Album Review: Desaster - Bringing the Storm to Rotterdam
Reviewed by Carl Black
What does Harry Potter, Titanic the Movie, the tragic death of Princess Diana, the comet Hale-Bopp passing the earth and German black/thrash metalers Desaster ripping it up in front of a Rotterdam crowd, all having common? That's right, all of them happened in 1997. The only trouble is most of the items from that particular year are well established in culture and can easily be obtained or remembered. With the exception of the Teutonic proto-thrashers storming live gig in front of their Dutch crowd.
Times move on we can now add that prestigious performance to the wonderful achievements and memories of 1997. Much like the grotty nature of the band, this live album reflects that early enthusiasm and low technicality.
As far as live albums go think less Unleashed in the East and more the Exodus bootleg from the Hammersmith Odeon show when they supported Venom (which is available on a famous streaming site).
The performance is as you would expect, eight songs, half an hour long, which is more than enough time to get your point across. The sound swirls around as the person with the tape recorder gets buffeted around in what must have been a very enthusiastic pit.
Perfection is well and truly put on the back seat and is substituted for speed and energy. Set opener "In a Winter Battle' has that sneering punk attitude over the thrash ethos with a blackened sound to it. The energy don't halter for a minute throughout. Double bass drumming, screaming from the fires of hell, I can only think of one slower part in the song 'The Devil's Sword', even then it's only momentary.
As a complete bonus we get two cover version, Slayer's 'Black Magic' and the other, 'ormentor' by Kreator. Both respectful and faithful renditions, both appease the crowd and the band.
The member of the audience who recorded this fantastic show must have found a decent vantage point towards the end as the sound does get better. Nevertheless this is a warts and all recording. Turn it up to ten, turn off the lights and close your eyes…. it's like actually being there!
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