Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s ultimate Pit test

With a couple of explorations of different genres/clans going on lately (Sonny exploring The Horde, Vinny exploring The Fallen), I decided that I will also try exploring a different clan. I don't intend to make any changes to my clan lineup as of now though. If I do, The Gateway would be the one out, but I'm still sitting comfortable in that clan, so this all depends on well this journey turns out. And the clan I'm exploring is...THE PIT! I have been wanting to explore more this clan for quite a long time, especially the underground thrash/tech-thrash that I'm sometimes up for. I already enjoy several of those bands as much as the ones from my main clans, and the Pit's genres sometimes have good relation with the genres from those clans. When this month's Pit feature release, Anacrusis' Screams and Whispers (despite being much more of a progressive metal release), became part of my perfect 5-star feature release lineup, it was like a sign of destined Pit potential for me. I decided that, rather than following one of the clan challenges for The Pit, I would combine all the challenges into my own; 5 albums, each from one of the 5 challenges. This includes albums that I've already rated, released, or listened to long ago but want to rediscover, to give it an "essential checklist" vibe rather than just finding what I haven't discovered yet. They're all hand-picked by me as possible essentials, but feel free to suggest some more. Here's the list:

The Pit Test Challenge

Groove metal

Anthrax - Sound of White Noise (1993)

Chimaira - Chimaira (2005) (reviewed)

Devil Driver - The Fury of Our Maker's Hand (2005) (reviewed)

Machine Head - Burn My Eyes (1994)

Soulfly - Dark Ages (2005)

Speed metal

Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear (1988) (rediscover)

Helloween - Walls of Jericho (1985) (rediscover)

Living Death - Metal Revolution (1985)

Speedwolf - Ride With Death (2011)

Warfare - Metal Anarchy (1985)

Thrash metal - the 80s

Anthrax - Among the Living (1987)

Destruction - Eternal Devastation (1986)

Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986)

Sadus - Illusions (1988) (reviewed)

Voivod - Killing Technology (1987) (reviewed)

Thrash metal - the 90s

Annihilator - Never, Neverland (1990) (rated)

Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence (1992) (rated)

Merciless - The Awakening (1990)

Sadus - Swallowed in Black (1990) (reviewed)

Aspid - Кровоизлияние (1993) (reviewed)

Thrash metal - the Modern Era

Deceased... - As the Weird Travel On (2005)

Hypnosia - Extreme Hatred (2000)

Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor (2005) (rediscover)

Sepulcher - Panoptic Horror (2018)

Vektor - Black Future (2009) (reviewed)

Bands suggested by other MA members (the albums I choose will be a surprise):

Kreator, Metallica, Slayer

Two remaining genres to pick at least one album from after finishing the rest of the list:

Crossover thrash, stenchcore

I'll start with the albums I've rated but not yet reviewed; Annihilator's Never, Neverland and Demolition Hammer's Epidemic of Violence. I might also review the other album from Annihilator's first thrash era, Alice in Hell, and Demolition Hammer's final album of groove metal, Time Bomb, to fill the gaps. I've listened to those albums several times, and it's time to share what I think of them. And as the rest of the challenge goes on, I'll update my progress in this thread. I shall explore deep into the pits of thrash, groove, and speed. Onward!

An exploration of The Pit without early Metallica, Slayer or Kreator seems somehow... incomplete, Andi!

You're right, Sonny! Thanks for the heads-up. I'll add those bands to the list.

There's no stenchcore or crossover thrash either just quietly.

So, I gave the first two Annihilator albums each a listening/reviewing session, and Alice in Hell is a standout gem in their discography and thrash metal in general. Even though it has many classic songs (especially "Alison Hell"), the last track "Human Insecticide" is its best example of full-on raging thrash. The band continued their earlier classic thrash era with one more album, Never Neverland. Same greatness, though with a different vocalist Coburn Pharr, instead of the debut's incredible Randy Rampage (RIP), and a couple tracks don't work as much as they should and bring the score down slightly. Still, those two albums are a solid-as-rune start to their big 17-album (so far) discography, and they brought my ultimate Pit test to an amazing beginning. Next up tomorrow: Demolition Hammer

There's no stenchcore or crossover thrash either just quietly.

