Collision Course

Paradox have a good reason for their name. Despite exclusively good to excellent albums, the group around Charly Steinhauer never reached the status of other speed or thrash metal bands from Germany. Sure, the so-called big four of Teutonic thrash were all more extreme, more fun (Tankard), more primal (Sodom), more antisocial (Destruction) or at least first more brutal and later more "intellectual" (Kreator). Good music, but pale image - that should sum up the situation around Steinhauer's creative baby. Or is the lack of attention only due to the beard with which Steinhauer protected his upper lip from the snot of his cold nose?

Well, that should be nonsense, especially since guitarist and lyricist Pasemann's thin beard looks even more embarrassing. Not to mention Oliver Holzwarth's Iced Earth T-shirt, but of course he couldn't have known in 2000 that Mr Schaffer would be interested in a tour of the Capitol in 2021. Musically, at any rate, the quartet need not feel embarrassed. Variety characterises the album. Amazingly thoughtful songs like "Rearrange the Past" or "Saviour" contrast with the swift rhythms of the majority of the tracks. Everything sounds well thought out, though sometimes less would have been more. Some songs get out of hand with playing times beyond six minutes and especially the aforementioned "Saviour", but also "Blamed for Nothing", has unnecessary lengths.

But predominantly there is a nice mixture of fluid melodies, scratchy riffs and driving drums to be heard. Paradox convey the feeling of being at it with heart and soul. They know how to design the tracks neither in a verse-refrain-verse scheme, nor overly progressive. The development of the pieces is not predictable and that and the mostly strong guitar runs alone make sure that you enjoy listening to "Collision Course" with its remarkable quantum of power metal elements. Particularly successful are the title track with its catchy chorus and "Shattered Illusions", which is of course not a cover of Détente. All in all, however, the album cannot hold a candle to the jewel of the paradoxical discography. "Riot Squad", released nine years after "Collison Course", remains my first recommendation for people who want to test Paradox for the first time.

Apart from my personal preference, nobody who can amuse himself with partly above-average melodic speed metal will find anything wrong with the record reviewed here. Sure, the background vocals could have been stronger. But Steinhauer's clear and quite harmonic vocals fit the smooth song structures and those who like it a bit heavier can enjoy the quite snappy "Overshadowed" at the end. The lively production will also not discourage anyone from risking an ear here. And even if you don't like the Scorpions and their better original version, you can still have fun with the cover of one of their best songs ever ("Dynamite"). In this respect, it is a pity that the dudes of Paradox are still condemned to ride somewhat in the slipstream of other groups. At least, the high ratings for their albums, which I can't quite share in the case of "Collision Course", speak for the fact that the music of the likeable four-piece doesn't fall on deaf ears.

Eleven years after "Heresy" and the success that it engendered, the band gets back together and starts working on a new album which would be a crucial point in their career. Though "Product of Imagination" and "Heresy" were very thrash-metal-oriented with a very similar sound that is proper to the 80's thrash scene, this new album is most of all marked by a much softer production. "Collision Course" distinguishes itself from his two predecessors by a clear break in the sounds of the guitars, that have much more melodies, and by a calmer and a softer voice in Charly's singing.

The album begins the same way as its predecessor, by the very pleasant short instrumental song "Decade of Sorrow" played with an acoustic guitar. The album carries on with the eponymous track, which is for me the best of the full-length. The transition between the intro and the first "concrete" song is excellent because both of them are in the same mood, played in the same scale with the same ideas. From the very first seconds, the band imposes us its new power-metal-oriented sound by an excellent and very efficient introduction led by two guitars played in harmony before carrying on a more "traditional" main riff. The power metal influence is more present than ever in the awesome verse riffs that blend perfectly with Charly's voice, giving to this passage a quite melancholic atmosphere. This song is actually a good representation of the whole album: a typical thrash chorus, plenty of interesting and diversified riffs, excellent solos that are not too long nor too short.

Though the speed aspect was one of Paradox's key-elements, the band favors here technicity (like in "Rearrange the Past"Blamed for Nothing" or "Saviour"). These low-tempo songs also feature a quite interesting "somber aspect" in most of them. But staying true to themselves, the band keeps on playing high-tempo songs like "Collision Course" as I already mentioned it, but we can also quote "Path of Denial", which has an interesting main riff, "Shattered Illusions" or "Prostitution of Society" though the main riff here is a bit chaotic. These speed songs are marked by a lighter, more positive atmosphere with dynamic and energetic drumming. All of these songs feature excellent moments (for "Collision Course" just as in "Path of Denial" it is the intro and the verse riffs, for "Blamed for Nothing" it is the solo, for "Shattered Illusions" it is the pre-chorus...)

