At the Edge of Damnation

There are some topics you can only discuss for so much. Start up a debate about thrash bands from the UK and it will likely last less than the average Dream Theater song. Two are the recurring (and, for most, the only) names: Sabbat and Onslaught. Traditionalists will remember Xentrix, some obscure weirdos will even go as far as to mention Hydra Vein – after those, however, the void is the most plausible ending. From Brighton hailed a forgotten name that should have got more recognition in general, let alone in such a desolate landscape. Actually, screw it, in my fantasy dictatorial society where I decide everything, Deathwish are the undisputed leaders of the Albion school, well above said bands. Yet, this review is arguably the most I can do to revert this tendency in the so-called real world. Talk about uselessness...

Curiously enough, Deathwish's discography only amounted to two albums, just like the aforementioned names (because you know damn well that Kin, Mourning Has Broken, In Search of Sanity and so forth didn't really exist), and with the sophomore clearly standing out in terms of absolute level. But that's a story for another year. We're in 1987, and the guys just saw their debut At the Edge of Damnation hit the shelves.

Now, my older brother, a rock guitarist, always maintained that, as a rule of thumb, English bands are inherently better and more refined than their American counterparts. I can't confirm nor deny the veracity of that claim, but entities like the here presented one surely support that thesis, if nothing else. Even their logo has way more class than your average USA spiked emblem. But on a more strictly musical basis, the crew trod their own path. I wouldn't be surprised if the band members had first met at a Grim Reaper or Angel Witch show, as their brand of thrash harks back to the traditional heavy style in more than one aspect, the distinctively melodic playing of axeman Dave Brunt above all. The best part? You don't even have to take my word for it – already the highly original riff that opens the album will convince you that this is something different.

Of course, all of that wouldn't be as effective if the man at the mic didn't follow suit. Luckily, the histrionic Jon Van Doorn has personality and, amazingly enough, this is one of those rare cases where it isn't a euphemism for 'well, technically he sucks, but at least he's different'. Would you believe it? We also get a frontman who could actually sing on a thrash album! But don't worry, he knows how to deal with faster stuff as well. The one-two punch 'In the Name of God'-'Demonic Attack' is a certified pair of bangers, and slightly below them are the speed-infused early track 'Sword of Justice' and a good portion of 'Leaving Your Life Behind'. The pace of Brad Sims' drumming here isn't exactly vertiginous for the release year, but I wouldn't want it any other way - sometimes less is really more.

Nevertheless, the main aim of the band, in this incarnation at least, isn't a constant assault to the jugular, and their strong heavy metal leanings can make, and sometimes break, the album at the same time. A track like 'Dance of the Dead' works fantastically with its marching verses and awesome chorus lick, and ditto for the ominous mid-tempo 'Exorcist', where we also get a healthy dose of '80s cheese with the declamatory intro (as heard in Bulldozer, among others). Elsewhere, they almost build a harsh contrast with the serious themes and the omnipresent Satanism, like the almost uplifting refrain of 'Forces of Darkness'. Fortunately, for the most part it also means that the guitar work is way above average, even shining on marginally weaker cuts like the title-track and especially 'For Evil Done', or on the slightly overlong closer. Occasional songwriting slip-ups (some abrupt endings or the jagged transitions in 'Leaving Your Life Behind') are definitely a venial sin on a debut album.

At the Edge of Damnation is enjoyable and enviably consistent, but Deathwish really knocked it out of the park with the subsequent swansong Demon Preacher, easily the textbook definition of 'perfecting a formula'. This one is inevitably cloaked by that enormous shadow, but that doesn't mean we should be allowed to forget about its existence (and brilliance).