Daniel's Reviews

The 1989 self-titled debut album from New Jersey's Skid Row came at a time when I was still very much at a crossroads between my hard rock roots & my complete defection to extreme metal. I'd literally only just discovered Metallica's "...And Justice For All" which had blown my world apart but, despite that major musical awakening, it's fair to say that I still had one foot tentatively planted in the hard rock of my father's music collection at the start of 1989. From memory, I think I even purchased "Skid Row" on CD & recall us both getting a lot of enjoyment out of it too but by the time Skid Row's sophomore record was released in 1991 my feet had been firmly planted in the death/black metal camp so it says a lot that I still felt the need to investigate "Slave To The Grind". The catalyst was the energy & general heaviness I found in the tracks I heard on the radio as they hinted at Skid Row having risen above their earlier hair metal approach to achieve a far chunkier & much less commercially focused sound & that was proven to be accurate from my initial experiences with the full album after receiving a dubbed cassette copy from a school mate.

"Slave To The Grind" seems to have been a clear attempt from Skid Row to be taken more seriously to me. There's little doubt that they'd matured as musicians & song-writers but the veering away from the cheesier end of hair metal would appear to be a conscious one. The production job & guitar tone alone fall much closer to genuine heavy metal territory than they do to anything designed primarily for commercial radio play. In saying that though, the overall direction isn't so different to their previous work that it would scare off any of their existing fanbase. I mean, there's still three hard rock ballads included here for example. It's just that they each offer enough in the way of creative substance to comfortably validate their inclusion on a more than respectable metal/rock record that contributes to "Slave to the Grind" being such a significant release. Hell, there's even a proggy feel on offer during a couple of those ballads at times with Bach sounding quite similar to Dream Theater front man James LaBrie which isn't something you can say about too many glam metal records. The sheer consistency of the tracklisting is another feather in the band's cap as there are no genuinely weak tracks to be found amongst the twelve on offer.

"Slave to the Grind" begins in splendid fashion with the first four tracks being very solid indeed & setting the tone for the rest of the release nicely. The title track & "The Threat" are straight up heavy metal songs & sit amongst Skid Row's heaviest material overall with "Mudkicker" arriving later on in the piece & also pushing the threshold of heaviness. The middle of the record sees them returning to a glammier sound for a while & is a little less effective as a result but, while there can be no doubt that tunes like "Monkey Business", "Psycho Love", "Get The Fuck Out", "Livin' On A Chain Gang" & "Creepshow" have drawn their roots from the Sunset Strip, there's no hint at disposability at any point, potentially because this record is so chock-full of chunky riffs & Bach's vocals are so spectacularly capable & engaging. Even the simpler punk rocker "Riot Act" is a more than acceptable inclusion in my opinion.

Skid Row's debut album may forever be the one that defines them as an artist but I wouldn't hesitate in claiming "Slave to the Grind" as the superior record. It speaks volumes that I'd completely let go of the other major glam metal bands by the time this release popped up but still chose to become a slave to Skid Row's grind. Ignore those that may tell you it's a pure heavy metal or hard rock record though. Its roots are still clearly rooted in glam metal in my opinion & it fits most comfortably alongside the work of the heavier bands from that scene in WASP, Twisted Sister & Dokken. In saying that though, it may well be the best example of the glam metal genre that I've ever heard, a statement that probably owes a little bit to the fact that "Slave to the Grind" isn't the purest representation of the genre. Any hair teaser worth their eyeliner should own a copy of this album though as it possesses more staying power than its competitors.

I'd suggest that some of our regulars would already be aware of my long-time struggles to understand the appeal in German heavy/power metal legends Running Wild by now. Their 1980's & 1990's releases seem to be unanimously claimed as pillars of metal but I've always found similar obstacles standing in my way when checking them out for myself. Sometimes I find them to sound a bit lethargic with the song-writing leaving much to be desired but I feel that this is possibly a bi-product of Running Wild's vocalist Rock 'n' Rolf simply not being a tier one singer &, more often than not, I find myself wondering if the band might be missing a trick there given that they can certainly produce some stellar riffs at times. As a result, all of Running Wild's first five albums have stalled at a three-star rating while I couldn't get their 1990 "Wild Animal" E.P. up above 2.5 stars. 1994's "Black Hand Inn" came closest to breaking out of mediocrity but was still confined to that dreaded three-star curse. All may not be lost though as I recently noticed one of our most educated & trusted members Sonny praising 1991's "Blazon Stone" sixth full-length. Sonny & I generally share pretty similar thoughts on the more accessible brands of metal so I felt encouraged enough to investigate "Blazon Stone" myself in the hope of finally discovering a Running Wild album that I can say that I genuinely enjoy.

I have to admit that I've questioned the power metal credentials of Running Wild's previous couple of albums in 1987's "Under Jolly Roger" & 1988's "Death or Glory" over the years but "Blazon Stone" is a slightly different story as I can now see enough elements of the power metal model to warrant a dual tagging with your classic heavy metal sound, even though the dial clearly sits further over to the heavy metal side of the equation. Fellow Germans Grave Digger & Rage are a good comparison although the more power metal-oriented material unsurprisingly sounds a lot like Swedish worshippers Blazon Stone. The links to power metal sit largely behind the regular incorporation of speed metal techniques in the rhythm guitar work but Rolf's vocal style is noticeably missing the theatrics & histrionics of your average European power metal front man so this feels much more like the US brand of power metal than it does the German one.

The tracklisting begins quite nicely with the A side being surprisingly strong so I was feeling pretty good about the potential for a respectable score by the halfway point of my first listen. Unfortunately, the B side was a lot patchier with the back end of the album petering out pretty noticeably. I have to say that I love the crunchy rhythm guitar tone though & feel that it somewhat carries the album, particularly given the inclusion of some pretty classic heavy metal riffs at times. The highlight tracks are really enjoyable too with the very solid heavy metal anthems "Little Big Horn" & "Rolling Wheels" being my clear favourites. I can certainly do without the folky guitar melodies that pop up from times to time though, seemingly intended to remind me that "Blazon Stone" is supposedly a European power metal release & I shouldn't really like it. "Billy The Kid" is a particularly silly track that I find I struggle with more than the rest of the weaker material.

Sure, there are some flat moments to be found on "Blazon Stone" which didn't come as a surprise to me but for once I've found the wins to outweigh the losses which is a first for a Running Wild record & has finally led me to cracking that elusive 3.5-star threshold I'd so hoped it would. I can't see Running Wild building on that for even higher ratings any time soon but at least we can always fall back on this record when we reminisce about old times over a German lager in decades to come. 

Birmingham industrial metal legends Godflesh had absolutely blown me away with their debut album "Streetcleaner" in 1989/90. I was just a young & impressionable chap at the time & had heard nothing like the dark, noisy & abrasive sounds that were coming out of my stereo speakers when I initially absorbed songs like "Head Dirt", "Christbait Rising" & "Like Rats" on late-night metal radio & my subsequent investigation of the record in its entirety would be nothing short of breath-taking. I'd quickly investigate Godflesh's earlier 1988 self-titled E.P. & would find it to be really solid too but the addition of a couple of extra tracks for the CD version made all the difference & saw me also claiming "Godflesh" as a classic release. 1991's "Slavestate" E.P. would be a bit of a slow burner for some but I would find myself captivated & enthralled by the sheer originality & creativity that Justin Broadrick (Jesu/Napalm Death/Fall of Because), G.C. Green (Fall of Because) & Paul Neville (Fall of Because) had managed to dish up. It was a completely uncompromising & ground-breaking experiment that wouldn't sit well with everyone but which I simply seemed to understand on more of a visceral level than most people could achieve.

The major difference with "Slavestate" is the introduction of elements of electronic dance music within Godflesh's dark & oppressive sound, an idea that didn't sit well with some. I may not have known it at the time but I would later go on to discover that I hold a burning passion for techno music so perhaps I'm just more open to this sort of idea but the new hybrid sound worked beautifully as far as I was concerned. Don't get me wrong. This was still well & truly an industrial metal record & was easily identifiable as being the same artist that produced "Streetcleaner" but there'd been a clear adjustment in timbre & atmosphere which was perhaps always destined to polarize listeners.

The four tracks included on the vinyl edition of the E.P. are all of a very high quality with the lengthiest of them "Perfect Skin" being an absolute masterpiece & ensuring that "Slavestate" would be regarded as an industrial metal classic. The CD version of the release was more of a compilation though with the addition of the "Slavestate Remixes" & "Slateman/Wound '91" singles which were both just as classic in their own rights. The combination of the three releases sees the CD version slightly topping the standard vinyl edition with the stronger electro-industrial direction of the remixes giving it an even more fresh & exciting feel that I genuinely love. "Slavestate Total State Mix" & "Slateman" would go on to become anthems for my youth while "Slavestate (Radio Slave)" wasn't all that far behind either.

Despite the lukewarm response, I can't help but feel that "Slavestate" is another masterpiece of cold, abrasive industrial art that was clearly ahead of its time & suffered a little bit for it. It may not quite have matched "Streetcleaner" for sheer menace but it certainly marked a clear pathway for the future that would see Broadrick & co. running amok in a world of electronic madness & rarely failing to deliver anything short of top-class results. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I regard "Slavestate" as a better record than the more widely celebrated "Godflesh" E.P. these days which is really saying something. I would definitely recommend making the investment in the CD/Spotify version of the release though as I feel like it's the more complete edition with each of the three releases getting better & better as the CD progresses. Fans of Pitch Shifter, Fall of Because & Skin Chamber should regard "Slavestate" as another essential Godflesh release as far as I'm concerned.

My initial experience with French death metal outfit Massacra came through their 1990 debut album "Final Holocaust" back in the day, a release that I really enjoyed & that encouraged me to keep abreast of the band's subsequent releases. I'd eventually give up on Massacra after their suitably titled 1994 fourth album "Sick" but there's certainly some quality to be found in Massacra's first three full-lengths, particularly the debut & their 1991 sophomore album "Enjoy The Violence" which is regarded as their finest work.

Massacra seem to have built a reputation as being a death/thrash hybrid in some parts of the internet but "Enjoy The Violence" doesn't offer much in the way of thrash. Instead, you can expect on authentic 1990's brand of death metal that earns its keep more from its atmosphere than it does technical proficiency. The performances are a touch loose at times (particularly that of drummer Chris Palengat whose chops weren't exactly brilliant at the time) but they do enough to provide the listener with the image of a dark & grisly world that doesn't lose face when compared with the Florida troop of the time. 

The tracklisting is rock solid with no weak tracks included but the quality levels do start to fade a touch as you make your way towards the end of the album with the last three songs being the least impressive pieces overall. It almost sounds like Massacra were struggling to fill out the record & rushed a few tracks together in order to see things to a swift outcome but it's not a major problem as I really like the band's sound so those inclusions are still acceptable in the grand scheme of things. They do however see "Enjoy The Violence" only just managing to achieve my fourth full star which would have seemed like a foregone conclusion during the first half of the record.

Still... I can't see "Enjoy The Violence" not leaving the majority of the death metal community more than satisfied, particularly those that are always on the hunt for that highly celebrated early 90's sound. Dutch death metallers Thanatos, "Seven Churches"-era Possessed & fellow Frenchmen Agressor are some pretty decent points of comparison & if that sounds like your bag then "Enjoy The Violence" should be essential listening.

My introduction to German extreme metal outfit Protector came via their 1989 sophomore album "Urm the Mad" which I quite liked at the time & that experience led me to follow the band throughout their entire career. I've been pleased to see that they've been able to maintain a fairly consistent standard throughout with just the one blemish along the way too. Protector's 1987 debut "Misanthropy" E.P. has been a particular talking point for me over the years actually as, despite being claimed by many to be a thrash metal release, I regard it as not only being one of the earlier examples of genuine death metal you'll find but also one that eclipses some of the more prominent releases of the time as well. The Protector record that's most highly regarded though is unquestionably their 1991 third album "A Shedding of Skin" & with good reason too because it's an absolute beast of a death/thrash album.

Those of you that are new to Protector will not be left waiting long to find out what they're all about. The inclusion of a short one-minute intro track at the beginning of the record was a strange one as its pleasant new-age atmosphere has no place on an extreme metal release like this one but as soon as the proper songs kick in the listener is subjected to a savage beating like they've rarely experienced before. This album presents Protector's sound as the perfect amalgamation of death metal & Teutonic thrash metal with the death metal component taking the ascendency for the most part. The raw production is perfectly suited to this style of music with the guitars possessing a face-ripping quality that accentuates the aggression in the performances beautifully. The growled vocals of main man Olly Wiebel are deathly & evil which only provides further weight to the fully committed metal assault Protector unleash here with the Hannemann/King style guitar solos generally being saved for the most intense sections of the songs too. The influence of Teutonic thrash bands like Kreator & Sodom is important as the speeds that Protector reach during the thrashier sections is one of the record's main calling cards too.

