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Avenger > Depraved to Black > Reviews
Avenger - Depraved to Black

The not so calm before the rage! - 83%

hells_unicorn, January 28th, 2021
Written based on this version: 1985, 12" vinyl, Wishbone Records

For all practical purposes, the mid-80s speed metal upstarts formerly known as Avenger have always been the same winning team that helped keep Germany on the metallic map in subsequent years. After all, what's in a name anyway, apart from potential litigation from similarly named NWOBHM outfits who get the jump on you by a year or so? Barring a more primordial sound that could be a bit more closely associated with the earliest offerings of Running Wild (during the pre-Jolly Roger days) and Grave Digger (prior to the robotic Donald Duck emerging), the band that would produce 1985's Prayers Of Steel and the shorter follow up EP Depraved To Black would be the same basic beast that kicked the late 80s' ass under the Rage moniker. All of that being said, this shorter stint under the the less unique Avenger name did carry the distinction of being a fairly early entry into the highly consequential early days of German speed, and for only featuring two unique studio offerings, Depraved To Black proves a formidable opus.

The lion's share of this four song excursion is an exercise in unfettered, high octane fury that showcases just why Rage would become a key player in the emerging German metal scene just prior to the rise of Helloween's more melodic niche as established on the Keepers albums. Peter "Peavey" Wagner sports fairly rugged yet high flying vocal display that's pretty similar to the handiwork of Iron Angel's own Dirk Schröder, while the relentless battery of the iconic kit man Jorg Michael gives things a more chaotic character relative to much of fast yet more vintage metallic mayhem that had been heard out of Germany between 1983 and 1985. The dual guitar assault of Jochen Schröder and Thomas Grüning are perhaps the only point where things come off as a tad conventional, but the blurring speed metal riff work and chaotic shred solos, while not wildly far off from territory that had been hit previously by Exciter and Grave Digger, definitely get the job done. Combined with a production job that's fairly chunky by mid-80s standards, this is one of those offerings that foreshadows bigger and better things on the horizon.

Relative to the somewhat more nuanced and balanced presentation that rounded out this band's preceding LP, this time around things have definitely been tilted towards the faster end of the spectrum. The opening crusher "Down To The Bone" is a textbook exercise in kicking the afterburners into full gear in a manner reminiscent of early Grave Digger, but with an even heavier riff set that occasionally blurs the lines between speed metal and the primitive side of the thrash spectrum. The other unique studio offering and title track "Depraved To Black" is a bit closer to an amped up take on Judas Priest's lighter brand of full speed mayhem, coming off like a rawer and slightly faster take on "Freewheel Burning", though it hits this creepy little down-tempo bridge segment that could almost pass for something off Overkill's Feel The Fire, complete with a rapid succession of glass-shattering banshee howls out of Wagner. The B-sides consist of two live offerings off the Prayers Of Steel album and are a competently realized, though the somewhat static character of said album's mid-paced title offering makes things drag a bit, but the closing cooker "Faster Than Hell" brings things back to a needed fever pitch and closes things off with another brilliant homage to the mighty Priest.

To the rabid speed metal consumer with a taste for that vintage German variant, both this EP and its predecessor provide a solid, if somewhat less focused version of where they'd end up following their change in name. Each one is worth hearing, though from a qualitative standpoint this offering is a tad stronger insofar as the original material goes. It presents an unrestrained version of the same winning formula that made mid-80s classics like Hellish Crossfire and Heavy Metal Breakdown staples of the sub-genre, and also provides an interesting historical precedent for the iconic drum work out of Jorg Michael that has since entertained the masses on all ends of the power metal spectrum. It's a tad cliche to assert that these guys would get better given the deserved praise that the subsequent early era of Rage would enjoy, but this shouldn't be overlooked as it stands tall in by its own right and showcases the chops of the same quartet of musicians that would produce the immortal Reign Of Fear.

An early document of German speed metal - 72%

Felix 1666, October 5th, 2014
Written based on this version: 1985, 12" vinyl, Wishbone Records

This EP was the last output of Avenger, because the musicians decided to change the name of the band due to legal reasons. As far as I know, the British band with the same name exerted pressure on them. However, the bustling Germans started to publish an endless series of albums under the well-known banner of Rage, but the releases of Avenger remained largely unknown. I see this as a great pity, because the recordings of Avenger are no worse than those which were brought to life under the name of Rage. This is impressively demonstrated by "Depraved to Black" which consisted of two new tracks and live recordings of two highlights of their debut album. Of course, the studio tracks were more interesting. The vinyl was kicked off by the title track. Avenger performed a speed metal grenade that featured exciting guitar lines and aggressive verses. The chorus lacked a bit of catchiness, but that was no problem at all. Of course, the bright voice of Peavy was a matter of personal taste. It did not sound very masculine, but nevertheless, I liked it. The second new track ("Down to the Bone") fell under the category of genuine speed metal, too. This applied notwithstanding the fact that the song offered a slower middle part. In contrast to the title track, "Down to the Bone" had a memorable chorus, not least thanks to the long drawn-out screams of Peavy.

From today´s perspective, the studio songs were an indication of what could be expected from Rage´s first vinyl. Songs of the debut "Reign of Fear" such as "Hand of Glory" followed exactly the direction of the here presented studio tracks. But to return to the current topic, Avenger´s last sign of life was completed by the live songs. They were equipped with a solid sound and the carefully designed compositions spoke for themselves. Just listen to the catchy chorus of "Prayers of Steel" and you will probably share my opinion. Apart from the music, a band poster was enclosed. At this time, gimmicks such as this were a rarity so that Avenger provided value for money. I sometimes regret that the band, by whatever name, slowly but surely changed its style instead of staying true to the spirit of their early works. But I suppose this was the inevitable consequence due to the enormous number of line-up changes during the career of Rage.

Classic European Metal Rarity - 85%

brocashelm, February 6th, 2009

OH YEAH!!! For years I've searched for this EP from Germany's Avenger, one of the heaviest, meanest bands that nation would ever offer. I love their debut album PRAYERS OF STEEL, but this might be even better. The songs are packed with edgy, spiky guitars, the bass and drums plenty loud and proud, and the whole deal comes across as a truly molten version of the more watered down stuff this band would give us after changing their name to Rage. Like early Running Wild, Avenger played hard as nails German metal with no trace of thrash or death influence, but plenty of Satanic vibes. And at a time when you can donwload many lost European metal albums of this era, only to be disapointed when you get watered down, barely hard rock, you can rest assured that Avenger is the real deal. Even the live track here "Faster Than Hell" is perfectly performed and recorded. Fans of Early Running Wild, Ostrogoth, Oz and Brainfever need this big time. Awesome European metal at it's friggin' finest!