Living Death - Killing in Action (1991)

After a disjointed Living Death released the decent but indisposed World Neuroses in 1988, there was a parting of the ways which saw the band's shrill harpy Thorsten Bergmann emigrate towards the muddied, hideous waters of their ill-fated new project Sacred Chao. Joining him were guitarist Fred and drummer Atomic Steif. But the brothers Kelch were not yet finished with their legacy, and decided to acquire a new drummer and frontman and give it one last go. To that extent, Killing in Action is not a horrible misstep: it's a reasonable, angry thrash album that is less quizzical than its predecessor, but a reaction to the new vocalist Gerald Thelen will be mixed. He's basically a half way mark between Bergmann's unhinged keening and the caustic bite of Accept's Udo Dirkscheider. Seriously, if the band had just courted 'The Man' himself to step in for this album, it would have sounded like this.

Musically, I'm not sure if the band had ever sounded as pissed off as they were here. The ten tracks are all dense with riffing and a steady rhythm section, but then, the band have traded in some of the precise, curious streaks of notation that branded their previous albums. Assaults like "Hearteater" and "Polymorphic" are simply bristling with belligerent guitars and they throw quite a lot at the listener, but there is little to no sticking accumulation of ice. Perhaps the best track on the album is "Die For (For What We Lie For)", where a tangible, morbid little thrashing death riff winds wonderfully below Thelen's dirk-like delivery, and though the chorus is one you can hear coming from a mile away, it does not fail the verse. Other than this, you can hear a lot of traces of the band's better efforts like Protected from Reality or Metal Revolution, but the songs just have so much less impact.

In fact, this is basically just a less interesting alternative to Protected from Reality, with that same perceptible darkness which I wish had at some point been carried out into its logical perfection, that I had always prayed might happen for Living Death (though I won't rule out a miracle from the recent reunion). The band was never able to manifest a masterpiece, and it's a shame. There's a lot going on with Killing in Action, and it's got some swagger to it, like a bar brawl in some shantytown in a post-nuclear devastation landscape. The new singer was no 'Toto', but he clearly wasn't bad. In the end there's just nothing here that solidifies the deal. All things end, and so too, did Living Death, or did they...

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

Sacred Chao - Sacred Chao EP (1989)

The short-lived, ill-fated Sacred Chao is named for the Living Death song "Sacred Chao", which makes a lot of sense when one considers that this is basically Living Death, or three members of the better known speed/thrash entity, who decided to continue their journey after that band's 1989 split. However, despite the presence of Thorsen Bergmann, Atomic Steif and Fred, there is not really all that much in common, as Sacred Chao perform a sort of mix of uplifting melodic/speed metal void of the thrash influences that had gradually enveloped Living Death, to the betterment of their sound. This has a lot more in common with the sounds of Running Wild, Rage, Scanner, and other German ilk, only Sacred Chao has this enthusiastic, goofy air about it that makes it a little difficult to take seriously.

Bergmann for one sounds quite different here, hanging out in a middle register with only slight use of his pinchy, nasal vocal style that one had come to either love or hate through the first few Living Death records. It's a curious shift, but ultimately underwhelming, and though the guitars are fill of fun and fiber, the production sounds like ass through the whole EP, like it's being spun through a wind-tunnel. The little guitar squeals characteristic of Fred's work sound like a bad attempt at commercial hard rock/metal, and the riffs are just never meaty nor catchy enough to function. Of the four tracks, "Cry for More" is likely the most exciting, sounding not unlike mid 80s Ozzy Osbourne, and the material grows progressively worse as you move along, with the lame "Dirty Dreams" biting off the famous AC/DC 'dirty deeds' motif, and the closer "Leave You Right Now" just utter shit.

Well, we all know who got the better of the deal when Living Death parted ways this year. Reiner and Dieter Kelch were at least able to release one more, respectable album in 1991's Killing In Action, whereas the mighty 'Toto' Bergmann's legacy ended here. I really can't picture what was going inside the members' heads at this time. Granted, they were always into the sounds of classic heavy/speed metal, hard rock and so forth, but how could this have been a good idea when the fan base was starving for their blistering, shrieking thrash metal? This EP is so pathetic that the band were inevitably embarrassed, so nothing more would come from it, which might be proof that there IS a God.