There are clearly enough highlights included to justify my elite ratings but unfortunately I can't quite get there. The issue is more around quality control as, despite not including any real duds apart from the previously mentioned intro track, "A Shedding of Skin" is definitely a few tracks too long which sees it including a couple more filler tracks than I'd like. I feel that the duo could easily have dropped off two or three of the more thrashy numbers & still comfortably achieved an appropriate run time for a release like this one but, as it is, this is still a very fine death/thrash release that almost got there anyway. Fans of bands like Merciless, Possessed & Poison (the German one) will absolutely froth over this stuff so I hope a few of you will be converted to what is a largely overlooked but thoroughly deserving band.

While listening to this month's The Guardians feature release "No More Tears" I was reminded that I spontaneously picked up this largely overlooked live E.P. from the local record store some time shortly after it was released. I think it might have been the first of Ozzy's solo work that I laid down my hard-earned cash for actually & it was driven by my enthusiasm for Black Label Society & Pride & Glory guitar virtuoso Zakk Wylde's work on Ozzy's previous studio album "No Rest For The Wicked" which I believe might have been my introduction to Ozzy's solo material in general. And if I was looking for a showcase for Zakk's chops then I probably couldn't have asked for more than I got with this half hour of high-quality heavy metal to tell you the truth.

The E.P. features four of Ozzy's solo tracks (three taken from "No Rest For The Wicked" & one from his previous album "The Ultimate Sin") as well as two classic Black Sabbath tunes ("Sweet Leaf" & "War Pigs") & all of them are worth hearing. Ozzy's vocals aren't at their best & he sounds a little bit like he's running on auto-pilot at times (particularly during "Bloodbath In Paradise" where he's noticeably pitchy) but his voice certainly suits the Sabbath material far better than it does his solo material which is a long-term bug-bear of mine. Wylde's guitar playing is the real drawcard here though & it doesn't disappoint for a single second of this record. In fact, I'd suggest that he's a tighter musician than Randy Rhoads was in all honesty. He just sounds like he's in complete control of his instrument at all times as he nails every single nuance of the material which makes his performance worth whatever it was that I paid for this otherwise fairly inessential release. Opener "Miracle Man" is comfortably the best of the solo work but it's unsurprisingly the Sabbath material that stands out as the best inclusions here with "War Pigs" being the clear highlight. If you can't get enough Ozzy-era Black Sabbath or 80's Dio in your life then I'd recommend that you check this E.P. out & Black Label Society fans will probably wanna get in on the action too just for the Wylde-card.

Dallas-based epic doom metal masters Solitude Aeturnus really surprised me with their 2006 "Alone" sixth full-length when Ben selected it for The Fallen feature release status some time ago. I'd previously allowed the band to pass me by but that record ticked all of my boxes & saw me claiming it as a genuine doom metal classic for the ages. Since that time I've always intended on exploring the rest of Solitude Aeturnus' more highly celebrated releases & thought I'd take this opportunity to kick that exercise off with their debut full-length "Into The Depths Of Sorrow" which is generally regarded as one of the elite examples of the niche subgenre overall.

In many ways "Into The Depths Of Sorrow" is the quintessential epic doom metal release in that it perfectly embodies the sound that the tag was originally created to label. All of the subgenres calling cards are here. Crushing doom riffs? CHECK! A strong classic heavy metal influence? CHECK! Theatrical power metal style vocals? CHECK! Soaring, shredtastic guitar solos? CHECK! A generally epic atmosphere? CHECK! I can't deny that the album is everything it said it would be on the tin & if that description sounds like something that'd appeal to you then you won't be disappointed but it did take me a couple of listens to get fully into for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I'm a much bigger doom fan than I am a heavy metal one & the heavy metal component is particularly prevalent here with those riffs being pretty standard heavy metal fodder & nothing particularly exciting so I find myself waiting around for the doom to return which it inevitably does & with devastating effect too. There's obviously a lot of Candlemass influence on show as this was Solitude Aeturnus' first full-length & Candlemass were, of course, the creators & clear leaders of the epic doom movement so there are clear similarities in the way the two bands go about their craft but the area that Solitude Aeturnus fall down in as far as that comparison goes is in the guitar solos as Edgar Rivera & John Perez aren't quite as virtuosic in their capabilities. Thankfully, the general quality of the song-writing is very strong & the vocals of future Candlemass, Concept of God & Tyrant front man Robert Lowe are exceptional which has gone a long way to seeing me crowning Solitude Aeturnus as my favourite band from the epic doom movement overall regardless.

The tracklisting kicks off in very solid fashion indeed with the short intro track "Dawn of Antiquity (A Return to Despair)" building the atmosphere nicely before the first proper song "Opaque Divinity" kicks in & wastes no time in flexing its muscles. It's followed by "Transcending Sentinels" which is clearly the least impressive track on the album in my opinion but is still pretty decent. The remaining five songs are all very strong indeed though & round out a particularly consistent album with no real blemishes. The reason I don't see "Into The Depths Of Sorrow" competing with "Alone" for bragging rights as my favourite epic doom metal release any time soon is that it doesn't contain as many genuine classics. The utterly mind-blowing "Mirror of Sorrow" is the clear highlight of the album & is frankly one of the best examples of the subgenre I've experienced to date but none of the other material comes close to matching it with the brilliant doom passages regularly having their impact offset a bit by some flatter heavy metal chug riffs. It's a shame really as I think there was a lot of potential for another classic release here if a bit of quality control had been employed.

At the end of the day though, I can't be too critical as "Into The Depths Of Sorrow" is still an impressively consistent first-up effort from one of the leaders of the movement. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that it's eclipsed all but "Alone" & Candlemass' classic "Nightfall" album in reaching my personal top three for the subgenre overall which is quite an accolade when you consider the areas of improvement I highlighted above. The experience has certainly left me wondering whether Solitude Aeturnus have managed to top their debut over the course of their next four records so I've penciled a couple of them in for exploration in the not too distant future. In the meantime though, "Into The Depths Of Sorrow" should be essential listening for all of you Candlemass, Solstice & Isole fans out there.

Missouri-based thrash metallers Anacrusis & I have had a fairly long affiliation that kicked off in the early 1990's through their 1990 sophomore album "Reason" & would expand to cover their entire discography over the next couple of years. I have to admit that I always quite liked them too but my brother Ben would go on to be a much bigger fan of them than I was. During more recent times I've revisited their supposedly classic 1993 "Screams & Whispers" fourth album which is generally considered to be Anacrusis' finest work & found that it has lost a fair chunk of its luster over the years. I certainly got some enjoyment out of it but can't see the justification for it being claimed as any sort of classic. It did however lead to me wondering whether 1991's "Manic Impressions" might suffer a similar fate which saw me nominating it for The Infinite feature release status this month.

My first revisit to "Manic Impressions" was a pretty challenging one to tell you the truth. The album's flaws immediately presented themselves as an obstacle to block my path to any sort of enjoyment & it took a full four listens before I felt that I'd managed to develop a firm & justifiable position. The first & admittedly pretty major flaw is the production job which presents this material in a format that I wouldn't have accepted for a live release or even a demo if it was me. Music of this complexity requires a crisp, clear production that allows the listener to take in all of the finer nuances but here we find a rough & ready sounding record with the ultra-dry & noticeably raw guitars being too far back in the mix & the tinny drums booming out over the top. The vocals also seem to hide behind the instrumentation most of the time & I can understand why they might have voluntarily gone with that approach given that guitarist Kenn Nardi's vocal skills are very patchy indeed. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that he can't sing to save his life so I was understandably doing it really tough early on.

Thankfully there are some great musical ideas hidden beneath the mess described above though. Unlike "Screams & Whispers" which is entirely focused on the progressive side of the equation, "Manic Impressions" is a much more pure representation of its progressive thrash metal tag which is an immediate plus in my book. In fact, I can see strong similarities to artists like Atheist, Voivod & Watchtower which can't be a bad thing now, can it? There are a number of tracks that eschew the thrash elements altogether though for an undiluted progressive metal sound or one that's heaped with US power metal ambiguity but at least half of the tracklisting sits very comfortably in thrash or tech thrash territory. It's kinda sad that many of the more technical & complex sections are left sounding really messy due to production issues that see the instrumentation lacking any sort of cohesion. Tracks like "I Love The World" & "What You Became" are the most obvious examples & are subsequently the biggest failures but "Something Real" & "Dream Again" aren't much better to be honest. Luckily, the back end of the album sees things taking somewhat of an upward turn but it's too little too late as far as I'm concerned with the impact of the stronger material still being curtailed by the production issues.

This latest experience with Anacrusis has not only left me disappointed with the widely praised "Manic Impressions" but has also led to me questioning my long-time position on Anacrusis as a whole given that neither of their two most popular records have managed to secure a respectable four star rating out of me. I'm not sure if my taste has just changed & become more refined over time or if I was simply naive to begin with but there's no way that I can justify these records being held up on the pedestal they so often seem to be. "Screams & Whispers" is clearly the better of the two though & I wouldn't hesitate in recommending that you give "Manic Impressions" a miss in favour of that release if you're new to the band.

As with all of the Ozzy Osbourne studio material I've heard over the years, "No More Tears" is a pretty enjoyable listen. Also in line with those releases though, I can't see myself ever finding it to be an essential heavy metal release. You see, despite Ozzy's records sporting some of the most beloved guitar work in my life, I simply can't look past the fact that there's also a fair dose of cheese & commercialism about them & Ozzy's vocals have never quite seemed to fit perfectly with that musical direction to be honest, even on his super-popular early releases. "Diary of a Madman" has always been my favourite Ozzy album, perhaps because it's a touch darker & less poppy than the others but I still wouldn't call it a genuinely great record. "No More Tears" sits very much in the same camp as the tracklisting is a real mixed bag. On the one hand we receive a couple of the best tracks of Ozzy's solo career in the dark & brooding title track & the energetic, metal-as-fuck "I Don't Want to Change the World" with chunky heavy metal number "Desire" being another particularly solid inclusion. On the other hand, the cheesy ballads "Mama, I'm Coming Home" & "Road to Nowhere" & glam metal inspired "Mr. Tinkertrain" & "S.I.N." leave a lot to be desired. Black Label Society/Pride & Glory axemaster Zakk Wylde is quite clearly the primary reason to listen to "No More Tears" with his ultra-shredding guitar tone & signature artificial harmonic squeals showing him to be at the very peak of his powers. The riffs & slide guitar work on the title track command the price of this album alone actually. Ozzy's vocals are pretty pedestrian throughout though it has to be said which takes a bit of the gloss of Zakk's handy work.

Despite these mixed comments, I'd suggest that the highlights (& perhaps a little bit of nostalgia) have seen me moving "No More Tears" ahead of "Blizzard of Ozz" & into second place behind "Diary of a Madman" these days. There's probably a touch more hard rock included here than there is heavy metal if you look at it closely but Wylde's exciting guitar work never allows the record to drift too far out of your average metalhead's reach. Sadly, I don't think "No More Tears" will ever be the release to see me moving Ozzy out of Best-Of playlist territory & into the realms reserved for consistently high-quality heavy metal recordings alongside his much stronger live releases such as "Speak of the Devil" & "Tribute" though & it's perhaps telling that I've never ventured any further into Osbourne's solo career than this either.

It's been a while since I revisited the debut album from notorious one-man Californian black metal artist Odz Manouk but this feature release has been beautifully timed to come off the back of the very positive experience I had with Yagian's long-awaited 2023 sophomore album "Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան)" which was one that went pretty close to dragging classic status outta me. "Odz Manouk" is generally considered to be a classic release for the genre in itself & it's certainly very solid but I'm not sure I'd go that far, despite it possessing some admirable qualities. An exceptionally cold & lo-fi production job is the cassette's main calling card & boy is it effective, giving the atmosphere an extra couple of layers of menace & spite. Yagian's vocals are the other highlight as he really nails that evil, tortured & abrasive style perfectly, particulary on the classic opener "A Mymex Omen" which is frankly one of the greatest examples of the genre you'll find. Unfortunately, Odz Manouk can't manage to repeat the dose across the other five songs included with the quality levels showing a bit of unwanted variety as the tracklisting progresses. The very popular "The Indisciplinarian" doesn't do a lot for me in all honesty & is the only genuine weak point in my opinion while closer "The Roaming" is merely acceptable. The other three tracks are all high-quality examples of their type though which makes "Odz Manouk" an essential listen for fans of the US black metal scene. The one element that I think could have been improved is the use of a fairly cheap sounding drum machine which is pretty obvious at times. I don't recall noticing it on "Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան)" which I consider to be the better record overall. Still... there's a lot to like about Yagian's debut full-length & I've really enjoyed this return visit.