At least one release from those two genres I can add to the list, Daniel. Let's see how I roll with the rest first...

So, I gave the remaining two Demolition Hammer albums each a listening/reviewing session, and Epidemic of Violence is a standout gem in their discography and the brutal side of thrash metal. I'm talking about absolutely vicious thrash filled with hatred and rage, just the way I like it, putting a bit of the more aggressive side of Megadeth or Exodus to shame. Even the switch to groove metal for Demolition Hammer in Time Bomb is very solid, giving me a great feeling about the groove metal part of the test, though the score is obviously brought down slightly by a couple tracks that don't work so well. Anyway, the next album I'll review will be from a band that I moved away from about a year ago, but felt like revisiting an album in a second attempt to review. You'll find out what is soon...

I decided to revisit an album from a band that I stopped listening to about a year when lightening up my Infinite load (that clan is still strong within me in the more extreme side). This second reviewing session for the album isn't as spectacular as the first, but I still see This Godless Endeavour as an amazing thrashy progressive metal album. Here are my thoughts:

This Godless Endeavor keeps the band's steady fire going, as greatly as they've done in Dead Heart in a Dead World, making up for the controversial production of Enemies of Realty. Guitarist Jeff Loomis performs complex riffing in 7-string slaughter, and drummer Van Williams goes heavy on his metallic drumming. Second guitarist Steve Smyth joins in on the action and contributed a bit of songwriting. The cherry on top is the excellent vocals by Warrel Dane, guiding us through thrashy tunes and epic progressive tracks. Sadly, with the band's split and Dane's passing, they can no longer continue the greatness streak they had. While there are other bands out there with killer releases, the vocals reign upon the modern metal throne! RIP Warrel Dane

4.5/5

Coming up next: the groove metal part of the challenge after having a great feeling from Demolition Hammer's Time Bomb.

I don't buy the links to thrash with "This Godless Endeavor" to be honest. I don't think there's even enough thrash for a secondary genre tag so I don't think it should qualify for The Pit . It's a progressive metal record with US power metal & groove metal influences as far as I'm concerned.

OK, I may have been a little too optimistic when I said I have a great feeling about the groove metal part of the Pit test. But it's still a decent start with this album:

This was around the time when grunge was entering the mainstream. A dark heavy rock (sometimes metal) genre with bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden reigning in the scene. Though as well-respected as a couple of those band's albums may be, the classic bands ended up following their footsteps. The 90s saw many of the American thrash bands discard their classic sound for something more modern. Metallica is the most famous victim of that trend. Though this band, Anthrax has ended up taking a more hardcore groove metal direction throughout most of that decade... Well, it's not as atrocious to me as what many people think of it, there are some good points. Sounds of White Noise has some decent moments that I enjoy. The band knew how mature and capable they can be, surviving the reception for what they record and promote. With Sounds of White Noise showing the band abandoning their 80s thrash sound, this different direction isn't so fast, but it is darker. Joey Belladonna left the band (though he would return when the band's thrash returns) and taking his place is ex-Armored Saint frontman John Bush. He's not too bad, sounding better than the false grunge idols of Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. The lyrics Bush sings are more coherent, and his vocals sound more melodic. I kind of like his voice here, though he doesn't have a lot of capability. The songs range from the mid-tempo tracks that makes up groove metal, the faster ones that almost reach the band's earlier thrash, and a few songs that sound close to the grunge movement. You can expect a few solid highlights, but the rest is kind of average, with a couple full-on sh*tters. Sound of White Noise is a decent addition to the band's discography and 90s metal. It hits a few high levels while falling into lower ones. There are more slips and slides through a different direction than what they're known for, similarly to Metallica's motive, all occurring in the 90s. This is more recommended to fans of grunge and earlier groove metal. The heavier metalheads, especially fans of the band's classic thrash era, should avoid this kind of noise....

