UMUR
Violent Termination is the debut full-length studio album by US thrash metal act Devastation. The album was released in 1987 by Zombo Records. Violent Termination was reissued on CD in 1996 by Defiled Records. That version features 4 live bonus tracks.
The music on Violent Termination is old school US thrash metal. I´m reminded of early Dark Angel. I was introduced to Devastation through their second and third full-length studio albums Signs of Life (1989) and Idolatry (1991), which are both some pretty well played and powerful thrash metal albums, so I expected a lot from Violent Termination. Unfortunately I have a hard time saying much positive about this album. The playing it pretty untight, the production is messy and the songs lack memorable hooks. The worst is the vocals by Rodney Dunsmore though. He sounds like he couldn´t bother less. It´s like he doesn´t really know if he should sing or talk. I don´t sense that Devastation sweat blood and broke bones when they recorded Violent Termination and the album ultimately leaves me quite frustrated. The music also sound a bit too old school when compared to other thrash metal releases from 1987. It sounds like Devastation had already recorded the album in 1984 or 1985 and only had luck to release it in 1987. Those years were crucial in the development of thrash metal and it´s like the band just skipped them.
The more I listen the more I find the album weak and uninspired so a 2 star rating is warranted. If I were new to Devastation I´d skip right to their next two albums.