It's been decades since I've heard "Point Blank" but I've got to admit that it's delivered exactly what I remembered it being capable of in that it's a decent listen but isn't one that commands much in the way of return listens, despite presenting some clear potential. The tracklisting kicks off in very strong fashion with the opening two songs being amongst the highlights of the album but the remainder of the run time is a little hit & miss to be honest, even though there's only the one track in the proper tracklisting that I consider to be a genuine failure in the flat industrial piece "Shit Pinata". There's a fair bit of variation on offer, despite Nailbomb being predominantly an industrial metal band. The thrash metal component isn't really enough for a primary tag & I'd suggest that there's much more crossover thrash than there is your more conventional thrash metal anyway. You'll also pick up some clear groove metal & sludge metal influences along with some smatterings of martial industrial & conventional industrial music along the way for a result that sounds very much like a combination of Sepultura's "Chaos AD" & Ministry's "Psalm 69" with smatterings of Fudge Tunnel's "Hate Songs in E Minor" tossed in for good measure. It's just that "Point Blank" never quite reaches the heights of those records which is the real shame. Don't get me wrong. It's by no means a bad record but it does struggle to command the attention it once seemed to receive with very little effort these days.

I'd never heard of Massachusetts melodic metalcore outfit xNOMADx prior to my nominating their 2023 debut release "On Skylines of Embers" for The Revolution feature release status this month. I'd noticed how popular the E.P. seemed to be on a competitor's website which had peaked my interest, particularly given that melodic metalcore is generally a little unfairly treated on most serious music sites. At just seventeen minutes in duration, "On Skylines of Embers" is only a very short experience with its five tracks never overstaying their welcome or seeing you reaching for the skip button. Admittedly the material is very generic in many ways with the screamy vocals & simplistic breakdowns sounding oh sorry familiar but what differentiates xNOMADx from the pack though is their use of melody. You see, they make no attempt to take the Gothenburg melodic death metal route by layering harmonized Iron Maiden melodies, instead opting to go for a more unique & satisfying type of lead guitar melody that comes across as being more sophisticated & professional. The production is well suited to the material too as it has an air of accessibility about it which leaves xNOMADx feeling a touch more light-weight & easily digestible than many of their angry tattooed peers. Short opener "12.29 (Ahiarmiut)" is the clear highlight for me personally as it's probably the least derivative of the five songs but the other four are all worth hearing in their own right, even if a couple of them do hint at up-tempo pop punk at times.

So, is "On Skylines of Embers" worthy of all of the high scoring? No, I don't think it is but it is one of the relatively few melodic metalcore releases that don't see me recoiling fairly quickly & I can see why it's managed to appeal to a wide cross-section of the market, particularly a young female one. I don't say that in a negative way though because this is simply a well-written, executed & produced record made by a talented & passionate group of metalcore kids. I'm not surprised to see Saxy getting onboard with it & would imagine that Andi will be all over it too but it wouldn't surprise me if it caused Xephyr to raise the odd eyebrow for it either. I can't see myself coming back for future revisits but I do have a smile on my face after my long drive home from work which can't be a bad thing now, can it?

I first got into Swedish extreme metallers The Crown back in the mid-1990's. They were still called Crown of Thorns at the time I picked up their first two albums through the tape trading scene & I had time for both of them too, particularly a track called "The Lord of the Rings" from their debut album "The Burning" which became somewhat of an anthem for me back in 1995. I wouldn't become aware of the band under their more well-known moniker of The Crown until my return to metal in 2009 & it would be through 2000's "Deathrace King" which is arguably the most well-known release from the band's lengthy 34-year career. I remember finding it to be a pretty entertaining listen too if I'm not mistaken & I've always thought of it as one of The Crown's better releases. I can't say that I remember all that much of it now though as I haven't felt like revisiting it since that first foray which may be a telling fact in itself but we're about to find out.

I always thought of Crown of Thorns as a death metal band back in the day but "Deathrace King" sees The Crown expanding their horizons significantly by exploring a number of other subgenres in a tracklisting that jumps around a fair bit from a stylistic point of view. The record kicks off in really strong fashion with three of the first four songs sitting amongst the stronger inclusions of the eleven on offer & daring the listener to resist the urge to thrash around like a madman. The rest of the album is a little more hit & miss though with a couple of songs even missing the mark altogether (see the fairly flat death/speed metal of "Rebel Angel" & disappointing thrasher "Blitzkrieg Witchcraft"). Mid-paced groove metal stormer "Dead Man's Song" is probably the only track that sees The Crown upping the ante to somewhere like the levels they began the record with which is unfortunate given the promising start. I wouldn't say that there are any genuine classics here though so "Deathrace King" was never really pushing for my higher scores anyway.

The mishmash of sounds present at various times during the 49-minute run time includes thrash metal, death/thrash, melodic death metal, groove metal & speed metal but I'd suggest that the death/thrash tag is the best representation of what you can expect to hear overall. The couple of melodic death metal inclusions ("Back From The Grave" & "I Won't Follow") see me reminiscing about the band's earlier 1990's material & will no doubt remind some of you of fellow Swedes like At The Gates & Dimension Zero while the thrashier & groovier songs play in similar spaces to another group of countrymen in The Haunted. The couple of speed metal numbers take more than a few queues from German Motorhead disciples Sodom so I often find myself wondering if The Crown were experiencing a bit of an identity crisis at times as they seem to struggle for a bit of focus. The level of musicianship certainly doesn't suffer for it though & I particularly enjoy the blast-beats of drummer Janne Saarenpää.

I have to say that I've been a touch underwhelmed by my revisit to "Deathrace King" as I remembered it a little more fondly than my current day experience has portrayed. The Crown certainly hint at greater things here but never really reach the levels of the premier acts floating around the scene. I often find the better songs to have magnificent parts but rarely see them maintaining those sort of levels for a full track. Perhaps I'm not as into some of the subgenres that are toyed with as other fans might be & that's likely having an impact on my score but I can't help but feel that "Deathrace King" sits more comfortably in the third tier than it does the second which means that I'm probably not very likely to return to it in the future even though I've found it to be a generally enjoyable experience.

I perhaps don't enjoy "666 International" quite as much as I did when Ben first brought my attention to it fifteen years ago. I'd describe it as being an avant-garde industrial black metal release that combines the industrial black metal sound of Thorns with the avant-garde metal of Ved Buens Ende.... & throws in a little Aborym for good measure. It's certainly a very interesting record that perennially keeps you on your toes but it's also a flawed one in many ways. You see, there are just so many ideas floating around but not all of them work from a compositional sense with the outcome sounding noticeably pieced together from widely disparate parts. It also sounds to me like an intentional attempt to sound weird rather than a natural creative evolution. The black metal components are unsurprisingly my favourite sections while a couple of the piano interludes representing the weaker moments. The vocals of Thorns/Zyklon-B front man Aldrahn are certainly pretty psychotic but he also overdoes it a little bit at times & comes off like a raving madman. The production is a little inconsistent with the guitar sound being pretty thin & the electronic drums sitting further back in the mix than I would normally like with an industrial metal release. I do really enjoy the gothic rock influences though & would have liked Dødheimsgard to have explored those a little further. My favourite tracks are opener "Shiva-Interfere", the blackened "Sonar Bliss", the lovely piano interlude "Magic" & the gothic rock hidden track but none reach classic status which leaves me with a middling score overall &, even while I generally find myself enjoying the album, I can also see why I haven't felt the need to return to "666 International" or explore Dødheimsgard's subsequent material over the last decade or so.

Buffalo death metallers Malevolent Creation were a pretty big band in my household back in the early-to-mid 1990's. Both of the band's first two albums were very positively received by both Ben & myself & I feel that I perhaps even rated them a little more highly than many of my peers did due to their very close stylistic alignment with my own personal taste profile during that period. 1991's "The Ten Commandments" was certainly a little thrashier than 1992's wonderful "Retribution" sophomore record but the production & general feel fall firmly into the Florida death metal bracket with some polished performances, sophisticated arrangements & an aggressive tone which perhaps isn't too surprising when you consider that the album was recorded with legendary Florida death metal producer Scott Burns at the iconic Morrisound Studios.

While "The Ten Commandments" is unquestionably a death metal release, the thrash influence I mentioned is obvious throughout & it gives the record a slightly different vibe to Malevolent Creation's more dark & deathly sophomore album. The vocals of front man Brett Hoffmann aren't quite as deep as other death growlers & wouldn't sound all that out of place on a Sadus record to tell you the truth but they're extremely effective nonetheless & are one the album's clear strengths in my opinion. The instrumentation is often pretty thrashy too & sees Malevolent Creation combining the death metal of Deicide & Cannibal Corpse's 1990 debut full-lengths with some of the more brutal thrash metal releases like Dark Angel's classic "Darkness Descends" or Demolition Hammer's first couple of albums. As many of you would likely know, I'm a big fan of well-executed blast-beats & drummer Mark Simpson does a stellar job at producing a super-tight battery of flailing snare-drum hits here which appeals to me greatly. He doesn't overdo it though which gives each blast-beat section added weight & emphasis. The guitar solos of Jeff Juszkiewicz are pretty accomplished for such a young band too so Malevolent Creation were a highly professional act for the time.

"The Ten Commandments" is a very solid release that should please all fans of US death metal. It's only lacking a few more genuine classics with the savage "Premature Burial" being the only cut that I'd place into that category. The rest of the material is consistently strong though so it's hard to be too critical, particularly for a debut release. "Retribution" would see Malevolent Creation stepping up to the next level though & it's always been my pick of their back catalogue. Regardless, "The Ten Commandments" comes highly recommended from this ol' death metal nut.

I can still recall the first time I heard about English doom/stoner metal legends Cathedral. I was reading a Terrorizer magazine interview with Napalm Death that was conducted while they were out on tour back in 1991. The band were questioned on what they'd been listening to on their tour bus which saw one of the guys admitting that Death's "Human" had been the popular choice until they'd received a copy of their former vocalist Lee Dorrian's first full-length with his new doom metal band Cathedral, a release sporting the trippy title of "Forest of Equilibrium". I was very surprised to read that Cathedral's record had overtaken "Human" as the new bus favourite, particularly given that "Human" had already become somewhat of an obsession for me. I subsequently made a point of seeking out "Forest of Equilibrium", purchasing it on cassette shortly afterwards.

The sound & aesthetic of Cathedral's debut can be quite confronting upon first listen. The cover artwork is nothing short of stunning with its strong psychedelic focus being perfectly suited to the retro vibe Cathedral were going for. The production job took me a little more getting used to though as it sat well outside of my metal comfort zone with the fuzzy, bass-heavy timbre recounting 1970's progressive rock & heavy psych as much as it does early Black Sabbath, the prog rock component being further hinted at through the use of a couple of brilliantly effective flute solos that afford additional colour to the release. After a couple of attentive listens I found myself becoming captivated by this sound & committed more & more time to indulging in the material.

"Forest of Equilibrium" is renowned as being easily Cathedral's doomiest album & I'd also suggest that it was their best by a pretty wide margin too. The dedicated focus to making their particular brand of doom metal the slowest, heaviest & most melancholic ever recorded was a rousing success in my opinion & I still find myself turning to this record when chasing some truly depressing doom metal atmosphere to this very day. It's not a perfect album by any means though. The occasional hints at the stoner metal sound the band would quickly progress towards over their next couple of releases do taint otherwise strong & muscular efforts like opener "Commiserating the Celebration" a bit while I also find the sporadic use of chuggy heavy metal riffs to be more of a distraction than it is a refreshing change of pace. Then we have the ever-popular & super-groovy stoner metal single "Soul Sacrifice" to contend with too, a track that I've always found to interrupt the flow of an otherwise extremely strong tracklisting. Thankfully though, the highlights are nothing short of devastating with doom monster "Ebony Tears" (also the highlight of 1990's "In Memoriam" demo) & closing funeral doom precursor "Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain" being absolute master strokes & the outstanding "Serpent Eve" & "Equilibrium" not being too far behind.

