ctlr's Ruination review on amazon.com amazon link

***** Over-the-top "mutant thrash metal", January 14, 2009

Let me begin by saying I'm not a hardcore fan of "thrash" metal. In fact I don't even know what it is or why it's different from, say, speed metal or death metal. What I do know is that the band, COMBAT, who bills itself as "New York's Original Hardcore Mutant Thrash Metal Band," has put out one very excellent album called Ruination. Comprised of bothers Rex and Jeff Rossbach and Bob Eubank, COMBAT is a no-nonsense trio with one goal: to make music that supercharges your spinal cord and sends you into convulsive headbanging. On that level, Ruination succeeds beyond all expectations. Each of the nine songs off Ruination features some riff, passage, lyric or verse that will put a evil grin on your face and send you into Hulk-mode.

Now since I wasn't familiar with thrash metal, I didn't really get Ruination on first listen. It's really heavy, really hard and sometimes really really fast. So fast it sometimes sounds like all three guys are hanging on for dear life to keep up with each other. But on second and third listens, I started to get it. And after a fourth and fifth listen, I got addicted. And now I've lost count of how many times I've listened to Ruination from start to finish.

That's one of the cool things about Ruination: it's not overly long. I'm all for getting my money's worth on a CD, but do bands really need to cram 13 and 14 songs on a CD, when half of them are just filler? Here we get nine polished gems, none over 5 minutes long. I dare say Ruination would fit on vinyl.

The most cool thing about this album is Jeff Rossbach's guitar playing and guitar sound. To begin with, the guy is just flat-out talented. He has a deep arsenal of weapons when it comes to soloing and composition. He can rip your face off with speed and sucker-punch you with some disemboweling riffs. But he does it all in service to the listener, keeping the songs interesting and, well, catchy. (Yes, you will walk around humming Mr. Rossbach's mutant thrash riffs, looking like a zombie experiencing a seizure.) And the vehicle for his playing is a grab-your-throat, no-frills, no-effects guitar sound. It's hard to describe and bears little resemblance to the effects-saturated guitar you typically hear from a metal band. But I will say this: imagine surfer guitar player, Dick Dale, except louder and no reverb and his hands on fire and you can get an idea of what Jeff Rossbach is peddling. But don't take my word for it. Check out the samples here on Amazon.

From the start, you get a nasty earful from Jeff with the opening chord of Corrupt Destruct. It may be the dirtiest chord I have ever heard. It starts off what is essentially a 1:30 instrumental overture for the album. This could have easily been the title track for the album. It's just that intense and ambitious. The following song, Destructure, and track #6, Outbred, are probably the most "accessible" songs for those new to COMBAT. The catchiness factor and "slower" pace make them somewhat more like the heavy metal you're used to hearing. But after repeated listens, you'll find yourself drawn to the mayhem and chaos of the other songs, such as The Reign is Over and the Blades of Death. Top to bottom, there seriously isn't a weak track here. Every song offers something new, but with the same intensity and craziness. My current favorite is the final song, Temporal Punishment. Singer and bass player, Bob Eubank, completely owns this song. The lyrics and riffs go together here like blood and guts and the two guitar solos are just sick. And under it all drummer Rex Rossbach somehow holds it all together, like an acrobat juggling chainsaws on a highwire.

Once your ears adjust to it, this stuff just becomes good fun to listen to, in the same way it's fun to watch a funny movie or TV show. Not to say I don't take Ruination seriously. I do. But I take it seriously in the sense that I seriously sit down to watch Family Guy to enjoy myself. Ruination is so heavy and thrashy I just find myself laughing out loud sometimes at the over-the-top nature of the songs.

There you have it. Five stars. Give this stuff a try. Discover the mutant thrasher in you. Trust me, it's in there. Ruination will find it.


