Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Anacrusis - Suffering Hour (1988)

Now what is this? A thrashy debut album from a band that would take on a progressive thrash style in 1993 and subsequent tour with Death? Absolutely right! Suffering Hour came out in 1988 when thrash was at its highest peak, and this album is an interesting work of art to enjoy that's ahead of time...

There's just so much stylistic talent going on beyond thrash, but they never go as heavy as death metal. Maybe if Anacrusis didn't split up after their 1993 album and tour with Death, they would follow that band's progressive death metal footsteps? Anyway, Suffering Hour drifts away from the more traditional thrash for more of a tech-thrash sound hinting at their progressive tendencies. The diversity ranges from slow melodic leads to fast thrashy riffs, from booming bass soloing to furious guitar shredding.

First track "Present Tense" has a lot of insane creativity. "Imprisoned" expands on that in perfect wild chaos, especially near the 3-minute mark. However, the vocals get carried around too much in "R.O.T. (Reign of Terror)", in which the screaming gets too tiring. Nonetheless, Kenn Nardi has a unique voice despite how grating it might be.

The rollercoaster ride of the first two songs is not always exhibited, with the slow "Butcher's Block". Then we have the catchy "A World to Gain" that sounds closer to melodic speed metal, maybe even power metal. I should mention "Frigid B***h" that starts off slow before exploding into violent punk-ish speed, with lyrics that sound like Nardi wrote this about his ex-girlfriend. At that point, there should be something like a slow ballad for more of their adventurous diversity, but ultimately they don't have that. But that's OK because... Thrash all the way, baby!

"Fighting Evil" has a nice sing-along chorus which makes me surprised that this song (or any of the other ones here) wasn't converted into a single in classic metal's golden decade. "The Twisted Cross" is a bit restrained for a long epic, with the two-minute intro being a bit draggy. "Annihilation Complete/Disemboweled" doesn't do a lot for me, despite sounding like Annihilator at that time.

Despite the bumpy last couple tracks, Suffering Hour is another original tech-thrash album. It is one of the most extreme albums in thrash, though Dark Angel and Sadus have more strength and fire....

Favorites: "Imprisoned", "A World to Gain", "Frigid B***h", "Fighting Evil"