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Living Death > Vengeance of Hell > Reviews
Living Death - Vengeance of Hell

When the Grim Reaper Would Still Show Mercy… - 85%

bayern, May 23rd, 2020

No, I haven’t forgotten that I have one more effort from the Deaths to muse over; it’s just that this was the last album that I listened to from their discography; took it from someone some time in the mid-90’s, on a cassette where the closing title-track was partly missing. Not that I cared about that much back then, especially when this first coming wasn’t that great. Actually, I wasn’t planning on going back to it, but since it was a Living Death work, I felt bound to revisit it. This is one of the few albums which I didn’t like at all on first listen, only to start appreciating them more and more with each subsequent encounter. In fact, this last listen I gave the album the other night made me revere it even more… yep.

Well, not to the extent to pronounce it a masterpiece along the ranks of “Protected from reality” or “Metal Revolution”, but at least I don’t find it such a humble beginning; not at all. One simply has to look around and see what was going on on the German metal arena at the time, and to realize that crowning achievements at this early stage were out of the question. Those who were aiming at consistent homogeneity (Destruction, Helloween, Sodom) at the early stage stuck with the shorter EP format; the more courageous, and shall I say more confident, ones like Running Wild, Atlain, Tyrant and our friends here went straight for the full-length. And they did deliver, in a pleasantly dishevelled, anything-goes manner, each in their own way.

Any album that contains undisputable early speed metal classics like “Heavy Metal Hurricane” and “You and Me”, for instance, can’t possibly sink without a trace. And this opus rides high the early power/speed metal wave exuding youthful arrogance and confidence again; after all, you’ve got to have at least a patch of pride when you possess a unique, exuberantly high-strung vocalist like Mr. Toto Bergmann. His voice still needs some polishing at this stage but man, does he soar above the hyper-active proceedings like an all-seeing, also all-singing sorcerer, becoming suddenly lyrical and romantic on the ultimate seducer “Night Light”, a friendly heavy rocker, and the only goofy presence here. Elsewhere the guys mosh with vigour to spare, matching the mentioned speedsters every bit of the way with the horny galloping arouser “Riding a Virgin” and the rude, on-the-verge-of-thrash delight “My Victim” with Bergmann in a stunning, ultra-passionate form.

But that’s not all as this effort is split by a nice short instrumental called “Labyrinth” which reminds me so much of Iron Maiden’s same year’s “Loss for Words” that one of these days I have to go the extra mile to check which piece came out first. Yeah, there’s everything for everyone here including a most poignant balladic intro, the one to “Hellpike”, which always makes me shed a tear or two… I don’t know why, definitely not for nostalgic reasons only… not the rest of the song which is the-next-in-line fast-paced roller-coaster with Bergmann venomously spitting “Hellpike Hellpike!”, the supposed chorus as opposed to the fairly attached timbre he produces on the rest. The heavy sinister stomper which is the title-track by all means deserves a mention, too, especially when the guys later used this particular template to create some of their finest fruit (remember “Rulers Must Come” and “Screaming from a Chamber” from “Metal Revolution”).

Yeah, the guys were rocking hard from the get-go, wading through expected obstacles like a muddy sound quality and dodgy production, not to mention the hollowly-sounding drums which may get on someone’s nerves, and some more. But they did get the job done, to put their band on the mid-80’s metal map with all the naïve youthful energy that was available to them at the time. Things were a bit messy in the musical department as well, but such potholes on a debut are always forgiven; and, for the umpteenth time, you have such a great performer behind the mike that just focusing on his pathos-induced delivery should suffice.

German speed metal had quite a few models (Living Death, Running Wild, Helloween, Tyrant, Atlain, Iron Angel) to choose from back then… it was no wonder that it became such a wholesome genre literally overnight, and ruled the world for a bit before its rowdier brother thrash took over. And the Deaths joined the more aggressive fray, yes, but not before they released the godly “Metal Revolution”, the speed metal classic to end all speed metal classics. Who would have thought, at this early stage, that some of the band members would later take part in the execution of some of the most complex, most puzzling soundscapes ever under the cloak of Mekong Delta’s Ralph Hubert… no traces of any challenging music forms whatsoever here… it was all Satan, devils, hell and partying… and love; loads of love... and a non-stop mosh topped by a heart-rending siren.

Fun but not essential - 76%

Valfars Ghost, March 1st, 2018

Living Death was there right at thrash metal’s inception in Germany. Having managed to put out a full-length before the more revered Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, and Tankard, this Teutonic outfit was making its mark on the local scene early, boasting a sound that showed a great deal of traditional metal influence. While this disc isn’t as vital as certain early releases from the aforementioned names, Living Death wasn’t that far behind any of them in terms of quality and their debut is a nice, underappreciated gem from West Germany.

