Life Beyond

I still think that Deathrow should have released this album after “Raging Steel” as a transitional album towards the ultimate deception in progressive/technical thrash which was… well. Thus they would have made “Deception Ignored” the finest swansong in the annals of thrash metal history. Well, they didn’t do that leaving the album reviewed here still a tasteful afterthought, a fitting entry into the rising progressive/technical thrash metal wave in their homeland, arguably one of the Holy Three of this movement, alongside Mekong Delta’s “Kaleidoscope” and Depressive Age’s “First Depression” (all released the same year). There are very few fans who consider this effort the best in the band’s discography; and for a good reason if you ask me: it didn’t possess the magnanimous complexity of “Deception Ignored”, and it had little of the spontaneous, direct barrage of the first two albums. What did it have then?

“Deception Ignored” largely remained misunderstood by the fanbase back in the 80’s: it was too elaborate and overwhelming for the masses, and its brilliance was recognized a few years later, first because of the immaculate musicianship on display, and second due to its extreme contrast with the simplistic, stripped-down non-sense of the ruling groove/post-thrashy movement. I have friends whose favourite thrash metal acts are Slayer, Metallica, Exodus, Destruction, Kreator, etc., but when I ask them about their favourite album, that answer comes without hesitation: “Deception Ignored”. However, the band had no illusions about their capabilities to pull out another similar masterpiece, and they also had to stop and see where their career was going with this drastic change of delivery. Four years later they realized that at least in their homeland it would continue to be business as usual so why not present another technical thrash feast? And here it was, the less complicated, more decipherable little brother of “Deception Ignored”. What one will detect almost immediately is how abundant in melody this effort is: melodies erupt form literally every section some of them addictive listens, be it sad, sinister or plain optimistic. Melodic undercurrents were by all means present on the previous opus, but there they played second fiddle to the precise, mathematical rifforamas. Without so much complexity roaming around anymore, they shine in all their brightness making Deathrow’s final hour another wonder, but in a very different way.

The moment the title-track starts, the listener will be totally enchanted by the superb melodic introduction; an overflow of melodic genius which grows into a fast-paced cavalcade, and some may swear they have heard a similar skirmish on “Raging Steel”, or even on “Riders of Doom”. More technical pyrotechnics follow suit, but the impetuous thrashing carries on pretty much unabated the gorgeous melodic motifs appearing again towards the end. Yes, “Deception Ignored 2” this is not, and the fans will have to quickly alter their perceptions before “Behind Closed Eyes” begins, another melodic technical thrasher losing the speed to an extent its stylish choppy breaks working just fine, their impact kind of diminished by the shouty unmelodic choruses, and Milo’s newly acquired, angrier vocal delivery. Well, it’s the 90’s, after all, and one has to find ways to adapt to the aggro-trends, one way or another... the dodgy vocal exploits aside, this number is another notable exercise in accessible technical thrash. “Towers on Darkness” begins in an imposing slower fashion, and later on the band keep the delivery in the more laid-back parametres although dramatic accumulations and vortex-like riff-patterns largely compensate for the general lack of fast-paced moments. The latter come aplenty, though, on the next “Hidden Truth” which is a short lashing headbanger without any intricate flourishes; now this is what I call “back to the roots”.

“Harlequins Mask” is a razor-sharp shredder which starts cutting heads off from the get-go with lashing rhythms and sweeping melodies duelling throughout their symbiosis disrupted by the awkward rappy chorus, a major mood spoiler which to some may be the end of their fling with this album. Well, the outstanding musicianship should keep the majority hooked although this is again a mid-paced cut with sparse speedy escapades. “Homosaphiens Superior” introduces dynamic gallops before these incredible melodic tunes take over for a while; the gallops return to lead this intense rifforama which never misses the opportunity to pleasantly surprise with the odd more technical stroke, and with the great schizoid, speedy exit. “Suicide Arena” stretches with more intriguing rhythms at the beginning, and later one will enjoy a nice memorable chorus among another portion of nice melodic hooks, and an excellent lead section.

"Reflected Mind” begs to be the highlight here with its blazing stop-and-go techniques and the imposing dramatic build-up bordering on the progressive; some keyboards spring up later along with another nice chorus (“Mirror, mirror on the wall, black shadows surround my soul…”), but Mirror… sorry, Milo, for some reason sounds angrier at times his performance overshadowed by the sprightly fast-paced passage in the second half and the steady steam-roller background. “The Remembrance” will have no problems being remembered due to its no-bars-held, speedy approach although this is not all speed here the guys not forgetting about their staple twisted riff/melody duels those producing the most memorable moments in the middle, not without the help of the virtuous leads again. As a wrap on the band have provided the exquisite short instrumental “Deathrow”, brisk technical thrash at its most shining best for which piece alone this album is worth lending an ear.

If there is one advantage this opus has to its predecessor it’s the instantly recognizable compositions which don’t merge into one super-stylized, complicated melee; every number has its strict characteristic signature distinguishing it from the rest of the pack, be it in the form of an inept gangster rap chorus, or a gorgeous melodic breeze. So there was some compensation for the lack of this infernal complexity witnessed four years earlier. Still, one can’t shake off the feeling that all those pieces may have been the less elaborate, easier-to-swallow leftovers from the “Deception Ignored” sessions which the guys had decided to release due to possible contractual obligations. The reason why “Life Beyond” came to life is not important; what’s important is that the band perfectly timed its appearance; when technical, progressive thrash metal got its second comeuppance in Germany.

So how does this album fare against the other entries from the wave? Well, compared to the two previously mentioned works, it doesn’t sound as fresh and consistent as the Depressive Age opus, and it’s by no means as bustling with creativity and originality as the one of Mekong Delta who literally re-invented themselves with this marvellous “Kaleidoscope”. Besides, the guys created another very strong rival to their technical meanderings, End Amen, a collaboration between the Deathrow axeman Uwe Osterlehner and the Psychotic Waltz gang that took place when the two acts were touring Germany together. The collaboration produced “Your Last Orison”, a masterpiece of intricate, also quite atmospheric thrash which sounded more compelling and more carefully woven than “Life Beyond”. Alas, it was just a one-time stunt the Deathrow team already facing retirement, more or less voluntarily.

Were they intimidated by the influx of young talented practitioners with which the scene started filling in in the next couple of years? I doubt it; there was just nothing more to add to their short, but impressive discography. They took part in the vehement first speed/thrash metal coming in Europe, they released probably the crowning achievement of the whole technical/progressive thrash cycle at the time when it was at its peak; they came up with a pretty decent follow-up to their magnum opus, very well timed again. A testing of the groovy/post-thrashy waters was definitely not an option for this band; they had always aimed higher than merely being just one of the herd. They never wasted their talents playing with other acts later, leaving whatever other hidden weapons they had for a potential reunion album which as of now doesn’t seem a very likely proposition. It seems as though they have indeed ended up in a death row… not to worry, there’s always life even beyond such ultimate deception as death.