Review by Dominik on November 8, 2024.

Abattoir’s “Vicious Attack”, followed by “The Only Safe Place”, is a perfect example of “creative destruction” gone wrong in the metal world. As Austrian economist J. Schumpeter would have pointed out, sometimes you have to tear something down to build something better anew on the ruins of your former creation. Sadly, Abattoir and some of their peers, like Agent Steel, took this concept a little too far, dismantling the raw power (Abattoir) and elegance (Agent Steel) of their debut albums in favor of something much tamer and weaker on their semaphore releases. But let’s focus on the good times—1985, when the world was still in order, and “Vicious Attack” stood as a fiery monument of speed metal.

Though the two bands seemed to have an exchange program going, swapping and moving a few members across as if they were playing musical chairs at a particularly chaotic party, they both managed to forge their own distinct identities and not become copycats of each other. Where Agent Steel leaned on high-pitched vocals and smoother delivery, Abattoir was more like the scrappy gang of street punks who, after mugging an 80-year-old grandma, realized they had the right kind of attitude for a vicious musical assault. The band’s debut is an unpolished gem of early-speed metal that gleefully stomps its way through eight tracks of raw aggression, delivering the kind of relentless energy you’d expect from a gang of thugs who just stole a shopping cart full of booze. This album isn’t polished—it’s a figurative punch to the face, delivered with the reckless abandon of hardened L.A. street warriors.

Sure, as said, “Vicious Attack” is rooted in speed metal, but there’s something grittier and more feral about Abattoir’s approach like they were more interested in starting a riot than getting the songs perfect. There’s not too much focus on precision here, no clean edges; it is abrasive and natural with the production as raw and dirty as an oil rag, but that’s part of the charm. The album strikes a balance between faster and slower tracks, with moments that hint at where the band would later go; watered down aggression, more power than speed metal (“The Living and the Dead”). However, the faster songs dominate, and it’s here where the album truly shines, offering up some early gems of extreme metal.

The opener, “Screams from the Grave,” is a mission statement—blazing speed, catchy verses, and choruses that make you feel like you’ve been thrown into a high-speed chase through the dark alleyways of L.A. Steve Gaines’ gruff, snarling vocals fit perfectly with the band’s unrefined sound, which is as jagged as a broken bottle. Along with “Don’t Walk Alone,” the album’s standout tracks, these songs showcase how Abattoir crafted their aggression into memorable, fist-pumping anthems. The battle between Gaines’ vocals and the lead guitar in the chorus of “Don’t Walk Alone” is especially fierce, leaving a lasting impression.

The remaining tracks might not hit quite as hard, but they hold their own. “Game of Death” features some strong guitar solos, while the cover of Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” is given a treatment that likely would have made Lemmy raise a glass in approval, before knocking over a few chairs—rough around the edges, just like it should be.

The tragedy of Abattoir is how quickly they pivoted from this intense, street-level sound to a more commercial direction, ultimately tearing down what made their debut so visceral. By 1987’s “The Only Safe Place”, it was clear the band had traded in the switchblade for something far duller. But on “Vicious Attack”, Abattoir managed to harness the reckless energy of the L.A. underground scene and bottle it for just under 28 minutes of pure, unapologetic metal. In the grander scheme of 1985, “Vicious Attack” offered a fresh nuance to the growing extreme metal scene, though it never got the full recognition it deserved. And, as history shows, the band disbanded far too early, leaving us with a potent yet short-lived slice of metal history.

Rating: 8.7/10 - because while “Vicious Attack” isn’t perfect, it’s an authentic, no-nonsense speed metal attack that fans should treasure before the band moves on to something far less exciting.