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Hallows Eve > Death & Insanity > Reviews
Hallows Eve - Death & Insanity

Out of Food, Out of Time - 90%

Twisted_Psychology, October 31st, 2023
Written based on this version: 2007, CD, Metal Blade Records (Reissue, Repress)

There’s fun to be had with the raw potential that Hallows Eve showed on 1985’s Tales of Terror, but Death & Insanity saw some serious upgrades in a year’s time. The cover art summarizes the transition well, rooted in the last album’s eccentric aesthetic but professionally executed compared to the high school notebook design. It’s still the same sort of rough and tumble horror metal but the band acquired the tools to better realize their ambitions for the style.

The musicianship certainly reflects the growth in between with a more solid production job to match. The vocals in particular have improved, mostly settled into a husky baritone reminiscent of Paul Stanley with dips into harsher bellows and more controlled banshee wails. The guitars have also stepped up considerably, matching the bass’s weight with more intricate thrash riffing and a classic metal attitude, while the drums are similarly tighter. There are admittedly times where one misses the debut’s slapdash appeal but there’s plenty of endearing charm here.

What really makes Death & Insanity interesting is the conceptual theme that the songs are built around. It’s most obviously demonstrated by the bookending two-minute title tracks setting up the motifs in brisk catchy fashion but the others prove to be just as preoccupied with death. It’s the sort of thing that’s dismiss as generic metal lyric fodder on the surface, but looking deeper reveals multiple perspectives on the take with a more existential flair than most. Songs like “Suicide” and “Nefarious” are musically and thematically violent, but others like “Plea of the Aged” and “Nobody Lives Forever” are ironically life-affirming with their reflections on one’s mortality.

It’s also cool to see the band pushing their already diverse songwriting to even further extents. “Goblet of Gore” covers quite a lot of ground in its riff salad, boasting speedy verses and vocals that range from flurried declarations to a climactically chanted breakdown. “Lethal Tendencies” and “D.I.E. (Death in Effect)” are drawn out anthems with upbeat chugs and singalong choruses, “Plea of the Aged” starts off with a bluesy groove before descending into melodic thrash, and “Attack of the Iguana” breaks things up with some especially jagged rhythms.

Death & Insanity isn’t quite among the echelon of legendary albums released in 1986, but it’s easily the strongest iteration of Hallows Eve’s method. Their blend of influences remains unique after all this time and the lessons learned from Tales of Terror no doubt made for better playing and songwriting. The concept gives some extra purpose while staying no-nonsense enough to avoid feeling pretentious and it never feels like the band overextended themselves in the process.

Tales of Saints, Demons and Unrealised Potential - 59%

bayern, October 31st, 2017

It’s Halloween time again, and traditionally I go through our favourite German pumpkin lovers’ 13.5-min magnum opus from the First Keeper, which sometimes stretches to listening to the whole album (not today), when I suddenly recall this other name-related to the occasion outfit, the band under scrutiny here. I haven’t revisited their discography in ages, and I play a few tracks from the debut, an inspired, albeit rough-around-the-edges and incoherent affair which at least promised the band’s admittance to the second echelon if, of course, things had gotten smoother and more organized on the sophomore…

but they didn’t, unfortunately, condemning the band to the third tier, a situation that hasn’t improved much even after the reformation some 13 years ago. Those first “Tales of Terror” could have been shaped into something less scattered and easier to define on the second coming; instead the guys carried on with this “anything goes” musical amalgam at a time when thrash reached an early peak on quite a few masterpieces released the same year… some outfits from the North (Anvil, Razor) got away with similar diverse concoctions, but on US soil the boundaries between genres were already way more tangible… sorry.

Well, let’s not turn into purists and bigots on this hallowed day, Destructor were “rumbling” in a very similar manner, too, but in the case here this lack of identity and willingness to throw everything into the melting pot is more on the annoying “just for the sake of it” side, perennially testing the listener’s patience with its flippancy and the whimsical jumps from one style to another. The title-track is an ode to the still relevant at the time American power metal movement, not too bad a start, and “Goblet of Gore” is a livelier speed metal piece. Thrash obviously isn’t going to have a say here, and when “Lethal Tendencies” begins with these monotonous, uneventful power metal-ish riffs, the thrashers may as well pack up and leave, at least those who haven’t stayed long enough to catch the few more aggressive moments that arrive towards the end of this sleep-inducer.

