The Bay Area Thrash Thread
I'm pretty sure the so-called "Big Four" was a music press creation more than a label executive's. Kerrang! journalist Malcolm Dome originally coined the term thrash metal, so I wouldn't bet against him or another metal journo coming up with the B4 epithet. Either way, you are right Morpheus, no actual thrash fans at the time called them collectively by that name. I'm surprised it's stuck around as a label to be honest because all four bands (yes, Slayer included) had their issues as metal moved into the nineties. I guess it's just because they are the most recognisable names to Joe Public and probably was jumped on as a convenient marketing tool.
I'm pretty sure the so-called "Big Four" was a music press creation more than a label executive's. Kerrang! journalist Malcolm Dome originally coined the term thrash metal, so I wouldn't bet against him or another metal journo coming up with the B4 epithet. Either way, you are right Morpheus, no actual thrash fans at the time called them collectively by that name. I'm surprised it's stuck around as a label to be honest because all four bands (yes, Slayer included) had their issues as metal moved into the nineties. I guess it's just because they are the most recognisable names to Joe Public and probably was jumped on as a convenient marketing tool.
Nevertheless, conversations like this are all around the internet, so it became a really common discussion point even when marketing the term isn't popular.
When did people start using big four to refer to those bands, anyway? I remember reading that it was some record company invention to solely to sell more records rather than something people started naturally referring to. Although I guess it could be something that record companies latched onto, sort of how like every sports program I have the misfortune of listening to seems to consist of people screaming GOAT at each other. (greatest of all time, in case you don't get it)
As to Anthrax, their classic albums from the '80s sell a lot more than Testament's classic albums, while these days they're about neck and neck. This is probably because those classic albums get shilled a lot as "some of the only good metal" while Testament has escaped their notice. Probably because while they've had a lot of good stuff over the years, a lot of people probably wrote them off as a Metallica knock-off. I like 'em a lot, but its hard to argue with that conclusion.
Despite that, their newer albums are better than the current Metallica output. Metallica haven't been sure of themselves since Reload failed.
Of course, I'm finding myself redefining my thrash standards on and off, so this may change. In fact, you'd be surprised at my new pick for favorite Slayer album, and it was never once Reign in Blood. I came into this thread to post that I have a pretty new outlook on Slayer, and yet it still fits my standards for any perfect album.
Slayer did the right thing taking time to focus on separate tempos and new melodies. Even as a Christian, I gotta admit this is a perfectly made album. It's more diverse than Reign in Blood and heavier than Seasons in the Abyss, which used to be my favorite. I also appreciate the application of the crossover thrash attitude to the slower songs, and the traces of early groove that they'd take part in later. And this change is right in the middle of me posting a preprepared top 100 metal albums forum on Metalforum and I'm halfway through the revelations.
What do you know? I'm revealing that shit a few albums at a time and I'm already making changes.
I'm back from vacation and stayed in a Hard Rock Hotel, they don't exactly have the most...Metal-centric collection but I did come across a very cool Anthrax guitar they had in their massive collection of stuff littered around.
Death Angel - "Frolic Through The Park" (1988)
Second tier San Francisco Bay Area stalwarts Death Angel are an interesting one for me personally because I’ve never quite felt that they were deserving of all the praise they’ve received over the years. I discovered them fairly early on in my thrash metal journey through their highly celebrated 1987 debut album “The Ultra-Violence” (3.5/5) which was a super-raw thrashfest that built its reputation on the band’s youthful energy. The pitchy vocals were a bit of an obstacle for me & it could have done with a little more time & maturity in my opinion but it was a promising start to the young band’s career & has gone on to be regarded as a thrash classic by many fans. When I subsequently explored 1988’s “Frolic Through The Park” sophomore album though, I found some significant obstacles that weren’t present previously & didn’t feel up to giving it the time to sink in. I basically dismissed it as being none of my business & that opinion didn’t change with a brief revisit more than a decade ago now but I have to admit that the much more positive views of many social media personalities have eventually gotten to me. Was I too harsh on “Frolic Through The Park”? Have I been too quick to rule a line through it? Let’s find out.