At this point I probably should address the elephant in the room as it becomes pretty damn obvious as soon as any Cathredral virgins enter into their first listen. Lee Dorrian (also of drone metallers Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine & doomsters With The Dead) wasn't the most capable of singers while he was leading Napalm Death but here we see him sporting a delivery that is the very definition of an acquired taste. Some punters simply won't be able to come to terms with Dorrian's miserable howl & I can't deny that he can even annoy me too but it's almost impossible to deny that this music seems to be tailor-made for his depressive wallowing. The heavily down-tuned & harmonized doom melodies of former Acid Reign guitarists Gaz Jennings (also of English heavy/doom metallers Death Penalty) & Adam Lehan more than make up for any discomfort experienced due to the vocals though as there are some absolutely crushing doom riffs on display here. In fact, I'd suggest that I've rarely heard anything heavier in all my days which has seen "Forest of Equilibrium" sitting in elite company for the more than three decades since it was first released. The fuzzed-out lead licks are produced in an interesting way that sees them flying out from unexpected places in the mix &, in doing so, gently massaging your cranial cortex in a similar way to the greats of 1970's heavy psych. The spectacular success of these elements has no doubt contributed to the long-time frustration I've held around Cathedral given that they'd never again touch upon such a transcendent sound, often making a conscious effort to steer away from it & even hinting that they may have recorded another album in this style that was simply rotting away in someone's basement. 2013's "The Last Spire" swansong would finally see Lee & co. attempting a purist doom record again, & with some very solid results too it has to be said, but I can't say that it reaches the same dizzying heights (or should I say soul-crushing lows?) as this wonderful release managed to.

"Forest of Equilibrium" is a marvelous debut & should certainly be essential listening for any doomster worth their salt. It proved to be the perfect gateway between the traditional doom metal of the 70's & 80's (e.g. Black Sabbath & Trouble) & the more modern doom sound of the 90's that saw all peripherals & external influences being cast aside in the name of a more focused & pure doom sound (e.g. Electric Wizard). The "In Memoriam" demo is possibly even more heavily focused on undiluted doom & I've been surprised to find myself giving it a slight edge over "Forest of Equilibrium" in recent times but I can't deny my affection for this record which easily overcomes its shortcomings by taking its craft to the ultimate extreme &, in doing so, achieving genre-defining results.

I can still vividly recall the first moment I became exposed to legendary Sydney extreme metal establishment Sadistik Exekution. It was 12th August 1992 & I’d arrived super-early to the Morbid Angel show at the Enmore Theatre so that I could achieve the greatest vantage point for the band that I regarded as being probably my favourite act at that point in time. Surprisingly, I’d managed to situate myself right in the middle of the front row of seats so I was literally only a metre away from the stage. Melbourne deathgrinders Necrotomy opened proceedings & did an admirable job at warming me up for what was my very first international death metal show. What they didn’t prepare me for was the band the followed immediately after them though with Sadistik Exekution giving me a new appreciation for what an extreme metal stage show could be. I’d never experienced anything so completely over the top & it was very hard for a young guitarist like myself not to be left in awe of the pure bad-assery of notorious top hat-wearing shredder Reverend Kriss Hades when he was so close that I could almost touch the blood dripping down his forearms due to the line of bobby pins he’d inserted through them prior to the show, his axe neck looking more like a skeletal spinal chord than an instrument & his fingers flying over the fretboard at previously unrecorded speeds. I’d very quickly realise that the Sydney audience had a love affair with these four nutters that I didn’t fully understand at the time but I’d certainly get my chance to understand it over the years that followed.

Shortly afterwards, buoyed by my experiences at what I still regard as the greatest metal show I’ve ever witnessed, I’d start my very own death metal band & we’d go about building a repertoire & a presence in the local scene. It would be a couple of years before we’d be mixing it with the in-crowd of Sydney metal but I'd eventually find myself being introduced to the Sadistik crew a their entourage of rabid worshippers. You see, Sadistik are an absolute enigma in this country with their music playing second fiddle to the circus sideshow of antics & personalities & young metalheads just seem to lap it all up. Sadistik shows were few & far between but when they did take place you would see all of the old faces coming out of the woodwork with most of them getting completely shit-faced along the way. It was at one of these early-to-mid 90’s Sadistik shows at the Lewisham Hotel that I’d meet bassist Dave Slave for the first time & he’d present me with a copy of “The Magus”, Sadistik Exekution’s debut full-length which was supposedly recorded around 1988 but failed to see a proper release until 1991. It was a release that I’d find was all around me over the next five years given its significance to the Aussie scene &, looking back at it from the outside, it’s perhaps a little easier to see why. My relationship with Sadistik Exekution would become closer during the middle of the decade once I started a three-year relationship with one of Dave Slave’s close friends & I can recall many a drunken conversation with the various band members over the years that followed. They were mostly gentle, lovely guys who were almost unrecognisable from the pure insanity of their music & (particularly their) stage shows.

So... this brings us back to “The Magus” which, if it really was recorded back in 1988, would have to have been some of the most extreme metal music in the world at the time. The production job is generally of demo quality & there’s a fair amount of variation in sound quality between the various tracks so it would seem to be pretty likely that it was recorded in multiple sessions. That aesthetic definitely suited Sadistik’s attack though so I wouldn’t see that as a negative. As with most of the extreme metal of the late 1980’s, the material crosses over between the full gamut of extreme genres with death metal, thrash metal & black metal all playing their part in a result that I think is best described as blackened death/thrash. The remnants of iconic Sydney demo band Slaughterlord are still easily visible in the muddy riffs & rapid-fire lead guitar work of Sandy Vahdanni while Dave Slave’s light-speed bass playing is given plenty of room in the mix to cause devastation. Sloth blasts away on his kit with a rare intensity for the time as the consistent use of blast beats within death metal was still yet to be seen in 1988. It’s ring-leader & front man Rok who steals the show though with his vicious delivery making for the perfect foil for the rough-&-ready Sadistik Exekution instrumentation.

“The Magus” jumps around a bit from a stylistic point of view. The tracklisting opens with a well-executed dark ambient piece entitled “Transneobathasaurikaldelusionsoftheunknown” before hurling itself into a full-on death/thrash frenzy via the very solid “Cautness Darling Blood”. The title track lifts the intensity even further & is one of the best tracks the band ever produced in my opinion. I’d even suggest that it traverses similar sonic territory to war metal bands like Blasphemy & Bestial Warlust which is significant when you consider that Blasphemy’s legendary “Blood Upon The Altar” demo was still another year from seeing the light of day when/if this was recorded back in 1988. “Agonising The Dead” sees Sadistik adding a blackened atmosphere to their death/thrash attack but the quality takes a step back at that point with the production turning a bit thrashier & the band’s death/thrash sound being a little more traditional, if not for the greater emphasis on blast beats. I consistently find myself reaching for comparisons with Brazilian black/thrash metallers Sarcofago during a lot of that material but things take a drastic turn for the final two tracks though with both taking the form of doomy black metal dirges. Interestingly, it’s the hidden track “Spirits Are Coming” that I find to be my favourite on the entire album as it presents an unhinged darkness that seems a little more serious than a lot of Sadistik’s more ridiculous material & leaves me feeling a strangely pleasant & transcendent feeling of squeamish uncomfortability.

There’s little doubt that the 35 minutes duration of “The Magus” is quite an experience for even the more seasoned extreme metaller with a lot being crammed into the relatively short run time. Some of the performances can get pretty sloppy at times but this can easily be forgiven when you consider the sheer intensity on display. The faster tracks leave me feeling like my hair is flying back behind me as my face is attacked by a tsunami of extremity which gives even the less significant material through the middle of the tracklisting more weight than it might appear to have on the surface. All of this amounts to the best Aussie metal album to see the light of day up until 1991 in my opinion & I don’t think that position is being impacted by any past relationships or experiences I may have had with the band as a young, starry-eyed youth. I've often seen the music of Sadistik Exekution playing second fiddle to rumours & legend but, even if many of the stories are true, their music has enough meat on its bones to justify your attention in its own right.

Florida death metal outfit Massacre have always maintained somewhat of a legendary status within death metal circles, primarily off the back of the undeniable pedigree that their list of current & former band members holds as well as the stories around front man Kam Lee having been the inventor of the death metal vocal tool we so lovingly refer to as the "death growl". This makes it a little more interesting that I’d honestly never heard of them prior to their 1991 debut album “From Beyond” hitting the streets. I’d quickly rectify that oversight by purchasing a copy of “From Beyond” on cassette shortly after it was released & giving it repeated return visits in the hope of discovering the true magic that many people claimed it to contain. I’m not sure I ever quite stumbled over the full breadth of Massacre’s appeal though & “From Beyond” has kinda been one that I’ve remembered as a pretty fun release that’s lacking a bit in the depth department. This week’s revisit has been about rekindling my fire for the album & seeing if it really has what it takes to compete with Florida’s finest.

The production job & artwork certainly don’t hurt Massacre’s chances of drawing the attention of your average old-school death metal fan as the record looks & sounds like something that’d appeal to the target audience with a shredtastic rhythm guitar sound & an attractive & gnarly (even if it is pink) cover image. A lineup including ex Mantas/Death drummer & current The Grotesquery front man Kam Lee, former Mantas/Death & current Left To Die guitarist Rick Rozz, former Death/Six Feet Under & current Obituary/Left To Die/Inhuman Condition bassist Terry Butler & former Death drummer Bill Andrews certainly doesn’t hurt Massacre’s cause either as they clearly possessed a strong death metal pedigree, even more so when you consider that Obituary/Six Feet Under axeman Allen West was a former member too. But if you look at that lineup with an unbiased & impartial magnifying glass, you can also see the limitations that stop Massacre from achieving a higher position in my Florida death metal hierarchy.

Hhhmmmmm... it's sounding like ol' Daniel's gonna pull out some constructive criticism here, isn't it? But let’s not paint Kam Lee with that brush as his vocals are excellent on “From Beyond”. Lee really proves a point here with a muscular & aggressive performance that I'd suggest is the clear highlight of the Massacre sound. It’s more in the instrumental contributions that we find the limitations I was referring to. You see, Massacre opt for a VERY straight-forward brand of death metal indeed. There’s no doubt that they do it exceptionally well but I do still find myself craving a little more… I dunno… class perhaps? Rick Rozz’ riffs are certainly tightly performed but I do have to say that they’re very basic in their makeup & would sound a lot like generic thrash metal if given a traditional tuning & a different guitar tone a lot of the time. As with former band mate Allen West, Rozz’ guitar solos have always been built around the heavy (over)use of whammy bar histrionics rather than any sort of melodic composition too & you’ll rarely find a better example of that than we do here. And then, the rhythm section of Butler & Andrews have never been known for their musicality either, have they? Both have pretty much built their careers on providing simple yet rock solid beats that accentuate the riffs of the guitarist(s) & that’s what they do here too.

Now, that might sound a little negative but in truth the tracklisting on “From Beyond” is completely blemish-free. It’s the lack of any truly mind-blowing death metal anthems that’s the limiting factor here. Only opener “Dawn of Eternity” & the very solid “Succubus” come closest to meeting a top tier Florida standard but both see their potential capped out by their sheer simplicity. The song-writing is certainly catchy as the structures are quite traditional & the choruses usually just repeat the song-title so I find myself enjoying the ride but rarely feeling like the music is commanding me to go all in. The potential for those sort of feelings is perennially curtailed by just how meat-&-potatoes “From Beyond” is to tell you the truth. I can’t see that being a significant issue for a lot of the death metal fanbase (& it clearly isn’t based on the general feeling on “From Beyond”) but it appears to be for me.

Don’t get me wrong, “From Beyond” is a more than decent representation of the death metal model. It’s just not a great one in my opinion so I don’t place it on the same lofty pedestal as the work of Massacre's main competitors of the time (see Death & Obituary who both did this sound much better). Instead, I feel like we're destined to eternally see "From Beyond" sitting in the middle rows with the Cancer’s & Benediction’s which isn’t necessarily such a bad thing. It’s perhaps just not in line with Massacre’s reputation, that’s all.

Canadian death metal monsters Gorguts hit my radar in a pretty major way when I was thoroughly blown away by their track "Disincarnated" which appeared on a 1992 R/C Records compilation CD I'd picked up called "Rock Hard Presents Monsters of Death". It was a rip-roaring compilation album from memory so the fact that Gorguts were able to stand out amongst such illustrious company was a major feather in their caps. I'd subsequently go about picking up their debut full-length "Considered Dead" on CD at my earliest convenience & was immediately drawn to Gorguts' purist death metal sound.

