ASSASSIN is one of my favorite German Thrash Metal bands from the ‘80s, a cult name from the Ruhr area, the heart of the Teutonic scene. These guys from Düsseldorf released two killer demos in 1985 and 1986 (“Holy Terror” and “The Saga Of Nemesis”), two great products that gave them the chance to sign with Steamhammer / SPV, the same label that launched SODOM and DESTRUCTION among others. Under the label from Hannover they released two killer albums: “The Upcoming Terror”, precisely, and “Interstellar Experience”. Then in 1989 ASSASSIN ceased its activity. Here we have a great reissue from High Roller Records, that have released a new version of their classic debut album “The Upcoming Terror”, remastered by Patrick W. Engel at his Temple Of Disharmony studio (this re-release also comes with an additional slipcase, that features an alternate black and white version of the cover artwork, a poster of the album cover with the original innersleeve on the flipside and a second two-sided poster with all kinds of press features – Frank). This full length saw the light in 1987 and is one of the best German Thrash Metal albums from that period. Eight songs for almost 35 minutes of aggressive, fast and highly inspired Thrash Metal the way it should be played. The lyrics deal with politics, war and the risks of a nuclear holocaust. The cover artwork portraits a tank in action. The production is heavy and intense. The structure of the songs is great too, not a mere copycat of other bands, because ASSASSIN have their own vibe and they prove to be skilled musicians. The album starts with the song ‘Forbidden Reality’ that stands out for one of the best intro riffs in the history of Metal. Robert Gonnella’s vocals are malicious and abrasive, whereas the guitars alternate captivating parts to more chaotic ones. The drumming is very extreme: fast, brutal and enriched by an hammering double bass in the vein of Dave Lombardo. The peak of the rhythm section is the song ‘Bullets’ in which we can hear a proto-blast assault. There are some intriguing slow parts too, like in the track ‘Assassin’. The influences are for sure early SLAYER, DESTRUCTION and KREATOR, but with a touch of ultra fast Hardcore too. This album is a milestone of Teutonic Thrash Metal, a mandatory addition to every Metal collection worthy of this name. www.facebook.com/assassinofficial, www.facebook.com/hrrecords