One can question why German Metal acts are important to the coming of the late Death Metal acts of the 90's. Please, one must understand that releases as "Endless Pain" and "Pleasure to Kill" (of KREATOR), "Sentence of Death" and "Infernal Overkill" (of DESTRUCTION), and "In the Sign of Evil" and "Obsessed by Cruelty" (of SODOM) are compendiums of extreme Metal on their times, and influenced many bands on their prime. But German extreme scene gave its place to Sweden, UK, USA and Netherlands during the 90's (besides some known acts as MORGOTH, NECROPHAGIST and ATROCITY kept the flame of Death Metal on the country in those days), and the genre there lives in the underground. But it doesn't mean that good Death Metal releases couldn't come from the country as "Planetary Disruption", the first album of the quartet SUBORBITAL.

The band works on a form of Technical Death Metal that is so aggressive and brutal that will attract fans of Traditional Death Metal as well (because they have a lot of evident features of the genre on their music as well). It's technical (but not in an overloaded form), abrasive and aggressive, full of energy and played with technical refinement. Of course one can ask if their musical work is personal, and the answer is yes, it's a matter of hearing to have this sensation (especially during the guitar solos, as heard on "Astral Chasm", because it's nothing noisy, but have a clear melodic sense guiding this aspect). It's really a very good release. Roger Grüninger worked on the recordings of the drums; Stefan Finger did the same on the vocals; and Jens Basten as well on guitars, bass and keyboards, and this last one did the mixing. All to make the album bears the harsh and aggressive insight of Death Metal subgenres, but in a form that can be understood by everyone.

For a young band and a first release, "Planetary Disruption" (that uses lyrical themes related to Science fiction, cosmic horror and death, maybe an inheritance of NOCTURNUS) is really a very good work, especially shown on songs as "Planetary Disruption" (very good rhythmic changes, guided wisely by bass guitar and drums), "Gyroscope" (a brutal and sharp song with very good and energetic guitar riffs and arrangements), "Solar Portal" (another brutal and aggressive moment of the album, but that's plenty of technical parts), "Astral Chasm" (it's not a sin to say that this one shows some Death/Thrash Metal elements on its guitar structures, and what very good vocals, using tunes that aren't usual for the genre), "Stellar Explosion" (very good use of traditional Death Metal rhythms entwined by technical elements), "Consumed on Power Altars" (that flows the same tendency of the previous song), and "Sub-Orbital".

It can be said that "Planetary Disruption" shows an Old School Technical Death Metal outfit, so to check what SUBORBITAL offers is a great pleasure (and the band could use the keyboards in other parts, not only as introductions).