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Review: Ruthless Horde - Demo Anthology 1989-1991
Ruthless Horde
www.facebook.com/Ruthless-Horde-632326600289690
Demo Anthology 1989-1991

Label: Stormspell Records
Year released: 2022
Duration: 39:02
Tracks: 7
Genre: Thrash Metal

Rating:
4/5


Review online: August 3, 2022
Reviewed by: MetalMike
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Rated 4/5 (80%) (4 Votes)
Review

This is an interesting compilation from Stormspell Records that captures the seven demo tracks released by Detroit, Michigan’s Ruthless Horde. Stormspell tends to stick to power metal, but Ruthless Horde were cranking out speedy, thrashy, and decidedly not power metal when these demos were recorded in 1989 and 1991. The first five songs appeared on the band’s Ruthless Horde demo from 1989 and offer fast, melodic Slayer-inspired thrash on "Deadly Mass" and "Dancing in the Morgue," then change gears to a slower though no less heavy traditional metal on cuts like "Shadows of Death" and "The Forgotten Dead." On these songs, the harsh singing cleaned up a bit, ranging from low growls to high screams and the vocal lines are straight from Manilla Road’s Open the Gates/The Deluge period (at times I wondered if "Shadows of Death" was a Manilla Road cover). Things switch back to thrash with harsher singing as the album closes out with the two tracks from the 1991 Darkness Comes demo. Overall, I have to say I find this demo anthology satisfyingly heavy, raw and honest, notable considering they come from a time when metal was getting glossier and more technical. Grab a copy if you want some pure pounding metal played with two middle fingers up to the trends of its time.

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