Paradox - Pangea (2016)

If you had asked me back in the late 80s if I thought I'd still be listening to Paradox in the future, my younger self would have answered with a hopeful but resounding 'probably not'. And yet it's 2016, the Germans are on the most productive tear of their career since they launched Electrify in 2008, and now have delivered yet another exemplary example of how brainy, agile, energetic power thrash is alive and well in an era which has already grown sour on those younger acts who wish to recycle some particular era and sound and do it little more than a hollow tribute. Pangea is filled to the brim with melodic, intricate rhythm guitar weavings which mirror all the finesse of that more technical Teutonic tier which followed in the footsteps of Destruction and Kreator with a little less of the raw savagery of those bands' in their infancy, but lacking none of the intensity. Much more akin to Deathrow, Mekong Delta, and Vendetta than Sodom, but where some of those bands languish in the reunion epoch, Paradox show almost no sign of aging or weariness.

Spry, well-developed thrash pieces with a little bit of that clinical depth and 'edge' that the band picked up for their sophomore Heresy in 1989 but have been meting out with modern, ironclad force throughout the last decade on killer discs like Electrify and Riot Squad. The busier riffing patterns on the album are redolent of Artillery's uplifting vortex of complex power/thrash, with cascades of atmospheric melodies affixed to the meatier undertone, thick and thrumming bass-lines and a drum performance which is just as electrifying as it needs to be, with forceful kicks driving the bottom end and balancing out against the higher pitched tonality which is the guitars' focus. Just a galloping, swollen arsenal of progressions that don't feel exhausted or mindlessly retrospect in nature, even where they tie back to the band's legacy of 27-30 years back. Leads that are carefully threaded over the rhythm guitars in the bridge, seemingly a lost art where many bands seek to smother the most boring patterns they can with wild frivolity. In listening through Pangea, I had a basic idea of where the songs would twist and turn, largely because I've got all their earlier records and listened to them often, but even despite that, it never otherwise felt predictable or lazy at any point here.

Charly Steinhauer still maintains that fragile, mid-to-high pitched voice which sounds more like he's recording desperate scientific research than barking at a crowd, and this has long been one of the factors which stood certain of these bands (Deathrow, too) against their more popular snarling and sneering countrymen. But that engaging level of tech power metal also thrives in their sound, a style not incomparable to Americans like Heathen and Forbidden which exhibits a parallel development from when all these bands were on the cusp of being the 'next' big thing, but fizzled out once the genre was subverted by groove metal, rapcore and grunge in the 90s. Consistent, ambitious, and yet varied enough to form one of those prehistoric concepts: the actual ALBUM worth of songs you might give a damn about. I won't claim that every single measure here is pure ear candy, many of them simply serve the whole as best they can, but there are no duds among this bunch and it's every big the equal of their prior benchmarks like Heresy and Electrify. Awesome. I've listened to this a dozen times already, front to back.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]

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Paradox - Tales of the Weird (2012)

Though some listeners have expressed reservations at the overwhelming, heavily saturated and dystopian brand of power/thrash that Paradox have evolved into, I admit to being fully in thrall with both Electrify and Riot Squad. The future is staring us in the face, after all, and I found both the production and theme of those albums to create a sonic counterpart to my idealized fantasies of such a tomorrow, borne out of the 80s and an early love of cyberpunk and speculative fiction which I have yet to grow out of. Pummeling metallic approximations of Blade Runner, Syndicate, Neuromancer, and Robocop!? Sign me up! Granted, the proximity of their release might have led to some aesthetic overlap in content, but keep in mind that Electrify was already arriving after an 8-year gap. This time around, the Germans have taken a little more time than with Riot Squad to craft a follow-up, and though as a whole I'm enjoying it (only) a fraction less, I will say without question that Tales of the Weird is a more accessibly produced and audibly balanced effort.

