Daniel's Forum Replies
Nirvana 2002 - "Disembodied Spirits" demo (1990)
A three-track demo tape I picked up in my early tape trading days. Nirvana 2002 were a three-piece band that played a role in the early Swedish death metal scene with this demo going onto almost legendary status in the underground scene at the time. The band were built around vocalist/guitarist Orvar Säfström who was only 16 at the time of this recording. Nirvana 2002's sound is quintessentially Swedish with a filthy guitar tone that's not quite as distorted as many of the other Swedish bands. Säfström's vocals have a bit of a blackened edge to them too although the most obvious comparisons still point firmly at Entombed/Nihilist, Dismember & Carnage. All three tracks are pretty good but I don't think there's anything particularly essential amongst them.
3.5/5
please add the 90s Australian thrash metal band allegiance
Welcome to the Academy. You don’t happen to be a fellow Aussie, are you?
I checked out Scorpions’ 1972 debut album “Lonesome Crow” today & found that there’s no metal there whatsoever. In fact, there’s not even anything I’d tag as hard rock. It’s a psychedelic/progressive rock record in my opinion so I’m not planning on covering it here.
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
OK, let's kick off our investigation of Night Sun's sole 1972 album "Mournin'" with opening track "Plastic Shotgun", at track that I consider to be progressive rock.
Check the slow section in the middle of Metallica's "The Four Horsemen" & compare it to the main riff in Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama". It's definitely not a coincidence in this case. Apparently Dave Mustaine got bored while rehearsing the song & suggested that they should cover "Sweet Home Alabama" instead. Once they started mucking around with it Lars suggested that they incorporate some of it into the middle of "The Mechanics" (which later became "The Four Horsemen") as they were looking to place a slower section in the middle to break it up a bit. The rest is history.
Yeah, I’m going with coincidence on that one.
Oh sorry. I missed that. Night Sun it is then.
Congratulations Shezma. I'm sure you'll find The 1st Era The Guardians challenge to be genuinely rewarding.
And finally... "Into The Void". Whatchya got for this one? I've once again got it down as stoner metal which has led me to the same realization as I've come to with both of Black Sabbath's previous records i.e. "Master of Reality" would essentially be tagged as a stoner metal release if it was released today. It's also the most metal release to the time with almost two thirds of its run time sitting in metal realms.
Tomorrow we'll be starting a new release with the self-titled Bang debut slated to be next in line unless Morpheus would like us to do the Night Sun record. Let me know ASAP mate.
This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.
This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.
This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.
Deicide - "Deicide" (1990)
Of all the life-changing musical experiences I can remember from my youth, my first listen to the self-titled debut album from notoriously Satanic Florida death metaller Deicide would be right up there with the most significant. You see, not only was it one of the earlier death metal records to fully capture my thrash-obsessed mind after I'd only recently been converted to the genre the previous year but it was arguably the most downright scary & imposing piece of music I'd ever heard to the time or likely have since to tell you the truth. It's my honest opinion that "Deicide" presents the most accurate musical depiction of Hell that you'll find in this God-forsaken world & not only it left me feeling exhilarated but it also caused me to feel slightly shaken as well. Front man Glen Benton's vocals are utterly monstrous & as angry & aggressive as any in the scene, Steve Asheim's double kick work is relentlessly driving & pummeling, the guitar solos of the Hoffmann brothers are wildly over-the-top & face-meltingly shredtastic & the lyrical content is as blatant & in your face as a day out at Charles Manson's place. Throw in some wonderful production ideas from Morrisound Studios main man Scott Burns & you have pretty much the perfect death metal record in my opinion.
I've actually been a little frightened by the prospect of rating "Deicide" in the modern day, mainly because I simply couldn't bare to find that my childhood illusions weren't all they were cracked up to be. I needn't have worried though because this album is a succession of one gold tune after another. There's nothing that comes close to seeing the intensity drop with the chuggier "Oblivious To Evil" perhaps being a touch less impressive than the remainder of the album which is made of wall to wall classics. "Sacrifical Suicide"... "Dead By Dawn"... "Blaspherereion"... "Deicide"... Day Of Darkness"... "Crucifixation"... They're all here in all their blasphemous glory but it's the utter devastation of "Carnage In The Temple Of The Damned" that takes the cake for mine & it still sits at the absolute pinnacle of the genre more than three decades later. "Deicide" isn't just essential listening for all death metal fans. It's a right of passage & one of the foundations that the genre is built upon. I only dish out full marks a couple of times per year at most but it was a very easy call with a record of this caliber.
