Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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Although they didn't fare nearly as well as fellow Teutonic thrashers like Kreator and Sodom in terms of career longevity or commercial success, Würzburg, Germany's Paradox certainly seemed, on the surface, to have a better shot at the big time with their more melodic and accessible style. Formed in February of 1986 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Charly Steinhauer, lead guitarist Markus Spyth, bassist Roland Stahl, and drummer Axel Blaha, the group was heavily influenced by the biggest of all thrash bands – Metallica – and quickly parlayed a few impressive demos into a deal with Roadrunner Records and a very impressive debut album, Product of Imagination, the following year. This earned Paradox many accolades in their homeland, with both Rock Hard and Metal Hammer magazines naming them "Best Newcomer," while fans voted them favorite German band behind only all-time heroes Accept and the Scorpions. But Paradox remained largely undiscovered beyond Germany's borders, and despite closing out the year on a high with performances at Holland's Dynamo and Portugal's Festa Avante festivals, the group's sophomore album, Heresy (produced by top thrash producer Harris Johns and introducing new bassist Matthias Schmidt), became something of a make-or-break proposition by the time it was released in 1989. Sadly, and despite showing marked songwriting improvement over its predecessor, the final verdict was indeed "break," and Paradox fell apart due to disappointing sales and after being dropped by Roadrunner. A new version of the band was assembled by Steinhauer in 1999 with the express purpose of playing at the Wacken Open Air Festival, but then stuck around long enough to record a third Paradox album, Collision Course, in 2000.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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Paradox staked their claim as one of Germany's most accomplished, melodic speed metal bands with this 1987 debut, which branded them first and foremost a guitar band. This may sound rather obvious when discussing a heavy metal band, but really does merit special mention given the jaw-dropping technique displayed by the six-string tandem of Charly Steinhauer and Markus Spyth – both on the lead and rhythm fronts. Not that bassist Roland Stahl and drummer Axel Blaha had any trouble keeping up, mind you, and it's truly an incredibly cohesive and taut unit that rips through Testament-type mega-thrashers such as "Paradox," the amusingly named "Death, Screaming and Pain," and the especially frenzied compilation track that earned them their deal with Roadrunner in the first place, "Pray to the Godz of Wrath." Also worth mentioning is the extended, seven-minute title track, which builds gradually from a relatively generic acoustic intro towards climatic and anthemic dual harmonies before unleashing its central thrashing section; but like many other songs here (e.g. "Mystery," "Kill That Beast," "Beyond Space," with its clumsy gang choruses), it suffers from wild inconsistencies of tone, dynamics, and quality. Along with a set of song intros, outros and stand-alone guitar solos (see "Continuation of Invasion"), these compositional issues suggested that maybe Paradox weren't quite ready to record, but rather were hurriedly cobbling songs together throughout the album's sessions. Nevertheless, metal heads in their homeland were pleased enough with Product of Imagination to vote Paradox their third favorite band in the polls run by German editions of Rock Hard and Metal Hammer magazines, behind only the legendary Scorpions and Accept. If only they'd realized that the best was yet to come for Paradox.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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On their first album, 1987's Product of Imagination, Germany's Paradox came across as a quite competent but inconsistent speed metal band; but on their second, 1989's Heresy, they emerged as world-beating thrashers! In fact, Heresy's only discernible weakness may be its rather obvious inspirational debt to Anthrax's all-time classic Among the Living (in particular on "Search for Perfection" and "Killtime"), but then, New York's finest would probably have killed to follow up their greatest LP with something this good, instead of State of Euphoria. Anyway, Heresy was a full-fledged concept album, to boot, delving into the Albigensian Crusade of the 13th century, which annihilated the followers of an illuminated sect called Catharism in excruciating detail (also memorialized in Iron Maiden's "Montsegur") – hence such titles as "Crusaders' Revenge" and the Testament-esque "Massacre of the Cathars." Yet none of these tracks sacrifice an ounce of their moshing intensity for the benefit of free history lessons, and for all of the understandable sonic comparisons to Anthrax, Paradox possessed the added advantage of two capable lead guitarists delivering mind-boggling solos, soaring twin harmonies, and Exodus-like rhythmic precision. The very impressive results can be heard on the heroic title cut and pulverizing thrashers like the "The Burning," "Serenity," and "700 Years On" – all of which help make Heresy one of the underrated gems from the original thrash metal era.

by Eduardo Rivadavia, AMG

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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The third offering from German thrashers Paradox, “Collision Course,” sees the band return from their hiatus with another in a long line of powerful, full-throttle thrash albums that sees them deliver in a mature, refined nature that is on par with the quality in their catalog.