Paradox has long excelled at forging atmospheric intros with acoustics that lead the charge, at least since the excellent Heresy (1989), and so does this technique open the 9-minute title track for this sixth album, which is more or less a microcosm of the entire disc. Pugilistic triplets and muscular mutes anchor the material with the same thrashing tension they've adopted since the debut, structurally mirroring classic Californian classics like Master of Puppets or The Legacy more so than countrymen Destruction or Kreator. The vocals of Charly Steinhauer, however, really reign in the European comparisons to various thrash and speed metal outfits like Midas Touch, Deathrow, Scanner, Risk, and of course Vendetta, whose own Daxx was involved with the lyrics on this very album. Charly's inflection is melodic, accented, yet still dangerous enough to deliver the harder riffs here convincingly, and the minor flaws and imperfections, flats and sharps actually enhance the experience, a common trait I've found in German thrash especially (great examples would be Schmier or Mille Petrozza, two far more vicious frontmen). What helps set Paradox apart and beyond the bullet belted,  denim vested, garden variety pizza thrash act, though, is the momentous majesty of the dual harmonies, leads, and melodic spikes that are sure to engorge their appeal to modern power metal addicts.

Tales of the Weird feels ambitious as a whole, even if you break down individual components of the sound and find what are often pretty standard note progressions, or riffs that really don't stand out so much on their own. There is such a seasoned framework to the songwriting that even the most direct and violent thrashers like "Escalation", "Slashdead" and "Brutalized" are festooned with melodies, hooks, and flawlessly executed leads that, if not always so memorable, capitalize upon the classical shredding influences that dominated the 80s in both hard rock and harder metal spheres. These are contributed by one of the newest members in the fold, Christian Münzner, and just to put his level of proficiency into perspective: he also plays in tech death metal wizards Obscura and Spawn of Possession...making the transition to this style with ease. The other new member is drummer Daniel Buld, and his performance is a polished powerhouse worthy of any modern thrash outing, with plenty of double bass and dextrous fills to really fill out the low end. Olly keller reprises his role on the bass, and as with the last two albums he rambles along faithfully to the riffs, but ninjas enough fills and grooves into his lines to give the tunes even more depth.

No song passes without some exciting verse or bridge riff, but in particular I found "Day of Judgement", "The Downward Spiral" and "Escalation" the most sticky in terms of their transitions and compelling notation. The addition of Rainbow's "A Light in the Black" is a wise one; not as hard hitting as the originals which precede it, but nonetheless it survives its transformation thanks to the meat on the guitar and clinical but impressive performance of Steinhauer, who sounds pretty clear. Tales of the Weird is not the sort of album which will find a home with fans of the dirtier death/thrash, crossover or black/thrash sounds who loathe progression and unfettered melody coursing through their faves, but it brings back that forward thinking sense of evolution which dominated the late 80s efforts of bands like Artillery, Coroner, Deathrow, Mekong Delta and Paradox itself, which was sadly interrupted when thrash (and certain other strains of metal) fell by the wayside for groove, grunge, and 90s 'alternative'. For this reason alone I might laud it, but the Germans honor the onus to actually write some damn good tunes in the process, and there's no reason you shouldn't dig this if you're fond of Heresy, Collision Course, Electrify or Riot Squad.

Perhaps the title's a bit of a throw-off, since this is hardly an unusual or experimental offering. But I'm sure it was more of a send-up to cult science fiction media. Otherwise: great music, beautiful Claudio Bergamin cover art, and warlike, relevant lyrics consistent with the aggression of the prior effort. Sure, I expect nothing less from Paradox, and I'm sure others have comparable expectations, but its always comforting to know that Charly Steinhauer and crew have our backs just the same.

Verdict: Win [8.75/10] (a merciless confession)

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Paradox - Collision Course (2000)

History was not so kind to us, exposing us to the brilliant Paradox sophomore Heresy and then forcing us to wait over a decade for a sequel, but for whatever reasons, that is how it played itself out. Once the 90s were in session, of course, thrash metal had all but died out, many artists simply giving up or releasing pathetic attempts to 'fit in' to the alternative and groove metal trends. Death and black metal wore the genre's armor, with their more excessive levels of energy and disposition, and the German thrash masters who had only so recently exploded into a Renaissance that today remains only rivaled by the Bay Area legends were whispered of only in tight circles of 80s worshiping guitar maniacs and nostalgic blowhards like yours truly.

