Violent Force
Malevolent Assault of Tomorrow

The Violent Force, a German thrash metal band, formed in 1984 in Velbert, Germany, and debuted with the demo "Dead City" in 1985, followed by "Velbert Dead City" (1985), "Live in Hilden" (1986), and "Dead City- The Night" in 1986. They secured a contract with Roadrunner Records and released their first album "Malevolent Assault Of Tomorrow" in 1987, which includes significant songs from their demo tapes. An already well-established story, rising from smoky cellars to end up in festivals amidst rivers of beer.

A bone-crushing name, prophetic title, horrific cover, logo shrunken and banished to the corner, cardboard casing that opens like a watermelon (to be repaired instantly upon arriving home), a group photo on the back with our four ruffians, patches galore (notably slatanic wehrmacht), proud looks, ten speed songs produced by Kalle Trapp. Within the grooves of this vinyl, we don't find the quintessence of '80s German metal nor a breathtaking compositional ability, but a blend of hardcore riffs served at maximum speed, in the sonic wake of Slayer's "Hell Awaits" or Kreator's "Pleasure To Kill".

Out of ten songs, at least 3 are worth mentioning, all based on speed, shouted choruses, shattering solos, and rhythmic sections that repeat the same patterns to exhaustion, like a TV huckster on a trip. "Dead City" is the speed opener inspired by Motorhead, with a bass line heard countless times (e.g., "Iron Hammer" by Razor) that remains imprinted for a few hours due to the often-repeated title (the "Dead City" is their native Velbert), followed by the mini mini mini suite "Soulbursting", featured on the "Teutonic Invasion II" compilation, which starts fast and increases in speed further, leaving a bit of a bitter taste like an incredibly watered-down Lambrusco di Sorbara. The acronym "M.A.O.T" (Malevolent Assault Of Tomorrow) seals the most pleasant chorus song, flowing without much excitement until the arrival of the most catchy and captivating song, "Sign Of Evil", which you can whistle and sing a few decades later at the sight of a reunion tour, possibly due to the album's reissue with a one-minute outtake (like "Limits Of Liberty" on Kreator's "Scenarios Of Violence"), followed by a new album with demos fished out from the past. "Violent Force", "Vengeance And Venom" are merely pale copies of Slayer's "Necrophobic" branded by Kalle Trapp's rough production, which certainly highlights the virulence of the tracks but also the limited compositional ability of the quartet. solely focused on extreme sound without channeling it into memorable pieces. In 3 tracks, the skins are beaten by Atomic Steif (drummer in several Teutonic thrash bands till eternity) and in the remaining 7, it's Jurgen Hillebrand shaking the drums: the difference is not noticeable.

The band suffers from identifying with a kind of raw primitive thrash that, by 1987, was already being surpassed by bands that had proposed it 2 or 3 years earlier, like Destruction with "Infernal Overkill" or Kreator with "Endless Pain", only to progress technically (see the rise of Ventor from Kreator as a drummer on "Terrible Certainty") and set sail, leaving behind countless clone bands that were still deciding what to do (like Exumer's "Rising From The Sea" or Assassin's "Interstellar Experience"). The band's dissolution was therefore inevitable, which had the follow-up to "Malevolent Assault Of Tomorrow" ready, destroyed by "Raging Steel" by Deathrow (the true thrash tornado of those years) and no longer having a contract with Roadrunner. A different fate awaited their fellow townsmen Vendetta, undoubtedly more incisive with their two little gems "Go And Live Stay and Die" and "Brain Damage", but with the same oblivion ending before the advent of the '90s.

Dummer Atomic Steif and singer Lemmy would join vocalist "Toto" Bergmann and guitarist Fred, both former Living Death, to continue in the German thrash circuit under the moniker Sacred Chao, releasing only a mysterious mini-LP before disappearing from the German scene. Violent Force, however, linger in the air, with their official site active and the mysterious allure of the only album they released. A friendly and energetic band but without the compositional impact to compete with the more renowned bands of the sacred triad Sodom-Destruction-Kreator.