After the decade-long layover between albums, the group is remarkable competent at maintaining their core sound and drive after all this time as there’s still plenty on display here that was present back in their heyday. It’s full of rampaging guitar riffs that recall the epic intricacies of bay-area styled thrash but spiced with loads of melodies that often make for a power metal band as well, and that was a feature that was not tampered with in their previous albums and is still here, as well as the barreling tempos as the songs range from absolute full-throttle thrash barnburners to more of a mid-tempo groove as well as more laid-back styles that are quite atmospheric and melodic. That all of these features were quite prominent in their previous work makes them all welcome additions here as well, making the music connect more to their fans while attempting to bridge that gap to the new generation. As well, the group’s penchant for eerily melodic-crooned vocals continues here with another impressive performance that brings the songs to life as they soar and climb over the music following the twists and turns in the riffing patterns that come from their stellar rhythm section as the bass absolutely thumps with joyous abandon and the drumming is just a non-stop blast, weaving around plenty of organic fills, tons of intense double-bass movements and keeps the tempo up during the majority of the songs. As mentioned before, all this is found in great supply in their past works.

It’s not so much really an inclusion into their sound, but the fact that the album displays the band undergoing a far more technical approach in the riffing patterns is a big development, as this is basically extended from their previous album but ramped up tenfold based on the kind of stellar riffing presented here. Rather than the typical idea of technicality where it’s over-the-top whirlwinds, sweeps and dive-bombing riffs playing with extreme precision and accuracy, the technicality here is merely a cool way of generating a denser series of riffs based on the main part in the song, allowing for some really intense moments throughout that are just all the more insane because of the different varieties and tones within the song. Also of note is that this technical riffing manages to make the album far more melodic than it really should, all by virtue of the rather simplistic decision of integrating their older power metal riffs the main focus of attention when it descends into the technical realm, so while it’s thrashing away at a quick tempo the technical prowess being undertaken is a lighter, more accessible sound that retains an intense vibe as well, which is quite an accomplished feat that proves the band’s long-displayed ability to write solid, enjoyable songs that are instantly memorable and melodic as well as intense.

The album’s split-up somewhat by comparison between the two sections, with the first half of the album containing more melodic fare. Opener ‘Decade of Sorrow’ is a short, guitar-centered ambient intro that kicks into high-gear with the propulsive title track, which features intense bay-area riffing with large doses of technicality and melody that keep the energy up while dropping their power/speed tag due to the aforementioned technicality, and features a blazing solo as well. The more melodic ‘Rearrange the Past’ features another acoustic intro that gives way to crunchy mid-tempo chug with an ethereal feel due to the strong riffing and steady, solid pacing throughout, becoming a nice highlight effort. ‘Path of Denial’ is the first real thrash song with intense riffing while maintaining a core of bay area thrash dynamics with incorporating traditional power/thrash patterns with a serious of melodic, yet technically-leaning riffs that really deliver the goods quite nicely. ‘Saviour’ is perhaps the finest example of this half of the album as it seems to interject all the efforts into one singular track, as it’s a mid-tempo effort with expansive riffing that doesn’t get any sense of tightness and lacks energy before an impressive final attempt, generating the thrash goods quite nicely.

By contrast, the second half of the album is where all the really meaty, vicious tracks are and where the album really hits its stride. ‘Blamed for Nothing’ contains an intense chugging riff with plenty of grooving vocals, an up-tempo pace and a nice melodic intersection at the end as the twinkling sound emanating through the song comes to full-attention and makes for a perfect breather after the full-scale assault. ‘Prostitution of Society’ starts with an eerie intro that turns into a thrashing mid-tempo groove with plenty of guitar pyrotechnics among the power metal atmosphere rather than the thrash, but overall this is a solid enough track. Next is two similar-sounding back-to-back tracks that are real highlights in the bands discography for their sheer overall thrashing madness, as ‘Shattered Illusions’ and ‘Sadness’ follow along eerily familiar paths together, being ultra-intense and blasting full-throttle thrashers with aggressive charging riffs in an up-tempo atmosphere, blasting drumming and plenty of intricate, powerful solos to create a commanding, powerful presence for a double-shot of awesome speed. Needing a break from that madness is ‘Overshadowed,’ which eases off the full-speed throttle in favor of a melodic-leaning chug with an energetic pace and tempo that’s quite enjoyable and is another solid overall track. It all ends with a rocking, energetic cover of The Scorpions’ Dynamite,’ which attempts to drop the hard-rock feel of the original of incorporating it into the bands’ power/thrash style, and while it misfires on that attempt overall it’s quite impressive if not comparing it to the original to end the album on a solid note.

