World Downfall

Pure grindcore fury is a rare thing from my side. The number of bands dabbling in such climates, and the number that aspired to be the most brutal/extreme ones, could be counted in thousands (if not more). Meanwhile, bands that have a sensible idea for themselves and are suitable for serious listening...one could literally indicate a few in this trend. Therefore, in my humble opinion, when you start listen to grindcore, you should reach for something from the top shelf! And this is precisely the debut album of Terrorizer "World Downfall", which was attended by - as time has shown - the star cast itself, i.e. Pete Sandoval, Jesse Pintado, Oscar Garcia and David Vincent - later musicians of Morbid Angel, Napalm Death and (much less known) Nausea.

Well, as "World Downfall" clearly shows from the first seconds, it turns out that the vision of grindcore performed by the musicians of Terrorizer was more precise, and at the same time, more destructive than some other death metal bands. It was enough to speed up what was already quick and know the feeling for it. The Americans from Terrorizer did not focus on shocking like Napalm Death (there aren't even a few second tracks), but on making their expression even stronger and exploring the listener literally at every moment of the album and creating meaningful songs. Examples include "Corporation Pull-In", "Human Prey", "Dead Shall Rise", "Fear Of Napalm" or "Storm Of Stress", by far the best (and most "representative") of the entire list, i.e. sophisticated Sandoval blasts, simple, slightly punky, but specific riffs from Pintado, Garcia's "vomit" vocals (which of course also appears in those not mentioned tracks) and the most "catchy" character. And despite its brighter points, it is equally absorbing. I will say more, I don't mind that most of the songs are based on similar (but original to other bands) ideas!

This is enough for me to consider the debut album Terrorizer (next to what was recorded by bands like Repulsion, Napalm Death, Carcass and Brutal Truth) as one of the best and most thrilling cds in this genre. The best of "World Downfall" was also revealed by the band's next post-reunion longplays, recorded in totally different line-ups and maintained at a much lower level than the one discussed.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2020/08/terrorizer-world-downfall-1989.html

Grindcore was a real game changer for extreme metal. With one foot in hardcore punk and one foot in death metal, it’s influence can be felt far beyond the obvious. It’s dual heritage also led to a bizarre binary choice for lyricists, politics or gore, and never the twain shall meet. But whatever limitations it places on music, its appeal has remained surprisingly durable. If for no other reason than it being a talking point within metal, a benchmark of primitivism and extremity by which we measure all our future endeavours.

On Terrorizer’s ‘World Downfall’ released in 1989, Oscar Garcia heads up an all start line up for this undisputed classic of grind. Jesse Pintado guides us through a plethora of atonal chaos that simply exudes apocalyptic fury from every pour. This is underpinned by a rock solid rhythm section made up of David Vincent and Pete Sandoval’s controlled barrage. This raised the stakes for grindcore as a genre with technical standards. And it is remarkably precise when compared to the Napalm Deaths and Carcasses of the same era. It’s no wonder Napalm Death poached Pintado and headed in a similar direction with their sound.

It also foreshadowed what Brutual Truth would later achieve, with high speed bursts where the musicians seem to completely lose control of the music, only to pull it back from the brink with a pounding d-beat or mid paced ¾ rhythm. Scott Burns, honing the techniques required for extreme metal, produces a razor sharp sound that captures every bass hit and allows the snare to cut through perfectly. Although this sound was later reviled by some kids in Norway, it ushered in a new benchmark of technical standards for musicians within extreme metal.

Vocals are of the hardcore punk variety, showcasing an aggressive half grunt half shout, making some of the lyrics audible above the cacophony. This is one of those albums that sounds like the cover art. These busy Hieronymus Bosch style covers would become popular in grindcore, and here it fits perfectly with the colliding rhythms and tempos, and the amorality that the riffs invoke. A masterclass in how to invoke an undeniable sense of society’s chaotic decline.

