ANIHLATED-The Ultimate Desecration-1989-Metalworks

Man...what a fucking improvement a year can make. This album kicks their first album "Created In Hate" in the ass and stomps the shit out of it. If you heard "C.I.H." and didn't like it,give this album a try. At worst,it will remind you of a few other bands. At best,it is an incredibly solid thrash album by a band that will (unfortunatley) remain being labeled as a "cult" band in the world of metal.

The sound on this album is great (it's nice when everything sounds clear,isn't it?),the songs are really good (lyrically, think NUCLEAR ASSAULT or any other band that pointed out global problems. Musically, kick-ass thrash.),and the overall album is above-average.

The songs which I REALLY enjoy off of this are "Lost Souls","Skinned Alive"(No...not gory CANNIBAL CORPSE-type bullshit lyrics if you are thinking that),"Into The Flames of Armegeddon" and "No Rest For The Wicked", which carries a bit of a VENOM influence (Prime Evil-era VENOM). Downsides,the vocals don't sound like SLAYER anymore,but some of the solos sound like they are right out of the "Kerry King School of Soloing with the Goddamn Bar" and some songs are better than others.

None of the songs are bad,but some are better than others...and I must say that this album is a DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT over "Created In Hate". More technical arrangements,a clearer sound,and the fact that the band doesn't remind me as much of SLAYER as their first album did definetly shows that this band should have become bigger and more well known. If there is any justice in this world both albums by this band will be released on CD someday. If you can get his,do it...it's worth the money.

Rating=7.5/10

DIAMOND HEAD-Borrowed Time-1982-MCA Records

I just have something to say before I go into this review...this is NOT "Lightning To The Nations" Part 2. Are you still with me? Then we shall move on.

DIAMOND HEAD are a great band,and I honestly enjoy this record. If the above ststement turned you off, I just have to say that this is at least worth a few listens,because it does grow on you. The only thing that DIDN'T carry over from "Lighting" is the songs.

The first song "Call Me"is like a pop song...but in a draker,less happy way than you might think. Sean Harris, on this song and the rest of the album,shows that he is a vocallist on par with many legends of classic rock...his voice is awesome. The next song "To Heaven From Hell" is pounder with a nice little riff and of course a great solo and vocals. The rest of the album is slower than "Lightning" and not just as exciting for me.

There are a few negative things than need to be said about this album. First,there areonly five new songs here, the other two eing re-makes from the "Lightning" album "The title track and "Am I Evil". Second,the songs go on just a bit too long,and there are ome parts of the album you wish you were listening to other bands.

Overall,a good album...but there are a few problems here and there which kind of ruin it for me. Again,if you can give it a listen before you buy it,do that and then decide.

Rating-6/10

INDESTROY-Self Titled-1987-New Renaissance

I just don't get it sometimes. A band sounds like they could be interesting,they are on a label which had such great bands like WEHRMACHT,BLOOD FEAST, and AT WAR, and so you decide "Ok...I'll get it".

THEN you get the fucking thing home after reading the song titles after your purchase and think to yourself "Man...this is going to fucking kick my un-worthy ass all over the place...like a great album should.".

FINALLY,you pop the tape into a walkman or a tape deck on a stereo and what happens? YOU GET FUCKED UP THE ASS LIKE A PRISONER ON NATIONAL "DROP THE SOAP IN THE SHOWER" DAY. Everything about this album coveys "Below Average". First,the band can't decide which kind of band they want to be,a cross-over band or a hard charging thrash band,so they treat you to both...and they do neither one very well. The vocallist reminds me a bit of Dave Mustaine,and that would be fine,but I am not a big MEGADETH fan,so fuck him. The songs are simple,the solos lame,and what the fuck is the cover...the asparagus spears of death? My god...what a clusterfuck of bad decisions. At least they did one thing correctly,mix this like the shit that it is so that you know what they thought of the album (shit!). Demo quality songs and sound,no clear direction musically,and a (thankfully) short running time make this forgettable. Avoid!

Rating-3/10

INTRUDER-Psycho Savant-1991-Metal Blade

THIS ALBUM IS A FANTASTIC PIECE OF WORK! Everything here,from the sound of the album to the songs to the vocals is just breathtaking. Incredible...and one of the best albums you probably don't own yet.

It is really a shame that Metal Blade would rather push bullshit like GWAR down our throaths,but they keep this gem hidden from our sight. Fuck you Metal Blade! But anyway,despite how I feel about the way they do business,at least they had the good sense to sign this band in the late 80's. The songs here move from slower pieces like "Invisible" to full-on fucking thrash like "Traitor To The Living" and "It's A Good Life",and what REALLY does the trick for me here are the vocals...THEY RULE!

To sum it up,if you like the band FORBIDDEN (another great band...at least their early stuff),this album is a must-have. It will satisfy thrash fans and just fans of Heavy Metal. Oh...wicked cover art as well. You can't lose.