"Considered Dead" is often overlooked in the star-studded Gorguts back catalogue, mainly because it's such a simple record in comparison to the more experimental & technical releases that followed. Here we see Gorguts sporting a very similar sound to records like Death's "Spiritual Healing", Immolation's "Dawn of Possession" & Pestilence's "Consuming Impulse" & making a very good fist of it too it has to be said. The production job is perfect for this style of music with the guitars having that thick death metal tone & Luc Lemay's death growl sounding as potent as it ever has & representing the focal point of the band. The level of musicianship was already very high although there was still a little room for improvement in the overall tightness at times. I particularly enjoy the guitar solos & the occasional use of progressive riff structures which were very accomplished for a debut album in 1991.

What holds "Considered Dead" back though is the feeling that you've heard it all before. In truth, I slightly prefer it to records like "Spiritual Healing" & "Consuming Impulse" but it's simply come a little too late in the game to have the same sort of impact on the wider extreme metal scene. As it stands, "Considered Dead" has been relegated to the bench with the other also-rans & I feel that's a little harsh to tell you the truth as there's an awful lot of quality here. Perhaps the tracklisting could have done with a couple more standout tracks like the afore-mentioned "Disincarnated" or techy closer "Inoculated Life" but there's a clear class & consistency to it which makes it an essential part of Gorguts' back catalogue nonetheless. Hell, I'd even take it over 2000's ultra noisy & experimental "Obscura" album if I was forced to choose between the two which is probably a representation of my personal taste profile more than anything else. Classic death metal fans are unlikely to be disappointed with "Considered Dead" but it's also unlikely that it'll change their worlds like the greatest releases of the genre.

San Francisco alternative metallers Faith No More played a really big role in the teenage lives of both Ben & I. I first became acquainted with their 1989 third album "The Real Thing" when my best mate at high school purchased it off the back of the outstanding "Epic" single & both of us would soon find ourselves indulging in Faith No More's short discography over the coming months. "The Real Thing" would go on to not only maintain its position as my favourite Faith No More release to this day but also to challenge Alice In Chains' superb "Dirt" album for top honors in the field of alternative metal overall. The acquisition of talented front man Mike Patton had proved to be a masterstroke as he clearly gave them the greater level of accessibility they were searching for after struggling to connect with a wider audience due to the inconsistencies of former singer Chuck Mosley. The band's 1985 debut album "We Care A Lot" was a wishy-washy affair that I found myself struggling with but I have to admit to having a significant soft spot for their 1987 sophomore album "Introduce Yourself" which ended up being an acquired taste, buoyed by the arrival of iconic guitarist Jim Martin. The "Live at Brixton Academy" live album was a bit of a strange decision when you consider that Faith No More had only just cemented their classic lineup & broken through in the commercial market but it's perhaps not surprising that their management would be looking to capitalize on their newly found success while they waited for the next proper full-length to eventuate.

"Live at Brixton Academy" is very much a showcase of the strengths of "The Real Thing" as an album with only one of the eight live cuts being taken from the Chuck Mosely records but even then we find Faith No More's early anthem "We Care A Lot" sounding better for the charm & charisma of Patton. The rest of the live material is composed of the stronger cuts from "The Real Thing" as well as versions of the two CD-only tracks in Black Sabbath cover version "War Pigs" & piano rock crooner "Edge of the World". The tracklisting is closed out by two studio B-sides from the recording sessions for "The Real Thing" in Jim Martin's fairly disposable bluegrass instrumental "The Grade" & the very solid alternative metal number "The Cowboy Song" which was a welcome addition that may make the release a touch more worthwhile for those that find a live album of this type to be a little self-indulgent. And let's be honest, it IS a bit self-indulgent to think that a live release was necessary when you plan to draw the bulk of the material from the one studio record.

The elephant in the room here is certainly the production job though as it's fair to say that it's not terribly amazing. In fact, it's not all that far above bootleg quality if we're gonna get serious about it with Martin's guitars being noticeably absent in the mix which isn't the greatest attribute for someone like myself whose prime attraction to Faith No More stems from Martin's contributions. Thankfully though, the material is just so fucking strong that "Live at Brixton Academy" still manages to overcome its technical deficiencies to remind me of just how much I love this band. They really are a collection of super-talented individuals in their elected fields & when they come together creatively they possess the ability to write some of the most enthralling & inspired metal music you'll find. The title track from "The Real Thing" is a prime example of that as it easily overcomes the production issues to cement itself as the highlight of the album which is no mean feat given the challenges put forward by classic songs like "From Out Of Nowhere", "We Care A Lot" & "Zombie Eaters". The imperious "Epic" & the ever-popular "Falling To Pieces" aren't quite as effective as some of the deeper cuts to be honest but that's really a reflection of the quality on offer more than anything else.

The previously mentioned "The Grade" is the only creative misstep on "Live at Brixton Academy" which represents somewhat of a flexing of Faith No More's muscles as a formidable musical force although I do have to question the decision to close out the live set with "Edge of the World" which was never one of the band's stronger works & allows the energy levels to drop a bit. I'm not gonna lie & tell you that the production issues don't bother me because they do but they don't stop me from becoming emotionally involved with the music either. How much of this is due to nostalgia is difficult to pinpoint but that's not really important because a rating should be a reflection of one's personal connection with a release & there's very little doubt that I connect with this one. Perhaps "Live at Brixton Academy" is not an essential release for every member of The Gateway but it is one for me & I can't deny the buzz that these ol' bangers still provide me with.

I have an admission to make. The early Napalm Death releases have never floated my boat as much as they have for others. I've always respected them for what they represent & can honestly say that I've found them to be universally appealing but I've never found them to be records that I feel like coming back to time & time again, despite having been introduced to them very early on in their career & during my more formative years. I'd probably had a good year or two with Napalm Death by the time 1991's short "Mass Appeal Madness" E.P. appeared as I'd bought all three of their albums prior to its release so I'd certainly given them a fair chance but I wouldn't find myself enticed into laying out my hard-earned money for "Mass Appeal Madness", instead recording all of the songs individually off the radio over the first few weeks following its release. I remember having a bit of fun thrashing around my room to them too but I can't say that the (mass) appeal was long-lasting & I haven't returned to it in many years now. Given that I've recently revisited all of Napalm Death's earlier records in months gone by, it'd be remiss of me to overlook this one if only for some perspective.

"Mass Appeal Madness" is a four-song affair that was dedicated to the memory of recently deceased Atheist bass player Roger Patterson & includes two brand new songs in the title track & "Pride Assassin" as well as two re-recordings of songs taken from Napalm Death's 1988 sophomore album "From Enslavement To Obliteration" ("Unchallenged Hate" & "Social Sterility") which was their best full-length to the time in my opinion. It would also be the last Napalm Death release to feature legendary drummer Mick "Human Tornado" Harris who would leave to focus on mainly non-metal projects like Scorn moving forwards. That fact alone makes the E.P. somewhat of a turning point for the band given the impact that Harris had had on the Napalm Death sound that he'd virtually single-handedly defined on those early grindcore releases.

The short nine-minute duration means that "Mass Appeal Madness" is all over before you know it & this makes repeat listens very easy to accommodate. Unsurprisingly, the newer material takes on a slightly different stylistic format than the re-recordings with the title track & "Pride Assassin" being the more significant pieces which define the sound that "Mass Appeal Madness" will be remembered for. Both of those tracks take on a deathgrind sound that's not too dissimilar to that which we heard on the last album "Harmony Corruption" &, to a lesser extent, 1989's "Mentally Murdered" EP. The re-recorded tracks maintain their original grindcore sound only they've been given a slightly more deathly edge by the production & the vocals of former Benediction front man Mark "Barney" Greenway who had only recently joined the band for 1990's "Harmony Corruption" album. The change in approach between the two pairs of songs is subtle enough to pass the casual listener by without causing too much disruption but it also gives "Mass Appeal Madness" the opportunity to appeal to both the diehard grindcore fans as well as those that need a bit of death in their grind to add a touch more darkness. As a point of reference, I'd suggest that the E.P. sounds kinda like Terrorizer & Lock Up style deathgrind meets Terrorizer & Repulsion style grindcore.

The quality of the material is all more than decent with the four tracks possessing a solid consistency that makes it hard to pick out any clear highlights. If pushed I'd probably suggest that the title track would be my favourite, perhaps because it's the most lengthy & death metal-infused inclusion. There's not much between the four songs mind you so I can't see too many people losing interest along the way, particularly given the extremely short duration of the release as a whole. It's interesting that there's not all that many blast beat sections though which is a little unusual for Napalm Death & was a sign of things to come on future releases that saw them starting to expand their sound in a number of interesting ways over the next few years. I have to say that I do miss the blasting a bit & find "Mass Appeal Madness" to be at its best when it's at its most extreme. I guess I just don't think Napalm Death are as good at creating captivating tremolo-picked death metal riffs as some of the more premium death metal bands on the scene at the time & their groovier moments aren't really that well aligned with my taste profile.

Nonetheless, it's hard to be too critical of yet another respectable extreme metal release from one of the more important players in the underground & I can't deny that I've enjoyed the trip down memory lane even if I don't find myself recalling every single second of these tracks like I have with some of the other early 90's releases I've been revisiting of late. I tend to think that my higher scores for Napalm Death releases are still to come as I get stuck into their next few releases but it won't surprise me if I never quite get there. Deathgrind nuts should probably give "Mass Appeal Madness" a listen or two but I wouldn't expect to find your next holy grail.

I first came into contact with German death metallers Morgoth through late-night underground metal radio programming around 1990 when their early “Resurrection Absurd” & “The Eternal Fall” E.P.’s received the occasional airing. I really liked what I heard too so I’d quickly investigate the full releases & had no hesitation in chasing down Morgoth’s debut album “Cursed” through the tape trading scene as soon as it hit the shelves as well. “Cursed” offered a sound that was very much in line with my tastes at the time which saw it enjoying a whole bunch of repeat plays in my Walkman over the next six months or so. I honestly don’t know why I haven’t returned to it more often in more recent times but it’s time to find out so let’s see how it’s held up.

“Cursed” presents Morgoth as the professional, modern death metal outfit of the time with the cover art being superbly dark & the production job being spot-on. Stylistically, we see the band setting their sights on the Florida death metal model but giving it a slightly dirtier European edge. In fact, the obvious comparisons are with 1988-90 era Death & the first couple of Obituary albums as a lot of this material seems to jump from one to the other for inspiration. Chuck Schuldiner probably has the upper hand from an instrumental point of view but the vocals are exactly what you’d get if you combined Chuck’s rasp with John Tardy (Obituary) & Martin van Drunen’s (Asphyx) monstrous growling. The Obituary/Asphyx influences are clear in the doomier riffs & they represent a clear strength for the band while the occasional use of progressive riff structures has been very well received too. I have to admit that the lead guitar work is pretty primitive but the rest of Morgoth’s sound is dark, chunky & full of everything your average death metal nut looks for with the amazingly powerful vocals of front man Marc Grewe being the clear focal point. I absolutely love him to be honest. He’s quite simply one of the best in the business.

“Cursed” certainly didn’t muck around in reminding me of why I enjoyed it so much back in the day as the first two proper songs “Body Count” & “Exit To Temptation” are absolute belters & the best tracks on the record in my opinion. The quality drops a little from there but never gets below a really solid level that resides primarily in the top of the second tier of the death metal ranks. Put simply, “Cursed” is a high-quality conventional death metal record in the classic early 90’s style & if that sounds like you then I have no hesitation at all in recommending it to you.

My awareness of Austrian death metallers Pungent Stench first kicked off around 1990 through their first two proper releases in the 1989 split album with fellow Austrians Disharmonic Orchestra & their 1990 debut full-length "For God Your Soul... For Me Your Flesh". I quite liked the split album but it was really the latter release that saw me being convinced as to Pungent Stench's credentials as anything more than a novelty act & my dubbed cassette copy received quite a few spins that year. My positive impressions of that album would lead me to purchase a cassette copy of the band's 1991 sophomore album "Been Caught Buttering" (I'm guessing a take on Jane's Addiction's hit song "Been Caught Stealing") shortly after release & I found it to be even more enjoyable than "For God Your Soul... For Me Your Flesh". It was also so shocking in its graphic lyrics & imagery that it made for a fantastic talking point with my non-metal-loving school mates who thought it was simply hilarious so there was definitely some added value for a young chap like I was at the time. My parents? Well, they found it a little less amusing but let's not talk about the fun police now, ok?