There have traditionally been a couple of major talking points with “Frolic Through The Park” & both are worth discussing here. The first is the poor production with the whole record sounding wishy washy, thin & even a little sickly at times. This is interesting because the band had once again co-produced the record with Davy Vain (the front man from upcoming San Francisco glam metal band Vain) but the results are vastly different. I really struggled with this element back in the day but I think I’ve managed to finally look past it on this revisit as I've found myself more open to hearing what the band is pushing from a creative point of view. The second element worth mentioning is the incorporation of an array of external influences including hardcore punk, alternative metal, funk & progressive rock into the band’s exciting thrash metal arsenal which is seriously surprising when you consider that none of the band members were older than 21 at the time (drummer & co-producer Andy Galeon was still only 16 years old for fuck’s sake). This has certainly proven to be a divisive point of discussion over the years with some people finding it refreshing & others finding it to be a creative misfire.
The album kicks off pretty well actually with the first two tracks being the thrashiest & best of the eleven on the CD & leading into a pretty enjoyable crossover thrash track in “Why You Do This”. Things crash & burn pretty quickly after that though with the remainder of the album being noticeably hit & miss. Personally I find the quality levels to drop in direct correlation to how far the band steps furthest away from their thrash roots. You could say that this is simply a matter of taste but I don’t think that’s it. Despite hinting at the sound that fellow San Francisco thrashers Mordred would take in the coming years, the funk-infused numbers like “Bored” & “Open Up” sound like a band that’s lacking any sort of direction. The more complex & progressive material lacks cohesion & seems to fight against the flow of the song-writing while the inclusion of a cover version of KISS hard rocker “Cold Gin” sounds waaayyy out of place & sees the tracklisting grinding to a temporary halt. I mean, how much does the awful progressive/heavy metal number “Confused” remind you of a poor man’s version of Scatterbrain’s 1990 radio hit “Don’t Call Me Dude”?! The four or five more traditional thrash tunes on the other hand (think Testament, Exodus & Metallica) are actually quite good with the riffs showcasing a clear pedigree & a surprisingly strong technique for such young musicians. Front man Mark Osegueda is still pretty patchy at times though & I greatly prefer it when he simply tears shreds off your ears by screaming his guts out. Some of his choruses are lacklustre at best which sees some really strong lead-up work going to waste (see “Mind Rape” for example).
Is this Death Angel’s worst record? I think it might be actually. Much like Overkill, I find Death Angel to be one of those bands whose albums I generally always like but rarely love so I try to check out each new release. While records like “The Art of Dying” & Killing Season” may not be anywhere near classic, they certainly offer a stronger level of consistency than this effort & I’m not surprised that the band have tended to disown “Frolic Through The Park” over the years.
3/5
Vio-lence - "Eternal Nightmare" (1988)
San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal five-piece Vio-lence were first brought to my attention when a close school mate handed me a dubbed cassette copy of their debut album “Eternal Nightmare” some time in 1989. I’d certainly seen their name around in metal magazines, often in articles that linked them to the Bay Area scene that I already loved so much so I think it’s fair to say that I was well & truly open to being dazzled by whatever it was that was in store for me. What eventuated wasn’t altogether different to that either in all honesty but it did require a little effort before I got through Vio-lence's tough exterior to reach the creamy centre. Anyone that’s familiar with Vio-lence will do doubt know what I’m talking about too.
You see, Vio-lence sported (& still sport) quite an unusual front man in Sean Killian whose voice invariably sounds like a yelping dog that’s just being runover to the unprepared new listener. As with most people, I struggled with him initially but he’s very much an acquired taste & it didn’t take all that long for me to come round to his psychotic (& admittedly pitchy) style of artistic expression. Would I prefer a more well credentialed & capable singer? Well yeah, I’d be lying if I tried to convince you otherwise but I do think he also gives Vio-lence a unique differentiator that is at least partially responsible for their longevity.
Instrumentally though, Vio-lence’s debut absolutely rips! The band were very clearly on a mission to create the fastest Bay Area thrash record released to the time & I’ll be damned if they didn’t get close to achieving it too. There are thrashtastic riffs galore here with the dual guitar attack of Rob Flynn & Phil Demmel (both of Machine Head fame) absolutely going for broke for the majority of the short but blemish-free tracklisting. The faster the band got, the more I was into them with the short, sharp shock of “Serial Killer” & the powerful “T.D.S. (Take It As You Will)” being unmitigated Bay Area classics in my opinion. These moments often see me reaching for comparisons with Dark Angel’s classic 1986 “Darkness Descends” album which can only be regarded as a feather in Vio-lence’s cap now, can’t it?
