Eternal Devastation

's second full-length album, and last recorded by the original, "classic" threesome of vocalist/bassist , guitarist , and drummer , 1986's may also be the defining release of their career. With its croaked and/or screeched vocals, buzzsaw guitars, and insistently basic drumming, the album joined early efforts by and in shaping the harsher, Teutonic aesthetic adopted by most Euro-moshers in response to the genre's original American invasion. And ironically, though they were never quite as popular as the other two members of Germanic 's Big Three, 's sound was arguably the most accessible and "American"-like of all...well, just barely. bookends, both prefaced their furious thrashing with classical guitar intros; more elaborate creations, boasted piles of stunning riffs; and scorching sprinters, showcased fiery lead guitar licks from the talented , and even the instrumental never succumbed to boredom. In retrospect, the above were evidently setting the stage for 's transition into a two-guitar four-piece before the following year's EP, which fast-tracked their musical maturation, even as it compromised some of their grassroots credibility. Such is the double-edged sword of ; but it was inconsistency, not selling out, that wound up sullying 's overall legacy when all was said and done. And regardless of what came after, still holds up as an essential document of early European . ~ Eduardo Rivadavia