Review of the Album "Hang 'Em High" by German Thrash Metal Band Fabulous Desaster

The German thrash metal band with a most unusual name Fabulous Desaster came onto the thrash metal scene with their debut album called "Hang ‘Em High" in 2016. The thrash metal scene has been built up and flooded in a sense with so many bands that it can stagger the imagination. This Exodus influenced thrash metal band has both melody and speed.

This album begins with the moderately fast song “Death is Loud” and once again, these German guys are ready to play and entertain! The riffing is playing heavily as lyrically the song is similar to Metallica’s Jump in the Fire. It is however important for all of us to be responsible when we have fun. “Faster Than Light” continues in this band’s tradition of providing fast lead guitar with fast riffing. Life can be like a fast moving river ready to punch us in the face so we had better be ready for it when these moments do come. I get the feeling that Fabulous Desaster has the feel that when they play it is more like an entertaining form of thrash metal similar to Tankard.

R.I.P. which in this album stands for Rest in Power has a beginning that is very much Metallica influenced as I remember the song called No Remorse and what a memorable riff that was especially for that time! Metal music can sometimes be a torment for our eardrums but in this case for this album, you can think of it as very entertaining party thrash and there is one heck of a long scream let out and this takes us back to the old days of metal when falsetto style screams were pretty much the norm.

“Thrash Metal Symphony” makes a reference to the late Paul Baloff of the band Exodus who passed away due to a stroke in 2002 but this band has the utmost respect for him that they pay tribute to him in this song. Thrash metal is in full force in this song and that thrash metal can be used at a party to excite people and they may as well party all night to the music that is offered here on this album.

“Toxic Nuclear War” is a song that brings up the possibility of nuclear war in the world as was the case when the United States and the then Soviet Union were involved in a major arms race. Thankfully, the situation of the world did not deteriorate that quickly and diplomacy prevailed. Overall, Hang ‘Em High is a good musical start for these German guys but the lack of variety in the songs can make it feel musically stale at times.