From 1985 and the first  demo, "Scared To Death" to 1991 when they finally stopped, GRINDER from Frankfurt, Germany Thrash their way through their career. As their press blurb says, if SODOM, DESTRUCTION and KREATOR, were the Teutonic top layer of German Thrash then GRINDER, we right behind pushing up the pace. Furthermore, there is also the close enough American spike of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, just so you notice.

"Dead End" is a re-issue of the bands finest moment and classic 1989 album but wait right there, not just a re-issue...oh no, this is a deluxe offering, so we get 9... yes 9 bonus tracks... fuck me but not only that! Oh fuck no, you also get treated to a 16 page booklet, with old flyers and archive photos plus, yes more. Restored original artwork by the infamous, Andreas Marschall and a brand new interview with the band. Produced by the magical ears of Kalle Trapp. Now this has been off the circuit for 20 years so it is a very welcome addition to any thrash collection. It is a classic and you have to have it. Now normally I would give a song by song run down but you know with 18 tracks you'd get bored I am sure, so I will just sum up because you are going to go get it anyway, you have to, I promise you will not be disappointed.

GRINDER open up with "Agent Orange", they march us into WARRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr with the Vietcong... The sound of a chopper and we are off... Great opener still and that wah wah solo man... Yeah reminded me of a young Gary Holt (EXODUS / SLAYER). Nice clean vocal delivery and each player sticking to the game plan. "Dead End" comes next and it is still one of my favs from the album, I'd almost forgot, crunching along like a, well, Grinder. Now that's fitting. "Inside" is another highlight for me, the acoustic phrasing setting a template for some nice guitar work to open us up. I like the separation in the production but not loving that bass sound, played perfectly and fitting to the material but, I would have given the bass,  man sized nuts, befitting the material but then I am a bassist so sorry, haha. That's actually why I left out 'The Blade Is Back" like the shape, hate the bass sound, too thin for me but then like I said doesn't hurt the track, just my personal taste. "Just Another Scar" has a younger METALLICA feel at first then rips up into classic GRINDER Thrash with some touches of NUCLEAR ASSAULT thrown in I could see, not vocally but here and there, riff wise.

Atmosphere is what we have to greet us next and then a launch into now familiar GRINDER Thrash territory. "Total Control" while not remarkable on its own, keeps the pace frantic and punishing so far so good. "Why", no why is the next up and you will hear little familiar touches here also in the acoustic intro, guess who you hear? And it's an instrumental and played with great flare I may add, great guitar work but all around, performance is right up there. Now, I love "Train Raid" because it has a Train in it, haha, .it's not crossover. It doesn't bother with trying any of that shit, it is Punk and proud, a great track bursting with fun, with some Rockabilly thrown in there, lol, Blues Rock N' Roll, fucking Elvis should have done this during his Vegas show years (even though he was dead by the time this was written) because he'd of had more success with his career if he had. Man this left me laughing out loud. And we are back after that brief interlude. "Unlock The Morgue", now I have seen reviews of the original album saying all sorts of bollocks about this album. Ok, so it isn't "Master Of Puppets", or "Reign In Blood", but, it would give, "Bonded By Blood" or "Game Over" a run for its money. I think this track closes the album perfectly and displays all GRINDER have to offer with dexterity of performance and skill.

Then we come to the bonus tracks. Yeah. Now when "Reeling On The Edge" starts you will know it simply follows on the thrash momentum GRINDER have set us previously but hold on, haha, nope, after the initial welcome comes a funk almost Jazz (if it wasn't for the tempo set) groove with a funk type vocals to boot, dry and honest too...I hear that bass edge, so these are not the same sessions. "Incarnation Off" shows maturity, last recordings? I don't know, can't read anywhere about that and can't be arsed or worried enough to look, just letting the music talk, thick tight track and a mid-paced crunch of a song, until we spy the end coming and the double bass drum work beats the pace up a notch. Judas is always a good guy to talk about and here 'Truth In The Hands Of Judas', is classic Thrash...the riff, the chorus, the guitar work and the solo. I think this is a little fav here, great track and don't forget...''The Truth Lies''. 'Hymn For The Isolated' after Judas is a bit. Ordinary, not bad just, a bit of liner Thrash. "The Spirit Of Violence" isn't as ugly as I thought it would be cool opening nice counter rhythms and the pace punches the air...then up we go again. Thrashtastic, now that's what I want, full of great work and not obvious shapes twisting around, really great guitar work again and perfect up and down pacing, a bonus highlight again for me. Remember now, "Nothing Is Sacred", will it be ugly? No, you don't get ugly from GRINDER, you get clean, spaced, precise and energetic, even when the subject matter is dark, they manage to inject a fun aspect. Here you have a cool pit track and you even have a chorus to join in.

"None Of The Brighter Days", well I' not so sure what to make of it, it is not typical, kind of (for me) on chorus a KILLING JOKE thing going on, counter progressive riffs reminded me of an earlier Dave Mustaine too. I mean lots going on here, some vocal phrasing that seems familiar to Thrash but Adrian Hahn is not just a typical Thrash vocalist, his delivery is clean and well thought out, what he lacks in range he makes interesting in his vocal harmony. Now "Dear Mr. Sinister" could have sucked and I would give not 2 fucks because I liked the title, but, it doesn't suck, it is just a standard Thrasher and so we close with "NME"...and a spoken intro, interesting, now I haven't spoken about GRINDER and their lyrical themes...but then you know, sometimes you just have to let the music speak to you and the feel the message so I am going to do exactly for you here, it is political but has a New York hardcore al'a 1980's vibe so...why not handle with care? Well that's it and I said I wasn't going to give a boring run down track to track, haha, and then I did, haha, that's coz it is a classic and the bonus tracks make it worth having twice...so but 2 and enjoy one in the house and one in the car and enjoy some fucking good 'ol Thrash. 9/10 for the sheer entertainment.