Daniel's Forum Replies
Boris & Skiplife - "Amplified Power Violence Worship."
Another new collaboration for Japanese drone metal legends Boris, this time with Czechian powerviolence act Skiplife which sounds like a hell of an interesting prospect, doesn't it?
Defeated Sanity - "Chronicles of Lunacy"
The brand-new seventh album from these German brutal/technical death metallers hits the streets later on this month & should be regarded as a must-listen for all The Horde members. They're always great & their last record (2020's "The Sanguinary Impetus") was a beauty so I have no doubt that this one will be too.
Accu§er - "Rebirthless"
The thirteenth full-length from these German thrash metal stalwarts. I haven't heard their last couple but they've never been particularly consistent so this one could go either way. I might check it out at some point.
Full of Hell & Andrew Nolan - "Scraping the Divine"
This is a collaboration album between Maryland grindcore act Full of Hell & English post-industrial artist Andrew Nolan. Full of Hell's collab releases have been hit & miss over the years but I'm generally a fan of them so will be checking this one out at some point.
Serpent Column - "Tassel of Ares" [Fourth album from this US black metal duo]
These guys are always good so I'm looking forward to checking out this new one which hit the streets a week or so back.
Here's my review:
Until recently, my exposure to Melbourne hardcore punk/crossover thrash outfit Depression was limited to their 1988 sophomore album "Thrash Till Death: Studio Tapes" which I picked up on while still a just a young chap that was finding my way in the Sydney extreme metal scene of the early-to-mid 1990's. I tended to associate with members of older bands at the time, often through my girlfriend who was fairly well connected & knew everyone that was everyone in the local scene. We used to frequent metal shows & goth night clubs on weekends, events that often ended up continuing on at someone's house so that the debauchery that was going on at the club had the opportunity to play out more fully behind closed doors. It was at these after-parties that I'd discover a lot of the more underground Australian metal releases with them being played at loud volumes by older & more experienced metalheads while everyone partook in whatever ungodly shenanigans they were into at the time. It was in that environment that I'd first hear Depression who I was led to believe had transitioned from their early days as a hardcore punk act for that particular release. I knew pretty much fuck-all about hardcore back in those days so I assumed that Depression's second album would be the only one of their releases that might interest me but my experiences over the last few weeks have proven otherwise & have also shown me that this Melbourne act played a far more significant role in the early Australian thrash story than they're generally given credit for, being largely absent from the conversation on documentaries such as "Thrash or Fuck Off!" which details the early players who contributed to the birth of the thrash metal movement in this country.
By late 1985, Depression had put out a fair bit of material from the time they first formed in 1982. There are a couple of early demos floating around with 1983's "Body Dump" tape being a relentless, high-speed hardcore assault that struggled to contend with a rubbish production job. 1984's "Money Chain" single saw the band starting to add more variety of tempo & incorporating chuggy, palm-muted riffs that were more commonly found in metal, a concept would be further expanded on their self-titled debut album that would be released in March of 1985. In fact, "Depression" would actually include four or five genuine crossover thrash tracks amongst the twenty-six short bursts of energy it contained & some of that material would likely have represented the most extreme music to come out Australia to the time as far as I can see. The "Australia, Australia" E.P. would appear eight months later in November 1985 &, unlike most local metal historians, I believe that it's here that the Aussie thrash (& subsequently extreme metal) story first begun.
"Australia, Australia" contains nine short tracks that fly by in quick succession but there's enough variation in their approaches to allow the individual tracks the chance to differentiate themselves from one another. The E.P. still sounds very much like a hardcore release from a production point of view with a layer of dirt & grime having been allowed to protect the song-writing from ever becoming too accessible & this is further accentuated by the snotty punk vocal delivery of Spike whose journey with Depression would end after this release. Original drummer Danny had been replaced with Nothing Sacred & future Hobbs Angel of Death skinsman Sham Littleman who delivers a high energy & very capable performance here but would move on to other things before Depression's next studio effort. The most noticeable difference between the "Depression" album & "Australia, Australia" though is the significantly increased ratio of punk to metal in the guitar work of band leader Smeer whose riffs now appear to unapologetically showcase the influence of bands like Slayer, Anthrax & Exodus which made for a much more appealing prospect for this ol' thrasher. In fact, the role that this component plays in the sound & feel of "Australia, Australia" is so important in its aesthetic that I find it impossible to understand how the E.P. hasn't been claimed as a crossover thrash record previously with no sign of any such connections being found online outside of the band themselves claiming that their sound combined punk & metal in interviews. When you listen to the releases of the other supposed early thrash bands of the local scene from the same period (see Nothing Sacred, Renegade, Prowler, Armoured Angel, etc.), you'll discover that Depression were really the only ones who had any right to claim that they were a genuine thrash metal act too which makes their omission from the discussion even more perplexing.
Of the nine songs on offer, I'd suggest that seven of them have a strong enough metal component to be tagged as crossover thrash while the short & violent "TV Lies" & "Dirty Fucken USA" stay predominantly in hardcore territory & "The Plan" takes kind of an each-way bet. This is all good shit though with Depression continuing to prove themselves to be capable song-writers by not delivering a single dud track. The energy levels are infectious & I honestly struggle to keep still during this record which can only be a good sign given the importance of the physical reaction in music of this intensity. Regardless of which genre they should rightfully belong to, it's hard to deny that the title track, "TV Lies", "The Box", "Eternal Genocide", Copper Chopper" & closer "The Side Up" are all really solid & enjoyable anthems for a misspent youth &, while I'm not usually all that big on crossover thrash, I'd have to suggest that this leaves "Australia, Australia" sitting up in elite territory when it comes to my more favoured crossover releases which is really saying something.