It’s not until “Plea of the Aged” that the guys wake up and start speed/thrashing with passion recalling the more convincing material from the debut, also finally matching the hoarse, inebriate vigour of the singer, but more diversions are in stall, like the short hardcore outburst “Suicide” which is 1-min of mindless violent bash. It becomes difficult to predict the subsequent developments after this, but “D.I.E. (Death in Effect)” takes care of those recent bouts of aggression with 7-min of tedious mid-tempo power/proto-thrash which is based on uninspired, repetitive riff-patterns that seem to go on endlessly. “Attack of the Iguana” would be a revelation, a short stylish shredder with even some semi-technical embellishments sneaking in; but don’t expect two in a row although “Nefarious” is not a bad power/thrash mix, albeit quite uneven as the power metal is on the mellower, laid-back side and the thrash is literally head-splitting at times. Still, this is way better than “Nobody Lives Forever”, the number which has the “honour” to close the proceedings with radio-friendly heavy/power metal rhythms, another confusing addition to a bumpy, disorienting ride.

The fans will keep guessing till the end as to which style will be courted on the next track, and how relevant it will be to the overall picture. As a guessing game this album should definitely be respected, we all like playing those games from time to time, and in the long run one shouldn’t judge the band too harshly as they obviously had no intentions of being an indelible part of the bustling thrash metal movement. They surely acknowledged its existence and its rise to prominence, but had no burning desire in succumbing to its charm on a full-time basis as their hearts, by and large, were lying with the traditional American power/speed metal principles. And this should by all means be the spirit, but again when there were better, more proficiently executed similar hybrids (the works of Laaz Rockit and Helstar as well at the time) this arbitrary, spur-of-the-moment like execution couldn’t have possibly impressed anyone. And it couldn’t have convinced the power/speed metal side of the fanbase that their favourite genre would have a bright future, definitely not with so much unnecessary ballast lying around it anyway.

Perseverance is the mother of success, but not in the Hallows Eve camp; “Monument” was “a monument” of persistence as the guys offered pretty much the same compilation of styles and influences, with an increased number of the hardcore/crossover “jokes”, sticking to their guns unflinchingly, managing to achieve some kind of a cult status eventually if nothing else, cause it‘s really hard to think of another outfit releasing three such mixtures in quick succession without completely turning the tables towards self-parody. No change of the delivery after the reunion, either, pretty much the same varied melee offering something for everyone, spicing the feelgood festive Halloween atmosphere with the casual scarier deathy “grin”.

Death the ultimate insanity - 93%

Felix 1666, July 11th, 2015

The debut of Hallows Eve offered two of the best (thrash) metal tracks of all times. Of course, I am speaking of "Plunging to Megadeath" and "Hallow´s Eve (Including Routine)". The furious opener with its raging guitars and the monumental title track pulverized all that stood in their way. The problem was that the further songs remained far behind these two jewels of US-American thrash. "Death & Insanity", the successor of the debut, revealed a more homogeneous picture and proved the song-writing skills of the band as well as its musicianship in an impressive manner.

In general, the title track and its reprise framed nine high quality thrashers. The complexity of "Hallow´s Eve (Including Routine)" did not reappear, but the band also did not expose itself to the reproach of primitiveness. Roughly speaking, the songs of "Death & Insanity" and those of the debut met on equal terms. Only one question remained unanswered. Why did they record these more or less superfluous instrumentals? This mystery cannot be solved. Apart from that, "Nefarious" marked the only song whose guitar work did not fully convince. Well, I do not think that this constituted a serious matter. Let us turn our attention to the highlights of the album.