Vio-lence would never again match the sheer potency of their debut which is a shame. I certainly played the shit out of my cassette copy of their 1990 sophomore album “Oppressing The Masses” too but it always seemed like a step down from “Eternal Nightmare” if I’m being honest. I’m not gonna lie, Killian’s vocals do prevent the album from reaching the classic status it had the potential to achieve but there’s still more than enough quality, high-energy thrash metal on offer to tick my boxes & your average Forbidden, Exodus or Sacred Reich fan will be doing themselves a huge disservice if they’re not all over this band.
4/5
Forbidden - "Forbidden Evil" (1988)
When I first got into thrash metal in a major way back in late 1988 I quickly threw myself into anything I could find that was even loosely attached to the genre. That originally led me to the Big Four of course but once I’d navigated my way through their entire collective discography I went looking for lesser-known bands in order to expand my understanding of the underground scene. I remember Testament & Exodus being the first two artists I’d wrap my ears around but fellow Bay Area thrashers Forbidden were always listed in the same articles so it didn’t take me long before I’d take the plunge with them too. I recall 1988’s “Forbidden Evil” & 1990’s “Twisted Into Form” albums both kicking a fair amount of arse too but Forbidden would go off the rails during the mid-90’s & I subsequently lost interest in them after that. I did check out their 2010 “Omega Wave” comeback record many years later however & didn’t think it was too bad either but it hardly compared with Forbidden in their prime so it only received a couple of passing listens. Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been filling in some gaps in my ratings for releases I used to listen to as a kid of late though which was seen me reaching for a Forbidden record for the first time in quite a while.
Let me start this review by saying that “Forbidden Evil” was a serious player in the Bay Area thrash scene at the time. The band members were all in their twenties by this stage & were extremely capable at their craft too after having spent a good few years indulging in everything the exciting Bay Area scene had to offer. The “Forbidden Evil” lineup is probably best known for containing future Slayer, Exodus & Testament drummer Paul Bostaph &, in truth, Forbidden were never the same after he left the fold but the main attractions here are really the twin guitar attack of Craig Locicero & future Testament axeman Glen Alvelais whose razor-sharp riffage & searing lead solos gave Forbidden an edge over much of the competition. The other protagonist is front man Russ Anderson who proves himself to possess a diverse & durable vocal range that can sound aggressive like Slayer’s Tom Araya at one moment & then melodic (& even operatic) like Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson the next. I personally really enjoy Russ’ contribution here as he offers a nice balance & plenty of variety.
The production job of John Cuniberti is spot on for this raw brand of thrash metal which is hardly surprising given that he’d only just finished producing Vio-lence’s “Eternal Nightmare” debut. The guitar tone is particularly effective which sees the riffs maintaining a similar weight to classic Exodus. The ripping solos effortlessly cutting through the mix too so “Forbidden Evil” ticks a lot of boxes before you even start looking at the song-writing. Once you do though, you’ll find that there are no weak tracks included with some of the material showcasing a clear pedigree in classic heavy metal & speed metal, particularly the up-tempo speed metal assault of opener “Chalice of Blood”, the Judas Priest inspired riffs of “Through The Eyes of Glass” & the King Diamond-ish progressive delivery of closer “Follow Me”. Interestingly, these are the more highly regarded tracks on the album which is (predictably enough) directly opposed to my own preferences. The two most essential thrashers for me personally correlate with a couple of the least popular tracks with “Feel No Pain” & my personal favourite “As Good As Dead” both giving me significant pants jollies. The Slayer influence in some of the better riffs is most welcome by this ol' Slayer tragic.
“Forbidden Evil” is an electric & weighty example of the late 80’s American thrash sound that I still get a lot of enjoyment out of which leaves me wondering why Forbidden aren’t more readily included among the more senior second tier thrash bands. Heathen, Testament & Vio-lence fans should consider it to be a real treat & I look forward to seeing how “Twisted Into Form” compares with it in the coming months as I seem to recall the sophomore album being my preference back in the day.