It's honestly baffling that a release like this one has managed to not only go unrecognised by the Australian metal scene for so long but has also failed to gain the sort of attention it deserves from the hardcore market too from what I can see online. While I may not be the most knowledgeable reviewer on the topic of hardcore history, I definitely know good music when I hear it & this is it ladies & gentlemen. It's also worth noting that 1985 would be the year that the earliest crossover thrash releases of any note would first see the light of day on a more global scale (S.O.D.'s "Crab Society North" demo & "Speak English or Die" album, D.R.I.'s "Dealing With It!" album, Slaughter's "Surrender or Die" demo, Concrete Sox's "Your Turn Next" album, Corrosion of Conformity's "Animosity" album, etc.) so that makes "Australia, Australia" a little more significant from an international & historical perspective as well, particularly given that I regard it as a stronger record than a good chunk of those releases. Now, if that sort of statement doesn't encourage the old skate-punk in you to explore this criminally undiscovered Aussie gem then I'm not sure what will. Get stuck in guys!
For fans of D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies & S.O.D.
4/5
I don't think there's too much music out there to be honest. I don't think there can EVER be too much music at our disposal actually as the intention was never that people should attempt to listen to literally all of it. That's a post-internet concept that's the result of people growing up with Napster, YouTube, Spotify, etc. i.e. a quantity over quality approach. As someone with a very broad taste profile, that whole concept just seems like madness to me. If only there was an online resource that helped people to identify metal music that was likely to fall into their unique taste profile & provided a forum for discussion with like-minded fans from around the world. Hhmmm....
Vicious Circle - "The Price of Progress" (1985)
During my recent investigation into the earliest roots of the Australian extreme metal scene, I discovered that Melbourne hardcore punk outfit Vicious Circle are often referred to as a crossover thrash act which is interesting because I picked up some of their albums (including this one) through the older skater kids at my high school when I was a youngster but don't recall thinking that their earlier works were particularly thrashy. Over the past week I've digested Vicious Circle's two 1984 demo tapes "Circle of the Doomed" & "Foolish Ideas", their 1985 live cassette "Live at the Prince of Wales", their 1985 "Search for the Solution!!" single as well as their two split releases with Perdition & Youth Brigade but I don't think I've encountered a genuine thrash tune as yet. That brings me to the band's 1985 debut full-length "The Price of Progress" which I received along with a whole bunch of hardcore-oriented material from bands like Massappeal, Condemned? & Depression back in the very early 1990's. This time though, I'll be listened with some more educated ears & will be paying specific attention to the inclusion of metal components in Vicious Circle's sound to see if these Victorians have any right to be included in the early Aussie thrash discussion.
"The Price of Progress" takes the exact same musical approach as Vicious Circle's demo material to be honest & you won't find any metal on offer here. Instead, you can expect to receive a fairly stock-standard version of hardcore punk but one that's been very well written & executed. I've encountered almost all of the fifteen songs included on the other releases I mentioned above but this time they've been delivered with a greatly improved production job that better highlights Vicious Circle's natural energy. The tempos are generally kept high with the high-octane delivery making for a great record to thrash around your bedroom to. Vocalist Paul Lindsay does an excellent job at spitting out his socially & politically fueled lyrics & is the focal point of Vicious Circle's sound while the instrumentation does tend to be fairly formulaic in structure with a lot of fast down-picking & palm-muting going on in classic punk style.
Most of this material is very enjoyable, even though I wouldn't say that I'm a hardcore afficionado by any stretch of the imagination. I just know good song-writing when I hear it & there's plenty of that on offer here. There are a few flatter tunes amongst the fifteen on offer though with "Scream", "Distorted Truth" & particularly the noticeably weak "Sleep Talk" failing to connect with me. The more appealing songs tend to be the more hectic & violent ones in my opinion which is perhaps not all that surprising given my taste profile. The versions of "Public Minister" & Bloodrace" that are included are much better than the ones that first appeared on 1984's "Circle of the Doomed" demo & sit amongst of the highlights of the album along with the excellent "Factors". The rest of the material is all more than acceptable, even though I wouldn't suggest that much of it is particularly essential as it's simply replicating a tried & tested model of punk music.
If you're a big hardcore fan then you can do a lot worse than to explore "The Price of Progress" as it's a more than decent punk record that I'd take over many of the more recognised international hardcore records of the time (Black Flag's "My War", Suicidal Tendencies' "Join the Army", English Dogs' "Invasion of the Porky Men", DYS' self-titled album, Ugly Americans' "Who's Been Sleeping… In My Bed", etc). It's not, however, one that should be commanding a position on the Metal Academy database & it'll be interesting to see how Vicious Circle's sound develops over the next couple of releases because I can't see why the band have been linked to crossover thrash on the evidence of their debut album. Perhaps Depression were leading the way in the Aussie hardcore scene but Vicious Circle were certainly following closely behind & looking over their shoulder at bands like Condemned? & Gash.
For fans of Black Flag, Condemned? & early Depression.