We can also find a very small prog-touch in some songs, as their construction is quite complex (or at least more than the average). These songs are "Rearrange the Past", "Saviour", "Prostitution of Society" and the power-ballad "Sadness". Here, in spite of a very diversified structure with a whole bunch of riffs, these songs also feature introduction, acoustic or clean moments and plentiful guitar effects.

The album ends with the track "Overshadowed", a song that can be seen as a sort of tribute to their original genre, in the sense that it is much more thrash-oriented. The intro can be compared to old-school Metallica songs, with a superb duality between the solo and the rhythmic riff.

In conclusion, this album marks a decisive turning point in Paradox's career, by highlighting the power metal aspect more than ever. They would reuse this particularly melodic way in all of their future albums. To sum up, "Collision Course" is most of all characterized by a production that softens the sound of the guitars, which tend to play more melodic riffs and more harmonies. Another big change is Charly's voice: though his singing was quite harsh and not very melodic in their firsts two albums (despite the vain attempts in "Product of Imagination"), he clearly improved his vocals skills to offer us beautiful and well-adapted melodies. Finally, this album is marked by a much stronger rigor in the coherence of the different parts of the songs, essentially due to the excellent drumming of Axel Blaha. The result is a better cohesion in the different elements of the songs. These excellent structures in their songs would reach their peak in their next album, "Electrify".

Like crunchy guitars? Like fast-paced music? Like hoarse yet melodic vocals? Like Germans? If the answer to all of the above is yes, then you should be feeling pretty good right about now, because Paradox's 'Collision Course' does crunchy, fast-paced metal with hoarse German vocals about as well as anybody. Plus, if you're unsure whether you should come along for the ride, I'll ask one more - like heavy metal? Ok, you're in too.

Paradox has a long history that I'm nervous to explore because I don't dig dodgy production, but this album certainly doesn't sound much like their 80s material in sonic scope, even if the genre leanings are similar. For an album that is now 16 years old, the fizz and crunch of the guitars sounds fresh and immediate, rather like Annihilator's 'Waking the Fury', which is also a must-listen for fans of fast guitar work pulled kicking and screaming into a modern production. The remarkable thing about the guitar sound on this album is that it works for both the speed/thrash riffs and also for the epic melodic hooks and grand introductions, without sacrificing the adrenaline or atmosphere at either end. Sure, it means that there aren't a lot of subtle moments, but if you're looking for subtle, you and your Isis records can fuck off to the corner as far as Paradox are concerned.

The order of the day in the songs is for a few big riffs to do the talking while Charly Steinhauer takes a more laidback approach to vocals, rarely taking the focus but softening the bite of the guitars with a nostalgic and warm tone to his voice, like your best mate the night after a big party. It's strange to say, but the vocals are actually more atmospheric than most of the music, especially on the closing 'Overshadowed', when the poignance of Steinhauer's held notes really shines through. After the initial damage has been done, the leads and melodies start to appear, mostly using the twin guitar set-up well and crafting memorable interchanges that draw from classic metal yet maintain the thrash aggression of the songs' chassis. Since this is from 2000, there are some sections that groove instead of thrash, though with riffs like the one in 'Saviour', they are usually very palatable. The rhythm section have great control of the tone and pace for most of the album, rarely resorting to any particular thrash cliches (barely any held cymbal counts here), nor allowing mindless speed mentality take over. The bass is not a strong feature, though there are moments when it shines through, even getting mild solo action in places, like the closing seconds of 'Path of Denial'.

There aren't any songs that deviate violently from those basic specifications, though it's somewhat of a shame to see that the quality is inconsistent. Though containing some worthwhile ideas, 'Rearrange the Past' is the worst culprit of the band's tendency towards epic (progressive?) song lengths, lasting nigh-on 8 minutes and having less to say than even the 4 and a half minutes of the storming 'Shattered Illusions'. Some scorn has been thrown at 'Prostitution of Society' too, but here the issue is more about a variation that doesn't work as well as the main strategy, with a more rhythmic and grooving main riff, yet all of the same devastating fury in the chorus and the creative instrumental section proving that there is quality to be discovered here too. My picks for the best songs are 'Shattered Illusions', which is the most vicious and aggressive the Germans get, plus the title track, which is most memorable among the epic thrash tunes on offer, and 'Saviour', which is most successful at changing the formula to mid-paced territory.