4/5
Testament - "Practice What You Preach" (1988)
Legendary San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament represent quite a pivotal band in my life in many ways. My first encounters with thrash metal back in late 1988 were a clear example of love at first sight & I’d subsequently throw myself head over heals into the Big Four with a vigour that I’ve rarely repeated in all the years since. Where Testament fit in is that they, along with fellow Bay Area heavy-weights Exodus, were the first artists to prove to me that there was a thriving underground thrash scene outside of the four senior players & we shouldn’t underestimate that event because it was the key moment that took me from being one of those people that only likes the big, well-known bands to becoming a complete extreme metal obsessive. I’d find myself purchasing Testament’s 1989 third album “Practice What You Preach” blind, based primarily on the feedback I’d received from metal magazines of the time that indicated that they sounded a lot like my beloved Metallica & that ended up being pretty accurate in the end. I wouldn’t adore “Practice What You Preach” to the same extent as the classics from the Big Four or Exodus’ jaw-dropping “Bonded By Blood” but it would certainly become a staple record in not only my own bedroom but also my younger brother Ben’s. In fact, I think Testament probably played an even bigger role in Ben’s life & it was “Practice What You Preach” that kick-started it all. It's been interesting to see Testament’s third album receiving mixed reviews in recent years though as that certainly wasn’t the case back in the day when it became a minor hit for the band. It’s been literally decades since I revisited it though & I’d been wondering if I might find my childhood feelings being tarnished in a similar way to what my recent revisit of Anthrax’s “State of Euphoria” album did to be honest so it’s been interesting to see how big a role nostalgia has played in my long-time position that “Practice What You Preach” is yet another very high-quality thrash record to follow on from their first two full-lengths which are generally held up as pivotal moments for the genre.
The first obstacle that I thought I might need to overcome would be the production as I’ve seen quite a few online murmurings about it being weak in recent times but that’s not the case with producer Alex Perialas doing a pretty reasonable job. He was an experienced campaigner by that point having already produced a slew of classic thrash records like S.O.D.’s “Speak English or Die”, Overkill’s “Taking Over”, Carnivore’s “Retaliation” as well as Testament’s “The Legacy” & “The New Order” so it would have been a surprise to find that he’d cocked this album up but I needn’t have worried too much as it’s certainly an improvement on the weak, thin guitar tone that plagued “The New Order”. The real stumbling blocks are two-fold; firstly, front man Chuck Billy’s tendency to sing out of key during the more commercially accessible moments &, secondly, Testament’s newly found love affair with chuggy, mid-paced & generally fairly unintimidating thrash metal riffs. That’s right, there’s a reason that “Practice What You Preach” was the biggest selling Testament record to date & it comes down to accessibility. My first listen saw me very quickly being reminded of it too & after the first few tracks I was worried that I might find myself needing to realign my feelings on the album fairly drastically with even the legendary title track sounding pretty tame by today’s standards. Thankfully though, things picked up significantly after that.
Having given the album a few full & active revisits now I can honestly say that I’ve gotten used to Chuck’s vocal issues. I remember initially struggling with them a bit back in the day too if I’m being honest but it seems like I just need some time with him. The more lethargic riffs are another story though. I’ve never rated drummer Louie Clemente & feel that he’s one of the main reasons that I’ve never considered Testament’s highly praised 1980’s releases to be tier one thrash records. He simply loves a rocky & accessible beat which may contribute to Testament’s widespread appeal but it doesn’t rock my boat personally. Future Savatage & Trans-Siberian Orchestra lead guitarist Alex Skolnick’s solos are nothing short of fucking sensational though & I’ve very quickly remembered why I worshipped him so much as a budding young shredder. His sense of melody is second to none & he compliments Dragonlord guitarist Eric Peterson’s riffs perfectly. Despite the focus of mid-paced tempos, the duo still present some belter riffs here on occasion which makes tracks like “Time Is Coming”, “Blessed In Contempt”, “Sins of Omission” & instrumental closer “Confusion Fusion” highly captivating. Strangely though, it’s the most obvious attempt at commercialism in “The Ballad” that is the real highlight of the record in my opinion, thanks largely to some stunning lead work from Skolnick. Billy is at his pitchiest here but the doubling of his vocal lines gives them an eery atmosphere that I find quite endearing. The song structure is beautifully constructed too & by the end of the record I find that these moments of brilliance do just enough to overcome a couple of clear duds in the lethargic chugger “Envy Life” & unintelligent thrasher “Nightmare (Coming Back To You)”.