3.5/5
Pathologist - "Forensic Medicine & Pathology" demo (1992)
Despite my tape trading experience, I've always really struggled with this early demo tape from Czechian goregrind outfit Pathologist. The ultra-deep death growls are decent enough but the production & performances are so inadequate that I struggle to think of this cassette as anything more than a piss-take. It's honestly one of the worst The Horde-related releases I've ever heard in my life. Pathologist would get way better than this in the near future. Thank goodness I've never exposed myself to their earlier two demos because they're reportedly even worse than this one.
For fans of Pharmacist, The County Medical Examiners & Dead Infection.
1.5/5
November 2024
01. Hate Eternal – “All Hope Destroyed” (from “Upon Desolate Sands”, 2018) [Submitted by Karl]
02. The Amenta – “An Epoch Ellipsis” (from “Revelator”, 2021) [Submitted by Daniel]
03. Coffins – “Domains of Black Miasma” (from “Sinister Oath”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
04. Kataklysm – “The Unholy Signature (Segment I - Utterly Significant)” (from “Temple of Knowledge (Kataklysm Part III)”, 1996) [Submitted by Karl]
05. Cannibal Corpse – “Scourge of Iron” (from “Torture”, 2012) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
06. Alchemist – “Absolution” (from “Jar of Kingdom”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
07. In Mourning – “Past October Skies (The Black Lodge Revisited)” (from “Shrouded Divine”, 2008) [Submitted by Daniel]
08. The Chasm – “In Superior Torment” (from “Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph”, 1998) [Submitted by Karl]
09. Ex Deo – “The Rise of Hannibal” (from “The Immortal Wars”, 2017) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
10. Cruciform – “Proboscis” (from “Atavism”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
11. Edge of Sanity – “Tales…” (from “Nothing But Death Remains”, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]
12. Purtenance – “Transitory Soul of the Righteous” (from “The Rot Within Us”, 2023) [Submitted by Karl]
13. Absu – “Descent to Acheron (Evolving Into the Progression of Woe)” (from “Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L.”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
14. Nile – “True Gods of the Desert” (from “The Underworld Awaits Us All”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
15. Altars – “Black Light Upon Us” (from “Ascetic Reflection”, 2022) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
16. Necrot – “Drill the Skull” (from “Lifeless Birth”, 2024) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
17. Immolation – “Nailed to Gold” (from “Here in After”, 1996) [Submitted by Karl]
18. Nails – “Violence is Forever” (from “You Will Never Be One Of Us”, 2016) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
19. Blood Duster – “Vulgar Taste” (from “Fisting the Dead” E.P., 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
20. Damaged – “Ultra Mild” (from “Do Not Spit”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
21. Defeated Sanity – “Temporal Disintegration” (from “Temporal Disintegration” single, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]
22. Mortem – “Exhumer” (from “Amputator”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
23. Skeleton of God – “10 Second Infinity” (from “Urine Garden” E.P., 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
24. Cephalectomy – “Unto the Darkly Shining Abyss” (from “Sign of Chaos”, 2000) [Submitted by Karl]
November 2024
01. Cathedral – “Phantasmagoria” (from “The Ethereal Mirror”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
02. Warning – “Faces” (from “Watching From A Distance”, 2006) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
03. Paradise Lost – “Joys Of The Emptiness” (from “Icon”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
04. Type O Negative – “Bloody Kisses (Death In The Family)” (from “Bloody Kisses”, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]
05. Candlemass – “Demon’s Gate” (from “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus”, 1986)
06. Black Sabbath – “A National Acrobat” (from “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, 1973)
07. Black Flag – “Scream” (from “My War”, 1984)
08. Pentagram – “Forever My Queen” (from “Bias Studio Recordings” demo, 1973)
09. Bedemon – “Child Of Darkness” (from “Child Of Darkness: From The Original Master Tapes”, 2005)
10. Boris – “Untitled” (from “Boris At Last -Feedbacker-“, 2003)
11. The Garden – “Squished Face Slick Pig Living in a Smokey City” (from “Horseshit on Route 66”, 2022)
12. Butthole Surfers – “22 Going On 23” (from “Locust Abortion Technician”, 1987)
13. SLIFT – “Weaver’s Weft” (from “Ilion”, 2024)
14. King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard – “Superbug” (from “Infest The Rat’s Nest”, 2019)
15. Rammstein – “Zeit” (from “Zeit”, 2022)
16. Chat Pile – “The Mask” (from “God’s Country”, 2022)
17. Woorms – Mouth Is A Wound” (from “Slake”, 2019) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
18. Converge – “Phoenix In Flight” (from “Jane Doe”, 2000)
19. Knocked Loose – “Take Me Home” (from “You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To”, 2024)
20. Nails – “Depths” (from “Unsilent Death”, 2010)
21. Thou – “House of Ideas” (from “Umbilical”, 2024)
22. Evoken – “Towers Of Frozen Dusk” (from “Shades Of Night Descending”, 1994) [Submitted by UnhinderedbyTalent]
Here's the December feature release nomination list:
THE FALLEN: Ben, Daniel
THE GATEWAY: Andi, Saxy
THE GUARDIANS: Karl, Xephyr
THE HORDE: Daniel, Karl, Vinny, Ben
