UMUR "Fuckin' Death" is the debut full-length studio album by US death/thrash metal act Death Strike. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in August 1991. It´s probably a bit misleading calling "Fuckin' Death" a studio album, as it´s actually more of a compilation. The first four tracks are taken directly off the 1985 "Fuckin' Death" demo, and the four remaining tracks on the 33:26 minutes long release are recorded at another session at a later date.

Death Strike was formed out of the ashes of the first incarnation of legendary US death metal act Master. Master was formed by War Cry members Paul Speckmann (bass/vocals) and Bill Schmidt (drums) after they left War Cry, but as the two weren´t able to get a decent lineup going, Schmidt got impatient and left to join Mayhem (a US band). Speckmann then changed the band name to Death Strike, got a lineup together and recorded the "Fuckin' Death" demo. Shortly after the demo was released Bill Schmidt returned and the band continued under the Master monicker.

Considering that band history, it´s doubtful if the four remaining tracks on this album were actually recorded by a Death Strike lineup, and it´s more likely the tracks were recorded by a Master lineup. There is also a very noticeable difference in sound production, and in overall musical style between the tracks from the demo and the remaining tracks. The demo tracks are raw, energetic, and powerful death/thrash tracks packed in a dark, and brutal production, while the remaining tracks are generally slower in pace, slightly more sophisticated in composition, and delivered a bit tighter. They simply sound more professional.

Professional doesn´t always mean better though, and in this case it´s actually the demo tracks, which are the most interesting material on the album. The slower pace, and less aggressive atmosphere of the remaining tracks, make them a bit more dull in comparison to the vicious attack of the demo material, and they ultimately end up bringing the quality of the album down. The demo tracks fully deserve a 4 star (80%) rating, while the quality of the remaining material only warrants a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating, so a 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.

J-Man Death Strike's 1985 demo, Fuckin' Death, has a legendary reputation in the old school death metal underground. Being Death Strike's only release in their short-lived history, as well as one of the legendary Paul Speckmann's first projects, Fuckin' Death has plenty of reason to be celebrated. And did I mention that this is one of the earliest death/thrash metal releases ever recorded? The original 1985 demo contained four brutal tracks of proto-death metal, and the 1991 Nuclear Blast reissue contains four more tracks of similar quality. The more-recent reissue on Dark Descent Records contains all of that material, in addition to four previously unreleased rehearsal tracks. Although Fuckin' Death hasn't aged very well and it doesn't completely blow me away, it's still an essential piece of extreme metal history that every self-respecting metalhead should hear at some point. And with a recent reissue on vinyl and CD, now is the best time to finally check out this underground classic if you've previously failed to do so!

The music here is raw and heavy thrash metal with traces of very primitive death metal. Fuckin' Death certainly is not a death metal album by today's standards, but given its context in 1985, I could see how shocking this release would have been to the thrash metal community. Paul Speckmann's raw, semi-growled vocal style was extremely original given the time period, and the relentlessly brutal riffs paired with fast drum patterns and heavily distorted guitar tones made for some of the most extreme metal around in 1985. The songs aren't all too complicated - most only contain a handful of riffs - but the genuine simplicity helps give the album a semi-accessible overtone. Not all of the songs here are too memorable, but it's always easy to pick out at least a few riffs once the album is over. As previously mentioned, the Dark Descent reissue contains 4 rehearsal bonus tracks that weren't present on the 8-song Nuclear Blast reissue. These new rehearsal tracks are almost entirely non-essential, and fit the category of "collector's item only". If you already own the Nuclear Blast version, I wouldn't bother finding this one unless you're a Death Strike die-hard. The main issue with these bonus tracks is the horrendous, almost to the point of being unlistenable, production. On the original 1991 album, the production is raw and noisy, but still audible and competent. It's obviously of demo-quality, but the production isn't nearly as bad as the bonus tracks.

Fuckin' Death may not be a perfect masterpiece (in my opinion, at least), but it's a damn good album that showed a band with a true sense of innovation. It would've been interesting to see what would've happened if Death Strike would've stayed together to make some more material... I have a feeling that could've been something really special. Even though my personal enjoyment is limited due to the mediocre production and simplistic compositions, Fuckin' Death is an extremely original and influential effort from Death Strike, and that cannot go unnoticed. 3 stars are deserved here. I would've gone higher if the songs were just a tad more memorable and the production a bit more polished.