It’s both a great piece of grind in its own right, but it also set a new precedent for precision and technical competence within this proudly punk genre. It also put Pintado’s style on the map as a benchmark in extreme metal, and predicted the Napalm Death that would follow in this album’s wake.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

Back in 1989, it was a great adventure to discover "World Downfall". In a time when the initial thrash metal movement began to lose its power rapidly, it felt good to be confronted with another way of radical music - and, to be honest, it was more radical than almost every thrash formation. Suddenly and without warning, Terrorizer fired a massive shot into the hungry crowd of extreme metal maniacs. With a previously almost unknown intransigence, they ripped any type of harmonies to pieces. Even 30 years after its release, the album has a devastating effect and its only mistake is that it was simply too good. Immediately after its final tones had vanished, it was quite clear that this was a once-in-a-lifetime work. Too bad that Terrorizer broke the silence after 17 years. This was no good idea, but fortunately another story. So let's concentrate on this masterpiece which was produced by Dave Vincent and engineered by the very competent Scott Burns. He had already been involved in great albums such as Death's "Leprosy", Whiplash's "Ticket to Mayhem" and Sepultura's "Schizophrenia" and Terrorizer profited from his experience.

"World Downfall" sounds coarse and vicious, rebellious and nasty. Its homogeneous appearance makes it strong. The decision to publish 16 songs that reflect the uttermost defiance against the usual parameters of the music business is one thing - to execute these pieces in such an excellent way is something different. Gifted with the technical skills, Terrorizer do not create chaotic tracks per se. They work with high precision - but exactly this precision in details opens the door to a sometimes confusing and more or less chaotic overall impression. Especially the A side is bewildering, because some songs seem to flow into each other while one merciless riff hunts the other. The slightly dull sound adds a dark colour to the compositions, but the riffs themselves also spread sinister intentions. Needless to say that Oscar Garcia also rages against everybody and everything. His f**ked up voice exactly matches the musical statements. The monolithic material meets a monolithic line-up and among other things this duplicity makes the album so exciting.

But the band has even more to offer. Each and every track bursts out of the boxes with a maximum of spontaneity, energy and savagery. Indeed, there is a barbaric component in the music that teaches the listener the meaning of archaic cruelty, albeit Garcia's hostile growling deals with modern conflicts. "Nations falling to defeat" is not just the first line of the opener, these words also mark the beginning of the lyrics of "Strategic Warheads" and perhaps this lyrical curiosity shows the f**k-yourself-attitude of the line-up. Either way, Terrorizer know the rules of grindcore and spread left-wing dogmas. "The rich get rich, the poor stay poor, working hard, all for nothing" - these simple statements sound rather stupid, but they work excellently in the context of this album. The typhoon of negativity is irresistible and the band lives up to its name. The instrumental parts leave a trail of devastation and it goes without saying that the barking of Garcia does not provide relief. Of course, very intelligent minds can blame the full-length for its monotony, but I beg to differ. The material scores with its genre-typical uniformity, this is my interpretation.

The anarchic rigor of the album is the perfect breeding ground for immortal anthems. The maximally intensive triple strike of "Human Prey", "Corporation Pull-In" and "Strategic Warheads" marks the orgasmic climax of the album, but the remaining material ignites a conflagration as well. The mighty and malicious guitar work with its minimum of variation and the almost robotic yet devastating double bass create an infernal cocktail and songs like "After World Obliteration", "Need to Live" or the title track express the pure disgust about lying politicians, puppets of the military industry and society in general. No egomaniacal guitar solos disturb the denunciation of more or less each and every convention. The clearly structured eruptions of hatred appear as an unstoppable avalanche that buries everything beneath it. Pete Sandoval's drumming ensures - where necessary - that no one leaves alive. His blast beats, his force and his precision - in short: his entire performance is absolutely outstanding.

"Dead Shall Rise" is the title of another highlight on "World Downfall", a song with a superhuman dynamic and a fiery core of destructive power. Was its name the impulse for Jesse Pintado (R.I.P.) to revitalize the band in 2005? It remains a matter of speculation. What we know for sure is that "World Downfall" cannot be beaten. Not by any configuration under the banner of Terrorizer, not by any other formation. It's a stand-alone document of its time, second to none and an awe-inspiring monument. Do yourself a favour and experience this album. The perfect combination of grindcore and death metal awaits you. 30 years old and not a bit tired: Congratulations!

