Album Details

• Artist: Desaster
• Album: 666 - Satan's Soldiers Syndicate
• Label: Metal Blade
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-04-29

Germany has a rich history of producing some of Europe's finest metal bands. Regardless of the subgenre. But their black metal scene has been a constant for many years, akin to the one present in Norway even in it's depth. One of the longest-running bands of that ilk are Desaster, who play an extremely potent form of blackened thrash that brings back memories of the genre's originals; Hellhammer, Venom, Darkthrone and the like. On 666 - Satan's Soldiers Syndicate, they show that despite 20 years on the scene and a near-total revamping of their lineup, they've still got the balls and the know-how to make a high-impact metal record.

The songs that make up 666-SSS are all excellent and excellently played; the vocals are twisted and leave little room for missing the old singer; the riffs are punishing through and through, the leads tearing down a razor's edge with little abandon, perhaps not technically flashly but fast as hell with no remorse or room for noodling. Just check out the opening riff to "Fate Forever Flesh" to see how they use speed to their advantage. There's no shortage of melodies to be found, either; they manage to inject each song with just enough in the way of melody and tempo change to see true creativity shine. The bass is a constant drone, distant behind the thick riffs but present all the same. The drumming is noteworthy but unspectacular, simply keeping solid time the way drummers of this genre only can. I couldn't pick one favorite song, but the aforementioned "Fate Forever Flesh" and the epic "Tyrannizer" would be a couple of them.

666 - Satan's Soldiers Syndicate is both a nod to the pioneers of true black metal and a glowing reason of why the classics should never die. Although I've been familiar with Desaster for some time, this is the first time I've had a chance to hear one of their albums. After only a couple of spins, I'm going to dive heavy into their back catalog and hopefully discover more of the same. Straight-laced black thrash the way it was meant to be played; without excess and without mercy. My neck was sore after the first song. That's a reccomendation, metalheads. Get yourself a copy of this one ASAP. 

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