Verdict: Fail [2.5/10]

Living Death - Worlds Neuroses (1988)

Though I've always had a soft spot for Living Death, enjoying all of their full-lengths to some extent, it wasn't until Protected from Reality that the band had flirted with greatness, and I was really hoping that the fourth album would continue in that direction, adding that last layer of paint to a band who had long deserved some degree of success. Well, Worlds Neuroses was not quite what I had in mind, with a more playful nature found in many of the tracks, but it still manages to score with a few of its catchier pieces. The production is quite good, perhaps the best in their career, but there are a few elements which have shifted poles, and not always for the better.

For one, Thorsten Bergmann the 'screamer' has by this point almost completely disappeared. He'll occasionally scale up to a pathetic window into the past, and he can clearly manifest the old pipes when needed (chorus of "Schizophrenia", for example), but he really tones it down for much of the effort. Also, the band uses a metric ton of gang shouts here, including the first song, "Last Birthday" with its goofy sounding chorus, taking the edge out of what would otherwise have been a decent, speed/thrash opener (though the lead is great). "Die Young" is extremely catchy, with Bergmann adopting an Exodus-like vocal pattern over a great mid-paced riff, even though the actual singing is far different in tone. I really enjoyed the melodic mood of the chorus here, dense and challenging enough with the spike of melody that arrives, and a nice micro-lead bridging over to the second verse. It's pretty tame thrash, but memorable.

The rest of the album is somewhat mixed. "Schizophrenia" sports strange lyrics about 'leading your erection', with the gang shouting 'Morbid brain, Morbid brain!', and Dieter Kelch's bass thundering to lead the way. A pretty odd track, but not bad. "On the 17th Floor" starts with a thrash/doom swagger, and revisits it for the chorus, reminding me a little of "Screaming from the Chamber" from Metal Revolution. "Down" is peppy but forgettable, while the title track has a funny sounding chorus, pumping bass lines and some sweet if sparse guitar lines in the verse. "Bastard (at the Bus Stop)" is an almost Tankard level of ridiculous, but not as well written, but both "Tuesday" and "The Testament of Mr. George" have their moments. There's also a pretty weak track called "Sacred Chao" which no doubt helped lead to the confusion the band would experience when several of them broke away to form the short-lived Sacred Chao. Hey, the previous album had "Eisbein (mit Sauerkraut)", so every album gets one...

No, Worlds Neurosis isn't Protected from Reality, and what might have become another tech thrash beast had curbed its own ambitions to something cleaner, tidier. Personally, I rather miss Bergmann's screaming demon persona, it simply doesn't rear its ugly hide on this album enough. I was longing for the screaming of Metal Revolution, applied to the band's improved, dense and fierce thrashing, like I got in 1987, and that just doesn't happen enough here. Instead, we're treated with a few corny and memorable tracks that stick to the ear just often enough to revisit them. At the same time, I could actually understand why many more casual thrash fans might enjoy this album more than any other in their catalog. It's fairly accessible without Bergmann's excess, and the variety and horseplay makes for a friendlier experience.

Verdict: Win [7/10] (so he baked himself a big cake)

Living Death - Live EP (1988)

Living Death's 1988 Live EP is probably one of those releases that never needed to exist, so at the very least I hope it bought them some booze or a dinner while on the road. Maybe a whore. What's the most unfortunate fact about this particular recording is not what it's got, but what it doesn't feature. Culled from an earlier performance, it's merely four tracks from the band's sophomore Metal Revolution album. That's right, nothing from the subsequent releases of Back to the Weapons and Protected from Reality, which represent the peak of the band's career. So if you're only a fan of the band's shaky but entertaining years, I can imagine this as a little slice of paradise, but if you prefer the leaps in songwriting and style they made with their 1987 album, you're going home empty handed.