3/5

Another groove metal album that is quite decent but did not match the great feeling I had before reaching this part of the test. I just can't gain the amount of appeal for Machine Head I've been yearning for. Here are my thoughts:

Machine Head was formed by frontman Robb Flynn in the early 90s after he left thrash metal band Vio-lence following a violent altercation. His time with Vio-lence was when mullet-headed metalheads where in a moshing frenzy from all that vicious thrash. Soon the idea of groove metal's mid-tempo breakdowns and tribal tattoos begin to roll into popularity, and thrash bands began to add accessibility to their heaviness. Trying to find something to enjoy from Robb Flynn's new-band-experience, Machine Head has only given me a dull bruise instead of the battering moshing I needed... Honestly though, Burn My Eyes has built up a bit from the thrashy origin of Flynn's career. After his time with thrash, Flynn and co. began taking more inspiration from Biohazard, Pantera, and Sepultura's Chaos AD. These influences are injected into the thrash sound for the band's own brand of groove metal, with occasional hip-hop chords. The band didn't really have the hardcore credit or Pantera personality in the riffs and vocals. Burn My Eyes shows the band making a fine balance between dynamics and atmosphere to please some metalheads. The drum thunder rolls to make the primal riffing more bloodthirsty. The bass by Adam Duce is good and thick. Robb Flynn can really shout like a caveman, and I don't mean that as an insult. He can encourage you f***ing jump through the tempos and riffs like other bands from their record label Roadrunner. Also add to the groove is some mechanical guitar leads that would remind some of Prong at that time. While many tracks have groove metal's usual midtempo pace, there a couple songs that have fast thrash. The more metallic songs are the highlights for me, but the ones that have a closer sound to Pantera and Biohazard end up having a dull formula and lyrical atrocities. Of course, the metallic highlights have great lyrics, far better than the ones in the sh*tters. Despite the oddities and lyrical atrocities in half the amount of songs, Burn My Eyes is a decent start to the band's career and I understand the groove metal scene growing from there....

3/5

This one's slightly worse, to the point where only 3 songs reign as golden highlights, and the rest do not by far. And this is from former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera's later band Soulfly. Here are my thoughts:

The heavier classic metalheads know who Max Cavalera is. He was one of the founders of Brazilian metal legends Sepultura alongside his brother Igor. During Max's time with the band, they made a blackened death metal album, a classic deathly thrash metal trilogy, and two mainstream groove metal albums. Believe it or not, this is my first time I've given some listening and a review to a full album from Max Cavalera's later band Soulfly. With all this yelling I've heard of about "jumpin' da f*** up" and armageddon, I thought I would have a turn to dive in. And this experience left me...quite disappointed. The potential for unique groove aggression I was expecting doesn't happen. Now there's still a bit of interesting music experimentation, including some thrash. You can hear it a bit of riff aggression and soloing. So there's nothing overly bland about the Dark Ages album as a whole, but still not all of the songs are worth my time. The few songs that work well have awesome riffing, but the rest is so unfocused and ages the experience poorly. And guess what, the lyrics are often worse than the ones in Machine Head's debut, and combined with the weak music, they make a lot of this album's material a laughingstock. I say the atrocity covers most tracks, while the more tolerable ones keep the album at its current rating score. I'm not sure I would be up for this Sepultura spin-off band again...

2.5/5

Coming up tomorrow: A more hopeful look at the speed metal part of the test, after those groove metal downers.

