I first got in touch with Despise back in 1989. The Greece Attacks DLP compilation - the very first attempt for a detailed preview of Greece's armed forces, back then - featured the merciless trio's Spawn Out From Hell track. The resemblance to Sepultura's obscure Schizophrenia sound stuck inside my mind. I swore the band would do a lot of hard work to be placed on top of the worldwide (general) Thrash scene.
Years went by... Dozens of live gigs, various attempts for a major record deal but no success. A band widely respected in the universal 'underground' Thrash scene, barking for some 'label' recognition. The duo of mainman Makis Dedes and Maria Vassilakis are still joining forces after all these years and I can memorize Despise back in 1990 opening up for a D.R.I. gig in Athens, Greece. A blast - in addition - was the State Of Brutality Demo, receiving rave reviews both in homeland and abroad.
Writing ten tracks for an 'upcoming' album (will it ever see the light of day, I wonder...), Despise present here four of 'em as a 'teaser', along with tunes from the State Of Brutality Demo. In plain words, 'current' Despise owe a lot to the sound and songwriting formula of Slayer's Seasons In The Abyss days. Mid-to-fast tempos, blasting evil riffs, angry yet straightforward vocals, obscurity in production and 'acid' lyrics sum it up to a notable work made by 'true' metalheads. Some of Bay Area's 'samples' are scattered here and there, while up-to-date Thrash parts will please juvenile thrashers.
The Demo addition is an interesting part for those who are young enough to remember Despise's early Thrash/Death sound. Not to make a comparison, the two 'songs' sets clearly show the development and non-stop work of the band all these years. I really hope they'll have a better luck from now on. All Thrash Metal maniacs out there, get in touch with an outstanding Thrash band asap. You won't regret it, you won't won't won't!