BOLT THROWER - IN BATTLE THERE IS NO LAW - JUNE 12, 1988

BOLT THROWER - IN BATTLE THERE IS NO LAW - JUNE 12, 1988

Bolt Thrower is a band renowned for their continuity, each of their albums you can depend on hearing the same sound and style that they have perfected over the years. The only exception to this rule is their debut album "In Battle There Is No Law" in which you can thumb beneath its crusty exterior the foundations of their signature riffs and styles that will define them thereafter.

The influences are apparent when examining the environment and breeding ground in which their sound was born during England's ruling punk alternative scene at this time. A lot of the extreme metal bands then were focused on playing as fast as possible more so than being focused on technicality. The faster than thou card. Basically what inspired the sound of bands like Repulsion and Napalm Death trying to be faster than each other in their own speed war. On this first album the crustier punk feel comes from the sheer bludgeoning speed of some of the music as best portrayed in the song "Denial of Destiny". Similar in some senses that its rough around the edges for the sake of speed, at the end of the day though it brings to the table a completely different spin and sound. They have more than enough variety on the album besides the quality of assaulting speed to set it apart as can be heard more prominently in the song "Forgotten Existence" in which they find a momentum of clarity and skill that will turn any listener into an addict of their style.

The booming war drums heard at the outset of the song "In Battle There Is No Law" call out for battle and it is delivered wholeheartedly. It also marks the beginning of a war that has now spanned over two decades of releases. How would you crossover someone that's into the hardened scum ridden side of punk into death metal? I would start by giving them three helpings of this album for dinner and a dose of Napalm Death for desert.  This is assuredly an album that would hook them and have them crying out for a medic on the battlefield in no time.

Highlights: Forgotten Existence, Challenge for Power

Rating: 8.5/10

SLAUGHTER - STRAPPADO - 1987

SLAUGHTER - STRAPPADO - 1987

Next up to bat is not the glitter and glam version of Slaughter but the one that lives up to its name. Slaughter ranks among Canada's most cherished thrash titans alongside Sacrifice, Razor and Annihilator. That being said, the album Strappado nestles itself firmly on this list with its down tuned guitars, drumming that focuses on force rather than speed and a bass heavy assault that leads the charge for speeding up your heart rate. If you're into more technical or melodic music, shut the door. If you crave music that will grab you by the arms, throw you head first into a wall and will toss back a case of beer with you afterwards then its time to tear the door off its hinges.

A few of the songs such as the title track "Strappado" and "The Curse" are just too sloppy for my taste, as clumsy musically as I am walking in heels. There also isn't much variety when it comes to riff structure, bare bones and basic with its own brand of charm. In this case, there are only mythical creatures I could name that could manage to tear up those bones so deeply imbedded in Canadian soil for how heavy in all senses of the word they are. The song "Disintegrator" which hits as a short blast of speed segues into "Incinerator" which features the two vocalists feeding off one another and off of the driving tempo of the music. As alluring as the dark and almost other worldly chant of "we are the tortured souls" is in "Tortured Souls", the definitive song on this album for me is "Nocturnal Hell". It hits just the right pace; the vocals are a bit rougher and primitive (mostly grunts) with riff repetition done in a way to soothe the beastliest of thrashers.

Apologies in advance for the self inflicted sloppy mess of memories, twitches of mosh pit nostalgia and beer thirst this album will bring to the surface and your body will ache for.

Highlights: Incinerator, Nocturnal Hell, F.O.D. (Fuck of Death)

Rating: 7.5/10

MESSIAH – EXTREME COLD WEATHER – 1987

MESSIAH – EXTREME COLD WEATHER – 1987 

 

Extreme Cold Weather by Messiah covers all of the staples for this band if you are to give them a try; a few songs from their first release Hymn to Abramelin, six live tracks and not to mention a few instrumental only songs along side the new material. The inclusion of their previous material really showcases the jump in musicians' technical skills, but more so in my opinion it seems to really highlight their strongest characteristic that sets the new material apart: their sense of humor. There is a song dedicated in love to Mother Theresa and a song dedicated in hate to Pope John Paul II. Messiah went the "if you don't have anything mean to say, don't say anything at all" route for the comparison of them. This is, of course, considering the fact that the song to Mother Theresa is a short and atmospheric instrumental song and the track dedicated to Pope John Paul II has “Pope John Sucks” audibly screeched half way through, and a final dig of “Fuck off John Paul, go and masturbate” at the end.