Awesome death/grind, even though I was never a big fan of the vocals, they still had an all-star lineup and musical output. A lot of faster tempos which are characteristic of these kinds of bands. Musically I think Jesse did a lot of great riff-writing here, even though there were 16 tracks and it was an under 40 minute release. This is the ONLY Terrorizer I will listen to, especially since Jesse is gone. Amazing that they had Morbid Angel guests on here i.e. David Vincent on bass and Pete Sandoval on drums. These guys were the ultimate 4-piece act that knew how to rip it up musically to the core! 'World Downfall' is a classic.

I think a lot is to be said here. First of all, they're not all about blast beating. Jesse wrote a lot of creative riffs that fluctuate between slower tempos to faster to the fastest. So in that respect, they're all over the place. That doesn't mean that he didn't know what he was doing on this effort, it just means that there's variety. It's got a pretty decent production sound here with Earache, where most top notch bands in this era originated. So yeah, I enjoyed the music the most, it was variety and worth listening to. I think that Jesse had a good idea of what he wanted to do with this mix and Oscar on vocals just uttering few words per song.

The death/grind is reminiscent of Napalm Death's 'From Enslavement To Obliteration' and 'Scum', not surprising that they recruited him as guitarist on their future releases, ND I'm referring to. He was more than capable as a guitarist to really put out some really awesome riffs. His tremolo picking style is top notch and he definitely hacked it even in the early days with this band. His concepts for writing for Terrorizer featured mainly the chord fluctuations and fast picking of the chords as well as the strumming of the distorted guitar. Sounds like they tuned to D, which is true of ND too, especially during the 'Harmony Corruption' days with them.

Songs were very short as you would expect, but some newer death/grind bands definitely have longer songs, but for Terrorizer, no song on here lasts a little over 3 minutes in length. So yeah, the intensity is there, just the lyrical topics I was never a big fan of, but who cares, the music is awesome! Jesse just ripped and a lot of what he did is set the tone for the tempos, David Vincent helping out filling in on bass. No not a permanent member and Terrorizer trying to reform was a joke. I think that 'World Downfall' has everything that a death/grind band should incorporate in their outputs--originality, short songs and right to the point.

Definitely worth checking out and an album where you can hear the grind riffs totally, the drums by Pete don't drown out the music. If the vocals were better, I would've given this probably a perfect score. There just needed to be more effort on Oscar's part, it was in one word: BORING. Good thing that most of the songs just featured the music anyway. So yeah, Terrorizer wasn't around for too long, then of course the ultimate death of Jesse will never have them remain as a band. He basically made this band. I definitely think that he was the reason why ND hacked it on repeated efforts. 'World Downfall' is where death/grind was at it's original peak.

Through the course of death metal's lengthy history, there were some extremely significant tipping points in its evolution that sent shock waves throughout the metal world, not to mention up the spinal cords of every single person hearing them. Amid the pioneering works that were "Seven Churches", "Scream Bloody Gore", "In Battle There Is No Law", "Slowly We Rot" and "Altars Of Madness" in the mid to late 80s stands a horse of a somewhat different color, or more specifically, one tied in pretty heavily with the parallel grindcore genre making waves at around the same time. This little beast of an LP not only marked a radical shift towards a more dangerous sound that is milked by the most brutal of modern bands, but it also simultaneously manages to sound remarkably time appropriate for 1989 in spite of itself. The name of this project was Terrorizer, and its heavily consequential debut "World Downfall" stands as one of the crowning achievements of the 80s push for a truly vicious sound.

The great mystique of this album is how utterly massive and nearly flawless it sounds in spite of being recorded and mixed in a mere 8 hours. Part of this can be attributed to the mechanized precision and inhuman ferocity of Pete Sandoval's kit work, which is actually even more intense and unrelenting than the insanity that he displayed on "Altars Of Madness". The level and rapidity of the blast work on this album has been subject to heavy emulation in the years since, and manages to rival even what Flo Mounier would accomplish in the mid 90s with Cryptopsy. But to be sure, "World Downfall" is a collective effort and the punishing yet simple thrashing riff work of Jesse Pintado, the steady bass thud of David Vincent and the guttural yet still intelligible grunts and barks of Oscar Garcia mold this thing into a veritable killing machine. A good analogy would be to take the speed and flair of mid 80s Slayer and late 80s Death, remove most of the melodic detailing and solos, and present a vocalist slightly more rabid sounding but still similar to Chuck Schuldiner.

