger; and “In Vain” is a short, but needed respite being a quiet balladic instrumental. The show must go on, though, and “Sold Our Souls” ensures that it does with more complex arrangements which come for the sake of the wayward speedy strokes, but rest assured that those will be served as well their stride more frequently interrupted by both lyrical and heavy stomping breaks; watch out for the supreme melodic accumulations in the second half those also featured prominently on Pestilence’s same year’s magnum opus.

“Trick to Your Mind” tries to “trick” the listener with a portion of laid-back stomps at first, but it’s business as usual later on with technical and speedy riffs interlacing, this symbiosis coming with a nice melodic flavour again interrupted by episodic balladic etudes and more regular heavier walkabouts. “Terrorized Grains” is a superb frenetic shredder racing with the speed of light initially, combining the chaotic aggression of Hellwitch’s debut with the volcanic intensity of Sepultura’s “Beneath the Remains” for a really violent roller-coaster ride that receives a nice doomy comeuppance as a finale. “Grave New World” tries to match the previous number in terms of intensity, and succeeds on all counts the band determined to pummel the listener into oblivion as a finishing touch although more interesting configurations spring up later to give this exhausting brutalizer a less ordinary shade.

Compared to the other thrash/death metal behemoth from their homeland, Baphomet’s “No Asnwers” released the same year, this opus is not as exuberantly complex and technical as the band’s prime purpose is to keep the mosh going without too much ado, with the more elaborate variations taking care of themselves without being prematurely plotted. Consequently the music kind of flows more effortlessly here devoid of too many burdensome complications, also reminding of another German underground outfit from the 90’s, Wotan. The strives for a more intricate way of expression noticed were hard to define clearly: were they just occasional throw-ins with no intention of the side of the band to pursue such a trajectory; or were they deliberate hints at what might be served on a potential sequel…

The audience didn’t have to wait long in order to get the answer to those wonderings; the sophomore arrived just a year later, and must have been a big surprise to those who slept with the debut under their pillows. This is a dark progressive thrash “beast”, not much death metal left, with permeating gothic atmosphere that didn’t tolerate incessant speedy histrionics anymore. The latter were certainly given some space to satisfy the headbangers, but the concentration was strictly on more elaborate structures and more flexible riff layouts which admirably preserved the classic metal aura all over. Ambition was the name of the game on this second instalment, but it’s debatable whether the band increased their fanbase with this more diverse recording.

The guys split up mere months after that album’s release only to re-emerge five years later under the BK 49 moniker. Thrash/death was again the chosen stance, but not as hard-hitting, and with a humorous, less dark and less serious vibe. Two albums were released the second one a full-on death metal record seeing the guys moving up the aggression scale, a process left unfinished due to the band members’ parting of the ways again. One can’t tell how many more reunions there will be in the future, but the album reviewed here will most likely remain the band’s most horrifying, most nightmare-inducing “offspring”.

bayern



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Unexpiated Bloodshed (Backing Vocals S. L. Coe) 04:16
2. Experience of Horror 05:51
3. Rememberance of Tomorrow 03:52
4. In Vain (Acoustic Guitar Michael Stötzel) 01:07
5. Sold Out Souls 05:39
6. Trick to Your Mind 06:33
7. Terrorized Brains 04:27
8. Grave New World 05:07
9. Frisia non cantat 00:44

Bonus Tracks:
10. Intro (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 02:27
11. Killing Peace (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 03:36
12. Go to Throw Up (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 03:34
13. Assorted Heap (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 05:09
14. I Don't Care (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 06:02
15. Green Berets (fail) (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 00:11
16. Green Berets (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 02:51
17. After the Attack (Killing Peace Demo 1988) 05:22



..::OBSADA::..

Lead Vocals - Didier (tracks: 1 to 9)
Vocals - Dirk Schiemann (tracks: 10 to 17)
Bass - Bänks (tracks: 1 to 9), Lord Joachim Meyer (tracks: 10 to 17)
Drums - Marter (tracks: 1 to 9), Thomas Marter (tracks: 10 to 17)
Guitar - Gunter Groen (tracks: 10 to 17), Klaus Kessemeier (tracks: 10 to 17)
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Gunter (tracks: 1 to 9), Klause (tracks: 1 to 9)




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5EZztw4Wl8



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