ASSASSIN
Outer Space Death LP BLACK

Original cassette transfer, audio restoration and mastering by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in November 2024.

Side A 01
Junk Food
02 Abstract War
03 Damned World

Side B
04 A Message to Survive
05 Resolution 588
06 A.G.D.
07 Pipeline
08 Interstellar Experience

Robert Gonnella - vocals
Michael Hoffmann - guitar
Dinko Vekić - guitar
Markus „Lulle“ Ludwig - bass
Frank Nellen - drums

If you were talking German thrash metal in the second half of the 1980s, you couldn’t go past Assassin from Düsseldorf, who released their highly influential (go ask the Norwegian black metal scene) first two full-lengths “The Upcoming Terror” and “Interstellar Experience” in 1987 and ‘88 respectively. The latter, which is widely regarded as a quintessential Teutonic thrash album, was tracked at Music Lab Berlin with legendary producer Harris Johns (Kreator, Voivod), who had the band record the material live in studio prior to the actual sessions. Now for the first time ever, these recordings – all album tracks minus ‘Baka’, which was written on the fly later on, while ‘Damned World’ was renamed ‘Strange World’ – will get a proper release via High Roller Records. Entitled “Outer Space Death”, the material was transferred from cassette, restored and mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony in late 2024. The result shows just how good Assassin were as performers, arguably even surpassing the final album versions of the songs. “It’s definitely worth listening to because it sounds very different,” says guitarist Dinko Vekić, hitting the nail on its head. “Harris Johns wanted to get an impression of what the tunes would eventually sounds like, so we had to perform each one for him live as some kind of demo,” explains singer Robert Gonnella, who then added his vocal lines to the recordings. Looking back, he still couldn’t be happier with Johns as a producer, because “we were able to do everything just the way we wanted.” While “Outer Space Death” is by no means intended to improve on or even replace “Interstellar Experience”, it does serve as a historic document displaying the huge potential of a line-up that had just begun to find its feet but sadly broke apart shortly after touring with Death Angel and Rumble Militia. Today, Gonnella keeps playing these songs live with his current Band Raging Rob, which also features drummer Frank Nellen from back in the day. “Actually, we are four people from the eighties. It’s very authentic if you ask me, and we enjoy it a lot, which I find to be the most important thing at this point.”
Andreas Schiffmann

"Featured on the cover of the OSD booklet for the first time ever: The original version of the Interstellar Experience cover artwork, which was rejected by the band at the time — as well as the first two versions of the Assassin logo."