ULTIMATUM - PUPPET OF DESTRUCTION remastered and expanded addition

Roxx Productions has DONE IT AGAIN! Bill and company have given us a brilliant release of a CLASSIC metal masterpiece. Ultimatum’s ‘Puppet of Destruction.' Originally released in 1998 for Rowe Productions, Bill has done us all a favor and had it re-mastered. And boy DOES THIS SOUND BRILLIANT!!!

I will say this; I have not heard the Rowe Productions version. I’m sure I’ll try to obtain it in the future to hear the difference. So now I’m sure you’re saying, “If you’ve never heard the original how are you able to tell that this is better?” That’s a legitimate question with a very simple answer. I own ‘Into the Pit’ and ‘Lex Metalis’ the most recent releases by Ultimatum AND THIS DISC SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS RECORDED THIS YEAR!!! The quality is so similar how could this have been recorded 10 years ago!

I understand vocalist Scott Waters has indicated that no re-mixing was done, just a remastering. Brutal crisp guitar tones, punchy pounding drums, solid thumping bass and a vocal wail that would scrape paint of my walls. Power/Thrash metal BRILLIANCE!! I must admit I really like this disc. How Ultimatum slipped passed my radar for so many years is a crime. With a sound akin to Exodus or Metal Church, Ultimatum just grabs you and forces you to go on a first class metal excursion.

Some of my favorite smash tracks include ‘Mortal Stomp’ (a classic!), ‘Never’, ‘Charged Power’ (crushing!). These are just a smattering of the delicious metal feast that awaits you on this release. It just begs you to come back again and again to get your fill. It’s like an all you can eat buffet, you keep going back for more. 'Repentance', 'Crosshope' hit you like a ton of bricks! sheesh!

Then if that wasn’t enough Bill and the Roxx crew have added 3 bonus tracks to boot! First up is the actual demo for the song ‘Never.’ Ultimatum’s cover of the Testament tune ‘Sins of Omission’ makes an appearance here. Like a steamroller that knocks you down flat, they barrel along reminding us of the power of old school thrash. Lastly we are treated to a 2008 version of ‘Mortal Stomp.’ This version was originally recorded for the Christian Metal Realms third compilation CD. ‘Mortal Stomp’ is just that. It pounds and grinds with a fabulous riff that blows doors!

Robert Gutierrez again shows why he deserves more recognition as a lead player. Even though Steve Trujillo plays most of the leads, Robert holds nothing back. Scott Waters just reminds me of Gary Souza. What else can I say? He delivers a strong vocal performance. Sean Griego pounds it out on the drums and Steve Trujillo is a shred o matic on the guitar.

I really am in a state of shock. When I heard this was a remaster of a 1998 disc, I was sorta guarded about it. I knew I wanted to hear it but I really wondered about the quality. All of those concerns were put to rest. This is a complete driving metal package. A nice inlay of photos and notes from Scott Waters and Bill Roxx. They both discuss the band and the story behind this album.

As a bonus for the first 100 pre-orders you also get the Ultimatum’s ‘Fatal Delay’ demo. You can hear the progression from there to now. That demo shows the initial threads of what was to come. A great piece of metal history. If you were fortunate enough to get it, it’s a true collectable. (I do believe at this point they're sold out.)

I did say this was a classic

10 AXES