   The Thrash Metal Guide www.thrashmetalguide.com

This is the same band known previously as Napalm, under which name they released two albums in the late 80's-early 90's. Based on "Ruination", this is modern thrash with a somewhat mechanical feel, and a certain hardcore edge (also in the vocals), at times resembling Meshuggah, at times Obliveon's later period, or the Americans Baghead, at times something which is hard to describe (maybe some veterans from the thrash/crossover scene of the 80's). There are some interesting moments here; well, "interesting" is a bit relative, since they might sound too abstract to the more conventional fans, where the riffs sound too "robotic" and dry, and to describe the pace here would be quite difficult, as the songs twist and turn into the most unexpected directions in a way which even the mighty Voivod might find hard to match. This is not an immediate listen, and one might get the feeling that somewhere there is no coherence at all, and each of the guys is doing his owh thing with little regard to the others, but if you spend more time with it, and if you have an ear for thrash metal not as usual, this album might turn into a winner.


   Epic Metal www.epicmetal.net

Combat - Ruination Review (8.5/10) About the band and the album... This band existed since 1984, and they are back with this unforgettable album., 9 songs, with 80s style thrash songs together with an excellent production. What one can say about the thrash riffs, the Great Bass (The Reign is Over) and of course for the vocals of Bob Eubank. The raw thrash metal riffs, blend perfectly with the vocalist, bass and drums. The production of this album is excellent and with attention to details. The cd is very affordable to buy with free international shipping,it also contains mini poster of the band. Review : This is an album which will explode your speakers. If you are fan of Thrash metal then this is a must album to have. This band brings back memories of what true Thrash metal is all about. This album not only is a must have for thrash fans but also as an example for new thrash metal bands to follow.. I will not say more. This ia a great album from a great band with a perfect production. Buy the album from the band webpage not only you support the band but you add a thrash metal album jewel to your album collection.

   The BNR Metal Pages www.bnrmetal.com

Years ago (in the mid-eighties) the band Combat was put together by Chris Wiedner and the Rossbach brothers. Eventually they changed name to Napalm, and as such the band ran its course, though by the time of their last recording none of the three were still around. Many later, the Rossbachs were back in action, reviving the Combat name and releasing an album, Ruination, in 2007. This returns to the guys' earlier roots, that being hardcore/crossover/thrash (not metalcore, though -- think bands like Nuclear Assault or Sacred Reich in their prime). Vocalist Bob Eubank sometimes has a Tom Araya vibe, at other times his pitch rises similarly to Nuclear Assault's John Connelly, and lyrically they're on common ground with NA, with post-apocalyptic and political themes a frequent topic. This isn't particularly contemporary, but nor is it a stale retro rehash -- this is a fine slice of punk/crossover-influenced thrash metal.

   Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives www.metal-archives.com

Gorguts goes thrash! - 72% Written by Noktorn on September 21st, 2007

Gorguts goes thrash? Apparently so, because I'm not bullshitting you with this description. The music here seriously sounds like latter-era Gorguts covering Exhorder or Vio-Lence. It is in no way a comfortable listen. It's easily one of the strangest thrash albums I've ever heard. But on that same note, it's easily one of the most unique and memorable as well, because Combat have created something that I didn't think was possible: abstract thrash metal that makes most 'progressive' music look like Raffi in comparision.

Riffs, 'Ruination' is one hundred percent about the riffs, and what bizarre fucking riffs they are. You're taking basic thrash rhythms and patterns and filtering them through the weird melodic sense of late era Gorguts with a bit of oldschool punk thrown in for good measure. It might be just the guitar tone, but it sounds like there's a lot of weird, jazzy chord shapes used: much weirder stuff than the normal barre/inverted fifth stuff we all know. And individual riffs will come out of nowhere that sound completely different from the rest of the album: what's with that weird, almost country-inspired riff just under halfway through the title track? What about those weird high chords at the beginning of 'Corrupt Destruct' that sound like they belong in an Isis album much more than Exodus? Even the most 'normal' riffs are altered through weird time signatures or strange accidentals that don't make any 'normal' sense in the context of the melodies. Hell, it's really atonal in general, even for thrash: about the most melodic it gets is in the shredding solos that pop up periodically and flit out just as quickly.