It should also be noted that while every instrumentalist provides an invaluable piece to this massive puzzle, the album pretty much lives and dies by the stellar engineering work of Scott Burns. This man basically gave birth to what became the death metal sound of the 90s, one that expanded upon the already dark and deep character of the earlier examples of the genre, and ultimately paved the way for a percussive approach to shattering ear drums that is still looked to this day for inspiration. The character of the sound heard on here is fairly close to the thudding, stone-crushing character of Death's "Leprosy" (another of his many studio children), but the drum work manages to come through with a greater level of clarity. That's really the beauty of this album; in spite of all the sonic chaos and battling between the guitars and drums for prominence, an unshakable balance is established through the mix, resulting in something that is arguably the best production job for an extreme album in the entirety of the 80s. Rick Rubin and Andy Wallace could definitely have stood to learn much from what was accomplished on here.

Ultimately, the only thing truly challenging about this album is trying to determine whether it is a grind album or just simply a pure death metal assault minus the guitar solos, particularly given how much the former impacted the evolution of the latter throughout the 90s. Perhaps it depends on what one chooses to take from this album, but even if seeing it more from the grind perspective, one can't help but notice the heavy amount of influence that Slayer and Death had on the shaping of the style heard on it. It's the sort of album that manages to stand tall on its aggression alone in spite of all the expansion the sub-genre has experienced since, even when looking at the hyper-intensity and technical wonders of Dying Fetus and Cryptopsy, two bands that were likely familiar with either this album or some of the other handiwork of several of the people involved in it. No self-respecting adherent to death/grind should go without hearing it at least once, and it is arguably the only album with grind influences on it to own for those who aren't particularly fond of it yet have found themselves in any way interested in death metal.

The thrash genre can only get so heavy or so brutal before it completely evolved into something entirely different. The German bands were pushing the limits with their spastic approach to the genre, and then there are the proto-death metal bands, but there were also those crazy bunch of punks in the UK who really loved their hardcore punk, but much like the thrash acts, they needed something more extreme. Terrorizer, took the early grindcore sounds from across the ocean and injected a dose of thrash intensity, as well as some minor death metal attributes which resulted in one of the most influential grind albums ever in "World Downfall."

To make an entirely accurate comparison of this album, I would call this record the grind equivalent of "Reign in Blood." Clocking in at just a little over 36 minutes with 16 tracks, this album is a shot, no make that a few shots of adrenaline to the listener. "World Downfall" doesn't let up whatsoever, and it's because of that this album retains such a great replay value. Despite every song sounding rather similar with the same pattern of midpaced riffs that could break even George "Corpsegrinder's" tree-trunk of a neck and some highly thrashy riffs pushed to the limit by Sandoval's intense and relentless drumming, every song is memorable and manages to stand out. It doesn't matter if they're songs like "Storm of Stress" or "Injustice" that last just a little more than a minute, they're just as effective as tracks like "After World Obliteration" or "Dead Shall Rise" that make it past the three minute mark.

Garcia's vocals on this record are great and they mesh perfectly with the music, even when the songs are reaching tempos beyond comprehension thanks to Sandoval, whose drumming is another highlight of "World Downfall." His blasts are very tight and precise, but his double bass work during more midpaced moments is also top notch. Bassist David Vincent is no slouch either, and the bassline for the intro of "Fear of Napalm" is one of the catchiest I've ever heard, although it helps that the song is one of the greatest tracks ever recorded.

I find it impossible to criticize this album, as it doesn't ever get old or overstay it's welcome. "World Downfall" is the perfect album for those that are new to, or want to give grindcore a chance as it is definitely the pinnacle of the entire genre and can only be rivaled by Repulsion's masterpiece "Horrified," but that discussion is for another day.

