Quite similar to its predecessor,
Born to Expire, but slightly stronger,
Desperate Measures is a thrash metal CD for metalheads who aren't necessarily big thrash enthusiasts. On "All About Dope" (which describes the agonizing effects of drugs), "Make Me an Offer," "Stand For," and other songs,
Leeway still showed itself to be one of the more accessible bands in the thrash genre.
Anthrax and
Testament were still valid comparisons, although a bit more
Black Sabbath/
Ozzy Osbourne influence was asserting itself. But make no mistake,
Desperate Measures is blistering. There's no shortage of angst, testosterone or adrenaline on this disc, which wasn't a big seller by any means.
Leeway never had anything more than a small following, and a commercial breakthrough continued to elude the high-volume New Yorkers.