The song "Hyper Borea" is their best effort on this album only slightly ahead of "Nero" in my books. The song may only be instrumental but it seems to be the polarizing pinnacle point of the album that sets the mood and holds the rest of it together with so much variety in the material surrounding it. The anti-war song "Radezky March" has an interesting song structure and sparks as a regionally fascinating addition for the Swiss band, considering that it is mandatory for every Swiss male to serve at least 260 days in the armed forces. The song "Enjoy Yourself" inspired an idea that has now firmly settled itself into my bucket list. Picture John Cusack with a boom box held over his shoulders in the movie Say Anything. Now picture him playing this song, that promotes peaceful moshing, at a Slayer concert or a hardcore show (the metal scene would be a better place without ninja kicks and rednecks that are unaware of proper mosh pit etiquette). That just needs to be done now.

Stand outs: Hyper Borea, Nero, Enjoy Yourself

Rating: 6.5

NECROPHAGIA – SEASON OF THE DEAD – 1987

NECROPHAGIA – SEASON OF THE DEAD – 1987

Well, I know which album I will be pulling out come next Halloween. Season of the Dead is like the musical incarnation of Tales from the Crypt, the essence of the album is the stories of horror, death and gore that are told through the lyrics and less of a focus on the instrumental. The vocals are done in a way that Frank "Killjoy" Pucci sounds more like a narrator as rather than singing with the music, he speaks over the music quite audible and clean with a bit of rasp and snarl for dramatic flare. The dramatics do not end there on the album, keyboards and even acoustic guitars are used like special effects in a "B" horror movie. A few songs, "Ancient Slumber" for example, have what sound like excerpts from actual horror movies in the introduction or pieced into the songs. The creativity and potential just within reach on Season of the Dead will be what captures you on this album. Necrophagia truly hit the mark for trying to define a freshly born genre of horror and gore that hasn't had the umbilical cord cut yet.

Even though the theatrics over shadow the instrumentals, the album has more than its share of diverse riffs and experimentation with same. The song "Mental Decay" is my favorite showcase on the album for what these young musicians from Wellsville, Ohio are capable of. The introduction is a frantic and buzzing build up that works into a thrashy riff structure, they find a rhythm here more so than any other song for rather graceful tempo changes. The let down musically on this album for me is the drums. In songs such as "Terminal Vision" and "Painful Discharge" they are slow, simple beats that are used and at times seem to struggle to keep up with the guitars. "Beyond and Back" which is, inarguably in my books, the most polished hidden gem on this album with its variety from relentless stabbing riffs to its slow yet technical solos. Now that this is at a close it is time for me to track down my copy of Zelda Ocarina of Time, as the first song "Season of the Dead/Forbidden Zone" about three minutes in reminds me of the Temple of Time, every time.

Standouts: Mental Decay, Beyond and Back

Rating: 7/10

DEATH - SCREAM BLOODY GORE - MAY 25, 1987

DEATH - SCREAM BLOODY GORE - MAY 25, 1987

"Drink from the goblet, the goblet of gore" but be warned, what you might taste (hear) is flavored with a raw and grinding intensity that will leave you parched for more.

The bludgeoning speed that is maintained for most of Scream Bloody Gore is one of its most intense features but it's done in a way that it does not compromise the technicality of the instrumentals and there is a sense of continuity throughout the album as if trying to refine and explore this aspect of it. Songs such as Zombie Ritual or Baptized in Blood manage to capture this with their endearing and catchy qualities without sacrificing their intensity. There are audible melodies underlying the surface of each song, in that respect, the kind that scratch beneath the surface and make your skin crawl when paired with the vocals. The most addictive element of this album for me is Chuck Schuldiner’s vocals, almost like a guttural lullaby before drifting you into a nightmare filled with mutilated zombies and the kind of torture that only a Cenobite from Hellraiser could envision (a movie that was released the same year based off a horror novel by Clive Barker).  Even though he had developed his vocal style when he began playing with the Floridian death metal band Mantas in 1983, the style apparent on this album is clearly influenced by Jeff Becerra of Possessed however the lyrics that were written are not, they focus on horror and gore rather than the satanic imagery that had been lyrically portrayed in Seven Churches.

