Demo 15/16-11-80

Of the harder edged acts to come crashing in with the NWOBHM, few were more aptly named than the speedy, thrash-leaning heavy metal mammoth that was Blitzkrieg. The English translation of their adopted German moniker is flash war, which is probably the best way to sum up their sound in a couple of words, as it likely came off as a flashy cacophony of hard rocking riffs played fast enough to be mistaken for a hail of bullets. With roots in the earliest reaches of the metallic 2nd wavers of the late 70s, at first glance their sound comes off as fairly similar to that of Judas Priest circa Stained Class, but with a more developed sense of guitar riffing that exists as a sort of missing link between said band and the eventual style that would be pioneered by Metallica and Slayer a few years later, alongside a melodic contour occasionally points to the dual guitar harmony work later taken to its logical conclusion by Iron Maiden. All of these attributes are contained within a three song demo tape that was originally put together at the tail end of 1980, bringing whole new meaning to the idea of being ahead of one's time.

If there is one constant that ties this collection of impact-based rockers together it is the speed factor, as Blitzkrieg plants their flag on territory that is consistently animated and fast-paced. Though relegated to an extremely fuzzy, low-fi production value that was heavily revisited during the early days of the Scandinavian 2nd wave of black metal, there is a sense of balance and continuity between everything that allows the rhythm section, and particularly the bass work of Steve English, who puts forth a standout performance that is pretty close to what Cliff Burton was taking to Metallica when he wasn't shredding with the distortion and wah-pedal blazing away. Drummer Steve Abbey, who along with English would have a very short tenure in this band, makes a fairly solid ruckus as well and goes pretty heavy on the fills in a sort of loose, jazzy feel that is probably one of the lone points that Metallica didn't incorporate into their own sound. Vocalist and icon Brian Ross' performance on here is something of a stylistic outlier as it has sort of a smooth, 70s hard rock swagger to it that is only deviated from when he breaks out the banshee shrieks, which occur with moderate frequency.

All elements at play considered, the place where this album really innovates and breaks new ground is the guitar work, offering an elaborate display in crunchy riff work and shredding solos that were particularly forward-looking. The self-titled cruiser "Blitzkrieg", with its decidedly punk rock feel and driving guitars dovetailing with a generally catchy and straightforward affair, tends to be the most remembered and would probably be thus even if Metallica had never covered it. However, the more intricate and ultimately obvious choices for emulation within their own songwriting proved to be "Inferno", which clearly inspired Hetfield when he was putting together "Seek And Destroy" and "No Remorse", and the over 6 minute epic "Armageddon", a song with a slow-building middle section that continues to be a well-spring for Dave Mustaine in his own songwriting to this day. Along side a series of flashy lead guitar work out of Jim Sirotto that rings all too familiar when put next to Hammett and Mustaine's soloing styles, these songs' impact on the eventual thrash scene is impossible to miss.

Though this is an extremely low grade album in the production department, even by the standards of 1980, it is a highly engaging listen on every other front. It showcases a band that was extremely young and inexperienced, yet so determined and hungry that aforementioned attributes are essentially cancelled out. It presents the building blocks of thrash metal in such a way that all Hetfield and Mustaine had to do was focus on a few isolated elements and bump the tempo up and the picture that is Kill 'Em All comes into focus. It should be further noted that while most who approach this demo and have in the past since 1984 will see it through the lens of how Metallica further refined it, this is a band and a sound in its own right that holds up quite well even after 38 years of development both in the genre and the production magic that makes it a reality. It's a vital piece of the historical puzzle that deserves every self-respecting heavy metal fan's consideration, but also a rocking good time that is, in essence, timeless.