The mix on the recording is a little brash, with Thorsten Bergmann sounding like his harpy self, only a little bruised, as if he'd damaged his throat with some cigarettes before taking the stage. "Killing Machine" is a fast and effective means by which to open the EP, all leather and mayhem and burning, blues-rooted solos while Andreas Oberhoff's drums surge along. "Grippin' a Heart" is one of the band's most Accept-like tunes, so it does offer a rocking down of the overall pace, at least until the screaming bridge, but "Road of Destiny" builds speed once more with some solid riffing. The final cut is the slowly bouncing, brick & mortar "Screamin' from the Chamber", in which Bergmann asserts a little more personality and the corny, narrative lower register vocals from the studio version which almost sound like a German King Diamond in spots.

None of the tracks have any power over their studio siblings, and the value is extremely hard to justify unless you're the most die hard of followers. If you're just interested in hearing them live, this and the Back to the Weapons EPs are included with the Living Death double-album re-issue in 1994, which is Protected from Reality/Worlds Neuroses), but even that's likely a kick in the shins to locate by this time. This is no Live After Death, but the living of, certainly a road ready band which could kick some ass due to the screaming and blazing of Bergmann and his axe men. I wish they had gotten a better official live package, with a mix of material from 1985-89, but unless a reunion pans out, it's unlikely to happen.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

Living Death - Back to the Weapons EP (1986)

Even a cursory glimpse at their linear progression to aggression will reveal that Living Death were well aware of their times, and the darkening and intensification of the speed and thrash metal scene surrounding them. They responded in turn by turning up their own level of violence, and Back to the Weapons is a fine teaser for their third length Protected from Reality. Unlike the Watch Out! EP from 1985, this wasn't primarily built of recycled, re-recorded material, but four fresh new tracks that are consistently pissed and fun, with Toto Bergmann taking his manic screams to a new level of raging extremity that pierces the ears better than anyone at your local body modification parlor.

The emphasis here was on blinding speed, at least for the first three cuts, all of which are about the best things the band had recorded by this point. "Nuclear Greetings" features bombastic riffing, loaded with both attitude and melody, Bergmann injecting his harpy horrors into each line, even countering himself with a deeper, almost blackish vocal tone in the chorus. "Bloody Dance" doesn't skip a beat, the band forcing themselves directly back into the same pace, with a similar mix of vocals, and this is one of my favorite Living Death tracks ever, though I do still crack up when it sounds like the vocals are themselves about to start laughing. It's very similar to what Destruction might sound like if Schmier just did his screams for the entire duration of a track. "The Way (Your Soul Must Go)" has some deeper, vicious riffs beneath it, but Toto is once again through the stratosphere, like a wicked witch cursing through the skyline, while the band enforces her with gang shouts.

"Child of Illusion" reduces the tempo of the EP to a mid-pace, with more similarity to their material on Vengeance from Hell or Watch Out!. Basic, working class speed metal with incessant shrieking vocals, but clearly the least impressive track here, and I can see why it was tucked on the end and not placed to interject the rapid barrage that led to it. This track aside though, the contents of Back to the Weapons are among the best Living Death had ever produced, before their refinement into a more focused, technical thrash band with Protected from Reality and the succeeding albums. One last, wild ride off into the night, steel engines screaming as the carnage ensues, and if you can find it, almost mandatory for fans of German speed/thrash whether you're into Destruction, Vendetta, Holy Moses, Iron Angel, early Deathrow, Rage, or Paradox to check out.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

Living Death - Metal Revolution (1985)

Not only were we treated with a Speed Revolution courtesy of 1985 and Vectom, but also a Metal Revolution thanks to Living Death. Thankfully, this is the superior revolution, and a step up for the German band as they matured into a more aggressive sound, still ripe with the speed and traditional metal of their roots, but harder hitting as thrash truly entered their borders. If you were one of the few exposed to their Watch Out! EP, you knew what to expect. Thorsten Bergmann has improved dramatically, no longer sounding so loose, foolish and disheveled, but rather a sonic, screaming weapon not unlike the master Udo Dirkschneider of Accept. The band also acquired a new drummer in Andreas Oberhoff, who would spend only a few years with the band, but provides a more solid foundation.

