MINOTAUR

You can talk all you want about today's crop of "kvlt" black metallers and retro thrashers playing a nihilistic version of 80s thrash/death, many of which are quite good, but in MINOTAUR's "Power of Darkness" you get one of the bands that formed in 1983 and were in the thick of the vaunted German thrash metal scene. It is that whole thing about not calling them old school because they ARE the school. After a few demos, the "Power of Darkness" full-length was released in 1988 seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle, certainly outside of Europe. Knowing great thrash metal when they hear it, Sweden's I Hate Records saw fit to officially reissue of "Power of Darkness" with the original eight tracks recorded in 1987 and four bonus tracks recorded in 2009, including a gnarly cover of DEF LEPPARD's "Wasted".

After the obligatory intro cut with ominous narrative "Into the Temple", "Power of Darkness" absolutely blasts off "Fierce Fight" into a frantic, speed addled style of thrash that defined several acts of the period that were forming the foundation of death metal, including DARK ANGEL and POSSESSED. Just as evident are the sounds of early DESTRUCTION and KREATOR, particularly on cuts like "Incubus", while "Maggots in the Body" features licks similar to what was heard from "Kill 'Em All"-era METALLICA. As for the recording, it is more than acceptable in its rawness and sound is sufficiently full, right down to the audible bass lines and Neanderthal power drumming that is anything but surgically precise.

What is most interesting about "Power of Darkness" is that it was an album on which MINOTAUR didn't seem to be content to write the same song multiple times. For example, as unhinged as "Apocalyptic Trials" may be, a little blasting (the early kind) here and a little gallop there changes up the arrangement just enough to be noticeable. Along similar lines, the short "Necromancer" moves from chugging march to speedy sections with clipped-syllable chorus shouts and back, while "The Power of Darkness" is the most dynamically arranged of the bunch and includes uncharacteristically active bass lines.

The bonus tracks turn out to be a nice change of…well, if not pace, then approach, including the aforementioned DEF LEPPARD cover. "Praise Hell" is much more melodic in the riffing; almost like early ACCEPT, though its thrashier segments and locomotive powered drumming make it unmistakably MINOTAUR. Just a pinch of the Bay Area sound alters the otherwise resolute SODOM/DESTRUCTION worship of "Banished and Forsaken", and "Metal Mayhem" throws a few curve balls with subdued moments and more expansive tendencies to go with the still classic thrash metal approach.

The bottom line? If you're a fan of any of the legendary German acts mentioned above or the proto-death/thrash acts of the time, then this reissue of MINOTAUR's "Power of Darkness" is an essential addition to your collection. Order a copy, tear off the plastic, and play that bitch like it was 1987…and you could still fit into your faded jeans and patch-covered denim vest.