5/5
After that delightfully evil walk down memory lane I've been forced to adjust the order of my Top Ten Conventional Death Metal Releases of All Time list a little in order to bring "Deicide" up to where it should rightfully sit. This is how it looks now:
01. Morbid Angel - "Altars of Madness" (1989)
02. Death - "HUman" (1991)
03. Immolation - "Close To A World Below" (2000)
04. Deicide - "Deicide" (1990)
05. Dragged Into Sunlight - "Hatred For Mankind" (2009)
06. Carcass - "Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious" (1991)
07. Dead Congregation - "Promulgation of the Fall" (2014)
08. Morbid Angel - "Blessed Are The Sick" (1991)
09. The Amenta - "Flesh Is Heir" (2013)
10. Morbid Angel - "Covenant" (1993)
I've also moved "Deicide" into my profile Top 20 at number 20 at the expense of Rosetta's "The Galilean Satellites" & moved it up from number 35 to number 20 in my Top 100 Metal Releases of All Time list.
Interesting. I’ve never liked any of the Running Wild releases I’ve investigated previously but I have “Blazen Stone” on my playlist for the coming weeks so we’ll see how I go.
Sacrifice - "Soldiers of Misfortune" (1990)
My relationship with Canadian thrash metal outfit Sacrifice began in very strong fashion when I discovered their 1987 "Forward to Termination" back in the late 80's/early 90's & I quickly headed back to their 1986 debut album "Torment in Fire" which I also loved. Both possessed an excitingly raw & energetic brand of thrash that offered significant appeal for me when I was still very much in the middle of my thrash metal heyday. 1990's "Soldiers of Misfortune" third album wasn't quite as successful in its quest to embed itself into regular rotation on my early 90's playlist though for one reason or another. It's certainly a professionally produced & executed thrash record but it sounds a little less exciting than its predecessors, perhaps losing some of its steam in the quest for a more mature & refined sound. I still love the snarly vocals of front man Rob Urbinati but there a quite a few chuggy riffs that I consider to be a little bit flat & indicating that there may not have been enough time put into quality control with "Soldiers of Misfortune". The best tracks are when the band simply go for it like they do on the classic album highlight "A Storm In The Silence" but those moments are simply too scarce with the bulk of the record feeling decent & acceptable more than it does invigorating. The lengthy progressive metal piece that closes out the album "Truth (After the Rain)" is a prime example as there are plenty of ideas there but it doesn't a result in a truly compelling experience in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I do quite like "Soldiers of Misfortune" with only the lacklustre heavy metal number "Existence Within Eternity" failing to hit a par score but I do find the album to be a little disappointing after receiving such joy from Sacrifice's first two efforts.
3.5/5
Carnage - "Dark Recollections" (1990)
I was introduced to the sole full-length from Swedish death metal legends Carnage through late-night underground metal radio programs in the very early 1990's & quite enjoyed it without ever coming close to reaching the levels of adoration that many extreme metal fans seem to for it. But then I can say the same for Entombed's "Left Hand Path", Dismember's "Like An Ever Flowing Stream" & many of the other major landmarks in the Swedish death metal story because that particular sound doesn't appeal to me as much as the cleaner & more sophisticated US model. "Dark Recollections" is a pretty consistent record from four musicians that have all gone on to have long-term music careers in their own right but I can't say that there's anything here that I regard as being particularly classic. "Malignant Epitaph" has always been the one track that I struggle with & my favourite moments come at the extreme ends of the tracklisting through the opening title track & the doomy outro piece which highlights a sound that I would have liked to hear a little more of to be honest. The musicianship is fairly primitive but Carnage certainly hit on the classic Swedish HM-2 guitar tone & unsurprisingly sound a hell of a lot like Dismember. It's worth remembering that "Like An Ever Flowing Stream" hadn't seen the light of day as yet though so that can be forgiven, especially considering the presence of three of their members in the Carnage lineup. If you're a diehard fan of bands like Entombed & Grave then you'll no doubt love "Dark Recollections" too & it's somewhat of a feather in Carnage's caps that I consider it to be just as good as Entombed's 1990 classic "Left Hand Path". It's just that I don't return to either of them all that often.
3.5/5
What about "Solitude" then? I've got it down as psychedelic folk.
