Fabulous Desaster | Crucify This! | MDD Records

 

 Fabulous Desaster formed in Germany in the mid-2010s, clearly aligning themselves with the legacy of classic Bay Area and Teutonic thrash metal. Drawing inspiration from acts like Exodus, Kreator, and Overkill, the band takes its name—slightly altered—from Exodus’ 1989 album “Fabulous Disaster,” a nod that reflects their commitment to the genre's traditions. Over the years, they have built a growing fan base through their aggressive, tight, and authentic sound. Their 2018 debut, “Hang 'Em High,” introduced a fresh burst of old-school energy, and the follow-up, “Off With Their Heads” (2019), reinforced their place in the new generation of thrash revivalists. With "Crucify This!", their third full-length release, the band aims to strike even harder, bringing more depth and variation without stepping away from their core identity.

"Crucify This!" presents Fabulous Desaster as a band confidently locked into its stride. The production is raw but tight, giving enough punch and clarity to make every guitar riff and drum strike feel direct and physical. The guitars are central here—dense, sharp, and drenched in that classic thrash bite, with plenty of fast palm-muted runs, headbang-ready mid-tempo sections, and sudden gear shifts that create a constant drive.

The vocals are high-pitched and scratchy, channeling the kind of rebellious, shouted delivery that fits right at home with early Sodom, Tankard, or Exciter. There’s also a gritty melodic touch to some of the lines, occasionally echoing the swagger of old-school hard rock but delivered with the speed and tension of thrash. Lyrically, the album sticks with the aggressive tone—fighting, defying, surviving, and unleashing chaos—without falling into self-parody.

Drums and bass stay locked in, with the rhythm section keeping things stable under the frenetic guitars and never losing steam. The drummer’s performance is relentless without being over-technical, and the use of blast beats in some later tracks adds a layer of intensity that breaks the traditional thrash mold slightly without straying too far from the path.

While the album thrives on aggression, it also introduces groove-heavy passages that help vary the pacing. Tracks like "A Hard Day's Fight" and "May Your Mother Wear Black" contain slower, meatier riffs that allow the album to breathe and shift direction naturally, even slipping in moments of dark humor and classic rock homage without disrupting the flow.

The production by Armin Rave at Soundsight Studio captures all these dynamics clearly. The mix leans toward the guitars, as it should for this genre, but nothing is lost in the background. Mario Lopez's artwork ties it together visually with his trademark chaotic, detail-heavy thrash aesthetics, giving the release a familiar but fierce look.

In total, "Crucify This!" delivers exactly what it promises: a full album of fast, aggressive thrash metal with attitude, speed, and enough variation to remain engaging from start to finish. It pays homage to its influences without feeling trapped by them, and while it doesn’t drift far from genre expectations, it doesn't have to. This is the kind of album made by a band that knows what it wants to sound like—and hits that target consistently and with intensity.

Score: 8.0