Highlights
"Fear of Napalm"
"Corporation Pull-In"
"Dead Shall Rise"

Originally written for Nightmare Reality Webzine.
nightmarerealitywebzine.blogspot.com

Dare I be the first to not relentlessly fellate this album? In any grindcore top ten this will always appear in the top 5 somewhere, and it’s easy to understand why – I mean Jesus, in grindcore circles, this thing is second only to “Scum” and “Horrified” in terms of influence. This album - along with those other 2 - essentially define grindcore, and this one is arguably the best example of what grind is – short, sharp shocks of raw, harsh, animosity spat in the general direction of anyone unfortunate enough to be standing in front of it. But to me the fact that it is influential doesn’t mean that much – just because it was massively influential does not mean that it cannot be surpassed. Jimi Hendrix is hugely influential. His music started a genre...but that doesn’t make him the best example of the genre in the same way that the first car ever built was not the best one ever built. The same thing can be said of Terrorizer – influential, fuck yeah. Insurmountable? God no.

If you don’t know what Terrorizer sound like I can only assume that you removed your ears - possibly because you had no jam and you needed something to put in a sandwich – but here goes anyway. Extremely thrashy riffs to a backdrop of Pete Sandoval’s inimitable blasting with a vocalist who sounds like he’s been on sixty a day since he was five, and production courtesy of bassist Dave Vincent (also of Morbid Angel). The production is curiously dry and flat, making everything sound weirdly homogenous...for me, truly great grind should sound chaotic and insane with anger, as if it’d take any amount of punishment just for a 5 second window of opportunity where it could rip your spine out. This album lacks that sense of chaos and blitzkrieg fury. You can hear everything that’s going on happening in an orderly fashion...and that’s just not right, because at no point do you end up staring at the speakers wondering what the hell it was that just fucking happened - World Downfall is missing the “what the fuck?!? factor”. Pig Destroyer’s “Prowler In The Yard” has the what the fuck?!? factor. Kill The Client’s “Cleptocracy” has the what the fuck?!? factor. Carcass’s “Reek Of Putrefaction” has the what the fuck?!? factor. Terrorizer’s “World Downfall” does not. It never sounds like it’s straining on the leash. This is not the soundtrack to a massacre. This is the soundtrack to an organised demonstration against vivisection. It’s pissed off, but not that pissed off.

That’s not to say this is a bad album, Because it isn’t. It’s a good one. “Fear Of Napalm” has a riff that can only be described as “a motherfucker”, and will forever go down as a grind anthem. For all intents and purposes, the riffs are cool, and the drumming is unbelievable in parts. It has directly or indirectly influenced just about every grindcore band that formed after it’s release, so anyone who is into grind owes it to Terrorizer to purchase this album anyway. Obviously everything in this review is all my own opinion, but as someone who does really enjoy grindcore, I can give a decent opinion on this album and when I see people frothing at the mouth about this album like they just went nuts on the sherbet I can’t help but wonder where this grind classic they’re on about is, because all I’m hearing is a pretty good thrashy grind release with an enviable legacy.

The last real problem that i have with this release is that if you’re just getting into grindcore you’ll probably do it like someone getting into any musical style – start with more recent stuff and work backwards. So you’ll end up hearing everything Terrorizer have to offer before you end up hearing Terrorizer. I bought this album expecting to have my ass handed to me, but no - I was disappointed by a dry production that seems to rob the music of all it’s fury and chaos, instead making it sound sterile. It doesn’t help that whilst the riffs are good, they also just sound like what you’d expect from combining slayer and discharge, and there are loads of bands around these days with that formula. In conclusion then, World Downfall is a good album with a hell of a legacy. But these days, is it still the same classic that it was when it came out? I don’t think it is.

Grindcore with a little bit of Death Metal: that’s the formula for this masterpiece by legendary Terrorizer.

This release sounds like early Napalm Death, but less punky and more closer to death, thus reaching perfection.

The first thing that makes this album a kicking-ass release are the drums: Sandoval shows what the word “drumming” means with his great technique and “in-your-face” blast beats, both unusual in a genre where almost all drummers just hit the drums as fast as they can and in a monotone way, without any sign of creativity; the anger-filled vocals by Garcia and the killing riffs by Vincent and Pintado do the rest.