While “Practice What You Preach” is clearly the weaker of Testament’s first three albums, it’s also their most ambitious as it sees the band incorporating some additional elements & expanding their repertoire as musicians. The more progressive touches, the stronger focus on song-writing & their most obvious attempt at a radio hit are all interesting additions but I do crave a little more energy in my thrash which leaves “Practice What You Preach” feeling a little light-weight. This has been offset by the class with which Testament are able to go about their work & the ridiculous skills of their dual guitar attack though which results in a final product that will surely please fans of peers like Metallica, Exodus or Death Angel.
4/5
Exodus - "Fabulous Disaster" (1989)
San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal legends Exodus fill a very important position in my musical journey in that they were the first band to prove to me that there was more to this extreme metal thing than just the Big Four. It would be Exodus’ 1985 debut album “Bonded By Blood” that would be the catalyst for this moment of glorious realization & that record still maintains a permanent residency in my Hall of Metal Glory as the band’s finest work to this day. This experience would see me further exploring Exodus’ back catalogue with their current release at the time “Fabulous Disaster” being the next stop on the Bay Area thrash train, shortly followed by 1987’s “Pleasures of the Flesh” sophomore album. Neither record would prove to be as classic as Exodus’ unbelievable first-up effort but I really bought into what both albums were selling nonetheless & they went on to play a significant role in my early teenage years as a result. I’ve long suspected that perhaps I might be overrating “Fabulous Disaster” a touch based on the opinions of some of my more reliable peers though so now would appear to be a good time to reassess my position.
“Fabulous Disaster” was the second Exodus full-length to be fronted by former Legacy (aka Testament) vocalist Steve Souza with the remainder of the band having been together since “Bonded By Blood”. As with “Pleasures of the Flesh”, "Fabulous Disaster" was recorded at Alpha & Omega Recording Studio in San Francisco with house engineer Marc Senasac sharing the production duties with guitarists Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt this time after handling them solo on “Pleasures of the Flesh”. Given Senasac’s relatively minimal track record outside of Exodus, I’m guessing that he was an associate of the band. Perhaps they even pushed their new English record label Music For Nations to let them record with him at their local studio again. I dunno but the album sounds pretty good nonetheless. It has that unique Exodus guitar crunch that I love so much. There just seems to be more weight & depth behind their riffs than most other thrash bands can muster & it’s a major drawcard for me being a metal guitarist myself.
Where “Bonded By Blood” was a total thrashfest from start to finish, “Fabulous Disaster” sees Exodus now exploring their creative urges with each track possessing its own unique personality while still staying true to their thrash metal roots. It’s got enough high-intensity violence to satisfy the old-school but enough hooks to entice a new audience into the fold too. Steve Souza’s snarly vocals are a real highlight & when he gets things right (see “The Toxic Waltz” & “Corruption” for example) he gives Exodus a sarcastic yet no less aggressive attitude that I find really appealing. In fact, I’d suggest that he’s probably my favourite of Exodus' three front men. The other highlight is clearly Holt & Hunolt’s ability to create thrash metal riffs of the highest quality & even today I still find my mind going back to these early Exodus albums when I think of great thrash rhythm guitar work. The duo's guitar solos are perhaps a little more expressive & expansive than we’d heard from them before though. They try things that are a little out of the ordinary & it doesn’t always work but it creates an additional point of interest nonetheless. If pushed, I’d probably just prefer that they dropped the fluff & put the pedal to the metal to tell you the truth.
