Description

2016 re-issue of this lost 1987 album. Black vinyl with insert. Limited 400 copies

Sudden Darkness is a German formation that somehow sneaked under the radar in the 80’s when this kind of music was the talk of the town, the country, the continent, and the whole globe. In other words, our friends here played good speed/thrash with more interesting semi-progressive touches ala Vendetta and Paradox. The more complex material is placed at the beginning “Freece Tricolori” thrashing the neighbourhood with the initial outburst of aggression, vintage early Angel Dust, before more pounding rhythms pacify the environment, both sides merging together into a varied entertaining roller-coaster the not very expressive semi-clean/semi-shouty vocals not given much space. “Devil Dope” shreds in an assured mid-tempo at first before the speed/thrashing melee resumes with choppier rhythms provided later keeping the listener on his/her toes for more technical surprises some of which predate the exploits on albums like Heathen’s “Victims of Deception” and Paradox’s “Heresy”. “Deathless” is a short ripping headbanger, and the title-track isn’t too far behind despite the ponderous, slow-burning beginning and the slight semi-technical walkabouts. “Born by Accident” attempts some gallops for a change, but it’s business as usual afterwards the guys not missing the chance to thrash the hell out which also happens on “Thrash Up” of course although this is more of an optimistic thrash/crossover anthem. The more elaborate approach returns for the final “Government (Go Home)” the band offering a wider gamut of tempo changes, the dominant delivery staying within the faster-paced perimetres, those mortified by the balladic “silent” closing instrumental “Silent End”. The more intricate swagger from the first two numbers shouldn’t have been abandoned so quickly as there was more to be explored within these carefully plotted configurations. Apparently the guys also had a lot of vigour to vent out hence the presence of those shorter, more immediate headbangers. A lop-sided offering as a whole, not fully revealing the band’s potential, hinting at a possible shift towards the technical/progressive thrash roster that had started gaining more and more followers in the late-80’s.

Track list:
1. Freece Tricolori
2. Devil Dope
3. Deathless
4. Fear Of Reality
5. Born By Accident
6. Thrash Up
7. Government (Go Home)
8. Silent End
9. Satanic Butcher