FATEFUL FINALITY are another in the long list of German Thrash Metal acts to follow in the footsteps of Teutonic Metal giants like DESTRUCTION and KREATOR. The intro "Time Has Come", with its sweet piano and classical overtones, sounds particularly like something that might be on a newer KREATOR album.

When the full-length songs start, the first thing that is apparent is the muffled bark of the vocalist, very familiar to anyone versed in Teutonic Metal. The riffing the band displays on "Fire And Brimstone" is pure classic KREATOR - thrashy and energetic with hints of melody snuck in. Around two minutes in, the riffing changes to more modern Thrash-influenced flair that is slightly more technical and uses harmonies more. There's a false end to the song, which leaves listeners with a few seconds of dead air before the final verse actually ends the song, which I think they could have done without.

"The Raid" is angrier and parts of it tend towards having a Death Metal influence, particularly in the drumming. At the same time, it is not super fast, but relies on the machine-gun precision of the drums and the slightly grainy production to cultivate an aura of extremist rage. The guitar tone used here could definitely be better; it seems like on most songs it blends into the general mass of sound rather than cutting through. The album is definitely drum-dominated, despite moments like the solo on "Wreckage Of The Flush", which is in two parts, a melodic and a shreddy section.

The vocals are harsh and dark, but on the rare occasion they are audible, more menacing for it. The clean vocals that introduce "Expect Your Executor" have that raspy German accent that makes clean singing ominous. Unfortunately, although a decent enough listen, the body of the song consists of mostly forgettable riffs that once again are overshadowed by the drum work.

The most guitar-centric song here is "They Breed the Dead", which starts strong with a soaring pedal harmonized pedal tone intro, and on this song the drummer seems to be playing around rather than on top of the guitars. There is also nice use of dynamics in the softer section about 3 minutes in that brings in a gradually crescendoing melody line -  These are "Moonchild" and "Overkill", which are both covers. "Overkill" works better than "Moonchild" does, in no small part because hearing Bruce Dickinson's fabulous opening monologue (and other vocals) angrily shouted by a man with a throat full of glass diminishes its impact. But "Overkill" sounds right in the band's wheelhouse.

As whole, this album isn't bad, but there are lots of better Thrash Metal albums. The lackluster guitar tone and mixing makes it seem generic and unrefined. The riffing is only standout at times and is otherwise bland, although the drumming is powerful. Listen and give it a chance, but for my money something like ERADICATOR hits the German Thrash spot much more nicely.