Perrelet

DARKNESS Death Squad Cassette tape thrash morbid saint sodom kreator sepultura

Description: DARKNESSDeath Squad Cassette Sealed. ---Olli (R.I.P.) - VocalsArnd - GuitarsPierre - GuitarsRaper - BassLacky - Drums -Invasion Sector 12-Critical Threshold-Death Squad-Staatsfeind-Tarsman of Ghor-Faded Pictures-Iron Force-Burial at Sea-Phantasmagoria 1st-4th pressing: SOLD OUT!5th pressing: February 14th There's no doubt about the fact that the Ruhr area was the birthplace of German Thrash Metal. Kreator, Sodom, Living Death and even one-hit wonders such as Violent Force (Velbert) all came from working-class towns graced by bleak industrial buildings and mass unemployment. The same goes for Darkness. They formed on the spot on December 1st 1984 after a legendary gig at the Zeche Carl in Essen, where Destruction, Iron Angel and Tormentor, an early incarnation of Kreator, had been playing. They had everything: the name of the band, Darkness (Destroyer was an early alternative name), the concept, and the pseudonyms, namely Torturer (Lacky), Agony (Hartmut Schöner) and Skull (Andreas Becker).Darkness' first album »Death Squad«, originally released in 1987 on Tales of Thrash, a subsidiary label of GAMA, became an instant Teutonic Thrash Classic. This classic piece of German Thrash Metal has just been re-released on High Roller Records in a strictly limited edition.“We had already demoed 'Iron Force', 'Death Squad' and 'Phantasmagoria',“ explains vocalist/drummer Lacky. ”And there was also 'Armageddon' but we had given this one to New Renaissance Records. The rest of the songs on »Death Squad« was all brand new material.” “I always thought »Death Squad« was the best we could deliver at this point in time, I still like the record,” he continues. “We had a bit of time pressure and no real experience in the studio. Bearing all this in mind, »Death Squad« was quite an achievement for us.”In 1987 Noise Records, Steamhammer and Roadrunner were probably the most important labels for German Thrash Metal bands. However, Darkness signed with GAMA. Lacky explains: “Especially for Darkness GAMA had formed a sublabel called Tales of Thrash. They did a good job at self-promotion. GAMA had their own little studio, international distribution, we were promised free copies of the album. This all sounded quite good at the time. We discovered much later that not everything was as nice as it sounded.“ “It all started out very promising,” reminisces Lacky. “GAMA did full-page ads in the magazines when the record came out. Unfortunately, this was about it. They did not do much else. All the promotion that followed was handled by the band, based on the contacts I had gathered by mailing out our demos to every corner of the world. GAMA did not put in any more efforts – and sold the record like crazy (at some point in time we were told 25,000 copies had been sold). In retrospect, it was a mistake to sign with GAMA. It was the first label that had offered us a deal. Our friends from Kreator and Sodom were already selling albums by the truckload and were touring internationally. I guess we wanted to keep up with them and not wait any longer ...”“You live and learn,” says Lacks. “I still think »Death Squad« was a good album. I still love the album cover – a total classic. Of course it was inspired by Slayer's »Live Undead« record. Those zombies carrying guns – that was way cool!”So as we all know, Darkness have not become as big as Kreator, Sodom and Destruction. According to Lacky, this was mainly down to the record company's lack of financial backing: “If we had toured, it might have turned out differently. We had two offers to go on the road in Europe, one with Wehrmacht and the other one with Dark Angel. Both tours got canceled because of stupid accidents, dumb tour managers an wannabe booking agencies. A tour with Kreator got scratched at the last minute because GAMA was not willing to pay for the tour support. So we did a lot of single gigs but no nationwide tour. That's life.”After »Death Squad« Darkness released two more albums: »Defenders Of Justice« and »Conclusion & Revival«. However, it seems as if fans still regard »Death Squad« as the classic Darkness album. “That probably holds true for most of our fans,” analyzes Lacky. “But »Defenders Of Justice« has some standing as well. »Conclusion & Revival« takes a backseat, mainly because of its unusual production values. But still, the album has its followers, especially in Asia.”“The rights to »Death Squad« has reverted to us,” says Lacky. “That's why High Roller is re-releasing it now. The other albums will hopefully follow. The label did a fantastic job with our demo vinyl boxed set. As long as we got asked, I will work together with High Roller Records any time. Steffen and his crew know how to do it. It's an honour for us to be on that label!”Especially in the mid-1980's there was a big camaraderie among Ruhr area Thrash bands. Lacky confirms: “Yeah, the guys from Violent Force were my first pen pals. They also organized the first-ever Darkness show in Velbert. We met the Sodom guys mostly at parties. Our contacts with Kreator were tighter. When they lost their rehearsal space, we shared our room with them for quite a long time. A lot of the Thrash guys I knew since times at primary school. It was indeed one big scene. Quite unlike today.”Matthias Mader Darkness (German Thrash Metal)Darkness is a seminal German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1984. Emerging from the same fertile Ruhr area scene that birthed titans like Kreator and Sodom, Darkness is known for their aggressive riffs, raw sound, and unrelenting energy. Their early work captures the essence of German thrash: a mix of ferocity, speed, and dark lyrical themes. Their debut album, Death Squad (1987), is a cult classic, characterized by chaotic yet precise guitar work and high-octane drumming, reflecting the DIY ethos of the underground thrash movement. Despite lineup changes and a hiatus in the 1990s, Darkness reformed in the mid-2000s and released albums like The Gasoline Solution (2016) and Over and Out (2020), proving their enduring relevance in the thrash metal scene. Their music resonates with fans of classic thrash while incorporating modern production and intensity. Key AlbumsDeath Squad (1987)Defenders of Justice (1988)The Gasoline Solution (2016)Over and Out (2020)50 Similar ArtistsBelow is a list of bands that align with Darkness’s style, particularly in the German thrash and global thrash metal scenes: KreatorSodomDestructionTankardHoly MosesAssassinExumerProtectorNecronomicon (Germany)ParadoxIron AngelLiving DeathMekong DeltaVendettaAngel Dust (early years)MinotaurDeathrowViolent ForceExumerToxic ShockMortal SinArtilleryRazorSacrifice (Canada)CoronerSabbat (UK)OnslaughtDestructorDark AngelDemolition HammerVio-LenceEvildeadHexenhausWhiplashSlaughter (Canada)Infernal MajestyHoly TerrorMorbid SaintDeathwish (UK)AtrophyForbiddenSacred ReichAnnihilatorExodusOverkillHiraxFlotsam and JetsamHeathenWarbringerWarpath (Germany)These bands represent a mix of the Teutonic thrash metal movement and the broader global thrash scene, providing a comprehensive look at the raw, aggressive style Darkness exemplifies.