Hallows Eve dished up a varied menu of thrash with a significant portion of punk and heavy metal. For example, the punk-influenced "Suicide" was nothing else but a rush of adrenaline, swift as an arrow and equipped with restless vocals. Its storm lasted only 75 seconds. But this was enough time to integrate four verses, four choruses and a miniature solo. In simple terms, the song was fantastic. This track was contrasted by eerily creeping tunes like "D.I.E. (Death in Effect") or "Lethal Tendencies". These epics did not take care of the usual speed dogma of thrash metal. Hallows Eve thought it would be better to let the riffs do the talking. Due to their phenomenal power, this was the right decision. The viscous songs still spread an aura of horror. Especially the staccato of the rebelling chorus of the ironclad "D.I.E." left its scent. By contrast, "Lethal Tendencies" distinguished itself above all by its smooth yet very heavy flow and its intensive atmosphere. These tunes as well as the remaining tracks profited from the powerful, metallic and gapless sound.

The straight title track came as a real bombshell, but it unfortunately fell short of its potential. It clocked in at 2:21 and this was definitely too short for the ruthless riffs that it included. Worse still, its reprise was even shorter. But be that as it may, I suggest to take a close look at two further highlights. "Goblet of Gore" disgraced all those idiots who were of the opinion that thrash metal followed an one-dimensional pattern and lacked of depth. It combined straight eruptions with more playful parts and a chopping staccato sequence was also integrated. Not to mention the calamitous "we the people shall destroy" choir that suddenly emerged. The powerful vocals of Stacy Anderson crowned this song. Contrariwise, "Nobody Lives Forever" possessed a tremendous flow while demonstrating the inevitability of death. Its riffs were less offensive than those of the other tracks, but they had a subliminal strength that took the song to the highest level.

Albeit the name of the album indicated a very dark lyrical content, the band surprised with some fairly optimistic lines. If we cannot defeat death, we are still able to spit the Grim Reaper in his face - this seemed to be the name of game. This is at least my interpretation of lines such as "Only one way to win, only one way to live / If you give in then you're going to pay / I'll be the conqueror, I'll thrash till death". Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the full-length mainly confronted you with a sinister and fatalistic aura. Do not overestimate the grin of the strange guy on the front cover. I am sure that he did not listen to this ominous masterpiece of thrash metal called "Death & Insanity". The album does not deliver any reasons to laugh. The guardian of the morgue is just proud of the rat that he has caught.

Father Time may be on this one's mailing list - 80%

Gutterscream, September 28th, 2013
Written based on this version: 1986, 12" vinyl, Metal Blade Records

“…bow down the horned god of the black underworld, now I will make you my prize…”

Even though the darkness that reigned in this year's thrash lyrics was about as uncommon as someone’s foot, I kinda wish the lyrical passage overhead was a declaration of the equally sooty thrash damage that we were hoping for from Hallows Eve, but the record’s complete vibe translates this blackened stanza to something like “I took the pills that made me fast to speed my brain, future is past”. Yep, less-than-spiffy dialogue that’s just the right height for us to look these Georgians in the eye and say, “seriously though, the lyrics are actually one of the better things you’ve got going on yer disc here, so here’s to you Stacy and Tommy. Now just bring some of the other programs up to speed and we’ll be closer to golden. No, there’s no need to thank me…”

If this were one of the first thrash albums to grace someone’s collection, then maybe, and I mean maybe, I could kinda see going bazonkers over it, but if you're already tomato paste from being squashed by Kreator, Dark Angel, Sacrifice, and, naturally, Slayer, you’ll know whoever shopped for Death & Insanity missed the aisle labelled ‘salt, spices, and savagery’. That doesn’t mean it's not edible, though.

Compared to last year’s Tales of Terror lp, it seems the now-four-piece (lost guitarist Skellator somewhere in Castle Grayskull) have spent a few more bucks on polish to shine up both the musical and production sides of this and with what was leftover nabbed some cover art that doesn’t scream talent show runner-up nearly as loudly. The greenhorn songwriting sign I hung on the debut is a little paler here, and what can be heard as increased creativity can simply be chalked up to songwriters now more seasoned. However, I’ll first bring up a queasiness of sorts in some of this material, a carefully-moving tenderfoot effect that seems to fear the throttle the more the band guns it into true thrash tracer fire, which kinda gives off mixed signals. Sometimes this works as the diversity it’s meant to be, yet sometimes you’re waiting for mixes n’ matches that I can only assume stall out somewhere out of earshot. Take “Lethal Tendencies” for instance. Its 6+ minutes has trouble keeping interest’s eyes open, plodding along most of its life at barely a mid-pace, consciously wandering nowhere except to a modest oasis where a comfortingly out of character chorus dresses up Anderson’s vocals with a clean and melodic velour shirt.