In 1984, the idea of thrash metal as a separate genre was still new and Living Death’s approach on Vengeance of Hell sounds like a traditional metal band putting one foot over the thrash metal line. In slower numbers like ‘Night Light’, listeners can hear some stomping mid-paced riffs reminiscent of what fellow German groups like Accept and Running Wild were doing at the time. Within their simple frameworks, faster songs like ‘Heavy Metal Hurricane’ and ‘You and Me’ deliver scorching leads and basic riffs that, while not especially interesting, manage to get the blood flowing despite the album's thin production making everything sound somewhat weak and muddled.

As every person who’s ever listened to Vengeance of Hell has noted, the singing is the album’s obvious weak point, though the verses and choruses are strong from a songwriting perspective. Toto Bergmann’s high-pitched vocals don’t have much power but they do have a grating, nasal tone that doesn't fit with the thrash aesthetic. He sounds sort of like a cartoon witch, to be honest. He also manages to be surprisingly limp in his delivery, with his occasional attempts at a soaring wail not sounding much different from his normal tone. While on most songs, his warbling isn’t difficult to push past, on others, namely the uneventful title track, they’re especially damaging, irritating, and impossible to ignore.

Anyone willing to push Bergmann’s vocals to the side will find a moderately sweet reward beneath. Vengeance of Hell is not a particularly thrilling thrash excursion but if you like it rough and simple, it’s a fun listen every now and again.

Where German thrash began - 55%

Felix 1666, August 10th, 2017

As far as I know, the debut of Living Death was the first speed / thrash album of a German band. The pioneer work deserves respect. Moreover, the story of Teutonic thrash cannot be told without mentioning "Vengeance of Hell". Okay, the mid-paced "Night Light" seems to be heavily influenced by traditional bands like Accept, but the majority of the songs is heading for new shores. Yet this does not automatically mean that the album offers great music.

Everything was still in its infancy. Thus, the compositions have some very crude details. For example, many solos do not work ("You and Me", "My Victim"), some choruses are going nowhere ("My Victim", "Living Death"), the completely non-erotic "Riding a Virgin" seems to be written by someone who never had good sex and the voice of Toto Bergmann is not suited for weak hearts. His siren-like screaming, his high-pitched tones and his insane laughing made it hard to enjoy the debut. Was this really a metal vocalist or a cartoon character? To put it cynically, the vocal performance crowned the powerless, thin and squeaky production in an impressive manner. Mausoleum, how big has been the budget for the recordings? Two cents? And who hated the drummer that much? I tend to report the snare as missing.

Back in the mid-eighties, I really saw no reason to listen to this album many times. The number of better produced works with more stirring songs was constantly growing and even the guys from Velbert showed already with their second work that they were able to forge a red-hot iron. Nevertheless, even the martially titled "Vengeance of Hell" has a few number of highlights. First and foremost, "Hellpike" hits the mark. Its fast riffing sets the pace after an almost melancholic beginning and the chorus appears as an accurate burst of fire. The similarly fast-paced opener also belongs to the better tunes and its velocity reflects the courage of the debutants that did not want to end up like the more traditionally orientated Atlain. Finally, "Heavy Metal Hurricane" gives no reason for complaint. No doubt, some of the other songs have a certain charm as well, for example the closing title track with its generic riff, but they cannot compete with the first tracks of other German legions from this period.

The lyrics! Let's talk about the sensitive poetry of the early Living Death. "In my bed it was so red... but it wasn't bad because she drove me mad", an excerpt from "Riding a Virgin", confronts me with the difficult decision whether to laugh or to cry about this nonsense. Another highlight: "On the world I'm the earl when it comes to killing girls... When they lie, I must try, that they have all to die". Have a good time while trying, but leave us alone with your violent fantasies which reflect the mental maturity of a six year old child. Such lyrics express pure helplessness and I guess that any further comment is not necessary.

In a nutshell, "Vengeance of Hell" is not totally bad, but surely the worst album of Living Death. It mirrors enthusiasm and immaturity in equal parts. Those of you who worship "Protected from Reality" or "Metal Revolution" should be aware of the fact that the here presented output is inferior in all areas. Anyway, it's a document of German thrash, recorded by a passionate band and therefore metal historians should know this work. 50% for the music, 5% for the historical significance.

If only it weren't for the harpy infestation - 70%

autothrall, January 3rd, 2011

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'.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Living with their vocalist was their death - 78%

Gutterscream, August 13th, 2005
Written based on this version: 1984, 12" vinyl, Mausoleum Records

“…it was a battle like heavy metal, all the freaks banged their heads…”

I’ve always thought this was a rather uninteresting if not wrongly hair-raising album, recollections of homely Thorsten Bergmann and his clowning, feeble, and below-par King Diamond-hued vocal diction awakening frigid shivers down to my tailbone, but somewhere in the folds of my mind I knew it wasn’t all that bad. So here I am blowing cobwebs off the thing to give it another fateful whirl, thinking burning ants with a magnifying glass may perhaps be more constructive. Concentrate on the music…Bergmann is but a phantom of your imagination…adapt, overcome…it’s just not that easy, but with some practice becomes tolerable.