Although separated from Paradox's earlier material by all that the 11 year gap would suggest, there are strong links between 'Collision Course' and the past, as well as a lot to recommend the album to fans of new school heavy metal. Paving the way to making the band a relevant melodic thrash force in the 21st century, this generally rules barring a few sub-par songs.

The third offering from German thrashers Paradox, “Collision Course,” sees the band return from their hiatus with another in a long line of powerful, full-throttle thrash albums that sees them deliver in a mature, refined nature that is on par with the quality in their catalog.

After the decade-long layover between albums, the group is remarkable competent at maintaining their core sound and drive after all this time as there’s still plenty on display here that was present back in their heyday. It’s full of rampaging guitar riffs that recall the epic intricacies of bay-area styled thrash but spiced with loads of melodies that often make for a power metal band as well, and that was a feature that was not tampered with in their previous albums and is still here, as well as the barreling tempos as the songs range from absolute full-throttle thrash barnburners to more of a mid-tempo groove as well as more laid-back styles that are quite atmospheric and melodic. That all of these features were quite prominent in their previous work makes them all welcome additions here as well, making the music connect more to their fans while attempting to bridge that gap to the new generation. As well, the group’s penchant for eerily melodic-crooned vocals continues here with another impressive performance that brings the songs to life as they soar and climb over the music following the twists and turns in the riffing patterns that come from their stellar rhythm section as the bass absolutely thumps with joyous abandon and the drumming is just a non-stop blast, weaving around plenty of organic fills, tons of intense double-bass movements and keeps the tempo up during the majority of the songs. As mentioned before, all this is found in great supply in their past works.

It’s not so much really an inclusion into their sound, but the fact that the album displays the band undergoing a far more technical approach in the riffing patterns is a big development, as this is basically extended from their previous album but ramped up tenfold based on the kind of stellar riffing presented here. Rather than the typical idea of technicality where it’s over-the-top whirlwinds, sweeps and dive-bombing riffs playing with extreme precision and accuracy, the technicality here is merely a cool way of generating a denser series of riffs based on the main part in the song, allowing for some really intense moments throughout that are just all the more insane because of the different varieties and tones within the song. Also of note is that this technical riffing manages to make the album far more melodic than it really should, all by virtue of the rather simplistic decision of integrating their older power metal riffs the main focus of attention when it descends into the technical realm, so while it’s thrashing away at a quick tempo the technical prowess being undertaken is a lighter, more accessible sound that retains an intense vibe as well, which is quite an accomplished feat that proves the band’s long-displayed ability to write solid, enjoyable songs that are instantly memorable and melodic as well as intense.

The album’s split-up somewhat by comparison between the two sections, with the first half of the album containing more melodic fare. Opener ‘Decade of Sorrow’ is a short, guitar-centered ambient intro that kicks into high-gear with the propulsive title track, which features intense bay-area riffing with large doses of technicality and melody that keep the energy up while dropping their power/speed tag due to the aforementioned technicality, and features a blazing solo as well. The more melodic ‘Rearrange the Past’ features another acoustic intro that gives way to crunchy mid-tempo chug with an ethereal feel due to the strong riffing and steady, solid pacing throughout, becoming a nice highlight effort. ‘Path of Denial’ is the first real thrash song with intense riffing while maintaining a core of bay area thrash dynamics with incorporating traditional power/thrash patterns with a serious of melodic, yet technically-leaning riffs that really deliver the goods quite nicely. ‘Saviour’ is perhaps the finest example of this half of the album as it seems to interject all the efforts into one singular track, as it’s a mid-tempo effort with expansive riffing that doesn’t get any sense of tightness and lacks energy before an impressive final attempt, generating the thrash goods quite nicely.

