Drummer? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Drummer!

Somewhere back in my tortured brain, I remember reading a review of this very early, very primitive German death metal "band." You see, Slaughterhammer had no drummer or bass player...just two guys with guitars, one with an evil croak of a voice and the first couple Sodom demos for inspiration. And despite reading about the band in Blackthorn or Raging Death magazine (probably...it's a long fuckin' time ago) I didn't order the tape, but recently stumbled across a downoad of it. The fact is that for 1986, this is bewilderingly brutal, with pummeling riffs and mega-guttural vocals. Who knows? If these guys had been able to find what they needed to be complete...like a drummer and bass player...they might have been another death metal legend ala Sarcofago or Vulcano, two bands who sound most alike these twisted krauts. Production, or lack of same, is pretty bad, but I do feel there was untapped genius on hand here. It's a true freaks/archivists only sort of affair, but interesting all the same, and another sharp stick in the eye to those who hold the belief that death metal suddenly beamed down to this planet in 1989. Sorry kids, in all it's disgusting glory, it was here some time before that.  I guess it speaks to the band's passion that not even the lack of a complete lineup was going to keep them from cranking out the extremity, but said passion sadly doesn't make this tape sound any better. Note: the band would evolve into Bloodslaughter and release one demo as well, this time with a drummer...but no bass player. Odd when you consider how many extreme metal musicians came out of Germany around this time.