Retro Raunch Revisit

Their amazing 5th album was a return to take-no-prisoners blinding speed after the midpaced effort of the previous 'South of Heaven' which was criticized as luckluster. SITA was the last to feature the original line-up with ferocious human tornado drummer Dave who left for a 2nd time (the 1st in 1986 over money disputes) and would return in 2006 for 'Christ Illusion' (to which he would again leave in 2013 over business disputes with the band then firing him). With the commercial success from 2 hit singles (also both videos with heavy airplay) and next co-headling the Clash of the Titans tour (with ANTHRAX, MEGADETH and ALICE IN CHAINS in North America, and with TESTAMENT and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES in Europe), the album was a cohesive mature evolvement in the band's pioneering career that saw them a perfect killing machine at the height of their peak who were firing on all cylinders. Produced by Rick Rubin, it is also generally regarded as the band's most accessible record -- a frenetic onslaught of complex memorable guitar riffs, varied mid tempos, furious percussion with inventive fills, and singer Tom's aggressive charging vocals of grim dark lyrics that instead of the aura of earlier satanic themes, dealt with real life horrors such as violence, war & murderous carnage through a critique that displayed they were not about promoting nihilism or death but rather holding up a mirror to corruption and the ghoulish social ills of suffering & cruelty that carry out destruction. A top tier release, SITA was certified gold in 1992 and felt by many as their last hurrah having marked the end of an embodiment in the classic thrash era. Happy 35th Anniversary.