Hell's Burnin' Up!

I do not believe that a lot of maniacs came in contact with Chainsaw. They missed out on something good. What is more, they do not know the probably most catchy riff that was brought to life during the very early stages of speed and thrash metal in Germany. I am talking about the phenomenal riff which opens the vibrant title track. While matching with the equally catchy drum rhythm, this riff constitutes the driving force of this fascinating tune. That piece would have deserved a place of honour in the German metal history, located almost precisely mid-way between Accept´s "Balls to the Wall" and Kreator´s "Flag of Hate". The band itself evidently recognized the importance of this riff. As a result, the guys placed it at the beginning of the album. Just as a reminder, this debut was released in the eighties of the last millenium. This means that there was no possibility to test easily each and every song of an album on the internet. It was therefore important that the vinyl started exactly with this groundbreaking riff, because the local record dealer was usually not amused to listen to heavy metal albums for more than one minute. Due to this fact the bands had not much time to convince the metal consumer. But let me come back to the album itself.

On a visual level, it is defaced with an amateurish cover. Its running time of less than 30 minutes did also not provide good arguments to buy it. But Chainsaw used the short time to confront the listener with nine songs that sounded good or even brilliant. The mighty "Midnight Hunter" sticks out as the second example for their partly excellent songwriting. I like it very much due to its dynamic verses and the exciting bridge. Besides that, the powerful vocals turn this piece into something special. Much more could be said about the speed and heavy metal highlights of this jewel. But broadly speaking, I cannot identify a downer. All songs can be classified at least as passable and I really don´t want to miss one of them. Admittedly, I got used to listen to a slightly weaker number like "Cut Loose". It may sound boring for some people because of its ordinary riff and the slow rhythm. But I welcome it like an old buddy.

The production sounds neither outstanding nor weak. With regard to the fact that "Hell´s Burnin´ Up!" was the first professional recording of an underground band, the album sounds very well. It is characterized by the heavy guitars and the very masculine vocals. Maybe Frank von Scheidt does not belong to the most variable vocalists of all times, but his singing is expressive and vigorous. The guitarists deliver permanently punchy riffs while omitting excessive solo parts. From my point of view, their focus is set correctly. The last two songs point out again the musical spectrum of the band. The almost balladic yet heavy "He Knows You Are Alone" is followed by the fast and angry "Ageless Force". No matter what you generally prefer, you will enjoy both tunes - as well as the entire album that breathes the spirit of its age. This might have actually been the end of this review. But a last remark concerns the re-release of Cult Metal Classics from 2009. The four songs of the vinyl´s B side suffer from a shitty sound. It kills completely the joy of listening. The fact that this release offers six bonus demo songs, including inter alia the fantastic "Running Fire", is only a cold comfort for this inexcusable mistake.

“…fight them hard, fight them well, give us power, we give ‘em hell…”

Just like with the two UK bands before them, it’s a stupidly thrash name for an act that can’t scratch the style’s itch (not that it was ever their motive – how many bought this while in search of thrash beatitude and ran screaming?), Chainsaw sit at the bar like lighter weight drinking mates of fellow krauts Tyrant, mildly burly and boozed up, though they can be taken more seriously than their thwarting cover art as they sail their ship through comfortably simplistic and catchy waters. What'cha see isn’t exactly what'cha get.

While most of Hell’s Burnin’ Up sounds like random traditional and punk tracks from ’81-‘83 with toughed-up skin, a sped up metabolism, and marginally bigger chips on their shoulders, as a whole the agenda is less complicated than anything the likes of Tank and Warrant (Ger) have done, but it does shift weight above the standard crap pile bands doing something similar e.g. Vicious Barreka, Axe Attack, Backwater. Featured are nine tracks held tight by honesty, and by honesty I mean there’s absolutely zero hocus pocus. There’s no stealthy message to some high-minded metal chap, and no one’s waiting to wave to Satriani in case he happens to surf by this disc. It’s that easy to handle, and that in itself is a commendable trait, but only if the songwriting and energy doesn’t stall out at the line. Fortunately, these guys aren’t daydreaming behind the wheel.

Almost half the album motors by on sport bikes of (what I deem) fair speed metal, “Midnight Hunter”, “Ageless Force”, the title cut, and “The Dungeon” ignoring the speed limit sign slightly for something that’s not as dominating as anything Anvil or Exciter have invented, but competes on more of a satisfying debut-Living Death level. The other half - “Born to Kill”, “Last Fortress”, horribly sung “He Knows You Are Alone” (see below), and best-in-show chorus “Rage and Revenge” – stay hooked within their more traditional plumage, and the only song trapped in shining mediocrity is “Cut Loose”, a deadbeat that somehow forgot its own name.

Frank von Scheidt’s voice shows up craggy and mistreated yet unfortunately anonymous amongst his peers, gargling somewhere at the sink between Tyrant’s Kermit and Killer’s Spooky. One thing: this guy should never hold out notes, and “He Knows You Are Alone” should’ve been his first and last pathetic stab at it.

With songcraft this undemanding, it’s hard to musically foul up unless you just suck outright as musicians, but things here are fundamentally fluent and snug. Nothing’s harsh or daring, but that’s Chainsaw’s base style. So while Chainsaw, the name, doesn’t chew through to thrash’s core, it does gel with the band’s one-minded, unsophisticated vitality.

Apparently a small replica chainsaw was sent out with some promos back at the time, but what’s small for a chainsaw?