The production is amazing, sincerely one of the few decent old school Grind production I’ve ever heard, if not the only one.

And now let’s get into the songs: there’s not a single one that makes you want to press the “next” button, they’re all absolutely kick-ass and worth-listening. Anyway the best are (in my opinion, obviously): Storm of Stress, Corporation Pull-In, Need to Live, Ripped to Shreds, Injustice, Infestation, and Dead Shall Rise.

If you’re a fan of Grind or Extreme Metal in general, this is absolutely a must-hear for you, both for its huge influence in the extreme metal scene and also because it’s a fucking masterpiece, man!

This album is probably the best grindcore album ever. The vocals, the guitars, the low-end, the drums... everything is perfect. Grindcore often has been dismissed as a genre of messy blastbeats and ugly vocals and imagery. This album does and will continue to prove to legions of metalheads that grindcore has a permanent place in metal and can't always be taken lightly.

The best phrase that could be used to describe this album would be "razor sharp." The most obvious manifestation of that phrase is in the drumming. Pete Sandoval's drumming is absolutely perfect. Every beat of the entire album is executed with absolute precision. It's like listening to a metronome. The blastbeats sound like a machine gun firing as the guitar riffs take hold.

The riffing is the perfect blend of hardcore/thrash speed and intensity with the riffing and heavy sound of metal. The end result is guitar riffs that are fast as shit but still maintain a distinct rhythmic groove when they are not involved in an awesome whirlwind of machine-gun blastbeats.

The vocals are low and fit perfectly with the guitar tone and overall speed and urgency. They make the music seem to disintegrate into pure brutality every time they come in.

This band was heavy, fast, and knew rhythm and grind more than any other band at the time (if ever!). They should be remembered as one of the grindcore greats for good reason.

Terrorizer is a legendary band formed by Pete Sandoval (drums), Jesse Pintado (guitars), Oscar Garcia (vocals) and David Vincent (bass/vocals).
Back in 1989 the first album “World Downfall” was released and it can be considered, in my opinion the best death/grind album ever.
Looking at the names of the line up you should have no doubts about the music quality, but this album goes beyond imagination.

We are not talking about Napalm Death’s “Scum”(1987) or Defecation’s “Purity Dilution”(1989); even if those bands were innovators, they had not the same quality of this band. There is a big difference between a quite good album and a masterpiece, and World Downfall definitely is.
I consider this full length a Reign In Blood Pt. II, for the music quality, the production (all hail to Scoot Burns) and the incredible violence.
Starting from After World Obliteration song (one of the most famous with Fear of Napalm) ‘till the title track at the end of the album, the band plays fast, brutal and compact; 16 tracks to show everybody their supremacy in this kind of music.
The sound is strong, clean and you can hear each instruments very well: crushing guitars, bone jarring bass, bulldozer drums and sick vocals.

The lyrics are, as usual in grind music, about religion, politics, war and social problems. It’s interesting to see that those lyrics and the cover can be considered very actual, even if they were done 20 years ago.
This album explodes in every song and tracks like Ripped to Shreds, Injustice and Need to Live are manifests of the group. Usually the songs are not so short like the other ones in some grind bands and this shows the group’s most death metal side. There are not 20 seconds songs and every track has a refrain that captures you, so as to mark out each one of them.
Sometimes the band sounds like a brutal death metal one for the intensity and violence and all the members do a very good job. Pete at the drums, with his perfect blast beats, is unbelievable, fast as a train for the period. Pintado has, at the same time, a strong and raw guitar sound with typical hardcore and death influences in it. This mix is explosive, fancy and extremely catchy, making you handbang all around the room.

As I said, if you’re looking for Napalm Death’s clone, stay away. But if you want an headache as is meant to be, from a great band, take it! Albums like this one are unique and you cannot overlook them…an incredible masterpiece of brutality.

Once in a while you'll come across a truly remarkable album. A masterwork of the metal genre. An album that's one of few, but really stands head and shoulders above the rest. World Downfall is one such record. It's just damn near perfect. No other "grind" albums save "Horrified" even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence.

