Deathwish, a band that never really rings a bell when the talk is all about a genre like thrash metal, unless of course you end up digging an old UK metal magazine to find its name lost somewhere in between.
Despite crafting out a crushing album chocked full with thrash riffs and brilliant solos, this album just about managed to leave its mark on the metal scene. Having said that, it did manage to find a place amidst the best thrash metal bands of all time to come out of the UK.
That’s more than just a consolation considering that it got listed alongside big names like
Sabbat,
Xentrix and
Onslaught.
The style
Deathwish specialized in didn’t sound anything like bay area thrash or even teutonic thrash which were garnering a massive fan base all across the planet. These guys could have copied the same sound and jumped on the same bandwagon that categorized the aforementioned genres. Rather, they carved out their own unique sound by playing ultra heavy pounding riffs more in the vein of doom metal but with the exception being their execution following the standard thrash formula with a few punk influences thrown in here and there. They were heavily influenced by the likes of
Black Sabbath,
Venom and Motorhead In other words this band had certainly done their homework and were extremely determined as to what they had to offer on this album.
Let me first start with the vocal work of Jon Van Doorn on this LP. This guy was talented without a doubt. His vocals are nothing short of remarkable and uses them very articulately in each and every song. He knows when to keep his baritone high and when to shriek out the occasional screams without overdoing either one whatsoever. Another thing observed in here is the musicianship which is brilliant. The guys sure knew what they were playing. Each riff sounded well in place without giving you the feeling that they were trying to be technical in their approach alongside the drumwork which sounds quite professional too.
Now for the tracks on this album. Starts off with “In the name of
God’ which is a fairly good thrasher with Jon Van Doorn making good use of his baritone without sounding sloppy whatsoever. “
Demonic Attack” is another speedier track with good catchy riffs and a great chorus. “
At the Edge of Damnation” is a mid paced slab of thrash metal with a brilliant intro riff that creates the backbone for this song. “
Exorcist” kicks off with the chants of an exorcist which immediately transforms into another kickass track. “Leaving your life behind” is another good speed metaller with just a few breakdowns thrown in while “Dance of the dead” is yet another mid paced track with an intro riff that echoes in your head for a long time.
The remaining three tracks namely “For
Evil Done,
Sword of Justice and Forces of
Darkness” do not disappoint at all. “For
Evil Done” is probably the weakest track on this album though it sounds good nevertheless.
Sword of Justice is the fastest one with good fast riffs and excellent drumwork. The final track “Forces of
Darkness” ,over 9 minutes long kicks off with an acoustic solo before going full blooded and finishing off things in a solid thrashy style.
The production may sound slightly unpolished but its appropriate enough for their brand of thrash metal. The instruments don’t overshadow each other thus making it a good listen. Worshippers of old school thrash and traditional 80s metal should grab this album. Makes up for lost nostalgia too.
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