Metal Revolution is one of those records that begins mediocre at best, with "Killing Machine", in which the showcase is really Bergmann's more 'restrained' wailing, and then "Grippin' a Heart" doesn't quite build momentum, a savage but average speed metal piece with a half decent chorus. "Rulers Must Come" rocks a little harder, mid paced power/thrash metal with howling vocals, but it's not until the slower "Screaming from a Chamber" that the album really begins to shape up, with Bergmann shifting between a lower, growling register and his typical wails, and the band developing a deep, constant groove that casts an effective, dirty and mean atmosphere not unlike early Rage. The snappy, speedy "Shadow of the Dawn" and "Panic and Hysteria" are both quite good, and one wonders why these weren't use as the lead-in tracks. "Road of Destiny" has a greater sense of melody, and while the finale "Deep in Hell" isn't great, it at least returns to the street metal sound of "Watch Out!" or "Screaming from a Chamber".

While I enjoyed Vengeance from Hell despite its glaring flaws, Metal Revolution is simply better on all accounts, another step on the ladder of evolution that would characterize this band's entire career. It's almost, but not quite as entertaining as Protected from Reality, which is a more serious thrash effort with tweaked songwriting. The mix sounds good. The vocalist (finally) sounds good. And the riffs follow suit. It might have put a better foot forward, as the first few tracks seem to be the weakest of the lot, but if you can survive that 8 minutes you'll be in for a stronger forecast, and truthfully one of the best they've released. The band's saber toothed undead Viking mascot beckons you from the cover like an Uncle Sam recruitment drive, but this time out the music is possibly worth enlisting to hear.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (climb into your leather)

Living Death - Watch Out EP (1985)

Thrash metal as a whole has been plagued with useless EPs and singles much like any other genre, and Living Death's follow-up to their Vengeance from Hell debut largely falls under this category. Well, to be exact, Watch Out was not entirely useless at the time of its original release, coming out on a separate label (Earthshaker), and featured one track not found on the debut, and superior re-recordings of several other tracks. But in retrospect, some re-issues of Vengeance from Hell actually contain "Watch Out", so it might be more prudent to acquire one of these and acclimate yourself to the whole shebang, unless you're the collector type, equating reissues to rattlesnakes and entirely uninterested in anything but the original product.

"Watch Out" itself is a true terror of a track, bombastic and slicing German thrash/speed, and you'll notice immediately that Thorsten has improved his lot as a vocalist, with a grinding, sharp tone not unlike the legendary Udo Dirkschneider of Accept. In fact, Accept-gone-thrash is all too adequate a description for the track, and if such a proposition seems enticing, then by all means you will enjoy this track. The other pieces here are "You and Me", "Nightlight", and "Heavy Metal Hurricane", all culled from the debut with a slightly fresh coat of paint. I almost wish the entirety of Vengeance from Hell had just been re-recorded, with Bergmann toning down his antics, because it would be a severe lift in quality, but you'll just have to settle for this and rest assured that the full-length sophomore Metal Revolution takes its queues from the notion.

If you can actually find this, then maybe it's worth your while, especially if you're a huge fan of mid-80s German power, speed and thrash metal. Chances are you'll have to settle for a download, or just pick up one of the Vengeance from Hell re-issues that include the title track. Otherwise, you're getting a pretty 'hot' picture of the band in all their bullet strung glory, and a whiff of nostalgic dust. From here out, in 1985, Living Death will make several improvements, resulting in the two best albums of their career, so consider this the benchmark.

Verdict: Indifference [5.25/10] (grab yourself and save you)

Living Death - Vengeance of Hell (1984)

Living Death might be better considered a speed and power metal infiltration squad who latched onto the thrash medium a few years into their development, but there's no real argument that even this debut album, Vengeance of Hell, contained the raw and rugged guitars and aggression comparable to old Metallica or their closer kin in Destruction. Despite its crude standards, and the rather shaky presence of frontman Thorsten Bergmann, there's a certain curb appeal here that unquestionably takes you straight back to the early through mid 80s excitement of uncertainty and menace that was so prevalent before the days of Wikipedia, instant internet gratification and guttural brutes attempting to out stomp one another.

