There's no doubt about the fact that the Ruhr area was the birthplace of German Thrash Metal. Kreator, Sodom, Living Death - and even one-hit wonders such as Violent Force (Velbert) - all came from working-class towns graced by bleak industrial buildings and mass unemployment. The same goes for Darkness. They formed on the spot on December 1st 1984 after a legendary gig at the Zeche Carl in Essen, where Destruction, Iron Angel and Tormentor (an early incarnation of Kreator) had been playing. Darkness' first album "Death Squad" (originally released in 1987 on Tales of Thrash, a subsidiary label of GAMA) became an instant Teutonic Thrash classic. |