Band:	Assassin
Album:	The Upcoming Terror
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	June 03, 1987
Guest review by:	Cynic Metalhead

01. Forbidden Reality
02. Nemesis
03. Fight
04. The Last Man
05. Assassin
06. Holy Terror
07. Bullets
08. Speed Of Light

Another underrated 80s thrash metal album lost in oblivion. Let me bring it upfront...

We are all aware of most iconic German thrash metal bands—Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, and Tankard. However, the Teutonic big four aren’t the only purveyors of high-energy thrash, fellas. Did you ever hear of Protector, Pentagram, Holy Moses, and notably, Assassin?! No? Well, now you will.

Here I wanted to cover Assassin, one of the emerging forces from the vibrant German thrash scene that has unfortunately gone unidentified. They burst onto the scene with their debut album, The Upcoming Terror, in 1987. It is both brutal and inventive, if somewhat primitive. They've compiled tracks from their earlier demos—Holy Terror(1985) and The Saga Of Nemesis (1986)—enhancing their ferocity, giving off a Slayer-ish flavor and the raw energy of Venom.

"Forbidden Reality" is an outstanding opener; an eerie intro building into a full-throttle assault, riffs that evoke an avalanche, drums that pummel relentlessly, and boss-y bass lines that punche through the mix. The vocals imbue a frenzied blend of Destruction’s Schmier and Tankard’s Gerre, adding a manic edge to the onslaught. Assassin excel when they're on speed assault, especially in "Nemesis" and "Speed of Light", where relentless energy fuses with intensive momentum. However, they also slow down on "The Last Man" and "Assassin," bringing variation that doesn't hamper the overall momentum. "Abstract War" features robust, palm-muted riffs and bursts of frenetic energy, while "Resolution 588", "A Message to Survive", and "AGD" are thrash anthems brimming with calculated chaos. I do find the cover of The Chantays' "Pipeline" slightly detracted from the album’s intensity. The decent mixing enables songs to be heard constructively while avoiding overlapping and creates a fuzzy, thrash-y sound.

While The Upcoming Terror may not blow you away or make you regret missing it, it certainly doesn't deserve to be overlooked. I can comfortably classify The Upcoming Terror, alongside Interstellar Experience as second-tier German thrash. Nevertheless, it remains a formidable Teutonic thrash album.