Back in 2005, when I was dealing with some hardships of personal problems and was in the middle of my graduation, I came to know that a German band experienced hardships on their first Brazilian tour (don't ask me if it's true or not, because it's something I heard about, not read about): the quartet DESASTER. It was the first time I heard about them, but I never came to be one of their fans for I never took the time to listen to one of their works as it deserves. Now the problem is solved as I had to listen to and review "Churches Without Saints", their latest work

They have a personal approach into what's called Black/Thrash Metal. As a German band, obviously they show influences from old releases of KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and (especially) SODOM along BATHORY's touches, but their music is a boiling cauldron of many different influences and features that time polished in a personal way. They show excellent rhythmic contrasts, very good guitar riffs and very good screamed vocals, so be prepared for a massive Black/Thrash metal attack on its purest form, full of aggressive hooking energy and brutally technical.

The band took Jan "Janosch" Gensheimer (the one who works as the sound technician on live shows) to work on the recording, mixing, and mastering of "Churches Without Sin", and he built something that would keep their musical identity (in other words, to have an organic and Old School Black/Thrash Metal outfit), but that could be understood by the listeners as well. Things worked in a very good way, with the band choosing very good instrumental tunes as well. And the artwork is very good and darkly beautiful. Maybe it's a consequence of the record being tracked in the band's rehearsal room, with Jan doing the rest.

All the songs are really very good, creating a homogeneous experience when hearing "Churches Without Saints". But the virulent Old School hooks shown on "Learn to Love the Void" (very good guitar arrangements and riffs, showing a dose of Hardcore/Punk Rock energy), the massive and shocking attack imposed on "Failing Trinity" (where the vocals are really incredible, laid perfectly on the band's instrumental), the brutal contrasts on "Exile is Imminent" (the faster parts and slow moments with a melodic sense are amazing), the funereal bitter beauty of "Churches Without Saints" (a morbid set of melodies is shown, and it's impossible to resist to them), the Hardcore aggressiveness of "Hellputa" (ok, guys, I known that 'puta' on my mother language means 'bitch', so to who you dedicated this song?), the carnivoric energy of "Armed Architects of Annihilation (in Clarity for Total Death)", and the excellent tempos of "Endless Awakening" are their best shots.

Nice to meet you, DESASTER, and thanks for the excellent presentation done by "Churches Without Saints".