Was thinkin’ of stopping at only one example here, but I may as well get all my griping outta the way. It’ll be kinda quick...and don’t look so surprised. “D.I.E. (Death in Effect)”, when it’s not strolling somewhere neck-in-neck stylistically with “Lethal Tendencies”, overboards it the other way with a big ‘ol ham-handed, Anthrax-filled anthemic chorus that for me marches the band’s impulses right back to the apprentice’s stall in the smithy. Molded similarly is the album-opening title cut which, lucky for us, is reprised at the end of the disc as well. Only a fixed vote would elect something like this to be the masterpiece lifting and dropping the hammer on a group’s freshest wax.

Then you gotta wonder what these guys forget to do during their daily warm-ups when the actual act of finally getting their shit together introduces something that’s at the least fairly enticing, like instrumental “Attack of the Iguana”, and while I don’t want to rain on parades too much, my loss for words stems from the faintly tangible ghost of Destruction’s “Thrash Attack” floating through the tune, but with a sly rub on the title I was hoping for something more like Anvil’s godly “March of the Crabs”. However, in all fairness to its author and co-presenter, Mr. Stuart, “AOTI” is a very diggable two and a half minutes that doesn’t need words to narrate its theme.

“Nefarious” is a successful piece of writing that slipped in a puddle of mania, finding itself lit up by a clear purpose to activate infectiousness in all its grandeur. Trailing behind without breathing heavy is the acceptably eclectic “Goblets of Gore”, thick-legged “Plea of the Aged”, and the hard/soft “Nobody Lives Forever” (listed simply as “Nobody Lives” on the label), soft where indentations aren’t needed and at times speedy enough to make those dents if it wants to.

Moving together as four human big block cylinders is the Eve at the end of side one, where they finally showcase their most intense speed-brokering with the track “Suicide”. Unfortunately, with a lifespan of barely over a minute, all we’re allowed is but a glimpse of this awaited reverie. That, my friends, is why the repeat button was invented. Might not be the tightest, tidiest or most original speed demon with windblown hair, but something like 'tidy thrash' is a term some ultra-loser band thankfully never thought up as far as I know.

Almost obligatory now is a thrash record’s ‘avant-garde’ acoustic quota – “Fight Fire With Fire”, “No Love”, “Hell’s on its Knees”, “Choir of the Damned”, “Curse the Gods” - which is usually around a minute long and is either a gentle preignition intro for some soon-to-be revving motor or hits the spotlight strummed as an instrumental. Dave Stuart’s “Obituary” fills this gap, thank all that is holy.

Wasn’t on the top step of Stacey Anderson’s fan club with Tales of Terror, but for the eight songs he fronts here, he boasts noticeable advances in development, control and form, therefore allowing him a wider assortment of guises that he has enough sense not to fling around randomly. And there’s enough maturity here to pull it off. Color my ass more impressed even if there’s no plunging into the death-like style heard in “Plunging to Megadeath”.

So once I hightailed past material still learning what a hammer is, I found what's left can for the most part sufficiently injure with one, which made my half hour or so visit (can’t remember when the last time was) less painful and more enjoyable, and despite a more inhospitable mood of thrash I was rooting for Hallows Eve to play, the lyrics from the second verse of “Suicide” are good enough.

"…to suicide I bring the gas, to suicide I give my ass..."

DEATH & INSANITY!!!! A Flicker in the Flame! - 90%

TexanCycoThrasher, June 9th, 2009

Released a mere year after the chaotic Tales Of Terror, Death & Insanity comes as a surprise. Beautify mastered, & still chock full of interesting riffs, Death & Insanity brings a lot of promise to the table.