"Been Caught Buttering" offers some of the more notorious cover art you're ever likely to encounter & certainly makes the desired impression. The production is fairly muddy but that kinda suits a band like Pungent Stench now, doesn't it? I mean, you're not exactly looking for a super-clinical display of technical prowess when you listen to bands that represent the more fun side of misogynistic serial killing, are you? And that's very much what Pungent Stench were about. They were there purely to shock the listener into laughing & they did a very good job at it too. Song-titles like "Happy Re-Birthday", "Shrunken & Mummified Bitch" & "Splatterday Night Fever" are self-explanatory in their blatant disregard for your moral compass but what about their quality from a musical perspective? Well, I would argue that "Been Caught Buttering" showcases Pungent Stench at the peak of their powers in that regard as I still find it to be a captivating listen all these years later, despite the novelty having worn off decades ago.

The sound Pungent Stench were pushing back in 1991 contained a few different components, the first of which is a grimy old-school death metal sound that forms the basis for the record & reminds me very much of California's Autopsy. The band throw in a few moments of humor to break up their debauchery with the dead though & to remind you that this is all in name of good fun. There's a clear deathgrind influence on tracks like "Happy Re-Birthday" & "Sputter Supper" which are a little more savage in their assault on the senses & remind me of bands like Impetigo & Macabre. I tend to think of these moments as being a touch less appealing than the rest of the album as they seem a little more disposable than the Stench's more significant offerings. Some of these can be found in the two lengthier doom/death numbers "Games of Humiliation" & "And Only Hunger Remains" which showcase a clear Black Sabbath influence & sit amongst the album's highlights along with death metal ditties like "Shrunken & Mummified Bitch" & "Splatterday Night Fever". The three-piece lineup works very well for this sort of material with the treble-heavy guitar solos of front man Martin Schirenc (Hollenthon/Kreuzweg Ost) lacerating your ear drums over a solid rhythm section that offers as much groove as it does brutality.

It's easy to treat "Been Caught Buttering" primarily as a novelty release but there's a lot more to it than that in my opinion. Pungent Stench clearly knew the art of catchy song-writing & I think you'll find that a bit of dedicated attention will see your mean-&-nasty extreme metal walls coming down once the hooks dig their teeth in. The final track "Splatterday Night Fever" is a prime example of this as the guitar melody has no place on a death metal song yet it somehow manages to seep into your pores & has since become my favourite track on the record. It's moments like that that make "Been Caught Buttering" my preferred Pungent Stench release these days as it seems to overachieve no matter how hard I fight against its silly immaturities. It certainly helps that the highlights tracks are the most significant inclusions on the tracklisting too as it's those that I find myself recalling when I think of the album which encourages my urge to return for another round of raunchy graveyard shenanigans.

New Jersey death metallers Revenant & I first crossed paths when I discovered their video clip for "The Unearthly (A Quest)" on a 1992 Nuclear Blast video compilation called "Death Is Just The Beginning" & was immediately blown away. That experience would lead me to chase down Revenant's 1991 debut album "Prophecies of a Dying World" through the tape trading scene, a record that I'd be well impressed by & which has received repeated return visits over the years. I have to say that it's always surprised me that Revenant didn't go onto bigger & better things based on this first-up effort because it shows a hell of a lot of promise. Not to mention the links to John McEntee (Incantation/Mortician) who was their guitarist from 1987-89 which one would have thought might drawn them a little attention too.

Perhaps I was always going to relate to a band like Revenant because they seem to have grown up with the same records that I did (i.e. "Reign in Blood", "Altars of Madness", etc.) & go about their craft in a way that I have the utmost respect for. I'd describe their sound as being thrashy death metal that sits somewhere between the death/thrash of Ripping Corpse & Massacra & the death metal of 1980's Morbid Angel. The production job on "Prophecies of a Dying World" isn't perfect but I feel that the slightly messy feel gives Revenant a little more authenticity & street credibility at the same time in that the record simply "feels" like an underground gem even before you discover that it is one from a quality perspective. Revenant are wonderful exponents of the "riff" too with the song structures being quite complex with a lot of changes but they always leave enough space to give them a touch more accessibility. The vocals work in a similar way with Henry Veggian's delivery being possibly the most intelligible death growl you'll ever find. The lyrics are very mature & sophisticated too so they're well worth hearing while the very capable dual guitar solos go ballistic in a similar fashion to the great Slayer combination of Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman.

There's not a weak track to be found on "Prophecies of a Dying World" with the quality levels ranging from decent to mind-blowing on "The Unearthly (A Quest)" which is still a definite favourite of mine. There's perhaps not enough genuine classics included to be commanding the elite scores but one gets the feeling that Revenant may well have created a few more had they been given the chance. Unfortunately, fate would see them splitting up in 1995 with this being their only release of any note. As it stands though, I'd strongly encourage all members of The Horde to check this sole testament to an underappreciated band out as it's unlikely to disappoint.

The Swedish death metal gods continue to show improvement as musicians & song-writers with this this three-song E.P. which acts as somewhat of a stop-gap between Entombed's first two albums. It includes a remake of "Bitter Loss" which featured on 1990's "Left Hand Path" & also a sneak peak at 1991's wonderful "Clandestine" record via an early version of the title track "Crawl". Unfortunately the vocals of Nirvana 2002 front man Orvar Säfström aren't the best & the production is a little lacking too which places a cap on the potential of this record but I still prefer it to "Left Hand Path" if I'm being honest so it's still a fun listen, particularly the title track which was already showing signs that Entombed could be something genuinely special. If you're a Swedish death metal nut that goes crazy for bands like Dismember, Grave & Carnage then you'll probably wanna check out "Crawl" although I doubt it'll make any top ten lists.

I think it’s fair to say that the first few releases from Birmingham industrial metal godfathers Godflesh blew me away back in the very early 1990’s. My immature teenage mind had simply never encountered music as cold & barren as records like “Godlfesh”, “Streetcleaner” or “Slatestate” before & I found myself absolutely lapping that shit up. By the time 1991’s “Cold World” E.P. hit the shelves I was already well & truly onboard with everything that Justin Broadrick & G.C. Green were dishing out so you can imagine my surprise upon reading the early reviews for “Cold World” which were nothing short of scathing. From the information presented to me, it sounded like Godflesh were steering away from the oppressive noise of their earlier works towards a cleaner, more accessible &… *gulp*… dance music-infused sound. My taste in metal was getting more extreme with every passing minute at the time so I elected not to investigate “Cold World” for fear of tainting my adoration for one of my very favourite artists. My attention would be more than restored through 1992’s classic “Pure” sophomore album shortly afterwards though & I’d subsequently follow each successive release with enthusiasm throughout the 1990’s but strangely I didn’t find myself investigating “Cold World” until my return to metal from a self-imposed, decade-long metal hiatus in 2009 & that experience immediately saw me questioning why I’d hesitated in the first place.

I guess it’s not too hard to see why some critics were put off by “Cold World” for purely stylistic reasons. When you take into account that extreme metal was getting progressively darker, more evil & infinitely more extreme, “Cold World” seemed to be taking Godflesh’s art in the opposite direction. But when you look at it from a creative standpoint you’ll discover that it represented a bold step out into the musical unknown & was very much a turning point for Justin’s creative direction. This becomes clearer when you consider that the next few Godflesh records took the concepts it contains & expanded on them in ways that saw Godlfesh almost transcending the boundaries that the rest of the scene were working with. Were those releases always unanimously successful? Well, no they weren’t but it was always intriguing to see a true artist exploring musical territories that hadn’t been touched on before.

“Cold World” is a four track E.P. that is a pretty solid representation of what the E.P. format was originally intended for. It was recorded as a part of the sessions for the “Pure” album & includes two brand new songs (the title track & “Nihil”) as well as two remixes of “Nihil”. “Cold World” is easily the most traditional & familiar of the four tracks although the production is noticeably cleaner & it’s more riff-based than we’d come to expect from Godflesh. Justin’s vocals are also a bit cleaner than the ugly hardcore bark he’d championed previously & one gets the feeling that “Cold World” could easily have been included on “Pure” without sounding out of place. I really like it too but wouldn’t say that it’s one of the band’s many classics. “Nihil”, on the other hand, manages to reach greater heights in my opinion. The guitar work is noisier & the instrumentation is a lot more infused with the electronic & dance music influences I mentioned. The hooks require a few listens to dig their teeth in but, once they do, you’ll find it hard to pull yourself free so I find “Nihil” to be a bold statement from Justin that warns the listener of the creative barriers he was intending on smashing down in the coming years. It’s a masterstroke from a true musical genius & is one of the most overlooked tracks of Godflesh’s career.

The two remixes aren’t quite as compelling but both are very solid inclusions nonetheless. Despite what some websites will have you believe, these reworkings don’t have much to do with metal at all & perhaps that’s been one of the stumbling blocks people have found when trying to appreciate “Cold World” as an holistic piece of art. The two tracks sound relatively similar too which probably doesn’t help the majority of listeners who don’t have the background in techno that I do. You really need to treat each track as an isolated piece in order to fully appreciate their cold, dark electro-industrial soundscapes as they don’t really work all that well when viewing “Cold World” as a collective release. For that reason, it’s easier to think of it as a single containing multiple tracks that are intended to be played in isolation, perhaps in a DJ set which is something I can relate to given that I was a club techno DJ during most of the 2000’s.

Despite the troubles some may experience with getting their heads around the E.P. format, the material on “Cold World” is all of a very high quality with the release showcasing a consistency that only elite performers can provide. Yes, it may have been Godflesh’s weakest release to the time but I’d suggest only by a small margin & this fact really only goes to prove what a special act Godflesh were. Everything they’d touched had turned to gold & people were starting to push their expectations higher into the stratosphere which made it increasingly more difficult to satisfy them. Somehow I suspect that Justin didn’t give a fuck though & “Cold World” goes a long way to proving that. It should be essential listening for fans of the band or anyone with a penchant for industrial metal artists like Fall of Because, Pitchshifter or Ministry.

I first encountered Birmingham death metallers Benediction through their 1990 debut album “Subconscious Terror” through late-night underground metal radio programming back in the very early 1990’s. I’d find myself exploring the full album shortly afterwards & didn’t mind it to be fair but I can’t say that it left a lasting enough impression to see me returning to it too often in the future. It did however peak my interest enough to see me purchasing Benediction’s 1991 sophomore album “The Grand Leveller” on cassette shortly after it was released & I found it to be a slightly stronger effort. “The Grand Leveller” received a fair few listens in my Walkman around that time & I can even pick up its influence on the first Neuropath demo tape “Nefarious Vivisection” which I wrote in 1993/94. I can’t say that I’ve revisited Benediction’s second album in decades now though so I thought I’d see how it’s aged.

Make no mistake about it, Benediction are amongst the purest old-school, meat-&-potatoes death metal bands you’ll find. They very rarely break the mould even for a few seconds & you shouldn’t expect dazzling displays of technicality either. That’s hardly the point of this sort of music though, is it? It’s all about creating that classic graveyard atmosphere & Benediction do a pretty reasonable job at replicating that feel too it has to be said. The vocals of future Bolt Thrower front man Dave Ingram are the clear focal point & he does a more than decent job at replacing the legendary Mark “Barney” Greenway after his departure to Napalm Death. In fact, the two bands I mentioned are probably a pretty reasonable place to start when attempting to describe the Benediction sound actually because they share similar characteristics. You’ll definitely recognize the classic tremolo-picked death metal riffs that Bolt Thrower built their sound on here although you’ll rarely be captured by Benediction’s melodic sensibilities in the same way as they’re simply not as professional or capable as either song-writers or musicians. Despite the clear lack of blast-beats, you’ll also pick up a few references to 1990’s Napalm Death in some of the more simplistic hardcore beats too. It’s the slower & more crushing doom/death riffs that see Benediction at their most potent though as they summon corpses to rise from their graves with Obituary being the closest point of comparison.