Price: 13.25 USD

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

End Time: 2025-02-13T14:52:14.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6 USD

Product Images

DARKNESS Death Squad Cassette tape thrash morbid saint sodom kreator sepultura

Item Specifics

All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted

Artist: Celtic Frost, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Kreator, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Morbid Saint, Obituary, Saxon, Slayer, Sodom, Venom, Diamond Head, exumer, raven, tank, cannibal corpse, medieval steel, Witch Cross, gotham city, DARKNESS

Format: Cassette

Record Label: high roller records

Release Year: 2022

Release Title: Death Squad

Case Condition: Mint (M)

Style: Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Punk Metal, Punk/New Wave, Thrash & Speed

Genre: Metal, Rock, Rock 'n' Roll

Inlay Condition: Mint (M)

Cassette Condition: Mint (M)

Recommended

To Darkness and to Death
To Darkness and to Death

$7.49

View Details
Warhammer Chaos and Death Battletome Books Lot
Warhammer Chaos and Death Battletome Books Lot

$17.99

View Details
DEATH WISH COFFEE CO. 💀Instant Single Serve Packets
DEATH WISH COFFEE CO. 💀Instant Single Serve Packets

$8.78

View Details
My Dying Bride: Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light CD 2004 Peaceville Germany NEW
My Dying Bride: Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light CD 2004 Peaceville Germany NEW

$14.95

View Details
DARKNESS BY OATH-SEEDS OF DESOLATION-CD-death-at the gates-a canorous quintet
DARKNESS BY OATH-SEEDS OF DESOLATION-CD-death-at the gates-a canorous quintet

$24.88

View Details
Death in the Dark Woods Hardcover Annelise Ryan
Death in the Dark Woods Hardcover Annelise Ryan

$11.82

View Details
Beyond The Dark Veil: Post Mortem & Mourning Photography From The Thanatos ...
Beyond The Dark Veil: Post Mortem & Mourning Photography From The Thanatos ...

$23.67

View Details
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament

$7.86

View Details
Beyond the Darkness : A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Th
Beyond the Darkness : A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Th

$6.82

View Details
Dark Knights Death Metal #7 * NM+ * 1st YARA FLOR Marco Mastrazzo Virgin Variant
Dark Knights Death Metal #7 * NM+ * 1st YARA FLOR Marco Mastrazzo Virgin Variant

$16.58

View Details