Well the production as previously stated is a major improvement over Tales of Terror, the rhythm section is easily heard, and the guitars have a nice clean crisp to them.

But the music has improved as well, but has been slowed way, way down, except Suicide which is as fast if not faster than what occurred on Tales of Terror. This album has a more ’controlled’ feel to it than what previously occurred, but it still keeps the energy that they had before. The riffs are a little more complicated this time around, but have a great vibe to them, the thing I personally dig is Obituary, a small thirty second acoustic piece which shows a lot for the group’s progressing maturity. The solos are a plenty as well, needless to say David Stuart does an excellent job this time around. Percussion as well has taken the controlled route, but keeps right along with the riffs produced by Stewarts. Bass is improved as well, no longer is there the off and on quality that plagued us before. The bass riffs essentially fit right in with the overall good vibe. As for Anderson’s vocal performance he’s shifted into a far different territory as well. Long gone are his banshee wails, he’s now using the lower near growling vocals he used half the time on Tales of Terror. Lyrically speaking, that’s the one thing that hasn’t changed much at all, it’s still the horror influenced lines we heard before, but less cheese & more maturity.

On a final note, I liked this, it was a great album with a good vibe & great riffs. Something worth listening to every now and now & again-90%.

Welcome To The City Morgue! - 80%

Human666, April 25th, 2008

'Death & Insanity' is one of these albums that you can listen to on and on, without really knowing why. Although it's a pretty much "daily thrash" for 1986, there is something in this album that forces you to come back to it again and again.

The first and most obvious thing I've noticed with this album is Stacy Anderson's vocals which sounds pretty much like Bobby Ellsworth's (q.v 'Overkill') epic style, yet a bit rougher. Imagine a hybridization of Tom Araya and Bruce Dickinson to get a clearer picture.

The guitar's tone is quite crunchy with a lot of mids and treble on it. It's heavy enough to carry thrash riffing and remains very clear at the same time, which is great of course. Most of the time the riffs are quite mid paced and flowing tight with the drums which are there but not too noticeable or challenging.

Highlights of this album are: the opener 'Death And Insanity' which is a short yet apposite intro for this album (also appears in a fade-in version as an outro), 'Goblet Of Gore' which has the most intense vocal delivery in this album and 'Suicide' which is the shortest track here and has tons of aggression, quite similar to hardcore punk actually. 'Lethal Tendencies' is heavy as shit and catchy as hell, but it's way too long and repeat itself too much, thus it's almost a highlight.

There is nothing in this album that the average thrasher haven't heard before, but it's just a badass addictive thrash that you'll chew like a popcorn, which is a good enough reason for you to go listen to it right now!

Heads Up Thashheads! - 80%

thebloodfeaster, July 29th, 2002

Hallow's Eve is a thrash band that I just discovered that has sadly been all but forgotten since they called it quits in the 80's. Death and Insanity is a nice album from 1986 that does not quite stand up against many of the thrash greats, but is still great in its own right. I like the singer, Stacy Anderson, alot; he can vary between the almost-death growls of Sodom and Slayer and the more melodic vocals of thrash bands like Flotsam & Jetsam and Forbidden. They don't add any new elements to the thrash genre, but then again I'm listening to something from the mid 80's so I cannot expect to hear something that I haven't been hearing for a long time. The production is pretty typical for this era of thrash. Lots of good riffs and a few good solos are tossed around here, and the solos actually seem to have something to do with the songs, unlike the random soloing of some bands. All the songs are catchy as hell, especially the slower shout-a-long choruses like in Lethal Tendencies. Obituary, a short unimpressive acoustic instrumental, seems to be an attempt to demonstrate that they know how to have a classical sound, but the song is a throw away. It would have been ok if they had made a short song like that as an intro to another song, but it does nothing to set up the following song here. The crowning moment of the album is D.I.E. (Death In Effect). The song builds with an ominous intro riff then explodes into a catchy mid-paced romp. You really cannot keep from headbanging to this one. Hallow's Eve was not the fastest, most well-written, or heaviest thrash band around, but they were still damn good and I highly recommend this album. So grab your beers and your friends and play this shit at full blast!