Review Summary: A huge improvement over their debut. With flashy, fast guitar work and superb vocals Paradox released their best record.
During years 1988-90, it´s clear that thrash was suffering a change. Songs were getting longer and more complex. Riffs were getting more technical, and the take no prisoners style that dominated the songs was replaced by a more progressive approach. Lots of bands adopted this to their sound and released their magnum opus: Megadeth, Heathen , Annihilator, the list goes on. And on this list there´s Paradox. Their sophomore album `Heresy´ is a classic work of thrash that clashes forces with the albums from the already mentioned bands.
Before going into the songs, don´t look at the title and go thinking this is simply another album that bashes religion and the church. `Heresy´ is actually a conceptual album, telling the story about the roman catholic crusades in the 13th century. So yea, it´s not the typical anti-religion stuff, this is a story that really happened.
For those who listened to Paradox´s first record, it´s clear that the band has matured their sound, and a lot. The opener title track and one of the best songs on the record, `Heresy´ starts with a clean section before entering into an amazing and catchy riff. When vocalist Charly Stenhauer starts singing, we note the change he made on his vocal style from the debut. He now sounds more like Joey Beladonna, and his performance on the record is perfect. The song keeps up, switching between tempos and delivering an amazing solo before it ends. The track shows the maturity that Paradox achieved after the debut.
The songwriting has greatly improved since `Product of Imagination´, with every song sounding fresh and not tiring the listener. The production is also superb, with every instrument being heard clearly. The guitars are amazing, delivering technical and fast riffs without sounding forced, and the solos are mind-blowing. The drums are even better than the previous record, with fast and powerfull fills. The drum intro to `7000 Years On´ is amazing and displays Axel Blaha´s skill. Even the bass has its moments, as we see on the intro of `Search for Perfection´, and endures the fast and heavy sound of the album.
There´s nothing much left to say. The album is amazing, with the heavy, fast sound providing an enjoying and fun listen. No moment is boring or dull, and the band manages to catch the listener´s attention during the entire record. This is a definite album for any thrash fan and everyone should hear it at least once.