Aside from the riffs, there's other weird stuff as well. Vocals are Arayaesque shouts that get up to a pretty ridiculous speed at times, like on 'Corrupt Destruct', which gets up to 'Dittohead' levels of word-spitting ridiculousness. The Anthrax-style gang vocals are also strange, a quick burst of punk primitivism in a soundscape of abstract riffing and song structures. Bass is unusually present, with a creaky tone which funks along with the guitars and occasionally branches off on its own in punk style before the guitars come crashing back in, like on 'The Reign Is Over'. Drums are also interesting: most of what they play is standard thrash fare, but occasionally things will get hyperkinetic and Rex Rossbach will let loose with a full-fledged blast beat completely out of fucking nowhere. It's violent and completely abnormal, and I've never heard anything quite like it. Yet despite all these forays into weirdness, it's still very pure thrash metal. This is really one of those albums you simply have to hear for yourself to really understand.

This isn't oldschool thrash, and it's most certainly not retro thrash ala Municipal Waste. This is modern thrash metal, but not like Nevermore or anything. Combat is the sound of a band from the era of oldschool thrash (this was, after all, Napalm's original name, which came full circle again after the band's breakup under that incarnation) having arrived in 2007. Combat didn't slip into nu-metal like Slayer, nor attempt to stay completely in the past like Metal Church; no, Combat is still doing something different. It's traditional thrash amped up and distorted way beyond its original form. You can clearly see that Combat stretches back into the 80s simply by virtue of their influences. But it's most certainly unlike anything you heard then, or, hell, even now. Had thrash never quite died in the 90s, and all those bands kept making music into the new millennium, this is what it might have sounded like as a whole: still pissed off, still full of energy, but more willfully deranged and atypical. Hell, this is the closest to thrash's original goal that I've heard in a long while.

Now, I can't sit here and say that this is a very fun listen. A lot of these riffs are awkward and off-kilter. Many of the structures of rhythm and songs as a whole are stilted and very strange. When I listen to this album, I don't headbang: I listen with an incredulous look on my face, trying to figure precisely what the hell Combat are doing with these strange, atonal riffs and linear drum lines and sudden tempo changes. If you're looking for something 'traditional' and easy to listen to, this is most certainly not what you want. But if you want to hear what thrash is like when it gets manipulated and twisted into something completely different yet true to its origins, this is the first that should be on your list. I'm not sure if I can say this is a really enjoyable album to listen to, but damned if I don't respect what it appears to be trying to do and the methods it goes about it. So I suppose that, as a whole, I like it: it's very different and seemingly not trying to be, and despite how atypical it is, it feels honest all the way through. Very cool and very, very weird.

   METAL SIDE WEBZINE www.deathmetalside.dmkhost.net

Combat waited for debut album extremely long. They had first chance in the mid 80's when they became respectable band in the Thrash Metal underground. However, different problems forced this talented band to quit the scene before they truly conquered it. That's a pity because in the second half of the 80's, it was a very good time for such dynamic and technical music. Fortunately, Combat did now what wasn't possible a decade ago, and that's very important fact for Thrash Metal scene. It didn't cause its ruination but should activate a bit stagnant Thrash Metal movement. Combat delivers nine very interesting, original songs. They didn't betray the roots. Their musical foundation seems to be the same as twenty years ago. However, "Ruination" isn't outdated material. Saving the traditional Thrash/Speed Metal spirit, New York's trio has new ideas, and knows how to blend old formulas with them.

   Pete Altieri - Founder & Chief Disposer of Posers - Heavycore www.heavycore.net

Here's a band that goes for the throat from the word go, and doesn't let go while they twist and turn that knife in your gut! A big fuck yeah to the NYC band Combat for their latest CD release "Ruination". The production kicks ass all over the place and nearly knocked me off my chair while doing this review. I also dug the artwork and entire packaging on their That's Heavy Records release.

