Apocalypse

Yeah; no more, no less. Five lads from the officiant, diplomatic town of Geneva decided one day in the mid-80’s to shatter the artificially heightened seriousness in their hometown with spasms of hyper-active speed/thrashing sounds. They appeared at the same time as the majority of the thrash metal cohorts (Coroner, Messiah, Drifter, Calhoun Conquer, etc.) from their homeland, their delivery having more in common with the more diverse one of the earlier appeared Poltergeist (previously Carrion) as shades of speed and power metal can be detected in their fairly eventful, enjoyable palette.

The album reviewed here is a sheer feast for the ears, one of the finest metal works from the Swiss roster and not only, a classic speed/thrash riff-fest not far from same year’s Forbidden’s “Forbidden Evil” and Toxik’s “World Circus”. In other words, expect more technical embellishments to grace your ears although the approach stays clear of the elaborate classical-prone patterns of Coroner, for instance, the guys focusing on memorable hooks and infectious rhythms. And those come aplenty with “Digital Life”, an awesome, moderately complex, also very dynamic roller-coaster mixing the clever histrionics of Artillery’s "Terror Squad” with the Bay-Area impetuousity, setting the tone for the ensuing material which receives a more technical boost from two instrumentals, the more virtuoso-prone galloping delight “Crash!”, and the darker brooding, also more power/speed metal-prone “Dark Sword”. Elsewhere things are also close to perfection, what with the wayward vigour of the prime speedsters “A Tale of a Nightmare” and “Fuck Off and Die” the latter winking at the German speed metal movement; or with the diverse, more intricate layouts of “The Night Before”, a first-rate atmospheric creeper with a compulsive galloping boost. The more ambitious arrangements of the mentioned “Digital Life” are handsomely reflected in the excellent title-track which covers a wider range of tempo changes also adding a couple of delectable melodic hooks, its less immediate lustre still pairing well with more immediate headbangers like “Back to the Fire”.

The levelled clean mid-ranged vocals by all means serve their purpose, and although at times the guy semi-recites without much emotion displayed, his antics are never an annoyance confidently assisting the virtuous musical showdown. For the attainment of a more memorable song-writing one really has to try; the entertainment factor is quite high all over as the band are well aware of how to make their craft easy on the ears (and the soul), and also instantly recognizable as those were the times when a lot of bands were forging their signature individual sound, with emulation and imitation very low on everyone’s list.

This great opus made waves, and not only in Switzerland as even the other, more famed four horsemen of the Apocalypse, Metallica that is, took notice and invited the band as their support act for their Swiss tour that same year. How far they were going to reach up the ladder remained a speculation as they completely lost the inertia, taking a huge 6-year break before the sophomore came out. To release a classic thrash record in the midst of the groovy/industrial/aggro campaign was hardly the smartest step, and regardless of how really good this second coming was, few were those who paid attention. The coming of the Apocalypse was kind of anti-climactic this second time around… making a potential third descent somewhat redundant. Well, the guys chose their faith… sorry, fate… and “died”.

Apocalypse seems to get ignored by many inside the metal circle. From the get go, the Swiss thrash masters displayed maturity far beyond their years. The self-titled debut is an apple that fell a short distance from the tree of Metallica. Make no mistake; Apocalypse had a flavor of their own; however, their first effort lacked some of the seasoning that makes their second album a classic.

Within the realm of thrash, production can often impair a band’s ultimate musical vision. Apocalypse managed to overcome the obstacle of poor sound. Every instrument can be distinguished from the other, providing a satisfying thrash experience that allows the listener to properly critique the most important facet of every album-the songs. Absent are the harsh, distracting “lo-fi” sounds of Destruction or early Sacrifice; present is the thick and juicy quality of “Master of Puppets” or “Forbidden Evil.”

The art of song craft is where Apocalypse shows their true talent. Many thrash bands rely on brutality or speed to capture the attention of the fans. While there is nothing wrong with bludgeoning the listener’s ears, Apocalypse employs a wonderful display of hooks and melody to lull unsuspecting victims into a trance of undivided attention. Apocalypse demands, through subtlety and violent emotion, that everyone pays full service to the mastery of their music.

Technicality is never sacrificed in the name of song quality. As a whole, the band sounds more like a collection of musicians performing on their third or forth album, then a debut. The riffs are razor sharp, though never reliant on shocking the listener with aggression. Bass lines are handled with the precision of a surgeon: always complimenting the guitar, but never taking away from the experience as a whole. Thrash bands often find themselves caught in the trap of repeating the same drum patterns, but Apocalypse use the “standard” drum bashing only when necessity demands.

Vocal wise, Apocalypse fall within the top tier of thrash bands. Carlos is not only a good thrash vocalist, but also a good metal singer. The title track perfectly exemplifies this facet, namely in the blood-boiling chorus. Distracting vocals can destroy an otherwise solid thrash album-Apocalypse do not share this problem.

The only flaws on this album are a few less inspired tracks. “Digital Life” and “Apocalypse” are undeniable classics, but “Fuck off and Die” should have been omitted. Thrash instrumentals are a touchy subject; and had Apocalypse included only 1, it may have taken less away from the album. Instead, the band chose to include a second instrumental, which eliminates this otherwise excellent effort from the list of “all time greatest thrash albums.”