Around the turn of the century, very few people were expecting to hear from Paradox, and yet in 2000 we were thrown a curve ball when Collision Course suddenly arrived out of the seeming nether. For the most part, this album picks up where Heresy left off, only adding the relative benefits of thicker production. You'll still hear the same flight, explosive guitar work, rooted in both fellow German thrashers like Destruction and a heavy classical influence. Steinhauer had a wider vocal presence here, still reminiscent of frontmen like a Belladonna or Eric AK but with that wonderful bite to it that was both melodic and venomous. If anything, Collision Course is slightly more progressive, the band willing to branch out just an inkling further than the first two records, but then bum rush you with the momentum you would want from the dual guitar team of Steinhauer and Kai Pasemann (the latter replacing Markus Spyth from the first two albums) and the Holzwarth rhythm team.

There's yet another acoustic segue as an intro, "Decade of Sorrow" (perhaps a poorly veiled reference to the decade we just spent sans a new Paradox album). "Collision Course" itself is also worthy of the previous album, and really all the band have exchanged is the lyrical concept from one that concerns religious fugitives to one that concerns us all, here on Mother Earth. Then, like Heresy, Collision Course continues to strike early and strikes hard, with the nearly 8 minute, cautiously thrashing excursion "Rearrange the Past", the spurious momentum of "Path of Denial", and "Blamed for Nothing", a melodic charger with a wealth of smaller, brisk leads and rhythmic shifts that complement the thrashing force. The tranquil "Saviour" and the frenetic "Shattered Illusions" are also worth mentioning, as is the pure bad ass thrashing of "Sadness". "Prostitution of Society" is likewise intense, but not a favorite here, nor did I fall as deeply into the pretty paint-by-numbers riffing of "Overshadowed", but it too does not lack for the band's energetic undercurrent. As a bonus, the band tossed on a cover of the Scorpions' "Dynamite", which they've fused successfully to their hyperactive conventions.

Collision Course is not my personal favorite Paradox album, but it's another notch in the band's quality resume, nearly as strong as its nearest neighbors Heresy or Electrify. It was more than welcome in the year 2000, when I had all but given up on any chance of hearing them again. Most of the songs here are worthwhile, but a few seem to lag behind in the quality of the riffs, or they simply feel redundant to other tracks the band had written by this point. In what seems a bitterly ironic turn of events, it would be another 8 years until we got a fourth Paradox effort, but then at least we got two in a row of superb quality. Collision Course serves as a worthwhile stopgap, a proof that even in its deadest hours, some of the giants of thrash metal were still stirring, still sending us a signal that they have not left us, to prepare ourselves for the genre's inevitable return from silence and suck, the dust whorls being systematically flecked off its rust-proof steel.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10] (this is the age where killers run free)

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Paradox - Heresy (1989)

Heresy is yet another fine example of German craftsmanship, coming at such a time as the country was pouring out a large percent of Europe's best thrash metal, and marked a superb evolution in the sound of Paradox. Not to say that the band's debut, Product of Imagination was necessarily a slouch, it was a crude but promising stampede of harsher melodic thrash/speed metal that mirrored the earlier work of Deathrow or Vendetta, but song for song it's only vaguely memorable. By comparison, this conceptual sophomore was stunning, and the obvious effort shines through as both the songwriting and musical proficiency have been ramped up considerably. It also sets the stage for the remainder of the band's catalog, in particular their recent fare like Electrify and Riot Squad, which simply gather up the building blocks of Heresy and amplify them into a new century of denser production and enhanced aggression.

It doesn't hurt that the album is so well organized, throwing thrills at you for almost the entire playtime. Right from the start (the title track), Paradox exhibit their balanced, precision assault, with a calming acoustic lullaby that explodes into dual melodic guitars that transition into a soaring, beautiful segment, then becoming choppier as they escalate into the verse with its superb, clinical riffing. Charly Steinhauer sounds like a more acidic, nasal alternative to Joey Belladonna during his prime, the Teutonic accent giving that same beloved spin it has done for so many other titans of the 80s. Great bridge rhythms and leads follow, and in the end, "Heresy" is simply a classic of powerful speed/thrash that has never lost its shine, decades after arrival. Were it the sole product of brilliance here, we might write off the band as having a mere spike of inspiration, but "Search for Perfection" continues along this path, choppier and harsher with its biting technical thrash riffing and a great chorus sequence.

