Review by Felix on June 4, 2024.

It was 1991, I was still young, when Heathen released “Victims of Deception”. In keeping with the triumphal march of the CD, which had begun in the meantime, and its higher capacity, Heathen presented a full 65 minutes of music. Their debut had not blown me away, but it was a matter of course to buy this work as well. At the end of the day, the result was similar as before. “Victims of Deception” is a solid, partly good work, but cannot piss with the big boys of classic thrash. And it’s an ironic twist of fate that especially the higher capacity of the new medium became a problem.

Anyway, the first thing I realize during my rediscovery of the album is the feeble, nasal voice of David White-Godfrey. One could almost think he suffered from a bad cold in the recording studio. His vocals are the weak point of the actually strong opener “Hypnotized”. One gets used to his singing, but the closer “Timeless Cell of Prophecy” presents another very mediocre performance from him. The track holds Forbidden-compatible melody lines and he just accompanies them without setting his own accents. That would not have happened to Russ Anderson.

Unfortunately the only instrumental does not make things better. “Guitarmony” is a pretty useless intermezzo and much too long (3:32) in view of its meaninglessness. To put it on the album was a wrong decision and the same goes for the vapid cover of “Kill the King”. Already the debut had shown that Heathen were not immune against the appropriation of foreign (and outdated) songs. Their own material was more exciting, especially highlights like “Opiate of the Masses” with its Exodus-like riffing. Some other tracks almost reach a very good level, but their sheer opulence makes it difficult to dedicate them my undivided attitude. To me, thrash metal was both music and rebellion and the second part comes off badly when we speak about Heathen. Their approach was always a pretty adult and a more artistic one. That was and is okay, but I miss the fiery heat of wild thrash eruptions.

On the other hand, the material on “Victims of Deception” is free from embarrassing childishness and some strong harmonies let us know that Heathen are aware of the importance of catchy sections. This leads to songs like “Fear of the Unknown”. They do not lack substance, variety or melodies, but many parts of them are closer to some rather mediocre Metal Church tracks than to pure thrash. I do not find the smallest grain of insanity and that’s a pity. Aggravating the situation, the production sounds a bit muffled. The mix lacks pressure and does not convince with aggressiveness. It is no big deal and the technical implementation does not ruin the compositions, but it is also far away from being perfect or at least very good.

Let me ignore the ballad “Prisoners of Fate”, because its chorus tastes somewhat greasy. It makes more sense to focus on “Heathen’s Song”. With 9:27 minutes it is the longest track here and its first edition had been released under the name “Heathen” on Under One Flag’s “Speed Metal Kills II” compilation (Flag 17) in 1987. This version is three minutes shorter, compact and its guitars spread some aggressive vibes. I do not need to lose more words, you already know which configuration I prefer. “Heathen’s Song” is not bad, but worse than its older brother and at least 10% too cosy. It shows clearly that Heathen were victims of the new possibilities of the CD. So sorry, despite the great potential of the band and some fine sections and songs, “Victims of Deception” has never entered my private pantheon of thrash metal.

Rating: 6.1 out of 10

Review by JD on February 5, 2010.

Many bands are out there, professing that they are the heaviest, fastest or the loudest... all pretty much chest thumping. The whole lot of them without any substance. A few actually are out there who really do back up their boasts with their prowess. Zerstörer is one of those bands that can honestly say that they are heavier and faster than most of the bands out there.

They are this enticing mix of harsh Thrash, menacing Black and full bore Death Metal with this Grind sort of overtones set to implode your mind and reduce the rest of your head to jell-o. They are brutally fast metallic blasts, deviously heavy and having that added venom of pure hatred that is more than just evident... and that is just the start of what makes this band. They sound like they are as mad as a wolverine after getting a electrified cattle rod right up the ass.

If you want to pick one song that is the best, good luck...there are just too many for making that sort of choice. Every last track on here seem to want to fry your insides with it’s burning leads and chainsaw heavy riffage... and make you believe in what extreme metal really sounds like. The recording needs a little tweaking, but other than that, its amazing.

In the world of Black, Death, Black and Extreme Metal in general... Zerstörer is one solitary band that stands out more than other bands that are vying for your attention. This band is getting close to what their potential is, and I, for one, am looking forward to hearing that when it happens... and I will do just that - with my horns held high in appreciation.

Categorical Rating Breakdown　

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Originality:8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.2 out of 10