To begin, the production is excellent. Probably Scott Burns' best. The instruments are well balanced but definitely "raw". Jesse Pintado's guitar is thick and nasty, with head-splitting heaviness and a low death metal pitch. That's to help remind you that you're listening to metal, not the high-speed political punk of a certain English quartet. David Vincent plays a crushing, ultra-distorted bass, though his playing typically follows the guitar except on a few occasions. Oscar Garcia has a deep, harsh growl (about halfway between Jeff Becerra and Symphonies of Sickness-era Jeff Walker) that really sets the atmosphere of death and despair, two of the more dominant lyrical subjects on here. The drums are solid, and the bass drums have a distinct thump rather than the hated "clicking" that would soon become a Scott Burns trademark.

The riffing is relentless, but truly exceptional in that Pintado doesn't need to play at light speed to be effective. Example: the beginning mid-paced groove of "Fear of Napalm", one of the album's many memorable riffs. However, it's drummer Pete Sandoval's performance that takes the cake. His playing is mind-boggling; hyper-fast, yet incredibly precise. No sloppiness here. Listen to the many drum fills on the opening track, or any other for that matter. He shows amazing speed and variation, two attributes rarely seen simultaneously.

Most of the album is played at warp-speed, but the band can change tempos at the flick of a switch. Songs like "Corporation Pull-In" and the title track have (relatively) mid-paced riffs that simply dominate. But it's that blast beat and those shredding six-strings everywhere else that define the album. Put Reign in Blood, Dealing With It, Scum, and Seven Churches in a blender set to "liquefy" and you might end up with this.

It's a shame that the band split up around the time of World Downfall's release. They deserve a lot of respect for this album. When heavy music comes to mind, most metalheads don't mention this band. However, don't let their ignorance mislead you. World Downfall is the complete package.

Occassionally in one's musical journey, one comes acrossthe perfect album. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does one is seized from the very first listen, and continues to be captivated every time it is played, never getting tired of it. Each note of the guitar, each hit of the drum is profound and contains its own magic, all adding up to a slice of perfection that makes others sound tired and is fresh years later.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, metalheads and metalheadesses, death/grind supergroup Terrorizer's one and only album to date is such a record. Everything about it, from the vocals to the production, is absolutely faultless. Early Earache releases are prized by extreme metal fans for being classics of the genre, and World Downfall is no exception. Featuring sixteen tracks in thrity-six minutes, all being fast, catchy and heavy as hell. No Bolt Thrower-syndrome on exhibition here, all the tracks are different enough to be individual yet keep that common thread running through to make the album consistent. Songwriting is excellent, with just enough tempo-changes to keep things interesting, as on the title track.
Looking at the individual members, Oscar Garcia (of Nausea) takes lead vocals, sounding like a cross between John Trady and (early) Max Cavalera. His grunts are clear enough to be understood, yet ferocious enough to make emo kids recoil in shock. Backing vocals, bass and production are provided by David Vincent of the one and only Morbid Angel, regular bassist Alfred 'Garvey' Estroda being in jail. The linup is completed by Jesse Pintado (later to join the godly Napalm Death) on guitar, riffing like a demon, and Pete Sandoval (also of Morbid Angel) on drums, managing to be amazingly speedy without sacrificing technicality. This one was of the first records Scott Burns engineered, and he gave it a great sound, crisp, perfect. Apparently the album was recorded and mixed in just eight hours!
The album was released after the band broke up to concentrate on their main bands, and they've remained dormant for sixteen years. It was announced earlier this year that they were reforming to record another album, and with a line-up of this calibre it's hard to see how it could be anything other than awesome. Whilst you're waiting, give World Downfall another spin. There's no point going into individual tracks, they're all excellent. A classic, pure and simple.

Killing Songs: All are great, personal favourites are: Fear Of Napalm, Resurrection, Injustice, Whirlwind Struggle and Dead Shall Rise.

I have been listening to this record for a week straight. I might do it for another week.

Real quick: this is the perfect crossover record. There is no classifying it as grindcore, death metal or hardcore-derived thrash, it encompasses all these things and more. How do I sing thy praise?