This is one of the more enjoyable and exciting releases in the thrash scene for a long time and really serves well-enough on that note without the added bonus of it being a comeback record after a decade of silence, so on that front as well this is a strong effort. Containing a memorable infusion of bay-area styled thrash with a technically-infused power/thrash approach they refined back in their early days, this is a real throwback to the glory days of the scene and really doesn’t have too many flaws that’ll hold it down at all, as everything from the songwriting to the performances to the individual achievements and even the production job are superb and really make this a well-rounded and polished effort. This is highly recommended to all fans of the band as well as to those of the style or just plain thrash fanatics who will find plenty to enjoy on this one.

by slayrrr666, metal-archives.com

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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The fourth full-length from German thrashers Paradox, “Electrify,” continues their strong blend of technically-inclined mixture of old-school thrash and power metal into a devastating, cohesive whole with yet another strong release to the band’s catalog of consistent, quality-filled releases.

Almost in compete abandoning of their past, the album has a distinct and noticeable series of changes to it from the first to the second half. Here, in the first half we find the band operating more in the mid-to-upper range of their sound, at least in terms of speed, as they generally keep the pedal on all the way through in most cases. There’s an added benefit to it this time around, though, as the slightly-slower and less aggressive tempos allow the band to incorporate more of a power metal attack into their thrash than ever before for the guitar harmonies are given a wide canvas with which to work with, and the bands’ consistently-excellent songwriting keeps them strong. There’s select moments within these songs that those melodies approach the level of atmospherics generally more accustomed to truer heavy metal acts with the sense of grandiosity and bombast afforded them, and it makes for a striking amount of musicianship talent to make them as much fun as they are. With that aforementioned lack of aggression not as prevalent as the second half, again only in small isolated pockets, those melodies are intermixed with a fine series of vicious, muscular riffs that make for a dynamic and infectious assault here where the music constantly shifts from mid-paced and melodic to aggressive and up-tempo, oftentimes within the same song, which is a fine trick to accomplish and only serves to prove their ingenuity and songwriting prowess to keep the music surprising and refreshing after so many years off. Backed by those wonderfully melodic, power metal-ish croons that weave through the music instead of the usual acidic, traditional thrash metal vocal simply completes the whole picture here and makes for a fantastic start to things.

In contrast, the second half is slightly over-the-top in terms of the intensity brought to bear on the material, which is quite fun as the album definitely picks up a lot of steam as it barrels along. The fact that it’s not as melodic and mid-paced, often using that tempo to merely bridge up to the faster, more fuller tempos is a perfect part of the album, where it manages to add a spark to the music and wrap itself around the extra spices to their sound with the more traditional thrash elements that make for a spectacular listen. The focus on those traditional thrash metal riffs, in essence dropping the power metal riffs altogether, is a great facet in here because it keeps the band from replaying the same recycled riff-work and atmospheric interludes that they had already exploited in the first half of the album, and when the attack is then given an extra dose with plenty of furious riffing, devastating drumming and flexible bass-work it makes these songs that much better.

As mentioned, the first half is by comparison a little more melodic than the later half, but there’s still plenty of full-on thrash goodness. Opener ‘Second over Third by Force’ starts with an eerie intro before turning into a barn-burning thrasher with charging drumming, a series of infectiously melodic power/thrash riffing reminiscent of their glory days and soaring mid-range power metal croons, combined together into an aggressive and charging effort that opens things perfectly. It downgrades significantly with the oddly-placed ‘Paralyzed,’ which is an introspective acoustic guitar-driven effort with reflective vocals, which feels like intro track rather than where it’s placed here already after the blazing full-throttle number. ‘Monument’ brings it back to the intense riffing with spices of melodic choruses, chugging riffing and spacious vibe with atmospheric passages and outstanding solos, equaling another highlight effort. ‘Portrait in Grey’ is pretty evocative of this half of the album, starting with a groovy build-up intro with mid-paced, melodic riffing that segues into a harder solo section with charging riffing and more intense energy, yet still maintains a melodic vibe throughout with a few sporadic thrash elements and a focus on the melodies. This is carried through in ‘Hyperspeed Hallucinations,’ which features another build-up intro only with intense main riff with chaotic mid-section led by pummeling drumming to create a truer thrash atmosphere than before and ends the first half strongly.