This CD is jam packed with nine songs that have a serious hardcore edge to them. I hear a variety of influences when I listen to this 3-piece with a serious attitude problem. I'm hearing lots of NYC influences like Agnostic Front, SOD/MOD, and Pro-Pain. But then I hear glimpses of old Slayer from the Show No Mercy days of yore with even a dash or two of the Bay Area thrash movement pioneers Exodus. Jeff Rossbach lays down some nice chucky guitar work and screaming leads that sets him apart from most hardcore bands. Bob Eubank handles bass duties and lead vocals - and he does it with some serious fucking authority. I liked his bottom pounding tone on bass and his vocals are rough and gritty, but very audible and make the listener want to raise their glass and scream along with him. Rex "Deadfoot" Rossbach blasts away behind his kit, delivering the metal goods with plenty of kicks and ear-piercing snare blasts. He's got a good drum sound and I liked his style . . . he mixed things up when they needed it.

I really thought the whole CD kicked total ass but "Destructure" was probably my favorite. The title track "Ruination" was also very killer and opens up with some wicked double kicks and searing guitar action - so it's sure to start a mosh pit on cue. Pick up this CD if you dig your metal hardcore with serious metal attitude.

   Chris "MBH" - Metal Beer Horror http://clik.to/mbh

COMBAT have been around since the early days of metal...but due to bad luck and tons of problems this is the bands first full length album. This is the record that I thought would NEVER reach the light of fucking day has finally been released. COMBAT are back with an old -school attack of mixing the music of SACRED REICH with the lyrics of AT WAR.

This album is divided up like it's a combination of two EP's...the first four songs here are themed around the havoc that the advancement of technology has saddled humanity with. The other five songs here are pretty much in "At War" territory, concentrating on high-speed thrashing and war-themed lyrics except for "Outbred" which, lyrically, sounds like the kind of movie that The SciFi Channel would show at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Musically "RuiNation" sounds like it crawled out of a dark cave from the late eighties...the album has that old-school thrash metal sound to it while it remains relevant to the present time.

The guitar work of Jeff Rossbach sounds raw and dry (and also rips the fuck out during the solos) while the vocals of Bob Eubank are delivered in a shouting/barking matter which not only fits the material but makes the album sound more like a crossover band (which is how Combat started out) beefed up for todays metal fans. The bass and drums (courtesy of Eubank and Rex Rossbach) make sure that the material never gets to slow to get boring or too fast that it becomes a mess. "RuiNation" is a study in controlled chaos.

The only problems I had with this album are that it is kind of short (9 songs in under 35 minutes in length) and some of the material isn't as strong as the rest of the songs. "Fortune Of Torture" is alright but does nothing for me while "Rat On Wings" is decent, but reminded me WAY too much of AT WAR's song "Capitulation" (from "Ordered To Kill") during the chorus...not COMBAT's fault, but this song wasn't doing it for me either. Fortunatley the album starts strong and ends strong, "Temporal Punishment" being nothing short of beastly when it comes to speed and precision.

This is, honestly, COMBAT at their best. Where the bands other albums (avaliable through the band themselves) relied on re-worked lyrics to old music and songs (which was fine for a band trying to re-establiush themselves) "RuiNation" is the result of the hard work these guys have done since they reunited in 2002 and they will surley put any naysayers to rest with this slab of thick, uncompromising thrash metal. THIS IS MANDATORY IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A THRASH METAL FAN!

   Jeff Lombardi - LOCKDOWN (ex Bile, Napalm) lockdown-nyhc.com
Fuck, what can I say .. that was well worth the wait! Fuckin Dead Foot bringing the thunder, Terminator has resurrected something wicked ... taste, style & chops! Sick lead work! And Bob vocals are strong like a muthafucka. I really like the punk influences on a few sections. I bet Exciter, Anvil and your mom must be very proud. Someone call SPV and tell them that the real Combat/Napalm are back! Great job fellas - All the best, Jeff