Rating-8.5/10

EXCITER-The Dark Command-1998-Osmose Productions

EXCITER...possibly my favorite Canadian band ever pull up a bit short here creativly. The choruses on the songs here mainly involve repeating the song title four times. The solos by John Ricci (the only original member left in the band) are great,but something seems to be missing. Oh yeah,I remember now...the kick ass vocals of Dan Beehler,even though they were annoying after awhile,are replaced here by Jacques Belanger. He isn't a bad vocallist,but his voice isn't exactly the greatest I have ever heard (he sounds like Rob Halford,only a little more grating on the nerves), but give me Dan Beehler anyday.

Enough of my bitching about the line-up though...now I hall bitch about the songs. Like I mentioned above,the choruses are pretty much the song title repeated four times (so that you might remember what these un-remarkable songs are named) in a row,and musically it is decent,but nothing really clutches my balls and makes me scream until the last track here "Screams From The Gallows" which has a great riff an the lyrics are the best on the album. Other "good","not "great", songs here include "Assasins In Rage",the slower "Ritual Death", and the title track.

I love EXCITER,but I was VERY disappointed in this album. Hopefully "Blood Of Tyrants" is a better effort than this album was. I can always hope.

Rating=4/10

WITCHFYNDE-Lords of Sin-Mauseleum-1985

This fourth,and last,album by WITCHFYNDE is a rather boring piece of work. Nothing here realy stands out,and the album is a mix of everything. If you want a sex song you have "Scarlet Lady". If you want a slow,BLACK SABBATH type bludgeouning,then "Conspiracy" is what you are looking for. If you want songs that make you wonder what happened to this great band there is the horrible "Heartbeat" here to do so.

The album isn't all bad though...Luther Beltz kicks ass with his vocal performance,and musically it is very good. The song "Heartbeat",though,is a song that could have been used as a chart-bound single for the band. "Wall of Death","Hall of Mirrors",and the excellent "Stabbed In The Back" are easily the best songs here..."Conspiracy" sounds a bit too much like the title track of the "Cloak and Dagger" album,and the production here lacks power. Overall,it's alright, but don't really bust your ass looking for it unless you need it or are a big NWOBHM freak like myself.

Also included here are four live tracks which are really good. Just thought I would throw that in.

Rating=5.5/10

BURNT OFFERING-Walk of the Dead-1999-S.O.D. Records

This album came out on a label run by the Sounds of Death fanzine. Now,if you know about the Sounds of Death mag...you realize how the editors think every album is "great" (ratings barley dip below a 7 out of 10 in this mag),but I heard from other sources that this CD was good...and they were correct.

The songs here are midpaced death/thrash with shouted, almost hardcore-ish vocals from singer Hal Shore. That is one part of what makes this album refreshing to listen to. Another is that the music played isn't too technical...there aren't a thousand riffs to each song. They chose maybe three of four strong riffs for each song and the music benefits because of it.The lyrics are death metal in nature,but these vocals make it kind of easy to sing along to favorite parts (read the lyrics to "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and "Nailed" and tell me they aren't awesome)

There are some problems though. One thing is that the songs are long and they take a while to really get going. If there is any place to get technical in a song, the solo and the opening are the best places to do so. Also,the vocals while being a change of pace DO tend to get monotinous because there isn't really a whole lot of variation...like on the cover of VENOM's classic "Black Metal" is ruined by the vocals (the music sounds fucking awesome).

This album IS very good,though. Check it out if you can...it's worth it.

RATING-8/10

OVERKILL-Bloodletting-2000-Metal-Is Records

OverKill have ben in this business since the early/mid eighties and none of their official releases have ever really dissapointed me. Some are clearly better than others,but all in all, this band has yet to deliver a total dud. BLOODLETTING is an example of why, at least in my mind, this band can truly do no wrong.

Opening song "Thunderhead" starts things off, and this is easily one of the best OverKill tunes in the 90's. Other standouts include "I Hurricane" with its awesome rythym,"What I'm Missin" because it sounds like classic OverKill, and "My Name is Pain" which is an explosion of speed,power,and destruction. Blitz's vocals are pretty much the same as they have been for the past decade plus...the guitar shreds (Dave Linsk takes over...replacing two men and sounding like them both),and the rythym is perfect...so IS there anything about this album thats kind of annoying?

Yes...there is. While I have been an OverKill fan since I was eleven years old...their last three real studio albums (Bloodletting,Necroshine,...From the Underground and Below) all pretty much sound the same. The albums are great...but the similarity in tones and overall pace of the records hasn't changed since 1997. Also,some songs here are merley alright as opposed to being incredible ("Bleed Me","Left Hand Man" and "Can't Kill A Deadman" are alright...but up against the rest of the album,they sound like filler).