There’s a fair bit to like about “The Grand Leveller” but it’s also pretty obvious that Benediction aren’t a tier one death metal player & aren’t ever likely to be either. They’re simply too limited in their scope & potential. The guitar solos are a good representation of this as the performances showcase an instrumentalist that is clearly struggling with the idea of writing & executing a memorable & high quality accompaniment for the song-writing. Thankfully though, there aren’t any genuinely weak songs included with all ten of them possessing at least a few really solid riffs to keep me entertained. The clear highlight is the chunky “Jumping At Shadows” which stands out amongst the tracklisting as the only competitor for the tier two competition. The rest of the album sits at a consistent tier three death metal standard & finishes up with a more than acceptable cover version of Swiss thrash legends Celtic Frost’s classic 1994 anthem “Return To The Eve” which clearly showcases the influence that Frost had on the band as it suits the Benediction sound very well.

I’ve certainly enjoyed my walk down memory lane with “The Grand Leveller” but it’s also clear as to why I haven’t returned to it earlier as it struggles to stand out from the pack so I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t cross paths again. There’s no doubt that it’s a stronger record than “Subconscious Terror” but I feel that Benediction’s best work was still to come as I remember their next couple of releases offering a bit more appeal than their sophomore record does.

Ben & I got onboard with Samael pretty early on in their recording career & always had their 1990's releases floating around our bedrooms as youngsters. 1994's classic "Ceremony of Opposites" album was the biggest player but I've always felt that their earlier works are far too often overlooked, particularly their 1991 debut album "Worship Him" which was recorded as early as March 1990 but presents a sound that is not too dissimilar to the one the Norwegians used to change the metal world a couple of years later. In fact, I'd be very surprised if a young Fenriz was not all over "Worship Him" as Samael had already presented most of the concepts we'd fall in love with on Darkthrone's "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" here, although they're admittedly not executed quite as well as the more classic second wave releases.

"Worship Him" sees Samael combining the influences of "In The Sign Of The Black Mark"-era Bathory with the first couple of Celtic Frost records for a highly compelling result that is the very epitome of early black metal. The riff structures are intentionally kept very simple with the tempos largely sitting in the slow-to-mid range which allows Samael to maximize the impact of some pretty catchy song-writing. The tracklisting is very consistent with no weak tracks included while the lengthier, doomier tracks like the title track & "Into The Pentagram" showcase Samael's early sound best. The short "Rite of Cthulhu", neoclassical darkwave piece "Last Benediction" & closing instrumental "The Dark" are also very solid inclusions but there aren't really any total classics here which is no doubt why we're don't see Samael being spoken of in similar terms to the Darkthrone's or Burzum's. There's more than enough depth & atmosphere to make "Worship Him" an essential purchase for early black metal fans though in my opinion. It reminds me a fair bit of the early Greek bands (see Rotting Christ, Varathron) in its uncomplicated, uncluttered approach actually & I love the grim vocals of guitarist Vorphalack. "Worship Him" comes highly recommended from this old extreme metalhead.

The debut release from Washington's Earth was my introduction to the drone metal sound & it came about upon my return to metal back in 2009. I'd decided to explore all of the subgenres that had become popular since my exodus had begun with drone metal being one of those that I found the most appeal in. "Extra-Capsular Extraction" is also one of those unique releases where a ground-breaking artist not only comes up with an entirely original take on metal but also absolutely nails it on the first attempt so it's no surprise that Earth's early works are spoken of in such high regard even today.

"Extra-Capsular Extraction" is a three-track, 32 minute effort that includes just the two ideas. The first ("A Bureaucratic Desire for Revenge") is broken into two parts which, when combined, amount to a fourteen-minute dirge that reminds me of early Godflesh with its minimalistic (& presumably programmed) drums only being used to colour & keep time while the guitars of band leader Dylan Carlson lure you into a trance-inducing darkness through sheer patience & repetition. The bass guitar is simply there to create a continuous bottom end hum for Dylan to work over. I have no doubt that the early Celtic Frost releases were an influence here as you can easily pick up elements of Tom G. Warrior's tone in the simplicity of the very few riffs employed, each stretched out for what seems like an eternity. It was certainly a solid way to start to Earth's recording career but the real gold here is the 18-minute "Ouroboros Is Broken" which is quite simply one of the most devastating pieces of music I've ever experienced. And I do say "experienced" because it's not the sort of thing you just "listen" to. It lures you in, changes your entire physical being & completely engulfs you in what would have to be one of the most powerful, triumphant & genuinely evil atmospheres I've ever been so lucky to stumble across. The subtle use of keyboards is perfectly executed to ensure that the listener's attention remains resolute, even at the most extreme end of repetitive self-indulgence. It's the ever-changing effect of a super-loud distorted guitar playing a wonderfully Black Sabbathian riff & milking it for all it's worth while it's tone is continuously feeding back & degrading naturally that appeals to this old axeslinger. It represents the purest example of guitar worship you'll ever encounter & it's this piece that essentially summarizes what every drone metal band that's existed since has been so desperately trying to emulate. I can't say that too many have achieved it either in all honesty.

"Ouroboros Is Broken" was a total game-changer for me personally & saw me very quickly exploring the remainder of Earth's back catalogue. There's definitely some gold there too but I don't think I've found anything that eclipses this initial assault on the senses so "Extra-Capsular Extraction" should be essential listening for any Sunn O))), Boris or Melvins disciple. You even get Nirvana mastermind Kurt Cobain (Dylan's best mate & drug buddy) contributing some vocals for good measure which only adds to the novelty.

I picked this English death metal record up through a mate shortly after release & gave it a fair bit of attention over the next couple of years, likely due to the involvement of one of my favourite guitarists in James Murphy (Death/Hallows Eve/Disincarnate/Konkhra/Obituary/Testament). Cancer's sophomore record offers a very simple, mid-paced, meat-&-potatoes brand of old-school death metal that seems purposely built around the Florida mould with Massacre, Obituary & particularly "Leprosy"-era Death all being decent comparisons. It was even recorded at Morrisound Studios with Scott Burns but it's not as engaging as the classic works of its clear influences. Despite not containing any weak tracks per se, "Death Shall Rise" does tend to sound a little lethargic at times, particularly during the B side after the A side got my hopes up by kicking off with the three clear album highlights. Some of that may be due to the limited capabilities of drummer Carl Stokes (Unseen Terror/Venomous Contempt) who struggles to create consistent energy but even Murphy's lead solos sound a little repetitive & lacking in ambition at times. There are some great riffs included, even if they are a little basic. I also really enjoy the highly intelligible vocal delivery of front man John Walker so "Death Shall Rise" isn't a bad record but it's not one that I've found myself returning to all that often over the years either. I'd suggest that it was probably as good as Cancer got though.

Despite the fact that my attention had well & truly been drawn more towards more extreme forms of metal by 1991, I still maintained my interest in the thrash metal that had played such a huge role in my musical development. For that reason, I was still picking up every Anthrax record immediately upon release with their “Attack of the Killer B’s” compilation being one of the last to receive that privilege. I recall quite enjoying my CD copy too, it has to be said. It’s been decades since we crossed paths though so I thought it’d be interesting to see if my feelings have changed over the years.

“Attack of the Killer B’s” is a compilation that draws together a collection of B-sides, cover versions & live recordings &, as I’ve recently discovered, with fairly mixed results too it has to be said. There’s no doubt that Anthrax were a class act at that point in their evolution but there are some misguided decisions on show here. The tracklisting kicks off in really strong style with cover version of S.O.D.’s crossover thrash classic “Milk (Ode To Billy)”, the rap metal collaboration with Public Enemy “Bring The Noise” & an acceptable live version of “Keep It In The Family” (one of the highlights from Anthrax’s last album “Persistence Of Time”) all being very strong inclusions. Things start to get noticeably hit & miss from that point on though & I find that the misses generally align with Anthrax’s notorious sense of humor which won't be a huge surprise for anyone that knows me as I’ve never been a fan of silly novelty tracks like “Startin’ Up A Posse”, “Pipeline” or “N.F.B. (Dallabnikufesin)”. These missteps are offset by some high-quality efforts like Discharge cover version “Protest & Survive” (my personal favourite), S.O.D. rehash “Chromatic Death” & a speed metal reenactment of Trust’s “Sects”. Even though both are excellent songs in their own right, the two live cuts are both a little disappointing as the production is simply inadequate.

 I have to admit that I was expecting a little more from “Attack of the Killer B’s” as I remembered it being more consistently great than this. Still… there’s some good shit to be found here if you’re patient enough to sit through the filler. There’s also a lot more to this release than just Anthrax’s signature thrash metal sound too with crossover thrash, rap metal, heavy metal & comedy rock all playing important bit parts in the outcome so it may have some crossover potential for a wide range of fans. I doubt that it'll make too many best-of lists though.

The late 80’s saw the metal world starting to experiment a little more than they had previously which was perhaps inevitable after the two most senior genres (i.e heavy metal & thrash metal) had already peaked. The incorporation of external influences was becoming quite common with artists repping everything from rap to classical to folk to surf rock. One of the more popular styles to dabble in was funk though with a number of acts reaching some level of commercial success sporting a funk-infused metal sound (Faith No More, Living Colour, Primus. etc.). None of those bands had taken things as far in terms of extremity as San Francisco’s Mordred did with the funk-driven thrash metal sound of their 1991 sophomore album “In This Life” though.

My earliest experiences with Mordred came through older school mates who supplied me with their 1989 debut full-length “Fool’s Game” which I quite liked. A dubbed copy of “In This Life” would enter my tape deck shortly afterwards & I found it’s stronger focus on the funk elements that had been hinted at on the debut to give it a slight edge. The production job is pretty weak with the guitars sounding noticeably thin but there’s enough creativity on offer to allow me to look past that obvious flaw. You see, this record really does achieve what it says on the tin in that it’s the perfect amalgamation of funk & thrash metal. It kinda sounds like a combination of the funk metal of Faith No More & Infectious Grooves & the Bay Area thrash of Death Angel & particularly Testament which is a prospect that certainly sounds interesting on paper, even if I do tend to like my thrash a little more on the pure side. There's some great musicianship on show on "In This Life" too. Front man Scott Holderby has an unusual voice for a thrash metal artist but I'm not sure he always nails it. He certainly tries to be as versatile as possible though. 

The tracklisting is pretty consistent with only the flat funk metal excursion “Esse Quam Videri” not reaching an acceptable level of quality. There’s a really strong stretch during the middle of the record that includes a quality acoustic interlude (i.e. “A Beginning”) followed by the two album highlights (alternative US power metal number “Falling Away” & funk thrasher “Killing Time”) but there aren’t really any classics here & the production issues do kinda limit the potential for me to consider my higher ratings too. Still… Mordred are a bit of an enigma in the thrash scene & should be respected for their ambition & creativity in a thrash scene that’s dominated by copy-cats.

The debut E.P. from this Californian band would see them set the world alight for a short period, primarily off the back of the massive hit single "Everything About You" which was played to death in my high school days. For that reason, "As Ugly As They Wanna Be" was never far from my ears as a teenager so when I noticed that it was on the Metal Academy database under "Funk Metal" I thought it might be fun to see how it's aged. I certainly didn't remember Ugly Kid Joe being a metal band per se so I was curious to see whether they might be yet another supposed "funk metal" band that would provide further proof for my existing opinion that the subgenre isn't really justified.

I was never a fan of Ugly Kid Joe if I'm being honest so I wasn't ever really expecting that I'd rediscover a long lost love for "As Ugly As They Wanna Be" & I'm glad that was the case because I found the first four tracks to be pretty flat, particularly "Everything About You" which I quickly discovered I harbor a burning hatred for these days. It's only the last three tracks that see my interest being peaked with the cover version of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" being the heaviest number & the clear highlight. Funk metal number "Funky Fresh Country Club" is also pretty entertaining, as is the frantic 25 seconds of speed metal closer "Heavy Metal". It's just a shame that the first half of the release was so uninteresting really as the tracklisting never manages to recover.

"As Ugly As They Wanna Be" is often tagged as a hard rock & funk metal hybrid although I beg to differ (I know... big surprise there). There's really aren't any tracks that I'd suggest allign with the classic hard rock model here. Instead, we see numbers like "Madman", "Too Bad" & "Everything About You" possessing a much sleazier & more poppy sound that directly aligns itself with 80's glam metal as far as I can see. There's just enough metal on show to qualify for the Academy too though in my opinion. I'm just not sure that there's enough "funk" metal as such with only "Whiplash Liquor" & "Funky Fresh Country Club" taking that direction. That leaves me in a quandry about what would be a better tag though as there isn't another metal subgenre that's better represented here so perhaps I should just let it go.