The second half seems to segue between the two quite easily, with a track that seems to fit in more with that selection than its official placement. ‘Bridge to Silence’ starts with an eerie, melodic intro that gives way to frantic, mid-paced riffs with tons of melody, epic riffing and a lack of thrash aggression in a mid-paced tone that feels more like the tracks earlier on in the album. The more traditional thrash effort ‘Infected’ signals the start of the more furious tracks with a chugging pace, technically-proficient melodic riffing, soaring croons and intense, aggressive solo-work in a fine package that signals yet another highlight effort track. ‘Disconnected,’ with an aggressive intro, continues this path with meaty mid-paced thrash riffing with technical proficiency, the right use of atmospheric interludes and a strong combination of the muscular and the melodic for a great overall track. The lone attempt at deviation, ‘Cyberspace Romance,’ is about as close as the genre has come to a full-on ballad with moody, atmospheric riffing weaving through introspective, melodic pace and slow-downed tempo with occasional bursts of thrash that recall the epics written back in the 80s by the heroes of that time, and is not a bad effort for it tries something but doesn’t really fit with the more aggressive material around it. Thankfully, the title track finishes this off in a blazing burst of intense and aggressive thrash with powerful riffing, forceful drumming and charging pace full of old-school thrash moments and commanding solo work that ends the album as a whole on a great note.

Overall, the band is just so consistent and commanding that it’s hard to really give them any faults at all here except for the odd misplaced track in the sequence or a bold if slightly unimpressive experiment that at least attempts to forge a path from the past to their present. The band has another odd habit in taking years to release material, for this is the second release that’s followed its’ predecessor by at least eight years and both times the result has been nothing short of a stand-out so perhaps that’s what’s needed for the band to thrive for their mixture of old-school thrash aggression, power metal theatrics and harmonies and doses of technicality have been impossible to ignore and this is yet another strong effort in their already impressive resume. It’s highly recommended to the old-school fans, thrash fanatics in general or those curious about the band in general.

by slayrrr666, metal-archives.com

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The fifth effort from Germany’s old-school power/thrashers Paradox, “Riot Squad,” is one more extreme headbang-inducing assault from an act well-versed in delivering such punishment and continues to set forth a solid legacy in the genre.

As is usual for the band, the first half of the album combines pretty much everything that’s going to be found throughout the release, and there’s no difference here. Right up-front is the guitar-playing, which is truly a strong point in the band’s career for it manages to feature all the hallmarks the group has utilized in one location for the album, from the melodic lines that recall the atmospherics of power metal bands in projecting a sense of grandiosity that’s usually never associated with the genre for thrash generally tends to focus more on the intensity and aggression within the music. Littered with such melodies when the band is in mid-tempo chugging mode, a tactic that’s spread throughout the songs and as a rule creeps into nearly every song here regardless of its’ speed or pacing, allows them to stand out when the band acts more like those truer thrash bands during the times when the intensity and aggression come through, which is in ample supply here. Nearly every song features at least one extreme thrash riff, and most are the full-throttle ahead kinds which make the experience even more enjoyable. Also, the group’s sense of technical display is again on fine display throughout, and when merged with the melodies in the simpler-paced songs create more infectious moments within the music. These elements in the guitar-centered music are an important part of the bands’ sound and that continues on this record.

Apart from the guitar elements, there are also the classic variations within their sound that are on full-display here. Another element ported over from the power metal world is the use of clean, soaring vocals instead of the acidic, raspy singing that usually accompanies such bands, and this adds an extra dimension to the bands’ attack that most bands can’t accomplish. Able to weave and twist through the music rather than just screaming and growling over the top of hateful and aggressive music, the lighter approach to the vocals is an important part in harmonizing with the guitars to make for a melodic and infectious atmosphere that most thrash bands aren’t capable of even if they wanted to. It’s a total surprise to see this in the more intensely-paced tracks sounding as listenable as they do but that’s due mostly to these vocal melodies that they’ve been able to utilize because of their chosen sound, and as a big part of their early days to see it still in full-force at this stage of their career in this impacting way is a great sign. As well, blessed with a frantic drummer that manages to hit all the double-bass requirements for that extra impact but can lay off to let the guitar theatrics take over yet still remain a forceful entity in their own right makes this quite fun, and with a great bass performance as well this is a strong overall performance.