The drums aren’t spectacular or overly notable, but Chris Reifert keeps up with the tempo changes and intensity gracefully. At the end of the day, this album is a showcase of Chuck Schuldiner and the groundwork that he lays on the table for his own diverse legacy and that of the genre itself. I sometimes speculate if the revolving door of line up changes throughout the band's history, especially considering how selective Chuck had been in choosing fellow collaborators and the drastic variances between albums, had been intentional to highlight the evolution of his personal style and experimentation. As an album, it may not be the best initial introduction to this particular band but it certainly is a well fitting introduction to this form of music as a gateway to a heightened and deeper appreciation of this style of death metal.

Scream Bloody Gore has stood the test of time not from quality, although there are very few holes to find, but from its recognized stature as a stepping stone embedded with the basic elements of death metal instrumentally, vocally and lyrically that the next steps of the genre derive and build upon for years to come. All you need to do is listen to understand why.

Standouts: Zombie Ritual, Baptized in Blood, Evil Dead

Rating: 9/10

POST MORTEM - CORONER'S OFFICE - 1986

POST MORTEM - CORONER'S OFFICE - 1986

Post Mortem have been labelled as pioneers by some although often overlooked in their influence to death metal, the way in which I agree is their exploration of influences and utilization of such a spectrum of them within their music to artistically try and stretch the size of the canvas of where heavy metal music could be drawn. This being said, I prefer more method to my madness on metal albums and there is just too much going on with this one regardless of the variety and hidden solo gems this album is riddled with. The best song example for how heavily afflicted this album is with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is "No Time". The beginning and end of the song have a raw thrash and punk infused sloppy feel but sandwiched in between is a characteristically out of place although somewhat impressive solo that could have been plucked from a classic rock album that devolves into a slow, measured and heavy doom riff before making its way full circle. They took every genre in the rainbow including jazz and a hint of even classical influence and sound to create this truly experimental piece of work.

There were really only two songs that came up to bat for our genre of discussion, "Coroner's Office" and "Death to the Masses", the later an interesting one since it was for the most part a nice mixture of very catchy doom and thrash heavy riffs with a solo that fits neither of those genres and polished with a few shiver inducing moans made by the vocalist, John McCarthy. When first hearing the song "Coroner's Office" I almost immediately zeroed in on the lyrics, it wasn't the typical satanic imagery that had been (not so) popularly peddled by other bands previously and of this time. This was gore, not a half bad "stab" at it either with lyrics such as "behind the dripping scalpel knife I deface your mother's womb in the coroner's office" and "putrid gasterous juices amongst the bloody bowels carving choice selections". Although "Coroner's Office" could easily be deemed quite crude, the lyrics throughout the entire album really showcase the strong sense of humor that these young musicians from Boston possessed with songs like "Syncopated Jazz" and "Soupy Sales" which were nothing more than mid marker jokes woven into the album for yet a further spice of variety. The humor doesn't stop there, the album cover? Its a close up picture of the Snow White ride at Disneyland. You really need to be in the mood for this album, by that I mean in a mind set of not taking it at all seriously or looking for any specific genre of music in it because it has it all.

Standouts: Death to the Masses, Coroner's Office

Rating: 5/10

SEPULTURA - MORBID VISIONS - NOVEMBER 10, 1986

SEPULTURA - MORBID VISIONS - NOVEMBER 10, 1986

For most fans and I can say in my case as well, this is one of those albums that can remind you of what first attracted and drew you into metal no matter the genre in discussion. Founded by the two young brothers Max and Igor Cavalera whom were brought up in the harsh political and economic climate of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Sepultura broke into the scene with their Bestial Devastation EP. Shortly thereafter Morbid Visions was released, although the youth of the musicians shines through the sloppiness of the music they still manage to take hold of you in a number of catchy riffs throughout the album that so easily seduce lingering personal frustrations to the surface with their raw and unique blend of instrumentals and guttural vocals. That particular blend doesn't see much variety between the songs themselves but there are a few standout riffs that pull you back again for seconds.

