DARKNESS - Thrash till Death! DLP HRR403, ltd 500, 250 x double black + 250 x double white/ red splatter vinyl, gatefold cover, insert Side A (The Evil Curse Demo) -Intro -Victims -Infernal Declaration -Armageddon -Voice of Malice (unrel. track) Side C (Spawn Of The Dark One Demo) -The Gates -Beyond The Gates Of Death -Death Squad -Armageddon -Legacy Of Blood -Titanic War Side B (Titanic War Demo) -Intro -The Evil Curse -Hear The City -Iron Force -Torment Declaration -Kingdom Of Death Side D (Promotape 1987) -Armageddon -Death Squad -Legacy Of Blood -Phantasmagoria -Iron Force (live track) SOLD OUT!

Mastered from original demo cassette sources by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in December 2013. Along with Kreator and Violent Force, Darkness, from Essen, were the main protagonists of the original Thrash Metal invasion out of North Rhine-Westphalia (a predominantly working class area in the heart of Germany). The band came into being after a legendary concert at the Zeche Carl in Essen on December 1st 1984, where Destruction, Iron Angel (from Hamburg) and Tormentor, an early incarnation of Kreator, had been playing. It took a while though until Torturer (Lacky), Agony (Hartmut Schröder), Skull (Andreas Becker) and Damager (Uwe Christophers) were ready to take off. New Renaissance Records over in America offered a deal but only the song “Armageddon” appeared on a compilation album entitled »Satan’s Revenge«. Finally, in 1987, Darkness’ first album »Death Squad« was issued on a subsidiary label of Gama Records (a small company from Southern Germany). But it was too little too late. By then, Kreator, Destruction Sodom and Tankard had already been established as the “Big 4 of Teutonic Thrash Metal”. Two more albums followed, »Defenders Of Justice« in 1988 and the slightly more experimental »Conclusion And Revival« a year later, before the band split up. Lacky reformed the band under the name of Eure Erben in 2004. They reverted to Darkness in 2006 and appeared for a one-off show at the German “Keep It True” festival. »Thrash Till Death!« collects four of the band’s best demos: “The Evil Curse” (1985), “Titanic War” (1986), “Spawn Of The Dark One” (also 1986) and finally the 1987 promo tape. All songs (including the unreleased “Voice Of Malice”) have been carefully mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony from original demo cassette sources! A true lesson in authentic German Thrash Metal. Matthias Mader