Stylistically, there’s not a great deal of difference between the first and second halves of the album, and it’s really only a minute difference here that there is one but the first half does come out a little more intense overall. Not to say that there’s not some walloping tracks in this section, but as a whole the more intense moments are found in the first half while the second tends to slow the pace and keep things a little more mid-paced and less chaotic, letting a bit more of the old-school thrash come to the forefront rather than the other intense songs, and overall this creates a feeling of a minor let-down when compared to the more charging opening part. This section still has plenty of quality within it, and there’s a chaotic break-neck song or two within to satisfy all manners of thrash fans so it’s not a bad effort at all, and the melodic sensibilities present have always been a part of their sound anyway which doesn’t mean it’s an experimental part of the album either. It’s just a slight notch down on the intensity scale.

There’s really not a whole lot wrong with the songs in this one and its’ almost immediately noticeable. Opener ‘Suburban Riot Squad’ features pretty much every feature possible in the band’s repertoire, with pounding drumming, technical riffing with a total thrash atmosphere in a chaotic solo section to create a chaotic, thrashing lead-off that signals the upcoming storm in spectacular fashion. Follow-up ‘Hollow Peace’ is another highlight with a commanding intro with pounding, militaristic drumming, grooving riffs and intertwining melodic sensibilities that generate an atmosphere of immense power and thrashing aggression quite well. The devastating ‘Riptide’ contains another murderous intro riff with a devastating rhythm section, full-on melodic riffing in mid-section verses, yet still remains in mid-range thrash mode throughout and topped off with great vocals. ‘Rise in Rank’ is a bit of a breather as it focuses on melodic riffing at the off-set with sparks of technicality that then turns into total barn-burning thrash with hyper-speed drumming, furious tempo and fantastic vocals to top it all off. The furious ‘Evolution Reset’ might be one of the bands’ all-time classics with up-tempo drumming, frenzied riffing with no hints of melody which are only in the vocals and some extremely strong change-ups in the riffing during the intense moments that causes this to be a stand-out track in many ways.

While the second half is still packed with quality songs, its true intentions are signaled from the start. ‘Nothingness,’ with its’ grooving mid-paced and melodic riffing without deviation, with strong hints of the epic power metal style of their past, is inherently noticeable of easing off the throttle and letting their other elements have a chance to get noticed. Strangely, that seems at odds with follow-up ‘No Place to Survive,’ a crushing, devastating burst of thrash in a blazing, frenetic pace with spacious riffing, devastating drumming and insane clean vocals that feels more at home in the upper half compared to the more spacious arrangements placed around it, but the band is still to be commended for offering such a tight, confined blast in such a small package as the results are nothing short of devastating. ‘Dream Hero’ brings it back to the more traditional elements with stylish old-school influenced riffing with mid-tempo melodies, pounding drums along with some interesting atmospheric and mid-paced change-ups throughout which get rather memorable at times when it’s not in full-throttle mode. After a pointless intro, ‘Planet Terror’ kicks in mid-paced grooving with bursts of technicality-laced speed interjected into the attack before a sparkling solo section ratchets up intensity, and it would’ve remained high on the list if it would’ve had a few bars chopped off to shorten it, for it’s a bit too long as it is now. It closes back on a high with ‘Psychofficial,’ as a blazing intro with full-throttle drumming segues into a furious thrash assault with technical bursts between mid-paced breathers and intense choruses creates the perfect closing place in the album’s running order.

There’s a lot to like with this release, as there has been on most of the bands’ efforts in the past as well, and it strongly continues the groups’ past of solid, strong thrash releases. Featuring enough frenzied, chaotic songs to make their moments of melody and atmosphere all the more palpable and enjoyable whilst still keeping their footing squarely in the realm of thrash, this is one of the strongest bands going on the scene and while it’s not their platinum opus this ranks right up there as to how well it mixes those two seemingly at-odds elements into a cohesive, strong whole. Blessed with a superb production that never lets the individual instruments overshadow anything else, never gets too glossy or dirty but instead creates an infectious atmosphere within, stand-out songwriting that created a couple enduring classics and enough surprises to keep things from being boring overtime, it’s pretty close and is definitely recommended to their fans, thrash aficionados in general or the curious.

by slayrrr666, metal-archives.com

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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Paradox: Discography (1987-2013)

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