Hellwitch - "Syzygial Miscreancy" (1990)
I picked the debut album from this Florida technical death/thrash outfit up through tape trading back in the day & really enjoyed it at the time so I've returned to it quite often over the years. It sounds very much like a combination of the technical death metal of Death & Atheist & the tech thrash of Sadus & Аспид only with the additional of some brutally executed blast beats which can't be a bad thing. Neither can the fact that it was recorded at Morrisound Studios with Scott Burns. The vocals are particularly reminiscent of Chuck Schuldiner & the overall aesthetic sits more in the death metal camp than the thrash one. Love the frantic guitar solos which sound similar to Deicide's debut. An underappreciated gem.
Vinny, I'd suggest you get onto this one if you haven't already.
4/5
I've checked out Lucifer's Friend's 1972 "...Where the Groupies Killed the Blues" sophomore album this week & there's no metal on it whatsoever. It was a real change of direction for the band towards a full-on progressive rock sound in my opinion. Highly experimental stuff indeed.
My once again adjusted Top Ten Technical Thrash Metal Releases of All Time list after having revisited Hellwitch's debut this week with Аспид's “Кровоизлияние” being the unlucky one to slip out:
01. Coroner – “Mental Vortex” (1991)
02. Sadus - "Swallowed in Black" (1990)
03. Sadus – “A Vision Of Misery” (1992)
04. Coroner – “No More Color” (1989)
05. Hellwitch - "Syzygial Miscreancy" (1990)
06. Cryptic Shift – “Visitations From Enceladus” (2020)
07. Ripping Corpse - "Dreaming With The Dead" (1991)
08. Obliveon - "From This Day Forward" (1990)
09. Toxik – “World Circus” (1987)
10. Destruction - "Cracked Brain" (1990)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/173
Another early example of the traditional doom metal subgenre I've discovered through our "Roots of Metal" project. This time from a Peruvian heavy psych band.
How about "Lord of This World" then? I've got it down as stoner metal.
So you’d like to nominate the Night Sun recordfor investigation here then Morpheus?
Sadus - "Swallowed in Black" (1990)
I was thoroughly impressed with my first serving of Californian thrashers Sadus which came through their 1988 debut album "Illusions" back in the very late 1980's so their 1990 sophomore album was very much a no-brainer for me. It's a touch less intense & not as consistently fast as "Illusions" but it more than makes up for it with an increase in technicality & creativity which gives it a slight edge over "Illusions" for mine. It's a super-consistent record to tell you the truth & it's only let down a little by a muddy guitar tone. I absolutely love the gnarly vocal snarl of guitar-playing front man Darren Travis while bass guitar icon Steve DiGiorgio is in his usual form too. "Swallowed in Black" is a high quality tech thrash record of great potency & energy that should well & truly grab tech thrash fans by the balls.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Technical Thrash Metal Releases of All Time List with Coroner' "Punishment For Decadence" being the unfortunate record to drop out:
01. Coroner – “Mental Vortex” (1991)
02. Sadus - "Swallowed in Black" (1990)
03. Sadus – “A Vision Of Misery” (1992)
04. Coroner – “No More Color” (1989)
05. Cryptic Shift – “Visitations From Enceladus” (2020)
06. Ripping Corpse - "Dreaming With The Dead" (1991)
07. Obliveon - "From This Day Forward" (1990)
08. Toxik – “World Circus” (1987)
09. Destruction - "Cracked Brain" (1990)
10. Аспид – “Кровоизлияние” (1993)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/173
How about "Orchid"? I've got this one down as contemporary folk.
I checked out the sole 1972 self-titled album from Peruvian outfit Tarkus this week & found that it's definitely not a metal record. There's only one track that's obviously metal with the release coming across as heavy psych overall.
How about "Children of the Grave" then? I'd say this is a pretty easy one for heavy metal.
Oliver Magnum - "Oliver Magnum" (1989)
The sole full-length from this Oklahoma US power metal outfit is a highly professional package from a very talented group of individuals who apparently recorded the record back in 1987 but couldn't get anyone to release it for a couple of years. The production & performances are excellent for the time & my only issues are some occasional vocal blemishes. I'd describe their sound as sitting somewhere between the US power metal of Lizzy Borden & Savage Grace & the more polished & proggy sound of Queensryche. It's not a bad album either but I can't say that I consider it to be essential listening.
3.5/5
Hard to say really. It's certainly similar though. I'm gonna so intentional.
