Holy Terror - Mind Wars (1988)

As far as sophomore albums go, Mind Wars seemed a bit of an odd duck when it released. The music is largely the same pace as Terror and Submission, jet fueled trash with dense riffing that hints at some technicality. But the album's tone feels a little tighter, and Keith Deen becomes a little more unusual with his vocals. A needle-sharp, nasally clean voice permeates most of the album, which makes for an interesting contrast against the battering rhythms. He'll shift from these cleans into the grittier style that dominated the debut, and often even lower into a death-like voice. Where the previous album felt like a road race through hell, this is more like a bull run, or rodeo.

"Judas Reward" has a crunchy, warlike opening rhythm behind some brief shred, before the band begins a frenzied gallop and Deen's vocals begin their varied musings. The bridge riff here is powerful and speedy, like the matador whose life flashes before his eyes as that gate opens. "Debt of Pain" goes supersonic early with an amazing riff sprint, and the chords over the bridge shine alongside the quickly darting melodic vocals. A great song, with great leads, but it's over pretty quickly, and "The Immoral Wasteland" takes control with start leads, breaking into a very Maiden trot with some excellent chords, and a memorable chorus. "A Fool's Gold/Terminal Humour/Mind Wars" is an interesting 3 parter, posing a three-headed question about Christian upgrinding and morals. The lyrics for each part seem to reflect a separate perspective, yet together they create a before-during-after perspective. The music here is mixed, with a few striking riffs but also some I could live without.

The machine is in motion
Though few step out of time
To the drums played by the victors
Calling forth the broken lives to join
That which they can't escape

"Damned by Judges" continues the religious theme, with some samples of a court room and frothing load of barbaric speed metal, with just as much in common with power as thrash. The interplay of the lead guitars around 2:45 is excellent, and more arrive near the climax of the track. "Do Unto Others" escalates from strolling drums and vibrant, thrashing riffs to another hyperactive thrust of West Coast speed; while "No Resurrection" opens with one of my favorite riffs by the band, and Deen starts soaring over the mix with an open howl. Once more, the frenetic leads deliver another moment of caustic indulgence. The album ends on another strong note, with the rodeo-like frenzy of "Christian Resistance". Maniacal leads, acrobatic verse rhythm and an explosive riff at 2:00 which had me reeling in my seat, as Deen snarls over it like some sinister proto-black metal deity.

Mind Wars is very nearly as good as its predecessor. Technically speaking, it is superior, as the guitars have taken their razor chops to a new extreme, with bewildering solos and more speed than a med school before the night before finals. It arrived in a year overflowing with genius, and yet it still holds its ground over two days later. They don't make thrash metal records like this these days, at least not often, and Holy Terror are yet another hidden treasure of the past that warrant your attention. Looking to have your ass kicked and your faulty religious ideals questioned? Apply within.

Highlight: Debt of Pain, The Immoral Wasteland, Damned by Judges, No Resurrection, Christian Resistance

Verdict: Win [8.5/10] (truth is just a changing thought)

http://www.holyterrorspeedmetal.com/

Holy Terror - Terror and Submission (1987)

Where so many bands in the late 80s were trying to take the formula presented by Metallica and Megadeth and add some accessibility for success, there was another side to the thrash scene entrenched more firmly in the influence of Slayer, Possessed, Venom and the emerging German scene. Holy Terror belonged to the latter, and they had a sound that, by 1987 standards, was quite intense. Filthy, aggressive thrash metal which mastered both the elements of chaos and precision into a violent experience, like a Mad Max road race through the outlying deserts of the abyss. Keith Deen's apocalyptic vocals gave the band a grisly edge, but what really explodes off this recording are the guitars, which peel the rust off the abandoned cars that litter this hellish highway. Just as fast as Exodus, or Possessed, and about as complex.

The intensity showcased across Terror and Submission was a wise decision for Holy Terror, because unlike so many of their peers, they produced an effort that could be remembered fondly. This is still pretty fucking wild by today's standards, and the cult status of this band is well deserved, while so many other, safer thrash metal upstart albums of the 80s languor in the black hole of memory. I can't say that the entire effort is packed to overflow with memorable riffs, but taken as a whole it's 42 minutes of pleasure and pain for any thrash magnate who seeks the less traveled path.

"Black Plague" is disgustingly fast and will hit you like an 18-wheeler on demon auto-pilot. Don't like it? Then don't hitchhike on Rt. 66, motherfucker. The speed blisters and swells like the friction sores that must have caused great injury to guitarists Kurt Kilfelt and Mike Alvord, as their riffs buzz through the recording like a pair of buzzsaw wielding killers in a competition to see who can decapitate the most college students. The leads are just spastic, awesome nonsense, and Deen's vocals range from a harsher style to some clear wailing, but always around the same range. "Evil's Rising" is deep and crushing, but picks up to the same level of speed, with some great vocal howling and drumwork courtesy of Jack Schwartz. "Blood of the Saints" dials back the speed for a crude and rude opening rhythm, but sure enough, it returns to road worthiness with a surprisingly anthemic chorus section. "Mortal Fear" explodes into more chaos at the expected tempo, but "Guardians of the Netherworld" has an old school metal tint, pumping pace where Deen really gets to shine, basically Holy Terror doing ancient power metal.

A war is raging on inside us, guarded by the horde
With lesser gods of higher rank, prodding them to war
No Father, Son, or Holy Spirit
Nor defences from the foe
All are battered, tortured, shattered
Allegiance without death is woe

The lyrics to much of the album read like a poor man's Paradise Lost, much more serious and well written than other bands of the era were capable of delivering. "Distant Calling" has some great power melodies that wind up before the verse, and it's another of their classic metal charge pieces and one of the very best songs on this album. "Terror and Submission" features a kickass, burning lead over the dense, grinding melodies, and "Tomorrow's End" is just sheer, crashing momentum, like a windstorm approaching across a desert at 10x the normal speed. The bridge has a hyper, ascending rhythm that swerves back into the lightning verse, and there's a crunchy thrash breakdown in there as well. "Alpha Omega - The Bringer of Balance" is perhaps my very favorite track from the album, with a wealth of amazing riffs that are bost caustic and beautiful, creating an epic atmosphere of desperation and warfare.

Terror and Submission has one of the best 'apocalyptic' tones of any thrash or speed metal album in history, right alongside Holy Moses' Finished With the Dogs or Znöwhite 's Act of God (the latter of which came out the year after this). It's completely aggressive without needing to sacrifice good songwriting or musicianship, and I truly wish more bands had gone this route instead of going all Metallica lite. This is a great record, that belongs in any true thrashers collection, and it would not be their last...

Highlights: Evil's Rising, Distance Calling, Terror and Submission, Alpha Omega - The Bringer of Balance

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (driven by greed, tempered by force)

http://www.holyterrorspeedmetal.com/