Bergmann is clearly the weak point to this recording, because half of the album is spent with him sounding like he's trying to clear his throat or evoke images of two old women bickering at the local market. It's particularly annoying in a track like "Living Death" or "Riding a Virgin", where it almost nullifies the music completely, but a little less of a distraction in the great "Heavy Metal Hurricane", "You and Me", "My Victim", or the crushing "Vengeance of Hell" itself, in which he actually creates some appeal through the siren-like wailing, though he still might have you hovering upon the precipice of outright laughter. When the band drops the faster, speed/thrash elements for a pretty straight up metal tune like the pumping, nasally "Nightlight" or "Hellpike", the results become more varied. Clearly the guy has a voice, and can hit notes, but he almost seems to be under the illusion that he's a comedian and that people might want to experience his absurdity over the scorching metallic undercurrent.

As far as the riffs, they're fairly comparable to Running Wild, Judas Priest or Accept of their day, with a few surges into ruthless power thrash that serve as precognitions for their later 80s, 90s fare. The album has never sounded very good, even when it was released, and this primacy is one nagging flaw difficult to shake, even if you can get past some of the more awkward vocals. Still, I have to say that I still really enjoy the album for its musical attitude and nostalgic atmosphere. It's not the jewel atop the Living Death crown, I could bestow that honor only on the far thrashier Protected from Reality, which makes this look like a shaggy, unkempt peasant guest at a regal Renaissance dinner gathering. But it's fun despite its glaring 'problem'.

Verdict: Win [7/10] (it was her death blow)

Living Death - Protected from Reality (1987)

German thrash is best known for its acclaimed triumvirate of Destruction, Kreator and Sodom, but just below the surface you will find a very solid roster of bands who didn't quite make it as far: Tankard, Deathrow, Vendetta, Mekong Delta, Protector, and then there is of course Living Death. With a wilder style employing the shrieking vocals of Thorsten Bergman, they ravaged the scene with their early albums Vengeance of Hell and Metal Revolution. However, the filthy speed metal of their third album Protected from Reality has always stood out to me as their best work.

There are no frills on this album. Bergman's vocals are plastered all over the twisting, chugging, bulldozer thrash riffs, as much in the class of NWOBHM-on-crack vein as they possessed a Teutonic thrash edge. The album begins with the pulverizing "Horrible Infanticide (Part One)", and the field is immediately leveled by the sound of Metallica meets Destruction beneath an air raid siren. "Manila Terror" follows this assault with another, though this is not my favorite song here. "Natures Death" starts with a good mid-paced thrash riff under a wailing, noisy lead, then begins a crunchy bit akin to Anthrax. The verse vocals are sick, I like the riffing with the atmosphere of the squealing guitar harmony. "Wood of Necrophiliac" begins with a very brooding 80s acoustic guitar, lots of reverb, interwoven with some slower paced chugging, vocal choirs and instrumental creepiness. A very interesting track. "Vengeance (Horrible Infanticide Part Two)" is a scorching thrasher with very Cirith Ungol-like vocals over the bands gritty street level thug thrashing. "Intruder" is a speed metal mosh slugfest with some sick breakdowns, Bergman's vocals are excellent here, cutting right into you. He sounds like a girl, but not...maybe a harpy...a thrashing harpy! "The Galley" is big juicy metal sauteed in a slower, driving pace and has some sloppy but sick lead work. "War of Independence" begins with some nice thrashing along to Bergman's psycho lyrics, before the drums pick up into a speed metal mayhem. The album ends with the goofy "Eisbein (Mit Sauerkraut)", your Tankard type speed metal anthem about ham hock and condiments...yeah, we'll not touch this.

The album is aggressive and raw; if you like this old school stuff you'll become totally infected by the explosive energies and bang your head into dust. At points it feels a little uncouth and sloppier than other German thrash, but when you're having this much fun, who cares. Though they have numerous albums of a similar quality, I've always enjoyed one of if not the best, alongside Metal Revolution...the band did mature as they went on and their later albums are a little more thoughtful, but the raw and pummeling feel of this is where it's really at.

This band has reformed so we may be hearing some new material from them soon, the first in almost 20 years...

Verdict: Win [8/10]

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