THRASHER DEATH (Slaver) CD
Oh yes, this is a barbaric and savage display of 1980's thrash metal right here. But THRASHER DEATH (what a name!) is no newcomer, but an old band from Poland originating in the mid-1980's. Their rare recordings have been unearthed by I Hate Records who apparently have made it their goal to discover some of the lost bands of the former Eastern Bloc countries. I have to admit that I don't really like each new discovery, but THRASHER DEATH is down my alley. 'Slaver' is a compilation that contains the 'You Must Kill' demo from 1987 as well as the 1988 'Women Die' demo. Additionally you get four unreleased tracks from 1986 and another unreleased live track that has been recorded at the beginning of 1988. All in all these are sixteen songs from a band that was uncompromising in their delivery. Especially the early material finds THRASHER DEATH at their rawest and most untamed. This is rounded out by venomous, raspy, and hateful vocals that bring the anger and brutality to life.
Without doubt, THRASHER DEATH had all the trademarks of the new breed of extreme metal bands of the late eighties. And even if the band has integrated some technical elements into a couple of songs, it does not distract from the sheer ferocity of their music. The same also applies to sporadically interspersed mid-tempo parts which fit in perfectly with the blazing pace. THRASHER DEATH may not have the most original guitar riffs and amazing solos, but their flaming passion and infectious enthusiasm compensates for that though.
One of the best tracks is 'Woman Die', which shows that these guys had plenty of talent. There's a great deal of variety, complexity and strong musicianship throughout the whole song. Of course, the sound quality is definitely not the best of this compilation and every high-fidelity nerd will run away in fright. But I believe that it is necessary (and almost unavoidable) for rare recordings like these. I also enjoyed the four unreleased tracks from 1986 where THRASHER DEATH have reinforced their brutal sound with a bit of Motörhead while the harsh vocals would do credit to each black metal horde. Altogether, this is a very pleasing compilation, which gives insight into an almost forgotten chapter of East European metal history. To match this, there are some rare photos in the booklet, as well as a band history and the original cover artworks of the demo tapes. 'Slaver' is rough and raw, but it is still a lot of fun to listen to and historically interesting to boot. (Please note that the CD is strictly limited to 500 copies).
(KK)