THE INFINITE: Andi, Xephyr, Saxy
THE NORTH: Daniel, Ben, Karl, Xephyr
THE PIT: Vinny, Ben, Daniel
THE REVOLUTION: Andi, Daniel
THE SPHERE: Daniel, Andi
Fear Factory – “Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)” (from “Fear is the Mindkiller” E.P., 1993)
Merauder – “Time Ends” (from “Master Killer”, 1995)
Extol – “Paradigms” (from “Synergy”, 2003)
Rampage – “Acid Storm” (from “Acid Storm” demo, 1986) [Can be found listed as "Acid Storm, Pt. 2" on the "Veil of Mourn" release]
Watain – “The Limb Crucifix” (from “Rabid Death’s Curse”, 2000)
Enslaved – “Slaget I skogen bortenfor” (from “Hordanes Land” E.P., 1993)
Emperor – “Wrath of the Tyrant” (from “Emperor” E.P., 1993)
Hypocrisy – “Inferior Devoties” (from “Osculum Obscenum”, 1993)
Edge of Sanity – “Enigma” (from “Unorthodox”, 1992)
Resurrection – “Pure Be Damned” (from “Embalmed Existence”, 1993)
Unanimated – “In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead” (from “In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead”, 1993)
Dying Fetus – “Nocturnal Crucifixion” (from “Bathe in Entrails” demo, 1993)
Disincarnate – “Beyond the Flesh” (from “Dreams of the Carrion Kind”, 1993)
Cannibal Corpse – “Shredded Humans” (from “Hammer Smashed Face” E.P., 1993)
Pyrexia – “The Uncreation” (from “Sermon of Mockery”, 1993)
Prowler – “Vengeance” (from “Blood & Honour” demo, 1985) [Can be found tacked onto the end of Taramis’ “Queen of Thieves” album on Spotify]
Tourniquet – “Spineless” (from “Psychosurgery”, 1991)
Ministry – “Filth Pig” (from “Filth Pig”, 1996)
Shape of Despair – “Monotony Fields” (from “Monotony Fields”, 2015)
Eyehategod – “Blank” (from “Take as Needed for Pain”, 1993)
Toadliquor – “Fratricide: A Requiem” (from “Feel My Hate - The Power Is the Weight - R.I.P. Cain”, 1993)
Earth – “German Dental Work” (from “Demo 1990”, 1990) [Can be found on the “A Bureaucratic Desire For Extra-Capsular Extraction” compilation]
Vicious Circle/Youth Brigade - "Epitaph/Care" split album (1986)
Vicious Circle - "Search for the Solution!!" single (1985)
Vicious Circle/Perdition - "Aüssie Cörè - Sèärch För Thè Sölütiön? / A Torturing Compilation" split album (1985)
Exhumed - "Dissecting the Caseated Omentum" demo (1992)
The second demo tape from this San Jose-based five-piece was a breath of dank, decaying air for me as a youngster. I don't think I got the pleasure of hearing their earlier self-titled cassette until much later on but I picked this one up through the tape trading scene during the mid-1990's & it received regular replays over the next few years. The early Exhumed recordings combined classic death metal with the early goregrind sound the first couple of Carcass records & did it all with the utmost conviction. Sure, the performances are a bit sloppy but they were never intended to be anything else. I particularly love the brutality in the blast beats while the variations in the vocal delivery have clearly been modelled on the three-pronged Carcass model. The Horde members shouldn't hesitate to check this one out if that description takes your fancy.
For fans of Impaled, Ghoul & early Carcass.
4/5
Earth - "Demo 1990" demo (1990)
I've got a real soft spot for these godfathers of the drone metal genre & that extends to their earliest recordings with this six-song demo tape being of a very high standard. This material is not all drone metal though. "Methadrine" sounds more like Black Sabbath-inspired stoner metal, "Divine Bright Extraction" sits somewhere between alternative rock & shoegaze while "German Dental Work" & "Dissolution" fit into the industrial metal space alongside artists like Godflesh very comfortably. But then we have the two enormous drone metal pieces that highlighted 1991's classic "Extra-Capsular Extraction" E.P. (i.e. "Bureaucratic Desire for Revenge" & "Ouroboros") with both of them coming across as fully-realised even in this primitive format, particularly "Ouroboros" which is an all-time favourite of mine. If you dig Earth & their various creative endeavours then you'll likely want to hear this one too.
For fans of Sunn O))), Boris & Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Crossover Thrash Releases of All Time list following my recent discovery of Depression's early works:
01. Slaughter - "Surrender Or Die" demo (1985)
02. S.O.D. – “Speak English or Die” (1985)
03. Depression - "Australia, Australia" E.P. (1985)
04. Agnostic Front – “Cause For Alarm” (1986)
05. Depression - "Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash" (1987)
06. Cryptic Slaughter – “Convicted” (1986)
07. The Accused – “The Return Of… Martha Splatterhead” (1986)
08. Agnostic Front – “Liberty & Justice For…” (1987)
09. Ratos de Porão - "Brasil" (1989)
10. Attitude Adjustment – “American Paranoia” (1986)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/174
Mortician - "Brutally Mutilated" E.P. (1990)
Early US deathgrind. I prefer 1991's "Mortal Massacre" E.P. over this one. The first couple of tracks are good but it's let down by a poor closer that's the longest & most significant inclusion of the three on offer.
For fans of Fluids, Impetigo & Sanguisugabogg.
3/5
Vicious Circle - "Live at the Prince of Wales" (1985)
A 25-song live set that showcases the Melbourne hardcore acts craft very well. The vocals sound much more like Henry Rollins here & I wonder if it might be a different singer. I tend to like the more violent & up-tempo material best & the energy reminds me quite a bit of the early Mayhem works which is significant in the influence that hardcore punk had on them as arists.
For fans of Condemned?, Black Flag & early Depression.