The album kicks off with an absolute belter in “The Last Act of Defiance”, a track that I regard as not only the high point of the album but also as one of the finest anthems of the Bay Area scene as a whole. It’s full to the brim with violence & vitriol which is exactly what I want from an Exodus song. This is followed by the title track which is a touch more accessible but possesses some quality hooks that keep the quality level running high. “The Toxic Waltz” makes up a perfect trio to start the tracklisting & has rightfully gone on to become one Exodus’ most treasured tracks. Souza’s cheeky lyrics & attitude are to die for while the riffs are simply mosh pit heaven. At this stage of their initial listen I’d suggest that most thrash fans would have been gearing themselves up to dish out some of their highest ratings but unfortunately the remainder of the tracklisting isn’t quite as consistently impressive, despite still holding some excellent Exodus material. A misguided cover version of War’s “Low Rider” is the only genuine failure & would seem to have been included merely to fill in time along with another cover version of AC/DC’s “Overdose” which is admittedly pretty good but sits much closer to hard rock than metal so it sounds more than a little out of place at the end of a predominantly thrash-focused record. The original material is all pretty good with the slower & lengthier “Like Father, Like Son”, the middle-finger-in-the-air rebellion of “Corruption” & the firey up-tempo thrashfest that is “Open Season” all being particularly strong. The southern slant to “Cajun Hell” is interesting enough to keep my attention but clearly isn’t peak-time Exodus while the angular, groove-laden riffage of “Verbal Razors” very obviously shows the impact they had on peers like Pantera.
As you can probably tell, the stronger material is clearly in the ascendancy here & it results in a strong & muscular album that I regard as being Exodus’ second-best full-length these days, just edging out records like “Pleasures of the Flesh” & 2005’s “Shovel Headed Kill Machine” & comfortably eclipsing their very popular 2004 comeback album “Tempo of the Damned”. It’s a shame that Exodus have never been able to put it all together consistently enough to deliver a record that compares favourably with their first-up effort “Bonded By Blood” but that’s not to say that I won’t happily take an album like “Fabulous Disaster” every day of the week given that it ticks all of my Bay Area thrash boxes. Fans of bands like Overkill, Testament & Death Angel should regard it as essential listening.
4/5
Death Angel - "Act III" (1990)
My first exposure to popular San Francisco Bay Area thrash metallers Death Angel came through the song “Mistress of Pain” from their highly regarded 1987 debut album “The Ultra-Violence” when I heard it played on a late-night underground metal radio program some time in 1989. That experience led me to investigate the band’s first two albums through the older skaters at my school which left me with mixed feelings to be honest. You see, while “The Ultra-Violence” is certainly a raw & super-thrashy effort that reeks of naïve enthusiasm, it’s also inherently unpolished & sounds like it needed a little more work to me. I get a fair bit of enjoyment out of it but have never found it to be essential with the pitchy vocals of front man Mark Osegueda being particularly questionable. It was definitely a step up from 1988’s “Frolic Through The Park” though which I found very little joy in & still regard as Death Angel’s only real failure to this day. Somehow though, I managed to see past that blip & would purchase 1990’s “Act III” third album on cassette shortly after it was released which would coincide with my brother Ben getting into thrash metal quite nicely because “Act III” contained the sort of crossover appeal that could draw new listeners into the fold. It’s hard to tell how much of my affection for “Act III” is drawn from nostalgia for a simpler time these days though because those were certainly exciting years for the two of us as we discovered an endless run of classic metal releases in such a short period & would share the experience between us a lot of the time which brought us closer together. Still... going into this latest revisit I was fully expecting to be dishing out a solid four-star rating based on my memories of a strong & creative offering. Let’s see how that assumption stacked up now, shall we?
Where “Frolic Through The Park” was very much a failed attempt to break away from your standard thrash metal model, “Act III” sees Death Angel returning with a better understanding of what they were trying to achieve, this time giving the same concept a much better crack. The production & musicianship are excellent & the song-writing is more fluent & fully developed. While “Act III” is still very much a thrash metal album, it often doesn’t “feel” like one as it sees the band branching out into several disparate subgenres to great effect with funk/alternative metal & acoustic rock being the most prominent new directions. The vast majority of the tracks include riffs that clearly utilize the thrash template though which never lets you forget who you’re listening to. It’s a very consistent record with no weak tracks to speak of & Oseguado seems to have finally found his niche from a vocal perspective as I find him much more easily swallowed on this occasion. The lead guitar work is excellent too which is always a good thing for someone like me.
Opener “Seemingly Endless Time” is the fan favourite & with good reason as it’s a wonderfully catchy thrasher that kicks things off well. Interestingly though, it’s the funky alternative metal tracks “Discontinued” & album highlight “Stagnant” that I find to be the other standouts with Death Angel proving themselves to possess an uncanny knack for stretching their creative boundaries & writing catchy vocal hooks, often supported by well-placed gang vocals. Even the two ballads "Veil of Deception" & "A Room With a View" are pretty decent inclusions that I never feel like skipping. That being said though, I consistently found myself reaching out for that four-star rating I assumed I’d ultimately achieve this week but I never quite managed to grab onto it. At the end of the day, I just couldn’t find enough timeless metal classics to get it over the line, instead being left feeling generally positive without being overly enthused. This left me wondering if I’d simply overrated “Act III” back in the day due to the fact that I found it to be their most appealing album to the time & really wanted to love Death Angel like most thrashers.