I'm thinking crossover following a straight line from DRI to Repulsion to Terrorizer. Terrorizer is sort of a continuation of where DRI might have gone but for fortune... Quickly, the DRI story: DRI's masterpiece, "Dealing With It!," came out in 1985... Up til that point DRI was the ultimate crossover band. There was nothing metal at all about early DRI, it was strictly ultra-fast hardcore punk. "Dealing With It!" was them morphing, with metal riffs, political outrage, insane speed, but then they fumbled the ball. They went more and more into metal territory, and their metal records are all terrible.

But Terrorizer is definitely a metal band. The drums (Pete Sandoval, recorded in transition just as he was joining Morbid Angel) are pure Dave Lombardo on helium with full knowledge and mastery of the Repulsion/Napalm Death method of grindcraft. Absolutely pummeling and fast, fast, fucking FAST! It makes the music incredibly energizing, to understate dramatically.

The lyrics and the riffage pull heavily from hardcore, specifically Discharge; the lyrics are incensed radical leftist screed -- so much so that it could be considered quite crusty. Don't get me wrong, I love that shit, but the words in and of themselves are not especially standout. Which matters not at all, as they do manage to give off the perfect air of riot-ready rage married to suicidal hopelessness. Which ironically makes me real cheery.

Vocalist Oscar Garcia's delivery, is (if I can just ram this point home) perfect hardcore/metal osmosis... It's sort of a rabid proto-death/proto-crust vomit-grunt. Jesse Pintado's guitar-throttling is equally raging if not moreso. Discharge-channelling for sure, but taken a couple of steps up with metal speed and precision. The speed of this music tests all known limits. So fast, and grinding besides. Fantastic and made all the more powerful by how tight it is. Pintado and Sandoval play together like separated siamese twins. Both those guys are widely recognized for their talents as individuals since then ("World Downfall" was released in 1989), but this is so much more simple, compact, explosive. About the bass... David Vincent came on loan from Morbid Angel to produce and play bass. The production is spectacular, clear and perfect; the bass playing is sort of more or less irrelevant. It's there, it's basically root notes, it sounds great but it's not central and it's not like his playing in Morbid Angel.

Your "World Downfall" equation is thusly: outrage at the system plus power-chord fury plus hyperspeed plus absolutely mind-blowing drums = oh my fucking god.

I could pick the songs apart, but why? Operationally, they all have the same effect. "Corporation Pull-In" and "Whirlwind Struggle" are my favorites, but I mention that only so that you get an idea what the titles are like.

I have been searching in vain for another record to scratch the itch that this record scratches. None exists.

Man...at the time this album came out, I had heard Morbid Angel and I thought I knew what fast was. Hah, was I ever wrong! This album was the fastest thing I'd ever heard at the time, and Pete Sandoval outdid himself! His relentless blasting was as tight and lethal as it got for me and not much else tops it to this day. Terrorizer played grind, but not so fast that it was a blur all the time; they had slower riffs with a more punk feel mixed in, and this is what makes this album such a deadly force to this day--the fact that they have dynamics and actual songs and riffs as opposed to mindless blasting and sludgy downtuned guitars that are so low you can't make out any riffs.

And the production is one of the few good jobs Scott Burns ever did, I think. The guitars are thick and dense, the drums are decent, and the bass is as ugly and fuzzed out as the guitar is, a GOOD thing, especially when the bass is manned by the one and only David "Evil D" Vincent.

On to the songs! The standouts of an excellent album are opener "After World Obliteration" with its long intro that suddenly explodes into blast beat mayhem and mania after priming you with its thrash metal feel. Oscar Garcia's vocals are intimidating, incoherent, and perfect! Other standouts are "Storm of Stress" and "Fear Of Napalm" with their fuzz bass intros, both songs are especially like hammers to the face! Repeatedly. Sandoval proves why he is the all time God of death/grind drumming on this album with his mind-boggling performance--he sounds like an octopus that's been well-trained. "Corporation Pull-In" is another good one, and the lyrics are very politically-fuelled, like many of the other songs on the album. "Need To Live" is yet another blaster, and really, this whole album will kick your ass beyond belief! You think you know grind? You know nothing unless you have this album in your collection, kids.