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
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
