• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I can't say I was aware of Germany's Darkness back when they first kicked around in the late '80s, so I guess their early releases never made it across the pond to the U.S. First Class Violence is the band's fifth full-length and first for Massacre Records. As the band name and album title suggest, the music on First Class Violence is raw, punishing metal played at high speed with vocals that are a classic German grit-filled bark, spat out on top of crunchy, crushing riffs. Musically, Darkness are treading fairly standard ground though I give them style points for the choruses on uniquely titled cuts like "Low Velocity Blood Spatter" and "See You on the Bodyfarm". Sure, part of the charm is the singer's "original" English pronunciation, but if a song sticks in your head like these are sure to, chalk it up as a win. First Class Violence should fit in your collection with the Kreator, Destruction and Sodom records and Tom Angelripper even lends his melodious voice to "Zeutan". Darkness isn't trying to be anything other than German Thrash and that's just fine.