Troops of Doom is an appropriate song title. As noticed in previous albums one of the elements to fitting the death metal disfigured cookie cutter mold would be the implementation of classic doom influences that had come before. Taking the tempo back at times to drag it into something slower and darker, before and between an assault of speed and aggression which is an apparent instrumental focus on each of the tracks. Aggression is what truly defines this album for me, the passion and driving force between my exploration of metal in any genre over the years has derived and fed off my need to emotionally connect to the music almost in a therapeutic sense. This is an album that focuses on emotion over skill or technicality and in that sense knocks it out of the park, it may be raw and for the most part sloppy but it draws out the emotions that it was created to; anger and frustration being the foremost of those feelings.

Standouts: Morbid Visions, Troops of Doom, Funeral Rites

Rating: 7.5/10

POSSESSED - BEYOND THE GATES - OCTOBER 31, 1986

POSSESSED - BEYOND THE GATES - OCTOBER 31, 1986

We’re in the 80s now folks, the initial introduction sounds like the soundtrack to a typical emotional heart wrenching protaganist struggle in an 80s movie rather than the haunting introduction that Seven Churches set the stage with. Rather than push their raw and darkly supernatural sound that shook its listeners to their very core on Seven Churches, it seemed as if in this release they were trying to put out something a bit shinier, even commercial. The riffs are much tighter throughout the course of the album with slightly less diversity and more predictability tempo wise than its predecessor. I also must say that where they have stepped up is finding a balance in having the instrumentals and vocals rarely over power one another, you can tell their focus was to find each other instrumentally rather than stumble into one another. Mike Sus seems to have refined his art on this one and Jeff Becerra is settling into his stride on the vocals with more confidence and character in his ever distinguishable vocals.

Beyond the Gates will always be more of a thrash metal album and was a step back more into that direction, in my opinion, but their influence makes them worthwhile for the death/thrash crossover bands that followed and grew off their sound to search for something darker off the beaten path on even just a lyrical point of view let alone instrumentally. This was the final LP released by Possessed whom had broken up shortly thereafter the Eyes of Horror EP which had an even more so of a thrashier pace and sound under the production and influence of Joe Satriani. Of the demos and material that followed as well as the revolving door of band members when the band had reunited again, Possessed never seemed to be able to revisit their darker roots and stuck to their thrash influences so this will be their last mention on this journey save for their influential storm they set in motion.

Highlights: Phantasm, No Will to Live

Rating: 6/10

MESSIAH - HYMN TO ABRAMELIN - SEPTEMBER 30, 1986

MESSIAH – HYMN TO ABRAMELIN – SEPTEMBER 30, 1986

The spoken introduction of "good people and bad musicians" seemed to accurately describe the first two songs off the album "Hymn to Abramelin" and "Messiah" quite well and each time I revisited the songs I was hard pressed to think otherwise. The energy and speed put into them is tremendous however the song structure just seemed far too sloppy and their sole purpose seemed like a premature burst of the aforementioned qualities. However each time I listened to the album I was happy that I stuck it through to get to the meat of it, I feel like I found my first gem in the rough with this one when they slow it down and get to the basics which they do for the balance of the album. Instrumentally it doesn't push too many boundaries but its catchy in all of the right places, one of my favorite riffs was in the song Empire of the Damned, when listening to the album skip to 17:21.

Rather than a thrash metal album that flirts with our genre of discussion, the doom metal influences in songs like "Space Invaders" and "Total Maniac" with their slower tempos are far more prevalent. The drums are distinguishable yet none of the musicians nor vocals over power another, considering the quality of production its actually slightly shocking how tight and put together these musicians from Switzerland were able to make their talents click. The music felt like death metal building blocks when you broke it down even further, not quite there but rudimentary characteristics within.

Stand Outs: Empire of the Damned, Total Maniac

Rating: 6.5

ARMAGEDOM - SILENCIO FUNEBRE - JUNE 6, 1986

ARMAGEDOM - SILENCIO FUNEBRE - JUNE 6, 1986

Meanwhile in Sao Paulo, Brazil where punk music was thriving and thrash metal was on the verge of really digging its roots into the country, the album Silencio Fu by Armagedom was released. This album left me grasping at straws to consider it even a thrash and death crossover although the very few characteristics that could make it be considered so stood out enough in the material. The band’s obvious aim was focusing on speed although it seemed like they didn’t have the skill to back even that up. There were a few redeeming moments instrumentally although those were few and far between and utterly dismissible when the vocals entered the equation. The largest characteristic that brought me to keep this album on the list wasn’t from a technical point of view but more of an emotional one. They make an assault of ferocity that was a bit harsher and had a different feel from your average standard of thrash that leaves it in the debatable realm of what could be determined as death metal.

