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Assaulter > Salvation like Destruction > Reviews
Assaulter - Salvation like Destruction

Headless - 58%

Felix 1666, October 3rd, 2021
Written based on this version: 2008, CD, Pulverised Records

Assaulter were a relatively short-lived formation that split up after two full-lengths. At the beginning, they intended to cultivate a special trademark with their artworks. They showed a bastard between man and angel, unfortunately without head. And to me it seems that the sound engineer of “Salvation like Destruction” also did not have a head or he did not use it. The sloppily produced drums are the weakest point of a muddy mix. With his more or less fundamental defect, the debut of the Australians cannot reach the upper regions of the rating scale. That’s a pity, because the band embodies the outlaw image of real metal very credibly. But there is another problem – the material itself.

The seven songs do not suffer from major mistakes. They are comparatively complex and S. Berserker, previously involved in Deströyer 666, cannot hide his past. This means his vocals offer a lot of filth and sometimes the songs have an almost opulent design. They do not concentrate on high velocity and try to unite different facets without integrating any non-metal elements. In addition, the duo tries its best to create an oppressive atmosphere, for example in “Proselytiser”. Nevertheless, I cannot say that the album can cast me under its spell and that’s not only because of the undifferentiated sound. The more or less ordinary riffs and the average guitar lines just do not trigger my enthusiasm. The single songs flow into each other without developing an own personality. They are not bad and they do not steal my time, but there is no track that invites me to press the repeat button. I am just listening to a more or less endless stream of metallic sounds without significant ups and downs.

And as the album goes by, it gets more and more clear that the band was not able to transform their manual and technical skills into great songs. Only in rare moments, the class they showed on “Boundless!”, their second and final work, shimmers through the notes of “Salvation like Destruction”. An oriental touch here, a pretty intensive part there, that’s it. But too many mid-tempo parts, combined with a lack of inspiration and variation, make it hard to enjoy a neither terrible nor great work. Maybe the time was just not ripe for a full-length.

Satan Bless Australia - 92%

GuntherTheUndying, July 29th, 2010

They showed the world kangaroos and dingoes, blessed us with their unbeatable lounge-music cover of Cannibal Corpse's "Rancid Amputation," and have one of the most powerful metal scenes on the plant. Australia is often called "down under" for a good reason: every Aussie is going straight to Hell for having spawned such bands like Destroyer 666 or Razor of Occam and wallowed in their spread of pestilence. While you, oh noble reader, are hopefully familiar with the flesh-ripping madness of Destroyer 666, there lies the overshadowed Assaulter: a black/thrash metal faction featuring former wolf-pack bassist S. Berserker. It would be relatively easy to assume Assaulter's "Salvation Like Destruction" continues the blackened thrash/death metal blitzkrieg that Mr. Berserker originally experienced, yet that is not the full analysis of this record. Assaulter's variety is actually well-established and wonderfully productive within this frontier of flanking the enemy, and they are a worthy ally in Australia’s relentless conquest of metallic domination.

"Salvation Like Destruction" takes an alternate point of infiltration instead of just blast beats, shredding at a million miles per second, or other extreme metal techniques; instead, the use of more mid-paced ideas balancing out turbo-charged moments is encouraged and executed. This function, however, leaves a lot of great, unexpected gems to pop up that are typically overlooked. The tempos, although not as rapid or ravenous as you might expect, are more so focused on balancing a fitting equation of smoggy atmosphere, cranium-spiking heaviness, and majestic guitar work, which is the trademark ritual often imposed during Assaulter's ceremonial desecration. These ideas are perhaps a bit unconventional considering the obvious contrast of instrumental use among the black/thrash tribe, but it makes for one killer record when everything falls together.

The riffs, for instance, should be charged by the UN for war crimes, because this is nuclear fire as far as I'm concerned. Assaulter obviously makes a stand behind a thrashy black metal banner, but don't be surprised when heads detach from the neck; these are some of the best riffs the black/thrash mating grounds have to offer. Behemoth-like and dashing, these chops are wonderful pieces of tearing velocity that charge forth with an electric dazzle of thrash and uncharted heaviness with a sense of groove and power when attempting the monumental "Between Gods and Men" as an example. The overall impression is very thrashy guitar work with a bit of blackened madness thrown in for giggles, so I'll warn you just once: expect total fucking genocide.

Remaining sanctums within "Salvation Like Destruction" are also bloody slabs of darkened perfection that would appeal to those with an addiction for destructive terror of such nature. The production is so gritty and raw that the record seriously appears as if it were a collection of demos, but that's what makes everything sound so vibrant and massive. And even though one might be mystified by the riffs, the percussion is commanding through some brilliant fills and addictive technicality without relying on generic short-cuts like constant blasting, which is always a blast of fresh air in this field of identity. Berserker's vocals are aggressive yelps that one should expect in this kind of music and add nothing to bitch about, but in overview, Assaulter is a band of massive musicianship and have nothing left to boast beyond their massacring rampage.

So all in all, Assaulter delivers the goods in a timely and violent fashion throughout "Salvation Like Destruction" just like the ancient prophets foresaw in their unholy visions centuries ago. It is obvious that the Destroyer 666 structure is taking form - keep in mind S. Berserker's former involvement - in and around the world's four corners, but now with a mid-paced, simpler function that lives up to the sound's stellar demeanor. Assaulter, though, is just one kink in a big machine that smolders and churns in the land way down under, and their wonderful debut is definitely something to check out if blackened metal strums a string within the dark abyss of your soul. Thanks Australia!