I’m not sure about that but what I am sure about is that “Act III” is still Death Angel’s most complete record, even if I can see why some of your more hardened thrash fans might struggle with it a bit. I guess it’s saying something about my limited passion for the band that I can’t get my favourite Death Angel album up to a four-star rating but I think that’s an accurate reflection of where I sit with them actually. The Bay Area bands seemed to inevitably garner big props from the global scene but I’m not sure it was always based on merit with some of those artists not being any better than many others from around the globe. For those with a taste for a slightly different take of the Bay Area model though, I'd recommend having a bit of patience with "Act III" as there's some gold to be found if you can accept its conscious diversity.
3.5/5
Exodus - "Impact Is Imminent" (1990)
Exodus' fourth album is generally regarded as one of their weakest but I've never agreed with that position personally. I bought it on cassette upon release after having thoroughly flogged my "Bonded By Blood" CD & my dubbed copies of "Pleasures of the Flesh" & "Fabulous Disaster" in the previous year &, while I definitely see it as a step down from those records in terms of overall quality, I've never thought of "Impact is Imminent" as any sort of disappointment. The classic Exodus sound is there with that flesh-severing guitar tone, those thrashtastic riffs & Steve Souza's snarly vocals being things that have always appealed to me while the Holt/Hunolt dual guitar attack is as potent as ever with some seriously shredding solos.
Where the album falls down is in a few areas though. Firstly, it's such a similar album to "Fabulous Disaster" that it's difficult not to compare the two with the former easily coming out on top. A large part of that is due to the inclusion of a few genuine thrash classics on that album whereas "Impact Is Imminent" doesn't have anything that gets above a very solid level. The other thing that counts against Exodus' first 90's effort is the length of some of the tracks, particularly across the B side which is clearly not as strong as the A side with the tracklisting being noticeably top-heavy. Songs like "Heads They Win (Tails You Lose)" & the lacklustre "Changing Of The Guard" seem to have been intentionally extended for the post-"...And Justice For All" market but that was never going to work out positively for a band like Exodus who are all about urgency & violence. Nonetheless, there's only really the one track that I don't like in "Changing of the Guard" so it's still a pretty reasonable Bay Area thrash record for mine.
3.5/5
Testament - "Souls of Black" (1990)
I first got into Berkley thrash metallers Testament after blind-purchasing their 1989 third album "Practice What You Preach" blind shortly after release, having been driven by the comparisons with my beloved Metallica. I'd share my CD with Ben who was just coming to grips with thrash himself & together we'd investigate Testament's earlier albums with Ben perhaps becoming a little more enamored with the band than I was. This would result in Ben purchasing 1990's "Souls of Black" CD as soon as it was released & we'd once again give it a bit of a flogging together over the next month or so. Strangely, I haven't returned to "Souls of Black" as regularly as I have Testament's first three records over the years & I recently realised that I wasn't quite sure as to why so decided to give it a revisit.
"Souls of Black" shares some common traits with Exodus' "Impact Is Imminent" from the same year in that it's a very similar record to its predecessor which inevitably draws like-for-like comparisons, only neither come close to matching their elder siblings for overall quality. The production job is a clear obstacle with the rhythm guitar tone being noticeably thin & tinny, a failing that was always going to hurt a band like Testament which lives & dies by its classy guitar work. The tracklisting begins in muscular fashion with the impressive flamenco intro track "Beginning of the End" leading into my personal favourite "Face In The Sky" but the quality immediately takes a step down from there with only the more technical "Malpractice" seeing it rising to the same heights again. The album is completely devoid of classics & there are a few inclusions that I can only deem to be failures too (see "Absence of Light", "Love to Hate" & particularly the misguided attempt to emulate the ballad from Testament's previous album in "The Legacy"). Front man Chuck Billy does his best to work with the material he's got but the song-writing is simply a little light-weight & isn't helped by the production job. The saviour would be lead guitarist Alex Skolnick as usual & his contribution is once again the clear standout of the release.