"As Ugly As They Wanna Be" isn't terrible but it's certainly pretty disposable & lacking in substance. There's no doubt the band can play & front man Whitfield Crane has a decent set of pipes on him but I can't say that I ever feel like this E.P. has the potential to command additional airings in the future. If you live for bands like Extreme, Electric Boys & Living Colour then you may disagree but I'm sure that there must be better material out there for you than this uninteresting record that's resigned itself to the annuls of history through a dated sound & a lack of focus & ambition. I'm afraid teenage girls have other things to listen to these days.

I didn’t get into New Orleans sludge metal establishment Crowbar until much later than some as it wouldn’t be until my return to metal in 2009 that I’d first give one of their albums a crack. I’d very quickly find myself traversing their entire eight-album discography in quick succession from there & tended to find that I liked Crowbar a lot from a purely stylistic & conceptual point of view but that their albums often suffered a little from poor production which saw them never quite managing to reach their full potential. 2001’s “Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form” would be the first record to break away from that curse in my opinion & it would become my go-to Crowbar release over the many years since. The band’s 1991 debut full-length “Obedience Thru Suffering” offered me the least appeal from memory, even though I still remember quite enjoying it. I haven’t returned to it in something like 14 years now though so it’s definitely about time I reassessed that position.

Despite what my vague recollections may have been telling me, the production job on “Obedience Thru Suffering” is actually quite acceptable & shouldn’t be a problem for too many listeners. The quality of the music is way better than I was expecting too, even if it is a touch samey. To offset that characteristic though, the consistency of the song-writing is very strong with no weak tracks included. The album probably just lacks a few more genuine highlight tracks with “My Agony” being the only one that I feel reaches tier one status.

It's pretty common to see “Obedience Thru Suffering” tagged as both sludge metal & doom metal but, despite the album undeniably being chock full of enormous doom riffs, I’m not sure the doom tag is really necessary because sludge metal is essentially a biproduct of doom to begin with. There’s a detectable hardcore flavour to most of this material (particularly in the depressive & gravel-throated vocals of front man Kirk Windstein) that keeps the album centred in sludge territory for mine but doom fans will still be able to relate to it pretty comfortably too. I might be being presumptuous here but I’d be very surprised if Celtic Frost wasn’t an influence on Crowbar as the riffs take a similarly simple yet crushingly heavy format a lot of the time which can’t be a bad thing now, can it?

On the evidence here, it's hard to understand how “Obedience Thru Suffering” isn’t talked about in the same breath as Crowbar’s next six or seven albums to be honest. It’s been many years since I revisited those records so perhaps I’ve simply underrated some of them but I tend to think it’s more a case of this one being underappreciated. I’m guessing it’s a retrospective opinion based on fans of Crowbar’s later material finding the album to be a little different to what they were expecting as the band would only get angrier & more oppressive from here. That doesn’t mean that “Obedience Thru Suffering” should be overlooked though & I strongly urge you to add it to your essential Crowbar list, particularly if you’re into sludge metal artists like Acid Bath, Eyehategod or Melvins.

I've certainly been aware of West Virginia metalcore legends Zao for some time now due to my past involvement with The Revolution Spotify playlists however I'd never taken the plunge with a full album before jumping into their highly regarded 1998 third album "Where Blood & Fire Bring Rest". It certainly sounded like it might be right up my alley on paper but I have to admit that I've been left with a fairly middling (if not necessarily disappointing) outcome. Here we see Zao presenting us with a punk-heavy brand of metalcore with a reasonable amount of experimentation going on that never really convinces me that the band are deserving of the praise this record inevitably seems to draw. The vocals of front man Daniel Weyandt aren't amazing to tell you the truth. He's got one of those really wet & gurgly blackened screams that sounds like he's trying too hard but hasn't really got what it takes. I felt very similarly about Converge singer Jacob Bannon during the first half of his career actually but Converge had the power to pull it off regardless. I'm not so sure about Zao as I find them to be less intense & a little easier on the ear.

To be clear, I'm not saying that I don't enjoy "Where Blood & Fire Bring Rest". It's a pretty decent metalcore record overall but the highlights ("To Think of You Is to Treasure an Absent Memory" & "Ember") don't reach the elite level & there is a flat section during the second half of the album that sees me losing interest temporarily (see "Fifteen Rhema" & "For a Fair Desire"). The musicianship is pretty decent but the song structures sometimes push the friendship, there are more generic metalcore breakdowns than I'm comfortable with & I find the Korn-ish nu metal parts to be a little tedious. So, it's fair to say that I find the album to be a decent way to pass the time but I'm unlikely to return to it in the future. I definitely prefer the more visceral material that bands like Converge, Snapcase & Disembodied were delivering at the time.

I’d not heard an Isole record before diving head-first into this month’s “The Fallen” clan feature release but had always heard & read good things about them so I was hopeful of a positive outcome. Ben’s tick of approval provided additional cause for enthusiasm & the fruits of my labour have ended up well & truly justifying the effort too, despite easily being able to see why members like Ben & Sonny might get a touch more out of a release like “Bliss of Solitude” than I do.

Let’s start by saying that the production job on this record is nothing short of exceptional & that element is a very big part of its appeal. This album sounds as heavy as an overweight black hole with every component achieving complete clarity. The bass guitar tone is particularly powerful & makes me wish that more bands were lucky enough to benefit from such a weighty bottom-end. The vocals are quite tame & melodic in comparison & I’d suggest that the depth in the instrumentation allows Isole to get away with it more easily than they may otherwise have. In truth, it took me a couple of listens to come around to the vocals but there are definitely some impressive hooks there once you give them the time to dig themselves into your ears.

It's interesting that Isole seems to be unanimously claimed as an epic doom metal band as I don’t think it’s as cut & dry as that. In fact, I found more of “Bliss of Solitude” to sit in conventional doom metal space with only the two most significant tracks (i.e. the title track & closer “Shadowstone”) possessing enough epicness to warrant the tag. Perhaps this is just an example of why I don’t see the justification for adding the epic doom metal subgenre to the Metal Academy database just yet as I don’t think a record like this one is screaming out to be differentiated from the more pure variety of doom, despite being fairly easily compared to bands like Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus & early Ereb Altor. There’s a definite case for comparisons with My Dying Bride here at times too though, particularly through the start of the record with the guitar tone being fairly similar while the more epic moments inevitably see Isole borrowing from Viking-era Bathory as their source for sheer epicness, particularly in the strong use of reverb on the lumbering drumbeats.

“Bliss of Solitude” is a very consistent & professionally executed release from a band that’s already refined their sound & knows exactly what they’re trying to achieve. It doesn’t tick all of my boxes from a stylistic point of view but has still managed to draw me in through its relentless pursuit of quality doom riffage presented in the purest packaging available. I’ll definitely be returning to this album at some point & will be placing the rest of the Isole discography in my “To Be Investigated” list for the future too.

Ben’s “The Horde” clan feature release nomination is an interesting one this month. I’d heard just one of the German death metallers eleven studio albums prior to going into it & I’m guessing it would have been around 13 or 14 years ago so I haven’t got the strongest recollection of what it was like. I do recall finding 2003’s “Spreading The Rage” to be generally pretty enjoyable but the fact that I haven’t returned to it in the many years since perhaps gives us an indication that it didn’t blow me away. Ben has a pretty amazing track record at identifying underground releases that’ll appeal to me though so I was hopeful of Disbelief’s 2001 third album “Worst Enemy” leaving me similarly impressed & I’m pleased to say that he’s once again been successful in that cause.

It's kinda strange that Disbelief seem to be universally tagged as a death metal band because I can honestly say that I found very little death metal in “Worst Enemy”. In fact, “Assassinate The Scars” is the only track that I feel satisfies the criteria adequately enough. The rest of the proper songs fit into two categories. On the one hand we have a fairly extreme version of alternative metal that sounds a fair bit like Deftones on steroids. Then on the other we have a darker sludge metal sound that suits front man Karsten "Jagger" Jäger’s vocals nicely given that his angry hardcore tone fits the mould for the sludge model very comfortably. It’s a potent combination actually & it gives Disbelief a sound of their own. Despite the hybrid sound though, there’s a consistency to Disbelief’s approach & it can also be their Achilles Heal at times given that “Worst Enemy” can sound a little samey until you’ve made the investment of time required for the song-writing to open up a bit.

“Worst Enemy” possesses a completely blemish-free tracklisting that’s scattered with genuine highlights, the best of which are the sublime pairing of alternative metal opener “Misery” & heavy-weight sludge affair “Recession” but “Believer” & “All Or Nothing” are no slouches either. I’d probably suggest that the dark ambient outro piece is the weaker inclusion but it’s still fairly enjoyable nonetheless. The passionate vocals of Jäger are Disbelief’s strength as he absolutely screams his fucking head off here & I’d suggest would have needed quite a bit of recovery time afterwards. He commands the listener’s attention at all times & gives the band the edge they needed to see them maximizing their appeal so it’s really hard to see why “Worst Enemy” is still so underappreciated given that it’s so clearly a high quality metal release that still sounds really fresh & relevant even 22 years later.

Ben’s taste in metal is impeccable & he’s once again identified a record that has burst through my defenses to breach the walls of my Hall of Metal Glory. I’d encourage you all to check it out, whether you’re a member of The Gateway, The Fallen, The Horde or even The Revolution.

I think fair to say that the sole release from Gothenburg death metallers Grotesque set the underground tape trading scene alight back in the early-to-mid 1990's & it was that buzz that saw me picking up on the "Incantation" E.P. at the time. I was involved with an Aussie trader that was utterly obsessed with the Swedish death metal scene & he virtually insisted that I get onboard records like this one, although I think it's fair to say that I was usually not as convinced as he was given my stronger penchant for Florida. Grotesque certainly had their moments though & there's no doubt that they were onto something when you take the first three tracks of this E.P. in isolation. There's a grimy, down-tuned layer of filth caked on this stuff that will no doubt appeal to the Autopsy/Incantation crowd only the vocals of future At The Gates/Lock Up/The Lurking Fear front man Tomas Lindberg have a psychotic blackened edge to them that gives Grotesque a unique personality. He really does sound very different to the raspy melodeath tone he'd make a name for himself with several years later & I wouldn't have recognised him had I not already known of his involvement. Strangely though, the last two tracks see the band going in a completely different & nowhere near as compelling direction, this time opting for a blackened thrash sound in a more traditional tuning that sounds much more dime-a-dozen than the earlier material. It's a really unusual change-up & I wasn't surprised to learn that the two sounds were recorded in different sessions with almost a year between them. I can't help but think that the band would have been better off releasing these two sessions separately as they sound so out of sync when packaged together. Still... there's easily enough quality in the later death metal material to justify giving "Incantation" a few spins. 

The debut album from this Florida tech death outfit was a really big record for Ben & I back in the day after I picked it up on cassette shortly after release. I was absolutely blown away by the lead guitar wizardry while the unique use of keyboards & sci-fi- themes was also a major drawcard. I've been wondering whether I'd appreciate it as much in modern days though so I was a little hesitant going into my first revisit in many years. That hesitation proved to have some merit too because there's no doubt that some parts of the album sound less complete than others.

"The Key" opens in stunning fashion with the first three cuts all being genuine death metal classics in their own right, particularly "Standing In Blood" which is an all-timer for me. There's definitely a bit of a dip in quality after that though, even though there's nothing I'd say is weak as such. "Neolithic" & "Undead Journey" see me labelling the middle of the album as merely decent before things pick up in the back end with closer "Empire Of The Sands" being another wonderful representation of the Nocturnus sound.

I absolutely adore the super-shreddy lead guitar tone of Mike Davis & Sean McNenney. It's about as metal as it gets really. The keyboards can get a touch overblown during that middle section but most of the time they tend to stay away from anything too cheesy. Band leader Mike Browning is the clear weak point though, particularly his vocals but also his drumming to a lesser extent. Nocturnus' music is meant to be ridiculously over the top & some of Browning's beats feel a little underwhelming if I'm being completely honest. Still... there's no doubt that "The Key" is a very strong record that borders on my higher scores. You can hear Browning's former band Morbid Angel in not only the vocals & drums but also some of the riff structures. There's a similarly thrashy influence to the "Abominations of Desolation" album too only in the context of a much more overtly technical outlook with some of the riffs essentially being light-speed dual-guitar lead solos. It's amazing how Florida was coming up with so many forward-thinking & talented death metal bands at the time with Nocturnus standing toe to toe with artists like Death & Atheist. "The Key" doesn't seem out of place next to that company either although I'd suggest that, unlike those two acts that went on to greater things, Nocturnus peaked early &, as a result, are probably better suited to being a leader amongst the second tier of the Florida death metal hierarchy.

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.