We're off to a better start in the speed metal part of the challenge! I'll also do another attempt at checking on which speed metal albums give the genre closer potential to either a classic heavy metal subgenre or a Pit genre. Anyway, let's start with the rediscovery of the speedy debut of a band that would later become a power metal titan:

This mighty evolving beast of a band started as a melodic speed metal outfit named Lucifer's Heritage. The band changed their name to avoid association with Satanism and black metal, but kept their original style while foreshadowing their famous power metal. Honest admission: I find the recent albums too over-the-top and bombastic, and that's why I'm up for the simplicity of their debut (and why I'm no longer into a lot of power metal). Their debut album Battalions of Fear is a well-polished speed metal album, in line with their peers back then, Rage (which also evolved into theatrical power metal) and Scanner. Some tracks were re-recorded from the band's Lucifer's Heritage demos, with some notable changes. Here we have a great collection of power metal anthems I still find majestic, speed metal racers, and shredding interludes, but a couple other tracks sound more average. The lyrics in most songs involve fantasy and mythology, an aspect they would expand on in later albums. There's clear production for an 80s debut album with searing leads and rhythms in the guitar. This is the kind of sound I prefer nowadays rather than the over-the-top layers of their 2000s albums. While not as catchy nor in wide range as their later material, the vocals of Hansi Kürsch show such a wild young lad that he was. Blind Guardian, one of this century's most titanic power metal bands started with an underrated power/speed metal album. Quite a fun beginning....

4/5

More potential in: The Guardians

I'll be interested to hear your perspective on Helloween's "Walls of Jericho" Andi as (unlike Helloween's self-titled debut E.P. which took a clear speed metal direction) I've never considered it to qualify as a speed metal record. To my ears it's the first genuine European power metal record but also has strong ties to traditional heavy metal. The only obvious speed metal track is "Metal Invaders" in my opinion although "Phantoms of Death" is kinda a power/heavy/speed metal hybrid. See if you agree.

You are definitely right, Daniel! Although Blind Guardian's debut is a hybrid of early power/speed metal, Helloween's debut Walls of Jericho is Priest/Maiden-infused power metal, and the pioneering foundation of the genre. I don't see any Hall of Judgement entry for this album, so that shall be in order. In the meantime, here are my thoughts:

It is late 1985. Just a year and a half before the Keepers saga led by vocalist Michael Kiske began. Vocalist/guitarist Kai Hansen, guitarist Michael Weikath, bassist Markus Grosskopf, and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg (RIP) were determined to make a different metal sound, combining the speed of Metallica at that time with the melody of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, plus the fantasy vibe of Manowar. The Walls of Jericho were built and a new genre began to rise. This is...POWER METAL! The album is filled with different aspects throughout the songs that shape up the genre, including scream-singing, melodic riffing, notable bass fills, speedy drumming, and subtle background keyboards. Barely anything at all can be considered speed metal, and the one that is the closest there (I agree with you which one it is, Daniel) is one of only a couple tracks that need slight improvement. Walls of Jericho can be heralded as a classic that has started the ascent of power metal. A mostly excellent album where the power rises!

4.5/5

More potential in: The Guardians

Those speed metal albums I reviewed earlier today were quite melodic for Pit releases, and one of them doesn't have any rights in the Pit! So I decided to check out the remaining album I've chosen for the 90s thrash metal part before going any further, and it's a heavy polar opposite. Quite a killer one in fact:

Merciless is a band from Sweden that combined thrash metal with aggressive influences from death metal and even a bit of black metal. In the late 80s, the band released two demos. They recorded this album The Awakening in 1989, and released it less than a year later in 1990. What's also worth noting is, it's the first album released via Deathlike Silence Productions, operated by late Mayhem guitarist Euronymous. Two years later, he would publish 8 black metal albums within a couple years before his murder by Burzum's Varg Vikernes. Back to this band Merciless, The Awakening is pretty much the last Swedish extreme metal album released in this earlier era before a different one of full-on death metal. It also has a mere 27-minute total length. Time flies when you have fun listening, so you have to savor in some thorough listening for a full experience worth appreciating. Pretty much every track is filled violent deathly thrash, slightly more than Demolition Hammer, and reminding some of Kreator. The band is focused on brutal speed. They never go complex or progressive, instead having straight-up violence. If the album cover art doesn't tip you off about that, it's still worth trying for killer tracks. Without ever having to use a professional studio, the production sounds so unique and raw. The mix in the instrumentation is done in a way that barely has any flaws at all, giving in a more primitive vibe. The majority of this album is quite memorable, as well as underrated compared to the heavier bands that stretch past my brutality limit. I might not entirely be in the mood for deathly thrash metal, but if I am, I'm up to giving The Awakening an occasional listen. I would certainly recommend it to fans of earlier death/thrash metal for some of this anger and merciless hate!