Don't get me wrong. "Souls of Black" isn't a poor album as such but it's certainly not the record Testament were looking for at the time. I enjoy 70% of the material but I never really came close to awarding four stars as the production & the few filler tracks were always going to be an insurmountable obstacle. Drummer Louie Clemente is another as I've always said that he has no place in a thrash metal band with his simple, rocky style seemingly fighting to keep Testament from sounding too extreme. I've never felt that Testament were deserving of a tier one thrash metal status & "Souls of Black" does nothing to change that opinion even if it's definitely worth a few listens.
3.5/5
Vio-lence - "Oppressing The Masses" (1990)
I purchased the 1990 sophomore album from Bay Area thrashers Vio-lence on cassette pretty close to its release date after really digging the dubbed copy of their thrashtastic 1988 debut album "Eternal Nightmare" I'd picked up from a school mate the previous year. "Oppressing The Masses" isn't as consistently relentless in its high tempo assault on the senses but it's no less effective in my opinion. The song-writing & riff structures are highly professional with the musical talent of the instrumentalists being very impressive indeed. I particularly enjoy the shredding guitar solos but the riffs are all of a high quality too. Front man Sean Killian will once again be a sticking point for some listeners but I think he sounds a little more natural when compared to the debut & I actually quite enjoy the psychotic edge he brings to things which reminds me a lot of former Exodus madman Paul Baloff. The tracklisting is extremely consistent with a solid quality level being maintained throughout. "World In A World" is the only genuine Bay Area classic in my opinion though which is a shame because there was so much potential to make this an even more significant release in the annals of thrash metal history. As it is though, I'd still recommend "Oppressing The Masses" to all of our The Pit clan members & rate it just behind “Eternal Nightmare” in Vio-lence’s back catalogue overall.
4/5
Forbidden - "Twisted Into Form" (1990)
I was first introduced to Bay Area thrashers Forbidden through their very solid 1988 debut album "Forbidden Evil", a record that I really enjoyed due to its combination of raw intensity of general professionalism. The experience would see me quickly investigating their follow-up album "Twisted Into Form" (which was their brand newie at the time) & I recall my feelings being just impressed. This revisit has only further accentuated those memories & has forced me to realise that I perhaps haven't given Forbidden as much attention as they deserve over the years.
"Twisted Into Form" saw Forbidden dropping a little of that raw intensity I mentioned in exchange for a touch more melody, clarity & creativity. It's a beautifully executed & produced record from a band that was clearly very talented at their chosen craft & time has been very kind to it as it doesn't sound dated in the slightest. What we have here is a very pure brand of Bay Area thrash metal with a touch of technicality that never loses sight of the ultimate goal i.e. mosh pit shenanigans. There are no weak tracks included with the most commercially accessible track & video clip "Step By Step" being the only song that hints at filler. As with any great album, there are also a couple of real belters here too in the driving thrasher "Out of Body" & the classic tech thrash masterpiece "Tossed Away" which I regard as being possibly Forbidden's career highlight. The thing that sees "Twisted Into Form" slightly surpassing its elder sibling "Forbidden Evil" though is its general consistency as I think Forbidden have raised the bar a touch from their debut &, in doing so, have created their best work.
Forbidden are often compared to fellow Bay Area thrashers Testament & that's a fair comparison but, unlike most thrashers, I'd suggest that they're fairly close in terms of their general standard. Forbidden have the upper hand in the vocal department as Russ Anderson has a wonderfully masculine & powerful set of pipes on him & also manages to cope with the more melodic stuff better than Chuck Billy ever could. Forbidden also have a big advantage in the drumming department with future Slayer/Exodus/Testament skinsman Paul Bostaph smashing Louie Clemente out of the park. Testament of course have an ace up their sleeve in lead guitarist Alex Skolnick but Craig Locicero & Tim Calvert (who would join Nevermore in the future) are no slouches & pull off some very flashy lead solos with relative ease here. You know what? I'd actually suggest that "Twisted Into Form" is a better record than anything Testament have come up with over the years which I know is a big call. It should be compulsary listening for any thrasher worth their salt in my opinion & has emphatically cemented Forbidden's credentials as a high quality second tier thrash player.
4/5