Vicious Circle - "Foolish Ideas" demo (1984)
The Melbourne hardcore acts second demo tape is a little more expansive, containing nine songs with new versions of all three tracks from "Circle of the Doomed". I'd suggest that I slightly prefer it over the first demo, mainly due to the fact that there are a couple of highlight tracks included here with "Public Minister" being a stronger version than the original one.
For fans of Condemned?, Black Flag & early Depression.
3.5/5
Vicious Circle - "Circle of the Doomed" demo (1984)
The earliest demo recordings from this Melbourne hardcore punk act. Not bad stuff really. In fact, I enjoyed all three of the songs included here to some degree.
For fans of Condemned?, Black Flag & early Depression.
3.5/5
Deranged - "Architects of Perversions" E.P. (1994)
Sweden's Deranged were one of a whole slew of bands that I picked up on during a period of intense exploratory activity that took place in the first half of the 1990's when I would vigorously chase down anything that might fall into the category of the early "brutal death metal" sound. Deranged would be brought to my attention by one of my overseas tape traders who sent me a cassette that included their 1993 "...The Confessions Continues" 7" single as well as this E.P. which would represent the band's first release of any significance. I don't recall much about the experience now & haven't returned to either release over the many years since but I did end up exploring Deranged' first five full-length albums during the next couple of decades & have enjoyed all of them to varying degrees, particularly 1998's "High on Blood" sophomore record which has ended up being my go-to Deranged release & has received a number of revisits over the years. The "Architects of Perversions" E.P. has generally been positively received by fans as far as I've seen though so I thought I'd give it another chance to impress me this week.
Deranged would appear to have followed a fairly similar path to my own as far as influences go which has seen me being a little more open to their sound than I might otherwise have been. Cannibal Corpse's first few early 90's releases would appear to be their primary influence here & that sits pretty comfortably with me given the impact that those records had on me & my own band Neuropath at the time. There's also a goregrind influence at play that's worth mentioning though too, even if it's more of a secondary component than a primary one. The production job is suitably raw & brutal while front man Per Gyllenbäck sports a similar ultra-deep & unintelligible death grunt to Chris Barnes & is highly effective at his task too, becoming the clear focal point of the release with his gore-soaked lyrics. Conversely, drummer Rikard Wermén represents the obvious weakness for Deranged, mainly in the execution of his blast beats where he struggles to maintain speed & precision. This sees the Swedes sounding a little looser than I'd like at times.
The E.P. initially grabbed my attention off the back of the first two songs (i.e. the title track & "Coagulated Seminal Fluids") which are both pretty enjoyable & represented the more brutal side of Deranged's sound at the time. Unfortunately, the quality level drops off significantly after that with none of the remaining three tracks offering me much in the way of appeal. The short one-minute goregrind piece "Stairway to Hell" is the weakest inclusion but neither "Hammer Cottered Rectum" nor closer "Rigid Anatomy Art" manage to muster as much in the way of savagery as the earlier material, instead being presented in a more conventional death metal format that doesn't suit Deranged as well as those first couple of tracks. I wouldn't say that there's anything all that terrible here but there's also nothing that really gets my blood pumping, even during the first half of the E.P.
It's interesting that I'd go on to follow Deranged's 1995-2002 albums off the back of the poorly titled "Architects of Perversions" because it hasn't exactly set my world on fire here & I don't recall it doing so back in the day either. I guess I was just desperate for as much brutality as I could find in my extreme metal at the time & the Swedes fit the bill fairly well. After giving this E.P. some time to connect with me this week, I'd suggest that you skip it & move on to Deranged's late 90's records as they're a bit stronger than this one in my opinion.
For fans of Avulsed, Insision & early Cannibal Corpse.
3/5
Ben, please add Melbourne crossover thrash outfit Vicious Circle.
Ben, please add Aussie outfit Spiderbait.
They split up after their sophomore album but reformed around 2010 & I believe are still playing the occasional show. I think I might need to select one of their records for next month’s The Pit feature release actually.
Depression - "Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash" (1987)
The last couple of months have seen me making a significant discovery when it comes to the history of Australian extreme metal. While I’ve always been aware of Melbourne hardcore punk outfit Depression through their 1988 sophomore album “Thrash Till Death: Studio Tapes” which is widely known as being a crossover thrash release, I had no idea that Depression had actually spent a lot more time dabbling with thrash metal prior to that time. In fact, I now firmly believe that these guys were the very first Australian extreme metal band & count myself as a big fan of a number of their earlier releases, much more so than some of this countries other more talked about 80’s thrash treasures too. 1985’s self-titled debut album would show the first signs of a crossover into metal but it would be the “Australia, Australia” E.P. from later that year that would see them finally committing to a hybrid sound & with great success too. The “Big Brother” single from the following year would continue down that path before the release of this live album in 1987, a record that would see Depression moving on from their earlier incarnation with renewed vision. I’ll be fucked if it’s not another great record from these guys too actually, which is saying a lot from a dude that doesn’t usually dig a lot of hardcore punk.
Depression had taken on a slightly different lineup for the “Big Brother” single. Original front man Spike had moved on by that point with guitarist Smeer (also of Melbourne hardcore punk outfit Gash) taking on the vocal duties. Spike’s delivery was a little more gruff & masculine while Spike brought more of a screamy, rabid & psychotic element to the band that I slightly prefer, although both do a pretty decent job of it so there’s not a huge reason to want to take sides. Drummer Sham Littleman (Nothing Sacred/Hobbs Angel of Death/Non Compos Mentis) had also been replaced by Darren Antoci (Persecution) & it would be this lineup that would produce 1987’s “Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash” live album at Depression’s first live show in around two years. They make an excellent fist of it too with the production doing the band a lot of favours & highlighting Depression’s amazing energy & electricity very well.