4.5/5

OK, I'm back in the speed metal part of the ultimate Pit test. And I just encountered an album that balances out that part, taking on a more aggressive thrashy form of speed metal that seems appropriate for The Pit. Well, despite the Accept influences...

Living Death released their debut album Vengeance in Hell in 1984. They then hired Harald Lutze for a tour to support the album, with fellow German metal band Warlock (Doro's former band) by their side. After that, Lutze was fired for some reason and taking his place was Andreas Oberhoff (RIP). The following year, 1985 saw the release of the EP Watch Out, hinting at a different progression of their sound. Their different sound is solidified in this album, Metal Revolution! This is basically like a more thrashy Accept, with most of the songs having a kind of speed metal sound that is like old-school melodic thrash with the cleaner riffs and vocals of that band. Though there a couple slower tracks. Side A ends with a 6-minute epic, and side B starts with an intro. That makes me think that the two vinyl sides are switched, and that side A should've been side B and vice versa. Nonetheless, the instrumentation and production is really good. The guitars can be heard quite clearly in the mix, along with audible bass to continue building this wall of sound. The drums even have a nice snare. They all fit well with the vocals by Thorsten Bergmann, having his trademark high abrasion. Metal Revolution has enjoyable thrashy speed metal energy! Anyone who likes Accept but wants more speed than that band's album Restless and Wild might dig this....

4/5

More potential in: The Pit

Yeah, I agree that "Metal Revolution" (3.5/5) is a better example of a genuine speed metal release Andi. It's not a bad one either. It was a massive improvement on their 1984 "Vengeance of Hell" debut (2.5/5) which was very ordinary indeed, particularly the production & vocals which were about as bad as you'll find.

About 25 years late for the speed metal party, but it's timeless for metalheads looking for a mix of melody and speed. This one actually teeters on the line between The Pit and The Guardians, having more aggressive speed than most Guardians bands (even DragonForce) while being more melodic than most Pit bands. Here are my thoughts:

The wolves of metal have been really rising in the first two decades of the new millennium. Two of which include heavy/power metal acts Wolf and Powerwolf. And there are probably more obscure bands that also "wolf" in the name. One interesting band in the wolfpack is Speedwolf, cooking up a fresh new punky brand of speed metal in their sole album Ride With Death. The vocals have kind of a Motorhead/Sodom vibe, while the distorted bass sounds like the bassist has learnt from the late Cliff Burton of Metallica. Generally, the album is packed with speed metal fire in many songs, and a few of them head close into classic heavy metal, melodic thrash metal, and even old-school black metal in one song. Speedwolf made a pretty great representation of reviving speed metal's 80s essentials. The mix sounds different in this current age while giving listeners what to enjoy from its powerful past. A new rebellious generation of metal fans out there is ready to ride, drink, smoke, and howl in the night!

4.5/5.

More potential in: both The Guardians and The Pit

Yeah, I don't mind the Speedwolf album Andi (3.5/5). I can't say I'm as enthusiastic as you are but it's certainly worth a listen or two. It's definitely a speed metal record but there's an obvious heavy metal secondary influence there too so I would agree with your assessment of it sitting somewhere between the two clans.