Tyrant - "Too Late To Pray" (1987)
The sophomore album from this Californian outfit seems to have built up a pretty reasonable following these days & I've found that I have some time for it too. "Too Late To Pray" offers a chunky US power metal sound that's strong on traditional heavy metal with Mercyful Fate being the primary influence. The vocals are pretty poor if I'm being perfectly honest though which is almost enough to cancel out Tyrant's appeal but thankfully the raw production connects with me quite a bit & the record finishes in healthy fashion with a couple of the better tracks, particularly "Beginning Of The End" which is my clear highlight.
3.5/5
How about "Embryo"? Metal or not? I'd suggest that it's an English folk music interlude personally.
This thread is mostly just to journal my progress in my exploration
That’s what reviews are for Andi. No more personalized threads please as they do nothing to encourage sharing, communication & collaboration given that the only one that can contribute much is the author.
Also, whilst he denounces acts of violence and was never involved in murder or church burning, Ihsahn is also a self-proclaimed satanist.
Ihsahn was the goody two-shoes of the band too. Off the top of my head, I can recall at least three other Emperor members serving time for murder, assault &/or church-burning.
I have to ask if we really need dedicated threads for this type of thing too Andi. We already have dedicated threads for Symphonic Black Metal & Melodic Black Metal where this conversation would be better served in my opinion.
Napalm Death - "Harmony Corruption" (1990)
I picked the Birmingham grind godfathers third album up on cassette upon release after quite liking all of Napalm Death's previous material. They'd started to incorporate elements of death metal into their sound for 1989's "Mentally Murdered" E.P. but took those influences much further here. In fact, most people seem to agree that "Harmony Corruption" is a death metal release but I'm gonna have to question that theory. To my ears there's still easily enough grindcore in their sound for it to qualify as deathgrind. I'd actually suggest that it's a better example of the deathgrind subgenre than "Mentally Murdered" was because that record was basically grindcore with death metal vocals whereas "Harmony Corruption" sees them playing genuine death metal riffs mixed in with blasts of grindcore. The influence of bands like Death, Obituary & Deicide is really obvious.
I don't have too many issues with the infamous production job other than the strange pitch-shifted guitar solos & Barney's monstrous vocals are a definite improvement on Lee Dorian's efforts. There are some great moments across the album too, particularly when they go to the two extremes with chuggy half-time death metal sections & frantic blast-beat driven grindcore savagery. I do struggle a touch with the groovier hardcore riffs at times though so "Harmony Corruption" has never seemed like an essential release even if it was as good as anything Napalm Death had released to the time. These days I'd probably put it on par with 1988's "From Enslavement To Obliteration" sophomore album but would take the elder sibling if pushed.
3.5/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Deathgrind Releases of All Time list with Misery Index's "Heirs To Slavery" slipping out to make way for "Harmony Corruption":
01. Cattle Decapitation - "Monolith of Inhumanity" (2012)
02. Brutal Truth - "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" (1992)
03. Napalm Death - "Utopia Banished" (1992)
04. Napalm Death - "Mass Appeal Madness" E.P. (1991)
05. Full of Hell - "Weeping Choirs" (2019)
06. Lock Up - "Necropolis Transparent" (2011)
07. Cephalic Carnage - "Misled by Certainty" (2010)
08. Damaged - "Passive Backseat Demon Engines" E.P. (1995)
08. Napalm Death - "Harmony Corruption" (1990)
10. Napalm Death - "Mentally Murdered" E.P. (1989)
How about "After Forever"? Metal or not? I'd suggest that it's far more borderline than some would have you believe. It certainly doesn't "feel" like metal a lot of the time with a hard rock guitar tone, swing drumming & the use of tambourine but the main riff is certainly a metal riff. I think I'm gonna go against the grain by saying hard rock for this one.
Rex, before you run away to your Movieforums thingy, can you please private message me your The Infinite feature release nomination for next month?
Sacred Reich - "The American Way" (1990)
My first experiences with Phoenix-based thrash metallers Sacred Reich came through late-night underground metal radio programs in the very late 1980's with both their 1987 debut album "Ignorance" & 1988 "Surf Nicaragua" E.P. offering me plenty of appeal & commanding further attention. The first Sacred Reich record I'd purchase though would be their 1990 sophomore album "The American Way". It'd come in the form of a cassette copy that Ben & I would give a good hard flogging over the next year or so. The highlight tracks had received plenty of radio play in the weeks leading up to the purchase so I was pretty pumped when we finally picked it up & in some ways this revisit has indicated that perhaps I let that excitement cloud my judgement a touch.