Depression were a very talented group of musicians for a snotty bunch of punks with Smeer being the clear focal point. The influence of metal on his guitar technique is clear for all to see here & he proves that he’s more than capable of shredding along with the best of them in a stellar performance that seems to easily achieve the riotous cacophony of hardcore while also drawing upon the more disciplined & precise techniques employed in thrash metal. The fact that he does all of this while also doing an excellent job at delivering the vocals is a testament to his drive & skill. Admittedly, Depression steer well clear of the debut album so one gets the feeling that the song-writing was all tailored to the idea of a Smeer-led trio. Boy, do they do a good job at it though as there’s a searing lightning bolt of hardcore adrenaline running right down the centre of this set. Bassist Liddy holds his own during Smeer’s guitar solos & clearly knew his role very well as he never overplays his hand.
The tracklisting contains thirteen songs in its 34-minute run time & is generally very consistent. I’d suggest that the short duration is actually a positive here as the record never overstays its welcome & is well positioned to command back-to-back listens. The material generally jumps between hardcore punk & crossover thrash in roughly equal measure but there are a couple of more traditional punk rock songs included in “Money” & “Out of Touch”. I’m not much of a fan of the less aggressive brand of punk music but “Out of Touch” is pretty decent. “Money”, on the other hand, tends to grate on me a bit & I’d suggest that it’s the only failure amongst this lot. The more appealing material clearly comes in the form of the faster & less restrained numbers (at least it does for me) with Depression proving themselves to be a formidable unit when they drop their shackles & simply go for broke. Despite still possessing a general tongue-in-cheek attitude though, one gets the feeling that Smeer & co. took themselves fairly seriously as artists so there’s been quite a bit of time put into ensuring that their live show came across as a tight, professional & universally coherent performance.
If you don’t mind a bit of hardcore in your metal then Depression might just be the hidden gem that you’ve been looking for. I certainly can’t imagine why they’ve been so overlooked for all these years. I’d suggest that the “Australia, Australia” E.P. is still my pick for their best release to the time but “Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash” is definitely another must-own release for those with their feet in both camps & it should come into the discussion when talking about Australia’s best early thrash releases too.
For fans of D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies & Discharge.
4/5
Misery - "Insidious" E.P. (1994)
I recently spent some time revisiting the 1993 “A Necessary Evil” debut album from Aussie death metallers Misery & it wasted no time in reminding me as to why it was such an influential & motivational release for myself & my Neuropath band mates back at the time of release. That record went a long way to proving that a local band could compete with the rest of the world & was a very solid example of the early 90’s death metal sound that saw me immediately counting myself as an enthusiastic fan of the Brisbane five-piece. So, when Misery released their second proper release in 1994’s “Insidious” E.P. I found myself leaping in with both feet & with the expectation of another highly professional & invariably entertaining death metal experience, a hope that was fulfilled in generous measure by the four songs it contained.
“Insidious” sports a very impressive production job for a local death metal release, once again having been recorded at Red Zeds in Brisbane. It saw Misery returning with a slightly altered lineup to the one that had impressed me so much with “A Necessary Evil”. Original front man Darren Goulding (Manticore) had departed & been replaced by the relatively unknown Moises Contreras, a move that concerned me given that I very much enjoyed Goulding’s contribution to the debut. I need not have worried too much though because Contreras makes a great fist of his opportunity here. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have known there’d been any lineup change at all to honest because he takes a very similar approach to his predecessor with his imposing growl being one of the highlights of the release. The other major talking point for the E.P. can be found in Misery’s trademark pacing which sees them staying predominantly in the slow-to-mid tempo range but showcasing a wonderful understanding of dynamics & structure to create tension. The listener rarely feels that they’re being battered into submission. It’s more a feeling of being engulfed as dark, cavernous walls slowly close in on you. I really enjoy that experience & feel that it showcases the musical maturity of these young dudes really well. The use of pitch-shifting effects on the lead guitar work & subtle keyboards to add some additional atmosphere are further examples of that & are universally successful in their undertaking, as are the professionally executed intros & outros which work to further accentuate the eerie, unnerving backdrop the band were crafting with their song-writing.
The four songs included are all well worth hearing in what is another very consistent release from a band that seemed far too professional to produce anything sub-par at this point in their musical journey. The clear highlight for me is the wonderful “Torn” which I regard as being Misery’s finest work to the time & was subsequently made into a video that’s gone on to become somewhat of a cult classic. The opening stanza of “Torn” sees Misery’s sound taking on it’s most compelling form with all of the things the band have become known for combining to give me chills down my spine. The start of opening track “Seeds of Doubt” achieved similar levels of dark death metal glory to be honest but the rest of the song couldn’t quite maintain them, seeing it finishing as a solid inclusion more than an elite level example of the genre. Closer “Innocent Torture” is also very strong but I do feel that “Venganza del” sees the quality level dropping just a touch from the rest of the material, even if I do still enjoy it quite a bit.