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

The Radiance Of War... - 78%

praey, September 7th, 2009

In the last few years Australia has began feeling more and more like the stomping ground for bands who mix the rawness and old-school vibe of 80’s thrash metal with the blasphemous aggression of early black metal. Bands like Destruktor, Razor of Occam, Nocturnal Graves, and the infamous Destroyer 666 all keep the devil horns raised while thrashing along with the best riffs from down under. With guitarwork that sounds lifted straight from 1986 and vocals that bring to mind many a 90’s black metal band, it’s no surprise Assaulter originate from this very scene. Featuring ex-Destroyer 666 member S. Beserker on vocals, guitar, and bass, it might be natural, however, to assume Assaulter are mere emulators of their country-mates.

Instead, Assaulter take the old-school aspect hinted at by their fellow Australians and give it a massive shot of anabolic steroids. The guitar tone on Salvation Like Destruction just screams “1980s” and actually brought to mind Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All despite how different the two albums are. The production sounds raw, thin, and very trebly. This wouldn’t have sounded out of place in 1989. And like many 80’s thrash bands, Assaulter never really unleash any extreme tempos on this album, which may disappoint those expecting a plethora of blastbeats. Instead, mid-paced thrash is the name of the game here.

While the phrase “mid paced thrash” might sound like something to fall asleep to, Assaulter definitely manage to keep things appealing. Like Bolt Thrower, the less extreme tempos of songs like “Glory Alone” and colossal closer “Between Gods And Men” allow the band to explore an epic edge via soaring leads and riffs that simply exude power. The slower pace accentuates the feeling of dominance and pride that Assaulter seem to be striving for and really set them apart in this day and age, when many bands feel content to blast constantly.

This epic feel is augmented by the solid guitarwork and commendable drumming. Check out the main riff to “The Axiom Star,” which swaggers along with the rhythm of the song, or the galloping intro to “Proselytiser,” which, again, sounds like it emerged straight from two decades ago. In all the songs, the lead guitars help accentuate the epic feeling, and, while none of the solos are utterly jaw-dropping, they sound perfectly fit for the songs they are in and are all enjoyable. Assaulter don’t slouch in the songwriting department either. Several of these songs could easily be considered catchy, especially “Vengeance Whips,” whose memorable chorus, delivered with Beserker’s aggressive blackened snarl, makes the track a definite highlight in the second half of the album.

Unfortunately, for all the attempts at reclaiming the glorious fire of 80’s metal, Assaulter certainly hit some pitfalls here. Most notably is the production. As said before, the mix of this album sounds very raw. However, unlike older bands, who naturally achieved an unrefined sound in recording, Salvation Like Destruction sounds like Beserker went into the studio dead set on achieving the “recorded in a garage”-type mix. As a result, the production ends up sounding pseudo-raw, as if the band just messed around with some of the levels to achieve an unrefined mix when things could have been much clearer.

Additionally, while the riffs are overall pretty solid, some of them do end up sounding similar by the end of the album, which is unfortunate given there’s only seven tracks here with a total running time of less than 40 minutes. There’s certainly some great moments here, “Between Gods And Men” being the real standout, but more variety would really have helped raise this album up a few notches. And while I understand the sound Assaulter was going for didn’t necessitate blastbeats, a few up-tempo moments could also have made things a bit more interesting.

Overall, Assaulter’s Salvation Like Destruction certainly has its moments. It’s hard to fault their passion, as they certainly seem hell bent on exclaiming their desire for destruction via an old school thrash template with a blackened epic edge. Yet it’s also hard to ignore what feels like a shortage of ideas and questionable production qualities. Still, if blackened thrash is your thing, especially with a heavy old-school vibe, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. While there may be some cons, in the end, Assaulter have produced an aggressive album that serves as a raw and bloody pronouncement to the metal spirit, thrashing along and throwing up the devil horns all the way.

Even better than the demos, excellent black/thrash - 90%

vorfeed, December 19th, 2008

This is the first full-length album from Assaulter, an Australian band playing black/thrash metal.

The guitar sound on "Salvation Like Destruction" is rather odd, and had me double-checking my turntable: sort of a high, thready sound with a buzzing overtone. Along with the snarled vocals and somewhat treble-heavy drum sound, this seems to drain some of the low-end out of the music -- there's a good amount of bass, but the competing guitar tone makes it seem a little anemic somehow. You get used to it by the end, but to my ears, the thin production hurts this record a bit.

Fortunately, the songwriting more than makes up for it. This band has only gotten better since their demos, and the new songs here are vicious and powerful. "Talon and Teeth" is a thrashing track with several different headbanging parts. "The Axiom Star" is a mid-paced, loping song with a particularly notable vocal performance. It speeds up a bit before the end, as the vocals combine with an inspiring guitar line in a huge buildup. "Glory Alone" is by far the best track on the record, an epic, sprawling paean to war. As always, this band's lyrics are sublime, and they are delivered here with stunning conviction. The crushing closing section is especially great!

The second side consists of three re-recorded songs from Assaulter's demos ("Proselytiser", "Vengeance Whips", and "Between Gods and Men"), along with a new one, "Awe of Fire". The latter opens with an impressive instrumental section, then moves into the main melody, a stomping, rumbling headbanger whose theme and deliberate pacing recall Bathory's classic, "For All Those Who Died". The shout-along chorus here is one of my favorite moments on the record, and the lead guitar work is also very good. The re-recorded tracks are great as well: two thrashers and an epic. I wish they'd had room left over for "The Great Subterfuge" as well, but I think they picked the three best tracks from the demos.

Fans of black/thrash should definitely hear this, especially followers of the Australian scene. If it had a heavier production, it might be even better, but "Salvation Like Destruction" still earns my highest recommendation.

Standout tracks: "The Axiom Star", "Glory Alone", "Awe of Fire"

Review by vorfeed: http://www.vorfeed.net