Many times during this German nine-songer, aggressive and dogged momentum that can easily raise a checkered flag at the speed metal checkpoint is the backbone guitar charge of guitarists Frank Fricke and Reiner Kelch, and first and top track “You and Me” flies out of the gate with the screech of burning rubber. Unfortunately, curtailing much of the power that is obviously stewing is a frail production where the guitars are buried in the vox’s coffin and the bass is embalmed even further. Despite this distraction, a concentrated, vigorous rhythmic delivery and addictive chorus possesses “You and Me”. “Living Death” has a haunting narrative that acts as a half-assed intro and turns out to be a nice antipode to the driving riffage that comes momentarily. From here, “Night Light” does an about-face and plunges neck first into the band’s guillotine of goofiness; a short story of hitting the sack with someone, and while the main riff is the shiniest moment (but not at all blinding), it still doesn’t throw the track a lifesaver. Luckily, the five-piece know when to spread cheese as well as how much (until the lp’s end, that is), and by following “Night Light” with the strong, virile “My Victim”, lessen the damage report, meanwhile “Labyrinth” is a mostly inconclusive, soft-fisted instrumental that puts a lid on side one.

As one would expect, “Heavy Metal Hurricane” is another quick-paced slasher that fortunately doesn’t sky write ‘anthem’ across it and is a fine choice to groove the start of side two. On top of that, the vocals actually don’t make me want to stick my head in the toilet. Oddly, “Hellpike” begins with some warning signs that a ballad may be blooming; a slow, sensitive solo surrounded by a like-minded melody that may be a tad heavier than Dokken, but before we stick screwdrivers in our ears, heaviness claws through the near serenity to produce an acceptable hard roller with a chorus that’s as memorable as it is simplistic. On second thought, where’re those screwdrivers? We’re going to need them for the annoying and vocally suicidal “Riding a Virgin”. Horrid. The title cut, while thirteen times better than “Riding a Virgin”, still dangles from the rope of mediocrity, a meandering pedestrian track that has no business following such a song or closing the (or any) album.

For an album that ends as punch-less and plain as the back of a postage stamp and with vocals about as appetizing, it’s not that bad an album, and I find myself fine-tuning my original opinion of the band. I believe you can thank Bergmann for their lack of distinction among early thrash/speed groups, and I still can’t understand why the rest of the band didn’t take one audible gander at this and give him the boot.

I like to imagine the band with a potent, spleen-stomping vocalist…perhaps their countrymate from Iron Angel… and conceive what could have been, but there’s no use laboring over what wasn’t.

And people complained about Sean Killian... - 69%

radiohater, July 3rd, 2004

Living Death formed around 1980 around the core lineup of Reiner Kelch on guitars and Dieter Kelch on bass. After adding vocalist Thorsten "Toto" Bergmann, guitarist Frank Fricke and drummer Frank Schubring, Living Death set about raising hell in their hometown Velbert, more noted for its disco scene. Some demos caught the attention of various labels, and in 1983 Living Death were signed to Earthshaker records. Just before the recording of their first album, Schubring departed, leaving Living Death to record their first album with a session drummer Eric. Living Death's first effort was released the next year.

What we have here is some rather standard heavy/speed metal very much in the vein of Accept and Motorhead. Most of the songs are quick slices of speed metal, in particular You And Me, Living Death and My Victim. They also have a few AC/DC style midpaced crunchers, most notably Night Light. A definite highlight would be Heavy Metal Hurricane, which seems to carry an intensity not found in the other cuts. The guitarists (who would 'secretly' become members of progressive thrashers Mekong Delta) work well together, locking in tightly and providing some aggressive rhythm work. A better representation of their style is in the instrumental Labyrinth, where they peel off an aggressive downpicked rhythm similar to that of Anthrax's Belly Of The Beast. Dieter Kelch is quite hard to hear in the mix, but seems to follow the guitars for the most part. Eric plays it safe for the most part here, laying down a beat and not really going for too many fills. He uses quite a bit of double-bass here and there, and gets a short drum solo in Night Light, which does the job well. The weak link in this lineup however is Thorsten Bergmann. Those who complain about Sean Killian will have plenty to bitch about here. His vocals come across as a cleaner and far less powerful version of Udo Dirkschneider, and his falsetto is a weaker King Diamond. He also can't really hold a tune either except for a few cuts. He is almost intolerable on Riding A Virgin in particular. The production is the other main problem I have with the album. The album sounds very weak, with the bass not having much presence and the guitars not having enough power at times. There are also some inconsistencies in the production from song to song. A notable error occurs on Hellpike, where in the intro one of the guitars is buried, which makes it sound weak.

Overall, there is some nice heavy/speed metal to be found, although nothing too noteworthy. If you can get past the production errors and the poor vocals, you could find this very enjoyable.