Having lived in Southern Ohio in the late '80s after moving from California, while I was still in High School, I am amazed that I have never heard of the Columbus based Speed Metal act - RESTLESS BREED. Based on what I am hearing here, it would seem that in their day, they would have been able to unleash the beastly riffs, and those fade to insanity harmonies which would surely have peaked my interest. Perhaps they were even named after the 1982 RIOT album featuring the dearly departed Rhett W. Forrester and Mark Reale.

Being from Cincinnati, I was very acquainted with the SACRED REICH like crunch of GRIMLOCK, I went to College with members of DEUS VULT, I partied hard withTHRUSTER, and I championed the debut by SIMPLE AGGRESSION. I always appreciated the Cleveland scene too; especially, all those under-rated and exceptional bands on Auburn Records like: DESTUCTOR, SHOK PARIS, PURGATORY, BREAKER, etc.

I am amazed that I never saw these war children of technology open for any local Thrash shows or Metal events. It was always quite common for Detroit acts like SEDUCE, WRATCHILD AMERICA, or HALLOWEEN to come to town to support a major Thrash event, or play a festival with CHASTAIN, CJSS, LETHAL, or other local prospects.

If not for this re-issue Demo anthology, I would be oblivious of their existence. They definitely have that Power / Thrash vibe which reminds me of NASTY SAVAGE,DEAD ON, POWER MAD, MELIAH RAGE, ZOETROPE, ATROPHY, CEREBUS, AFTERMATH, HAVE MERCY, etc. In fact, Dave Cowgill's grunts resemble Nasty Ronnie's later efforts.

This compilation is comprised of demos recorded from '87 - '89 with some line-up changes occurring. Personally, I prefer the tracks taken from the 1987 "After The Holocaust" recordings which begin with "Unleash The Beast". These songs are a bit more aggressive and punctuated with more proficiency, but just enough angst. All the songs show promise, and if RESTLESS BREED had been signed, I am sure their debut would have been a classic. The production values are decent, and even without any lyrics, I can discern most words.

Overall, I recommend this to any fan of those US acts on Combat and Roadrunner Records, or any of the plethora of unsigned "Metal Massacre" contenders who at one time or another made a crash or dent in our lives. Even though all did fall prey to dissolution, thankfully there are now prosperous labels out there bringing these lost classics back to life.