By contrast, the second half of the album is where all the really meaty, vicious tracks are and where the album really hits its stride. ‘Blamed for Nothing’ contains an intense chugging riff with plenty of grooving vocals, an up-tempo pace and a nice melodic intersection at the end as the twinkling sound emanating through the song comes to full-attention and makes for a perfect breather after the full-scale assault. ‘Prostitution of Society’ starts with an eerie intro that turns into a thrashing mid-tempo groove with plenty of guitar pyrotechnics among the power metal atmosphere rather than the thrash, but overall this is a solid enough track. Next is two similar-sounding back-to-back tracks that are real highlights in the bands discography for their sheer overall thrashing madness, as ‘Shattered Illusions’ and ‘Sadness’ follow along eerily familiar paths together, being ultra-intense and blasting full-throttle thrashers with aggressive charging riffs in an up-tempo atmosphere, blasting drumming and plenty of intricate, powerful solos to create a commanding, powerful presence for a double-shot of awesome speed. Needing a break from that madness is ‘Overshadowed,’ which eases off the full-speed throttle in favor of a melodic-leaning chug with an energetic pace and tempo that’s quite enjoyable and is another solid overall track. It all ends with a rocking, energetic cover of The Scorpions’ Dynamite,’ which attempts to drop the hard-rock feel of the original of incorporating it into the bands’ power/thrash style, and while it misfires on that attempt overall it’s quite impressive if not comparing it to the original to end the album on a solid note.

This is one of the more enjoyable and exciting releases in the thrash scene for a long time and really serves well-enough on that note without the added bonus of it being a comeback record after a decade of silence, so on that front as well this is a strong effort. Containing a memorable infusion of bay-area styled thrash with a technically-infused power/thrash approach they refined back in their early days, this is a real throwback to the glory days of the scene and really doesn’t have too many flaws that’ll hold it down at all, as everything from the songwriting to the performances to the individual achievements and even the production job are superb and really make this a well-rounded and polished effort. This is highly recommended to all fans of the band as well as to those of the style or just plain thrash fanatics who will find plenty to enjoy on this one.

History was not so kind to us, exposing us to the brilliant Paradox sophomore Heresy and then forcing us to wait over a decade for a sequel, but for whatever reasons, that is how it played itself out. Once the 90s were in session, of course, thrash metal had all but died out, many artists simply giving up or releasing pathetic attempts to 'fit in' to the alternative and groove metal trends. Death and black metal wore the genre's armor, with their more excessive levels of energy and disposition, and the German thrash masters who had only so recently exploded into a Renaissance that today remains only rivaled by the Bay Area legends were whispered of only in tight circles of 80s worshiping guitar maniacs and nostalgic blowhards like yours truly.

Around the turn of the century, very few people were expecting to hear from Paradox, and yet in 2000 we were thrown a curve ball when Collision Course suddenly arrived out of the seeming nether. For the most part, this album picks up where Heresy left off, only adding the relative benefits of thicker production. You'll still hear the same flight, explosive guitar work, rooted in both fellow German thrashers like Destruction and a heavy classical influence. Steinhauer had a wider vocal presence here, still reminiscent of frontmen like a Belladonna or Eric AK but with that wonderful bite to it that was both melodic and venomous. If anything, Collision Course is slightly more progressive, the band willing to branch out just an inkling further than the first two records, but then bum rush you with the momentum you would want from the dual guitar team of Steinhauer and Kai Pasemann (the latter replacing Markus Spyth from the first two albums) and the Holzwarth rhythm team.

There's yet another acoustic segue as an intro, "Decade of Sorrow" (perhaps a poorly veiled reference to the decade we just spent sans a new Paradox album). "Collision Course" itself is also worthy of the previous album, and really all the band have exchanged is the lyrical concept from one that concerns religious fugitives to one that concerns us all, here on Mother Earth. Then, like Heresy, Collision Course continues to strike early and strikes hard, with the nearly 8 minute, cautiously thrashing excursion "Rearrange the Past", the spurious momentum of "Path of Denial", and "Blamed for Nothing", a melodic charger with a wealth of smaller, brisk leads and rhythmic shifts that complement the thrashing force. The tranquil "Saviour" and the frenetic "Shattered Illusions" are also worth mentioning, as is the pure bad ass thrashing of "Sadness". "Prostitution of Society" is likewise intense, but not a favorite here, nor did I fall as deeply into the pretty paint-by-numbers riffing of "Overshadowed", but it too does not lack for the band's energetic undercurrent. As a bonus, the band tossed on a cover of the Scorpions' "Dynamite", which they've fused successfully to their hyperactive conventions.