I don’t foresee myself ever listening to this album again, of the listens that I gave it I found myself counting down each time for the end of this 29 minute juvenile and distorted attempt at a thrash metal album stretching for more. Whether the “more” is from an artistic stand point and trying to dig into something rougher with a different brand of intensity or just stumbling upon it from lack of skill I’m not sure, however I’d bet money on the later.

Stand outs: Asilo na existencia (although that was a stretch even)

Rating: 2/10

POSSESSED - SEVEN CHURCHES - OCTOBER 16, 1985

POSSESSED - SEVEN CHURCHES - OCTOBER 16, 1985

 Seven Churches was the thrash metal album that became too dark to be considered just a thrash album. It sets the mood at the offset with the iconic 1973 horror classic Exorcist intro that explodes into a fury of speed leaving a listener curious as to what precipice they will take you next. They seem to set themselves apart from their thrash predecessors and the music that was being created at the time from other bay area bands through the guttural vocals of Jeff Becerra that beckon you to join the depths of hell Possessed discovered, that although at times seem overshadowed by the instrumental, you can tell he sets a stage and a base for death metal vocalists to draw influence from for years to come. I find the biggest difference instrumentally from the thrash metal that had been released prior was the tempo and the fact that it seemed to go everywhere and unpredictably so. At moments I felt as if I was trying to connect the dots within the song structure. I’m not sure if this is due to the fact that the production was fairly raw but it seemed like the transitions between riffs and the instrumentals finding a balance just wasn't coming together in a few places and took time to find its way, although when it made its way there (which it always did) it did so not with a wimper, but with a bang. That being said, the place where the music found the perfect balance throughout the album was its variety between its almost explorative nature on where you can tell the artists were testing their boundaries instrumentally.

The lyrical content is as haunting as the wails of moaning demons that you hear at the beginning of the song “The Pentagram”. A good summation of the lyrics and messages trying to be portrayed throughout the album as could be inferred and felt by a listener is being inevitably pulled into the depths of hell, a place where illusions, nightmares and demons meet and what lies there. I find it a shame that the vocals seemed over shadowed at times when more attention and emphasis should have been on the lyrics rather than the need to focus on the curve balls that were thrown at such a rapid speed instrumentally. I can't even fathom what it must have been like to hear material like this for the first time in 1985, its raw and unsettling in all of the right places and was the perfect seed to unearth and begin this journey with.

Stand Outs: Fallen Angel, The Exorcist, The Pentagram

Rating: 8.5/10

The beginning...

And so begins the first step on my journey through death metal's beginnings and trenches, I have decided to take on a project that I wanted to share with all of you. I will be working my way through every death metal release I can find since the very beginning to not only listen to but to review. The purpose of reviewing the albums is to keep track and create a focus on taking the time to truly appreciate the music that I am exposing myself to.

I hope all of you bear with me as I try to fumble through this and forgive me in advance for skipping most demos and many EPs (I would end up trapped in 1988 and 1989 otherwise). In trying to map out an order for albums to review became fairly difficult as release dates for many albums especially early on I was sometimes only able to narrow down to a month or in many cases only a year. This being said, I will review albums in order of specific dates I was able to find and in the cases I was only able to determine the year that they were released those albums will be at the end. 

Many of these bands I've been listening to for a number of years as well have been lucky enough to see perform, there are many albums I'm looking forward to re-hashing and attempting to look at from a slightly different perspective for the purpose of this project as the eyes of a reviewer which I have never done before. More than anything however and what I expect to do more of; I am looking forward to this as a learning experience and self discovery, to submerge myself completely in a genre that I have cherished for years to discover new music within its past and learn more about my own tastes and preferences as well. 

Please feel free to comment, rate and debate the reviews and the albums that I post. I would love the company along the way for this journey :)

Without further preamble, lets bring on the brutal.