Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence (1992) Reviews
I only recently picked up Demolition Hammer's debut album Tortured Existence and found it to be an entertaining underground thrash metal album. But it's obvious from the rating above that Epidemic of Violence is considered by many to be one of the very best albums the genre has to offer. After just a few minutes it's easy to hear why! This is intense, thrashing madness that manages to combine great musicianship with venomous aggression. Think Slayer and Kreator with machine gun drumming and brutal vocals, all at incredible face ripping velocity.
The production isn't amazing but it's punchy enough for all this metallic angst to hit home. The riffs are quite special throughout and the band's ability to shift gear successfully at exactly the right time stops any of the 8 tracks (Orgy of Destruction is a short instrumental) from getting even slightly boring. For a perfect example, check out opener Skull Fracturing Nightmare and tell me you're not banging your head madly around the 2-minute mark. Once again Steve Reynolds vocals are awesome! He really does remind me of Mille from Kreator, yet he manages to top even that veteran for pure animosity. Vinny Daze on drums is an absolute machine and he certainly gives Epidemic of Violence an almost death metal intensity.
Highlights are aplenty but my personal favourites would be Skull Fracturing Nightmare, Pyroclastic Annihilation, Omnivore and Aborticide. This album deserves all the praise it gets and I'm quite surprised that it hasn't been recommended to me more frequently over the years. Don't make the same mistake I did by ignoring this thrash metal gem for over 15 years. If you like thrash metal in the slightest, you just got to own this!
Brutal deathrash. At least that's what bassist/vocalist Steve Reynolds describes his band. After reviewing the classic thrash era of the melodic Annihilator, it's off to the side of spectrum with the vicious Demolition Hammer. The brutality from Tortured Existence continues in their second album Epidemic of Violence. Relentless thrash to the max!
The boundaries of the extreme side of thrash are torn down, without having to go too full-on deathly. The instrumentation has more furious intensity than before. That doesn't mean this album is fastest though, there are a few crushing mid-tempo sections. The band knows how to alternate between fast and mid-tempo at such ease, and that contrast adds to the high levels of aggression that occur here.
"Skull Fracturing Nightmare" explodes into the thrash action right away before a menacing section one minute and 40 seconds in. Another one minute and 40 seconds later, a wicked thrashy instrumental bridge starts that includes some shredding soloing. One more solo that occurs ANOTHER one minute and 40 seconds later is so memorable. The instrumental passages put less focus on the rhythmic onslaught, in order for the listener to breathe. One and a half minutes into "Human Dissection" is insane fast thrash, suddenly shifting from the slower verse, adding some more unpredictable heaviness. The violent lyrics from the debut continue in "Pyroclastic Annihilation": "Catastrophic purge, tephra plague, flaming fragments inundate, combustive turbid brume, smothering, fumaroles permeate". The last 30 seconds rage in a ballistic burst.
"Envenomed" has more prominent vocal layers from Reynolds, especially one minute and 20 seconds in, with his vocals coming close to growling. That's probably one of the most vicious thrash songs I've heard, filled with hatred and rage! Not even Megadeth, Exodus, and Evildead can beat that amount of aggression. One minute and 20 seconds into "Carnivorous Obsession", the band once again bursts out of a slower intro into rapid extreme thrash in no time flat. "Orgy of Destruction" is a heavy one-minute interlude, similar to the end of Coroner's R.I.P, though ending with battle sound effects.
The vocal anger from Reynolds is quite important from the start of the title track. His vocals add to the extreme fury with sudden changes in the tempo. Though there is a catchy chorus. The band continues to pull off great surprises one minute and 20 seconds into "Omnivore", with subtle guitar reflection. The lyrical theme of predatory hunting can be seen as graphic in a juvenile way, but it adds gravity for the savage thrash to pulverize the targeted ground. Halfway through "Aborticide" has more reflective soloing.
This album, Epidemic of Violence is a true brutal way to close the classic thrash metal scene. I can already hear the greatness of thrash from some of the wildest the genre has to offer. It can be a struggle at first, but once you're fully ready, you're in for some merciless blood-spilling. Essential for fans of thrash metal and any other metal genre!
Favorites: "Skull Fracturing Nightmare", "Human Dissection", "Envenomed", "Epidemic of Violence", "Omnivore"
One of the best Thrash bands who continuously saw production issues finally gets a release that does them justice. Epidemic of Violence has all the unbridled aggression, insane riffage and manic rhythm that has been prominent since their Necrology demo, but at last we get crisp audio that allows their full potential to blast through.
Demolition Hammer are all the way on the “almost Death Metal” spectrum of Thrash, not only in terms of heaviness, but stylistically as well. Near Tech-Thrash levels of precision and abrupt changes are abound, and the rhythm is a constant pummel of hyper-energized force. Lyrically, the songs focus on violence and death, but are well-written with a very impressive vocabulary, and impeccable delivery.
The artist and album names tell you exactly what to expect here, and god damn do they deliver. Classic Death tinged Thrash, played with vigorous precision and executed flawlessly. You as the listener are their victim as they beat you senseless track after track, the only reprieve being a short instrumental “Orgy of Destruction” before they’re back to smashing your bones and skinning you alive. Also gonna shout out that album closer, “Aborticide”… phenomenal showcase of dark aggression.
In case anybody still hasn't realised yet, I like my thrash metal as vicious as possible. The very essence that attracted me to thrash metal in the first place was the more primitive and aggressive end of the spectrum. Raging energy, lightning fast delivery and unapologetic attitude tick virtually all my boxes and float my boat to kingdom come.
Epidemic of Violence has all of the above highlighted characteristics in abundance. Whether it is the scathing vocals of Steve Reynolds, the pounding drums of the late Vinny Daze or the chugging riffs and warped leads of James Reilly and Derek Sykes, I am literally spoilt for choice on here. For the whole album there's a real sense of authenticity for the aggressive art form the band have chosen to pursue. Track by track things just get layered up with more riffs, sharper leads and blindingly paced rhythm sections.
A lot of people prefer the debut to this but I think the sophomore more than edges it. It takes the primeval style of the debut and adds some elements of refinement to make the assault seem more calculated this time around. It is just as terrifying as the first time around with the lyrical content being just as blunt and uncompromising as the crude utterances were on the debut. If you take a listen to the 2008 remaster you get hear these vocals in the live setting on four bonus tracks that underline the prowess on display on this record already.
Whichever version you have the pleasure of listening to, Epidemic of Violence is an absolute tour de force from start to finish and their finest offering over a discography of just three albums.