“Insidious” shows clear evidence that Misery had been paying attention to what was going on around them in the global death metal scene as it saw them building on their early success with a slightly more polished & professional sound that continued to impress the underground. While I really enjoyed “A Necessary Evil”, I feel that “Insidious” is slightly stronger again, potentially off the back of “Torn” which was the genuine highlight that the debut had been missing. Contreras would make his exit from the Misery story at this point, never to be heard from again as far as I’m aware, but Misery would continue to make high quality death metal for some time yet. In fact, I believe they are still playing shows today after recently reforming & that can’t be a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. I may not be quite the fan boy I was back in the day but I can still appreciate well-made death metal when I hear it & this is certainly a fine example of that.
For fans of Innsmouth, Abramelin & Psychrist.
4/5
Ben, please add Melbourne’s Christbait.
Ben, please add Aussie metalcore act Mindsnare.
I’m very much the opposite to be honest. I came to Maiden through “Somewhere in Time”, “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” & “Live After Death” before heading back to their esrlier work & I have to admit that the Dianno albums always seemed to be a step down (a couple of steps down in some cases) from the Dickinson ones for me personally. In fact, the only Dianno record that I regard as being essential is the “Maiden Japan” E.P. & I consider “Killers” to be the least impressive of Maiden’s 80’s full-lengths. I guess the huge variety in opinions on what Maiden’s best & worst records are is the strongest representation of just how consistent & relevant they were during their prime.
My top ten Dianno-fronted Iron Maiden songs:
01. Killers (Maiden Japan live version)
02. Phantom of the Opera
03. Prowler
04. Wrathchild
05. Remember Tomorrow
06. Running Free
07. Strange World
08. Another Life
09. Murders in the Rue Morgue
10. Iron Maiden (The Soundhouse Tapes version)
Top five Dianno releases:
1. Maiden Japan E.P.
2. Iron Maiden
3. Killers
4. Live!! +One E.P.
5. The Soundhouse Tapes E.P.
Rampage - "Rampage" demo (1987)
The self-titled second demo tape from Melbourne's Rampage is another one that I've always struggled with a bit. The two songs traverse a number of different genres from power metal to progressive metal to more up-tempo speed metal & thrash metal but overall I'd probably describe it as sitting between power metal & thrash metal. The higher register vocals are pretty ordinary but I do appreciate the fairly expansive instrumentation. It just doesn't seem to come together nicely in the end though & I find that I enjoy this one a touch less than the "Acid Storm" demo.
For fans of Bezerker, Tyrus & Midas Touch.
3/5
Nazxul - "Nazxul" demo (1994)
I picked this demo tape up at the time of release & absolutely loved it. Nazxul were a mysterious Sydney outfit that no one knew much about at the time but their dark & intense blackened death metal sound was right up my alley with the consistent bludgeoning of drummer Steve Hughes' (Mortal Sin/Sadistik Exekution/Slaughter Lord) blast beats & the evil extremity of bassist Dalibor Backović's (Ichor) vocal delivery providing clear highlights over the fuzzy down-tuned guitar hum of Adrian Henderson (Ichor/Pestilential Shadows) & Lachlan Mitchell. The use of keyboards is more subtle than it would be on some of Nazxul's later releases & I find it to be very well timed, adding to the atmosphere in just the right measure. This is a vicious example of the blackened death metal sound that deserves far more attention than it's ever received in my opinion. It's also a fine example of what the early-to-mid 1990's tape trading scene had to offer.
For fans of Pestilential Shadows, Anatomy & Kommodus.
4.5/5
That is a truly unique top ten Andi. I love the honesty & individualism.
Depression - "Big Brother" single (1986)
The Melbourne hardcore act returned with their finest work yet, a short three-song affair that I hadn’t heard previously that once again highlights their defection to crossover thrash with some tight metal guitar work from Smeer. The opening track "Have a Look" is my favourite inclusion & is probably the thrashiest number with the title track hovering between crossover & hardcore & closer "Du-pres-shun" being more of an early example of the metalcore sound. It's all worth hearing as usual & these guys have been tragically overlooked in terms of their importance to the development of extreme metal in this country.
For fans of D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies & S.O.D.
4/5
Manticore - "Burrowers" demo (1994)
The second demo tape from Aussie death metallers Manticore made a significant impact on me at the time. These country boys were an awesome live act which led to me purchasing this cassette at one of their shows & giving it plenty of repeat listens that year. It contains a very fast & noticeably thrashy brand of death metal with excellent death growls & a crap-tonne of energy. All three songs are worthy of your time although opening track "Mask" & the excellent cover version of Slayer's "Raining Blood" are the clear highlights with "Of No Consequence" being merely a decent way to fill the gap between them.
For fans of Misery, Deicide & classic Slayer.
4/5
Here's my newly created Top Ten Metal Releases of 1993 list which clearly shows the impact that the now thriving doom/death subgenre was having on me at the time:
01. diSEMBOWELMENT - "Transcending Into The Peripheral"
