ASSASSIN - Interstellar Experience LP (YELLOW)
It would be remiss not to reissue Assassin’s second full-length Interstellar Experience (1988) together with their debut The Upcoming Terror because in tandem, they give a condensed impression of how fast the initial German thrash metal scene developed in the second half of the 1980s.
With talented drummer Frank Nellen freshly behind the kit and guitarist Scholli being replaced by Michael Hoffmann, who had been in the band early on when it was still called Satanica, the Düsseldorf-based musicians set about writing new material, baptized the line-up on stage and changed management, all the while maintaining focus to build upon their critically acclaimed first efforts.
When it came to tracking their latest songs, Assassin travelled to Music Lab Studios in West-Berlin to work under the aegis of legendary producer Harris Johns (Kreator, Voivod…), who supported the five-piece during the creation of what would become one of Teutonic thrash metal’s quintessential albums. Even Scholli, who was absent at the time and is now the last veteran member in the group, can’t help but marvel at their achievement.
“It was super aggressive, like I wish our first album would have sounded”, he says. “To me, the opener ‘Abstract War’ is the best track due to its cool riffing and wicked drum beat. I also like the compact ‘Baka’ and the short cover ‘Pipeline’, a surf rock instrumental by The Chantays.”
Elsewhere on Interstellar Experience, we have ‘AGD’, which saw members from Kreator, Destruction, Sodom and Deathrow dropping by during recordings to contribute, the equally fun ‘Junk Food’ and the original bonus track ‘Strange World’, which is now also part of High Roller’s brand-new CD and vinyl reissues.
“I’d never have thought that both albums would have such an impact on the international metal community,” admits Scholli, who worked diligently on the new editions with the label to faithfully pay homage to an irretrievable era and spirit.
After the album release back in the day, the band went on tour with Death Angel and Rumble Militia before starting to work on a tentative third LP. Yet with co-founder/guitarist Dinko leaving and the band’s equipment being stolen from their rehearsal space, Assassin called it quits in 1989 – reuniting in 2002 and having been a mainstay within the scene ever since.
Mastered by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY.
Cutting by SST Germany on Neumann machines for optimal quality on all levels ... ETERNAL TEUTONIC THRASH METAL CULT GEM.
Ltd. 400x transparent piss yellow vinyl, lyric sheet + 4 pages insert printed on uncoated paper, poster, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, bonus track "Strange World".
High Roller Records 2024
