There are certain times, when I look at a promo CD's front/back covers to 'gain' the initial information for my review, that I feel completely 'bewitched' by the record label's liner notes at the back sleeve. Waiting to hear the next Big Thing, the case is that (in the end) I shake my head with skepticism 'bout companies. Chattin' about Thrash Metal music - in this specific example - who proposes e.g. Dark Angel should need a 'strong' note by their company to 'escort' the Darkness Descends release?
Dockyard 1 sets an Old School Thrash Metal from Darmstadt/Germany title on the back sleeve of Thrash Notes (promo copy, I repeat) and I start gathering data for this quartet. Six years of existence cannot be considered as not enough to entitle you as a 'newcomer', but it seems that the band had the chance to participate in a number of Metal fests in order to gain sufficient experience (W.O.A. included, even if I tend to think even my one-night-stand project with Orpheus could score some 3-minute participation up there). A four-song Demo in 2000 and a mini album (Misanthrope) in 2003 prepared the ground for Thrash Notes to crack the skies of Speed/Thrash music open and I start thinking what I should write in the following paragraph.
That's the truth. Not much to be said. The album is not an old school (e.g. Bay Area) Thrash Metal band's album, at least the way it's 'pushed'. In terms of music, the band seems to follow at one time the path of reunited Destruction's approach and - at other times - some weird kind of melodies that can be met in 80's U.S. Speed Metal releases or Paradise Lost's mid-90's moves. Kalli's voice is not a strong 'plus' for Abandoned, I should mention, as he shows a fake nerve in his singing. Insufficient personality, low 90's guts for this music. Remember late Kreator's vocal parts and tell me how old-school this is. On the spot: the guitar themes are quite predictable while the rhythm section is really applicable for this kinda stuff. Most tempos are fast, with the familiar Destruction/Anthrax/Slayer-influenced bridges to appear in many tunes.
I did not find the scope of this album 'neck breaking'. I admit, there are times you'll find yourself shaking your head to an Abandoned riff or pace. Try to analyze this and you'll see it only happens because it's been months/years since you last banged your head to Forbidden's Chalice Of Blood or Destruction's Eternal Ban. Abandoned will probably find more 'room' in an alternate field. Be it a la The Haunted Thrash, melodic extreme Metal or Thrascore, I really wish they do better somewhere else.