KERRANG! ISSUE 145 April 1987

ASSASSIN: “The Upcoming Terror (Steamhammer Records SPV 08-1895 import)

ASSASSIN ARE yet another Hardcore Thrash outfit hailing from Düsseldorf, famed stomping ground of the likes of Warlock and Deathrow, to name but two. ‘The Upcoming Terror’ is their first vinyl outing and I’m afraid it falls a long way short of the Mosh mark.

Assassin look and sound exactly like any number of German Thrash outfits, right down to the silly nicknames. The standard time changes are very much in evidence, and what true Thrash album would be complete without the obligatory ‘tasteful’ acoustic interlude?!

To be fair, lead vocalist Robert Gonnella does attempt to break away from the usual Thrash boundaries with his thought-provoking lyrics. Unfortunately, his vocal style is truly horrendous – most of the time it sounds like he’s suffering from a particularly nasty stomach complaint! The other musicians, meanwhile, never rise above competent.

Clearly, Assassin have allowed punk influences to overrule their Metallic sensibilities and the quality of their output has suffered as a result.

MAURA SUTTON