"The American Way" sees Sacred Reich slowing things down from the approach they took on their more frantic debut album, this time opting for more of a mid-paced, groove-oriented sound that still highlighted their politically & socially motivated themes very well. It's a heavily riff-based record that's built around a unified sound & tight performances. Listening back now, I'd have to suggest that the drum sound wasn't ideal but it's not a deal breaker by any means. Front man Phil Rind's vocals are strong & clear which helps him to get his powerful messages across very well & there are some absolutely belting riffs on offer here too.
The tracklisting kicks off with the true classic of the album in "Love... Hate" which was very much an anthem for my late teenage years. Every time Sacred Reich kick back into the main riff after the chorus is a masterstroke & sees me thrashing around like a madman. I have to admit that some of the other tracks that I loved so much as a kid have lost a bit of their gloss if I'm being honest though. "Crimes Against Humanity" & "State of Emergency" are certainly very strong inclusions but neither reached the classic status I thought they might whereas the title track now seems to fall well short of the pedestal I've always placed it on. The album fades significantly in the back end too with "Who's to Blame" being pretty flat & the pointless funk rock novelty track "31 Flavors" tainting what had the potential to be a really strong thrash record.
Look, there's still easily enough great material to warrant your attention here but I can't say that I consider "The American Way" to be essential thrash metal listening any longer. It's more the type of album where I'd pull out the best few tracks for a gym playlist as some of this stuff (like the chorus of "The Way It Is" for example) hasn't stood the test of time as well as I'd hoped, potentially due to the relative simplicity & reduction in aggression from previous efforts. Despite the obvious production issues Sacred Reich experienced with "Ignorance", I consider it to be a step up from this record. "Surf Nicaragua" too actually.
3.5/5
I think Rex & Xephyr will probably be back so we'll continue. After all, I'm going to conduct the exercise regardless of whether others contribute or not so why not offer the opportunity to collaborate on it.
Today we'll be starting a new release in Black Sabbath's 1971 masterpiece "Master of Reality". I'm really interested to see what subgenre I end up with here after my outcomes for Sabbath's first two records ended up sitting outside of the general consensus. Let's start with the opening track "Sweet Leaf" which I find to be a really easy one as it's the very definition of stoner metal in my opinion.
I'm claiming this track from a one-off 1972 progressive/hard rock record as an early example of heavy metal. What do you think?
I checked out Night Sun's 1972 "Mournin'" album over the last two days &, while there are definitely some moments where the lines are blurred, I think there's only really the one track that I can confidently say is a genuine metal track so I'm not intending on including it here. It feels much better suited to a progressive/hard rock tag in my opinion. Let me know if you disagree.
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
Here's my newly created Top Ten Teutonic Thrash Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Kreator - "Pleasure To Kill" (1986)
02. Kreator - "Flag Of Hate" E.P. (1986)
03. Kreator - "Coma Of Souls" (1990)
04. Kreator - "Extreme Aggression" (1989)
05. Exumer - "Rising Of The Sea" (1987)
06. Sodom - "Better Off Dead" (1990)
07. Sodom - "Persecution Mania" (1987)
08. Sodom - "Agent Orange" (1989)
09. Kreator - "Live Kreation" (2003)
10. Destruction - "Release From Agony" (1987)
Sodom - "Better Off Dead" (1990)
I first became aware of Teutonic thrash heavy-weights Sodom through their classic 1988 third full-length "Agent Orange" which I purchased on cassette in the very late 1980's or early 1990's & it impressed me enough to see me very rapidly purchasing the remainder of their back catalogue (also on cassette). I wouldn't say that I ever regarded them as a tier one thrash outfit but they certainly offered enough energy & menace to keep this ol' thrasher satisfied & sat comfortably at the top of my tier two bucket. The main issue for Sodom throughout the 1980's was always their ability to write freely flowing songs. They were masters of writing fantastic riffs but the song structures often sounded really jerky & pasted together to my ears which saw them lagging behind their superior local peers Kreator the majority of the time. 1990 would see Sodom releasing their fourth album & it'd be the first that I'd purchase on release (on cassette again -go figure). The better tracks had already been flogged on late-night underground metal radio programs so I was pretty pumped for what I hoped would be the record to see me finally elevate Sodom to the top tier where they belonged.