This album has a more punky vibe added to speed/heavy metal, quite underrated despite not selling well! And something that happened in an attempt to promote the album is one of the wildest stories in all of metal. I'll share it here as I share my thoughts:

1985 saw the second album by punky metal band Warfare, produced the late Lemmy of Motorhead. It sold poorly, and they couldn't do any big tours. They didn't want to spend all their money on a special opportunity to support Metallica at the Hammersmith Odeon. To protest their management with a big "f*** you", the band rode their truck to the parking lot outside the venue while Metallica was performing, and played their own show. They caused destruction to many different cars, including one owned by the Odeon manager. They were arrested after the chaos, but it was f***ing worth it for them. This band could really speak out their attitude with actions rather than words. Of course, vandalism and public disturbance should never be condoned, but it really shows the band what a wild group they can be. And the music they made for Metal Anarchy expresses their attitude even further, more rebellious than even The Revolution clan. The songs here all punky metal anthems, often fast, sometimes slow, all to have you raising your fists. Feel the restless madness throughout this album. You might very well enjoy it. However, it might not be for everyone, nor a perfect 5-star masterpiece. Still, I had no idea before now punky speed metal could be so thrilling!

4.5/5

More potential in: The Guardians

Coming up: The true part of the Ultimate Pit test, thrash metal from the 80s and 2000s. Let's see if I'll enjoy them as much as those speed metal releases...

The greater side of The Pit continues on in the thrash metal part of the challenge, specifically its classic era of the 80s. And this is a great classic start here:

Anthrax is the kind of band who can brain-storm. They can think up better and new ideas at ease. With the classic thrash scene rising, and their side-project Stormtroopers of Death, Anthrax made a different sound that combines hardcore punk and speed metal into their own form of thrash metal, making them part of the Big 4. That was the right call! Among the Living is full of insane relentless thrash lightning, almost competing with bands like Slayer and Dark Angel. The tempos, vocals, and attitude are in better influential elements than in bands like Megadeth. Most of the instrumentalists also provide background vocals to add in a "gang" kind of vibe, which is kind of what Exodus has done also. The vocals by Joey Belladonna often hits the highs as much as Judas Priest and Metal Church, in contrast to the grittiness of Metallica and Slayer. Many of the songs here are thrash classics worth headbanging and moshing along, though a couple of them sound a bit forced and bizarre while still being a lot of fun. Among the Living can be considered the highest point of Anthrax's career, showing them as a much better band than when they made Sounds of White Noise. So tip your hat off, like the guy in the middle of an emotionless crowd in the album cover, to one of the most influential classics in thrash metal history!

4.5/5

I have to admit that I've never had much time for Warfare's "Metal Anarchy" (2.5/5). It's lacking in class in my opinion & I'm not surprised that it didn't do much from a commercial point of view. "Among The Living" (4.5/5) on the other hand is an undisputed classic & played a huge part in my late 80's/early 90's teenage years.

After checking out an album from a band from the American thrash metal Big 4, it is time to check on one of the bands from the Teutonic thrash Big 4, and the results are mostly spectacular here too. Here are my thoughts:

After their debut album of blackened-ish thrash, Destruction took on a more intense and killer pure thrash metal sound in their second album Eternal Devastation. This is such powerful energy with some of the best of classic Teutonic thrash! There's a lot of top-notch riffing in here! It's different from what I normally expect in classic thrash while staying firmly in that style. The riffing dominates with catchy strength without ever having to drag in improvisation. It's quite enjoyable! The memorable riffing is indeed what makes those songs quite brilliant. Though one or two songs might not reach total perfection while they're still great. Throughout this 7-song album, the aggressive riffing and drumming can easily cause listeners to headbang and air-guitar to these destructive thrash anthems. It's a neck-breaking thrashy riff-fest that can scare the sh*t out of the weak, and make the strong stronger. The heavier classic metalheads will be up to joining in this bad-a** fast offering of mass thrash destruction!

4.5/5