Collision Course is not my personal favorite Paradox album, but it's another notch in the band's quality resume, nearly as strong as its nearest neighbors Heresy or Electrify. It was more than welcome in the year 2000, when I had all but given up on any chance of hearing them again. Most of the songs here are worthwhile, but a few seem to lag behind in the quality of the riffs, or they simply feel redundant to other tracks the band had written by this point. In what seems a bitterly ironic turn of events, it would be another 8 years until we got a fourth Paradox effort, but then at least we got two in a row of superb quality. Collision Course serves as a worthwhile stopgap, a proof that even in its deadest hours, some of the giants of thrash metal were still stirring, still sending us a signal that they have not left us, to prepare ourselves for the genre's inevitable return from silence and suck, the dust whorls being systematically flecked off its rust-proof steel.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

This album was released in a time when thrash metal was as good as dead, meaning it might have slipped under the radar of many of you. I am here to inform you that Collision Course is one massive fucking album and should not slip under any radar. Being the comeback album of the very noteworthy Paradox, it not only managed to continue the band's great legacy, but singlehandedly reinvented melodic thrash. It is the heaviest Paradox effort thus far, both in composition and sound. The colossal riffs will knock you off your chair and leave you on the ground begging for mercy, which will be granted during extensive parts of instrumental (at times even acoustic) noodling. Don't make any illusions about fully recovering, because the solo's are equally impressive and it never takes long before another monstrous riff pops up to attack and threaten you with severe whiplash syndromes.

And that's only talking about the thrash parts. As we could have expected from Paradox, most songs have crushingly 'epic' intros, preparing the listener for a pending rampage of riffs. “Blamed For Nothing”, “Collision Course” and “Shattered Illusion” can easily be counted among the band's best songs ever, while “Path Of Denial” is my all-time personal Paradox favorite. Those of you familiar with the band realize this is saying quite a lot. There is however one downside, and that's a tad too much aimless material that doesn't seem to go anywhere. Barring the magnificent songs, there are also many sections or even entire songs that are just 'ok', and don't do much to me. With the album clocking in at almost an hour, these parts would have gotten rid of if it were up to me. “Prostitution Of Society” or “Rearrange The Past” are two of such songs that -even though they contain some great sections- simply drag too long.

Stylistically this album could be compared to releases as Ride The Lightning or Rust In Peace, except heavier. The unique vocals don't really compare to any other band and sometimes even come close to melodic talking. Not once are they on the foreground, leaving enough room for the excellent musicianship to fully shine. The production is absurdly tight, which unfortunately can't be said about their 80s releases, Heresy and Product of Imagination. There is also less power/speed metal to be found here, making it the thrashiest Paradox album ever. All in all this is a first-rate album by a first-rate band, which should be put on the first spot of your wishlist. This band has always stayed true to themselves without falling into repetition and should be applauded for this, so get your ass to the record store and buy this behemoth of an album.

Every once in a while an album is released which will leave you completely dumbfounded with its headbanging qualities. The sound grabs your attention so mercilessly you won’t be able to put it down for months to come and it gets better and better with each listen. Collision Course, a delight from start to finish, is one such album.

Greatness isn’t unfamiliar to Paradox as they are famous for making two extremely solid (thrashy) speed-metal albums back in the 80s. They had a good sense of melody, excellent riffs, and better than average songwriting. Collision Course is a comeback album (being eleven years since they made Heresy) and the band is back with a vengeance, sporting an updated, modern sound; it’s heavier and more technical than before, and the songwriting has taken on almost a progressive shade. Gone are the somewhat one-dimensional songs of the past – the songwriting tends to be a complex affair with many-a-songs-in-one so to speak.

This is one of my ultimate albums as the band manages to successfully mix all those ingredients I love; it’s melodic, catchy, heavy, thrashy and speedy, with consistent and varied songwriting. ‘Saviour’ is an example of some of that complex songwriting I was talking about, as the song moves from an acoustic intro to intense riffing and calmer passages. ‘Collision Course’, perhaps the most traditional song on the album, is fast and furious.
‘Path of Denial’ is an incredibly thrashy song which will make you wondering what cover of Dark Angel this is. ‘Prostitution of Society’ with its great leadwork sets the mood for the story being told. The opening (and reoccurring) riff in ‘Sadness’ is impressive, keeping you intrigued for the remainder of the song. As the song picks up you ask yourself just how much better it can get…

One of the things i love most about the album is the mood and atmosphere. Think Iced Earth’s Burnt Offerings or Vio-lence’s Nothing to Gain. It’s dark, but mature and serious at the same time. It’s an intriguing sound, not to be taken lightly. The band plays like they mean it, which is the way it should be.

This is fucking metal, that’s all i can say... this is fucking metal...