"Killtime" intensifies the speed, with walls of eerie melody that both explode openly of their own, and transform into delightful mute picking sagas behind the desperation of the verse vocals. This is probably the closest track the band had here to fellow German geniuses Mekong Delta and Deathrow, and it rifles straight into another serious thrashing in "Crusader's Revenge", the bouncing arithmetic of the frenetic rhythm guitars making a fine counterpart to genocidal lyrics. "The Burning" revisits the acoustic passage before a mid-paced thrust that comes off like a more crisp, technical Exodus. A good song with potential, but only 1-2 riffs to die for. Such is not the case for "Massacre of the Cathars", one of the very best on offer, or the similar "700 Years On", both of which are nearly as 'classic' as "Heresy" itself. "Castle in the Wind" is a tasty instrumental that once again uses the clean guitars to create a shimmering, windy atmosphere, and "Serenity" delivers some fluid, consistent riffs.

When this album first dropped in the late winter of '89, I was listening to such wad blowing masterpieces as Pestilence's Mallevs Maleficarvum, Scanner's Hypertrace and Realm's Endless War, so I wasn't able to immediately absorb myself with it, at least outside of "Heresy" and a few other tracks. Through the years, though, my appreciation has only grown, and I feel like today it ultimately stands alongside their modern output, which has thus far been both elegant and destructive, one of the finer 'comebacks' in all of thrash, returning to what matters and then progressing it towards the future, permitting thrash metal to breathe novel life instead of the stale gas so many 'retro' bands exude. The production here is pure perfection for its day, and you'll immediately recognize it as the work of Harris John's Music Lab studio, responsible for a number of other classics. The effort is impossible to ignore here, and Paradox surpassed their debut album in every possible category. It might have take 11 years to follow this up, but it was certainly strong enough to maintain the listener's interest through that very gap, and beyond.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (our swords thirst to end your day)

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Paradox - Product of Imagination (1987)

Though the Germans have spoiled us with their two recent efforts, the most satisfying in their career, you can still reach back 20 years into the history of Paradox and find nothing but quality. Product of Imagination was the band's first offering, a melodic cut of thrash and speed metal which some similarities to peers of the day like Rage, Vendetta, Mania, Scanner and Deathrow. The material on this album was less complex than the recent Riot Squad and Electrify, the lyrics were still dabbling in mid-80s fare like Satan and nuclear warfare (okay, maybe nuclear warfare never gets old), and Steinhauer's vocals had far less bite than on later records, but there is still enough character here to appeal to the diehard 80s Teutonic rager.

The first few tracks don't offer much in the way of huge hooks, just a blitz of crisp thrashing energy through the band's namesake "Paradox" and the silly "Death, Screaming, and Pain" which is rather unmemorable aside from its first moment. "Product of Imagination" features the style of acoustic lead-in that the band would further sharpen on the successor Heresy (and continue to use through their discography), and the vocals start to become wilder and infectious. The guitarists get some shredding and tapping out of their system through the brief "Continuation of Invasion", and then "Mystery" arrives, one of the better tracks on the album: melodic and heavy speed metal rhythms, and some nice crunchy breakdowns. "Kill That Beast" is similar to "Death, Screaming, and Pain", not much to remember except for the silly chorus (I'll spoil it for you...it's the song title).

We all just drown
In the nuclear rain
Nuclear rain
We have the power
Should we use it
No mistakes now
Don't abuse it
Kill that beast!
Kill that beast!

"Pray to the Godz of Wrath" is another of the album's strong marks, with some great vocals, a galloping gait, and nice descending guitar rhythm, though it has nothing on "Beyond Space", which erupts in a blaze of speed and lays the foundation for much of the band's later, better work. The album closes with an 18 second song..."Wotan II", which has a pair of pretty good riffs in it that could have been extended out into a song that would surpass a few of the full-length tracks here.

Product of Imagination was a decent start for Paradox, but it soon got lost in the pack as the thrash metal scene was exploding in 1986-1990 and there were far better albums out there to enjoy. The first was the worst, as Heresy would destroy this album, with an enhanced sense for melody and memorable riffing. There are a few songs here I still wander back to, but not a lot of impact and the album hasn't held up well against the ravages of time (whereas Heresy still sounds great).

