Vio-Lence / Legendary Bay Area thrashers roll back time with reissue of 1988 masterpiece

October 22, 2022

For anyone standing in front of the Ronnie James Dio stage in that extreme heat in the early afternoon on Sunday 14th August 2022, it was a landmark moment. The first-ever appearance on UK soil of Bay Area Thrash Metal legends Vio-Lence, with no less than three of the seminal line-up members in Phil Demmel, Sean Killian, and Perry Strickland as well.

Vio-Lence – Eternal Nightmare (Metal Blade Records)

Release Date: 28 October 2022

Words: Paul Hutchings

They were joined by Bobby Gustafson (who has recently parted with the band) and Christian Older-Wolbers and, for 40 minutes, took old and new-school Thrash fans back to 1988 and the arrival of Eternal Nightmare. Widely regarded as a Thrash Metal masterpiece, Eternal Nightmare is one savage beast of an album. Seven tracks doesn’t sound much, but it is the ferocious quality of the album that makes it a bruising debut that few have ever matched.

Now Metal Blade has made the decision to reissue Eternal Nightmare in all formats, which is brilliant for those who need it for the collection. The album has been nicely remastered, and Ed Repka’s iconic cover art has rightly been retained.

It’s an album that has comfortably stood the test of time and rightly remains a favourite with many in the Thrash community. Written by Demmel, Killian and Robb Flynn, the album erupts with the ferocious title track and doesn’t take the foot off the accelerator until the final strains of Kill On Command fade.

The remaster has pushed Deen Dell’s bass right up in the mix, and this works to the advantage of each track, giving the songs more depth and heft. It also highlights just how impressive the component parts of the band were. Dell’s bass runs are rampant, unrestrained and lock in tightly with Flynn’s thick rhythm guitar and Strickland’s clinically delivered drumming.

This leaves space throughout for Killian to somehow spew forth more words per second than should be humanly possible, as well as providing Demmel with the opportunity to unleash lacerating riff after lacerating riff, which he does mercilessly throughout the record.

It’s truly an album where quality trumps quantity, for the seven tracks, are all bangers. The ferocity of Calling In The Coroner, Bodies On Bodies and Kill On Command remain as impressive today as they did 34 years ago, with the relentless aural assault leaving no quarter. The tempo is relentless, bringing a style that stood alongside but also apart from some of their Bay Area brethren.

In Demmel, the band possessed a shredder to rival Holt in Exodus, Cavestany in Death Angel and Skolnick in Testament. Killian’s vocals did not sit well with everyone, but you certainly knew who was singing when Vio-Lence was playing.

Accompanying this release is the Live at The Slims set recorded on 14 December 2001 in San Francisco. I’m sure it’s’ the same show that accompanied the re-released version of the album in 2005. Regardless, it shows the power of the band even at a time when they were only playing occasional shows.

It’s a great 12-song set featuring tracks from Oppressing The Masses and Nothing to Gain as well as six songs from Eternal Nightmare.

All in all, this is a stellar package to celebrate one of the most revered Thrash Metal albums of all time. With a range of coloured vinyl to choose from, taking a trip down memory lane never felt so good.

Pre-orders are available from https://www.metalblade.com/violence/