02. My Dying Bride - "Turn Loose The Swans"
03. My Dying Bride - "The Thrash of Naked Limbs" E.P.
04. Anathema - "Serenades"
05. Death - "Individual Thought Patterns"
06. Dream Theater - "Live at the Marquee" E.P.
07. Morbid Angel - "Covenant"
08. Cynic - "Focus"
09. Burzum - "Det som engag var"
10. Gorguts - "The Erosion of Sanity"
Mayhem - "Live in Leipzig" (1993)
There’s probably not too many battle-hardened extreme metallers out there that would admit to this but I’ve never rated Norwegian black metal superstars Mayhem’s 1980’s releases. I genuinely can’t stand the 1986 “Pure Fucking Armageddon” demo while 1987’s Deathcrush” E.P. does very little for me either. It wasn’t until a 19 year-old Swedish kid by the name of Per Yngvie Ohlin (aka Dead) left his home country & his own band Morbid to join Mayhem in 1988 that I feel things started to go in the right direction. The arrival of drumming phenomenon Hellhammer would also make for a greatly improved offering & this is noticeably evident on Mayhem’s first & only proper release with their classic lineup in the 1993 live album “Live in Leipzig”, a recording that I picked up on CD shortly after it was released. All of a sudden Mayhem seemed quite a bit more exciting, having finally pulled together a more cohesive sound that would get under my skin in a creepy & noticeably more musically accomplished way. It wouldn’t be long before I would pick up “De Mysteriis dom Sathanas” on CD too & then the black metal landscape would change significantly almost overnight. Looking back, I’ve always regarded the “Live in Leipzig” release as being more important than it is classic. Let’s revisit it now to see if that opinion has any factual basis or not.
“Live in Leipzig” was recorded at a legendary show in Germany on 26th November 1990 at the Eiskeller Club & was originally intended as a live demo which the band would distribute themselves. The show has become synonymous with the birth of the black metal scene in Germany with most of the key personnel having been in attendance. The tracklisting includes material drawn from both the “Pure Fucking Armageddon” demo tape & the “Deathcrush” E.P. as well as four songs that would eventually end up on Mayhem’s genre-defining debut album “De Mysteriis dom Sathanas” in 1994. The show also represents the coming of age for Dead & for black metal in general as it’s really pretty amazing to think that this material was recorded a full eight months before Darkthrone would start recording their classic “A Blaze in the Northern Sky” sophomore album which is widely regarded as the release that kicked off the Second Wave of Black Metal in Norway. On the evidence of “Live in Leipzig”, one would have to suggest that Mayhem were a seriously major influence on that release as well as all of the other early Norwegian records that would follow too.
The sound production on “Live in Leipzig” isn’t exactly crystal clear. In fact, it’s rough as guts & one gets the feeling that this was intentional as there’s been no attempt made to smoothen out any of the rough edges. Guitarist Euronymous & bassist Necrobutcher’s tones are absolutely filthy & remind me a lot of my tape trading days given that they have that raw, uncontrolled rehearsal tape feel to them while losing nothing in the way of power. Necrobutcher’s bass tone is particularly immense, smothered in a thick layer of distortion. The technical skills of the various band members aren’t exactly virtuosic though. While Euronymous appears to have already mastered to art of tremolo-picking, his guitar solos are an absolute mess & showcase very little in the way of theoretical understanding or technique. Hellhammer’s drumming is still relatively immature by his lofty standards too & he would improve remarkably by the time he recorded “De Mysteriis dom Sathanas” a couple of years later. It’s Dead that’s the main attraction here though with his vocals giving each track a vastly different identity to their studio counterparts. His delivery is utterly savage & cold as fuck, the very essence of what it means to front a black metal act in one of the defining performances for the genre as a whole.
Despite, not being a fan of Mayhem’s early studio recordings, “Live in Leipzig” sees Mayhem breathing new life into the majority of the older material with only opener “Deathcrush” failing to interest me. While they may never threaten to achieve classic status, "Carnage", “Chainsaw Gutsfuck” & “Pure Fucking Armageddon” are massively improved from their studio versions, particularly the latter which has benefitted greatly from the involvement of Hellhammer. It’s clearly the newer material that’s where the highest quality meat can be found on these bones though with “Funeral Fog”, Mayhem’s notorious signature track “Freezing Moon” & the wonderful “Pagan Fears” (my personal favourite) reaching stratospheric levels of appeal for an impressionable teenage version of myself. The 80's material is noticeably more thrash-inspired than the newer stuff which already contained all of the signature calling cards of the modern black metal sound, a fact that's quite significant when remembering that the show was recorded more than a year before the Second Wave would eventually kick off.
While some of the early material included might not necessarily be all that ambitious by the lofty standards the Second Wave would set about reaching over the coming years, “Live in Leipzig” was still an incredibly important record for the Norwegian scene. It may not sound as polished as we’ve come to expect from a modern black metal live performance over the many decades since but boy does it have some fire & brimstone going on. Just listen to Euronymous’ guitar sound & tell me this bloke doesn’t know what it means to be a black metal musician. I’ve returned to “Live in Leipzig” many times over the years & can now categorically refute any claims that it has built its following more on hype than on genuine merit. That’s simply not the case & there can be no denying the impact that Mayhem had on virtually every young band that would explode out of their homeland over the next few years.
For fans of Gorgoroth, Darkthrone & 1349.
4/5
Rampage - "Acid Storm" demo (1986)
The debut release from another Melbourne thrash metal act that I was aware of in my youth. This time a trio that went on to a little more of significance but which I always struggled with. This demo tape is well produced for the time with the sound sitting somewhere between Iron Maiden style heavy metal & "Show No Mercy"-era Slayer. The performances are a little patchy but you can already hear that Rampage were quite ambitious from a compositional point of view. The vocals of front man George Mitrov are noticeably pitchy at times which doesn't help things but there's a little bit to interest me in the instrumentation. Bassist Dave Frew has also been involved with fellow Melbourne thrashers Tyrus & Hobbs Angel of Death over the years.
For fans of Bezerker, Tyrus & Midas Touch.
3/5