Highlights: Mystery, Pray to the Godz of Wrath, Beyond Space

Verdict: Win [7/10] (had to keep the satanistic hand at bay, yeah)

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Paradox - Riot Squad (2009)

We had to wait 8 long years to receive Electrify from the awesome German thrashers Paradox, but they have shown us mercy, and delivered their 5th album Riot Squad one year later. It basically picks up where its predecessor left off, with 10 new tracks of the band's energetic, 'electrified' progressive thrash metal that will have you banging your head and shouting YESSSSS to the heavens. The aging Germans have not lost their touch, and though the album is not precisely as memorable as Electrify, it's goddamned close (I'll score it the same), and heavier, another positive charge to their discography.

Prepare your neck for immediate stimulation as "Suburban Riot Squad" comes into focus with the band's gleaming, unique melodies and then a punchy thrasher which should have any non-poseur reaching for his kevlar, helmet, taser and billy club. "Hollow Peace" offers no respite, it's like having a few brief seconds in between hammerblows to your jaw, with anthemic melodies intertwined in its chugging bottom end. Kind of a modern Flotsam & Jetsam feel to it. "Riptide" rocks out even harder than the previous tracks, with an unforgettable acrobatic thrash rhythm conjuring all the better spinal tapping thrash metal of the 80s. "Rise in Rank" opens in a wall of crazy melody before it once again dives into 100% urban combat. Close your eyes and dream of a dystopian future in which you find yourself the last line of defense between the tax paying privileged and the anarcho streetpunks armed with their latest cybertech warfare.

If Robocop were a thrash metal album, this might just be it!

"Evolution Rest" creates instant anxiety with its spikes of neurotic melody and grooving violence. "Nothingness" is pensive and laid back, but there is a tension behind it which seems to warn of the oncoming onslaught of "No Place to Survive", which just kicked my ass clear across the cityscape. "Dream Hero" and "Planet Terror" offer two more warnings of the twisted society to come, and "Psychofficial" closes out the album with unnverving, battering brutality, one of the heaviest tracks this band has ever delivered.

Riot Squad sounds suitably confrontational and acidic. Charly Steinhauer's vocals remain just as memorable as the first time you ever spun Product of Imagination or Heresy, and the band are at their technical prime, though never indulgent beyond the framework of their tight, punctual riffing. This is real mother fucking thrash metal, which looks backward only to smile and nod at its rich past, then turns about face and marches into the future, where it can still kick ass. Paradox exclaims boldly to all the would-be, retrograde nostalgic upstarts: thrash metal is not a relic, it is not over, it has only begun.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]

http://www.paradox-bangers.de/

Paradox - Electrify (2008)

In a year seeing several thrash bands return to the spotlight with some killer releases (Metallica, Testament among others) it would be far too easy to overlook this masterpiece of German thrash. This is only the fourth album from Paradox in a career dating from 1986. There was a large hiatus between the excellent Heresy and 2000's Collision Course, and another until this.

Well, guess what? It's been more than worth the wait, as the Germans have produced what is likely the defining album of their career. Like Mekong Delta last year, the joints of this band have NOT grown stiff over the years. If anything this is faster and more technical than their earlier work, but it's an absolute riffgasm. "Second Over Third By Force" begins with an acoustic intro (reminiscent of some of the better tracks on Heresy) and then proceed to unleash the wolves with its amazing, melodic thrash riffing and the distinct vocals of Charlie Steinhauer. For a good idea of his vocals, imagine the melodic stylings of Peavy (Rage) or Deathrow but not as high pitched. The rest of the album is littered with a triumph in technical thrashing. "Monument" and "Hyperspeed Hallucinations" are top shelf. "Bridge to Silence" is a beautiful cacophony of gathering melodies of sadness. "Infected" and "Disconnected" rock the hell out.

The lyrics are perfectly reminiscent of other progressive thrash from the 80s, always pensive and never dull or stupidly retro. I can't qualify enough just how it is important to me these days to see bands who are NOT mired down in bullet belt worship or copying their elders. Paradox has no need for any of this shit, they have created a thrashterpiece which is as forward thinking today as they were in the 80s, and they stand among the very best bands in the world still chipping away at that dream. Support the effort! You will not be disappointed.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (no enemy to fight, no one to deceive)

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