So, did they manage to do it? Well... not quite but they gave it a damn good crack. "Better Off Dead" is a beautifully conceived & composed thrash record that saw Sodom finally overcoming the song-writing challenges of the past to present some fully-developed & naturally flowing song structures. Of the twelve tracks, two are cover versions but they're both well executed & work as nice change-ups (particularly the Tank one which is really very good & suits their sound nicely). Stylistically, the majority of the record takes a familiar but highly professional German thrash direction but the band regularly change things up with not only a couple of those Motorhead-style speed metal numbers they're so good at but also a few genuine heavy metal tunes. They're damn entertaining too & easily trigger the ear worms to take control of your body for the remainder of the day to reflect on.
The highlight tracks on "Better Off Dead" are sublime. Elite thrash numbers like opener "An Eye For An Eye" & album highlight "Bloodtrails" are crushingly heavy & never fail to get my head banging but the surprise packet comes in the form of a stunningly ambitious track like "Resurrection" which is a much more controlled heavy metal number that utilizes some unique choir sections & features Motorhead's Lemmy on backing vocals. The consistency of the tracklisting is another major selling point as there's not a weak track included with only the Thin Lizzy cover of "Cold Sweat" sounding inessential. New guitarist Michael Hoffmann's bluesy Fast Eddie Clarke-inspired guitar solos fit Sodom's dirty sound like a glove too which isn't something I thought I'd be saying going in. I guess it goes without saying then that "Better Off Dead" is an essential Sodom album, isn't it? But I'll go one step further by claiming that I'm now comfortable to voice the internalized feelings I've always harbored that "Better Off Dead" was Sodom's best release to the time. Yep! I went there & I'm holding my ground too.
4/5
So "At Damnation's Core" was released yesterday in both physical & streaming formats. It's available through Sphere of Apparition Records, Bandcamp, good record stores around the world & also on Spotify which I'm quietly thrilled about.
And finally, "Homicidal Suicidal". Metal or not?
I've got this as stoner rock. Ultimately that leaves me not having found a single track to be legitimate metal. "Budgie" was certainly very heavy for its time but a lot of that comes down to the bass-heavy production & its far too bluesy to transcend hard rock in my opinion.
Suffocation - "Reincremated" demo (1990)
The crude demo tape represents the beginning of a life-long love affair between myself & New York brutal death metallers Suffocation. It's also where death metal reached the next level in both brutality as well as technicality. "Reincremated" shows off a previously unparallelled level of intensity & sophistication & pretty much single-handedly created a new sub-genre of death metal. Although all of these tracks were re-recorded in later years, the song structures & performances stayed pretty much the same which really highlights how fully realised these pieces were even at this early stage. There's no out-of-time sections or mistakes that were so common with other death metal demos of the time & you can easily tell that these guys were the real deal. The hyper-speed blast beats, the monstrous vocals & the twisted nature of the guitar solos all became part of the signature Suffocation sound & claimed thousands of immitators world-wide. It's a landmark release for brutal death metal & for myself as a teenage tape trader in the early 1990's.
4/5
Check this early heavy/stoner metal effort from in 1972 out. It's pretty fantastic just quietly.
Cannibal Corpse - "Eaten Back To Life" (1990)
I got heavily into Buffalo death metallers Cannibal Corpse in the early 1990's & they'd become a major influence on the early works of my own death metal band Neuropath. Despite my getting a fair bit of enjoyment out of it, their debut album "Eaten Back To Life" never seemed to be quite as appealing as their subsequent records though. This revisit hasn't seen that opinion changing much. The band hadn't quite hit on their more brutal signature sound as yet & there's still a decent thrash influence on display but I don't think too many people would be claiming this as a thrash release with front man Chris Barnes now attempting an admittedly fairly crude death growl that is definitely the weak point of the album.
The tracklisting is pretty consistent though with only "Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains" failing to hit the mark. There's a naive innocence about the rest of the record that is hard not to enjoy with Cannibal Corpse throwing the kitchen sink at you with a multitude of memorable riffs. Drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz's performance is a little loose but is almost refreshing to hear him still feeling the freedom to try new things given his fairly repetitive approach on Cannibal Corpse's later material. I think it's fair to say that songs like "Shredded Humans", "Born In A Casket" & "Buried In The Backyard" have a right to be tagged as death metal anthems for a teenage me & I still connect with them very easily so "Eaten Back To Life" has maintained a similar level of appeal to what it offered me all those years ago, despite being comfortably the weakest Barnes-fronted Cannibal Corpse record.
3.5/5