Overall it is a great album,but guys...write some faster material and bring back the early glory of songs like "Blood and Iron" and "Deny the Cross".

Rating-7.5/10

AGENT STEEL-Mad Locust Rising(EP)-1986-Combat (re-released with UNSTOPPABLE FORCE in 1999 by Century Media)

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE EP ONLY! The reason to get this now is because now,thanks to Century Media, it is bundled with the excellent UNSTOPPABLE FORCE( Rating=9/10) album by the legendary AGENT STEEL. No,this is a review for the EP itself. I know it sounds retarded,but who writed this zine...me or you (even though you could probably do a better job of writing this than I do).

I first heard the song "Mad Locust Rising" on the BULETS compilation tape with other bands like AGNOSTIC FRONT,CRUMBSUCKERS,POSSESSED,IMPALER,ABATTOIR, and a few other bands. The song is alright. Fast pace,good sound,excellent vocals, in other words,a typical classic from this band.

The next song is perhaps the shittiest cover of JUDAS PRIEST's "The Ripper" I have ever heard. John Cyriss fucks up the words a few times, the music sounds somewhat boring,and different voices are used throughout...it sounds like cartoon charachter voices by the end of the song. A true piece of shit!

"Let It Be Done" returns to kick ass where the horrendous PRIEST cover screws up. This is yet ANOTHER classic A.S. song,and the last song is the instrumental "Day at Guyanna" which is awesome. This EP on vinyl is worth a lot of money (so I am told),so if you have a choice between the original vinyl and the re-mastered CD,go with the CD (although I think that goes without saying).

Rating-6/10

OZ-III Warning-1984-Combat Records

This is an album of extremes. The good stuff is really good,the bad stuff is really bad. First of all,I know this band is best known for their "Fire In The Brain" album (and its quite good from what I hear),but if it sounds like THIS album,I think I'll pass on it.

The band sounds as bored playing this record as I am listening to it,and the vocals get annoying REALLY quick. PICK A GODDAMN VOICE YOU WANT TO REPRESENT YOUR BAND WITH,YOU MORON! A few good tunes pop up here and there ("Crucifixion" being my personal fav),but the title track, "Rock and Roll Widow" (stop laughing,it's an actual song),and most of the rest of the album are just boring. It's hard to like something you really don't care about in the first place.

The production here buries everything...truly a horrible job of trying to make a band (who probably sounded horrible anyway) sound good. I'm sorry...I though it was alright after I listened to it the first few times,but this is one of those albums you need to listen to maybe ten times and then dub from a friend an bury at the bottom of your tapes,probably destined to die with another album noone remembers of cares about.

Rating-3/10

ACCEPT-Breaker-1981-Passport Records

ACCEPT are one of the greatest bands in the history of Heavy Metal. Just about every album they have done has tracks which have become classics to leigons of metal fans. This album is my personal favorite by the band because the songs here are some of their best work ever.

Most people would say that this album is "great",but most would say either "Restless and Wild" or "Balls To The Wall" is their defitive statement. Those albums are great,but this was the album that got me into the band...so I have a different kind of connection with it.

Classic songs like "Son of a Bitch","Breaker",and "Midnight Highway" are true examples of the ACCEPT sound. Mid-paced mosterous music with vocals (courtesy of the one and only Udo Dirkschneider) that will melt the skin off of your skull.

The only songs holding this back are the slower numbers "Feelings" and "Breaking Up Again" which are good songs,but among this pack of tunes they sound WAY out of place. The production here is a top notch job ( not up to todays standards,mbut for the early 80's,this sound couldn't be beat). All in all,a classic for those of you who don't own this already. As for those that have this album,sorry about wasting your time,but I'm sure you agree with me that this is a metal classic.

RATING-9/10

VIO-LENCE-Opressing the Masses-1990-Atlantic Records

I really like this band. "Eternal Nightmare",the bands first, is an alright album which is hindered by songs which go on too long and some songs which just aren't as good as others. This album,however,is an overlooked thrash masterpiece.

The reason I enjoy this album so much is because everything here is incredibly powerful (thanks to great production). Songs like "I Profit","Liquid Coverage",and the title track are awesome examples of the San Fracisco Thrash scene. Guitar solos are killer, the rythym is awesome,and the vocals are alright (although alot of people didn't like them at the time). Every song here is great...only "Engulfed in Flames" is less than spectacular,but it could have been one of the best from "Eternal Nightmare".

This is a must have album. It is a perfect example of thrash metal album from the San Fracisco scene of the 80's which almost rivaled the output of the German thrash explosion. The only thing people might not like are the vocal of Sean Killian. The man has a somewhat unique way of delivering vocals,but I enjoy it,and it shouldn't hinder anyones enjoyment of this bands sonic assault.

RATING-8.5/10

IMPALER-The Gruesome Years-2000-Root Of All Evil

You know...I have never heard anyone mention IMPALER in a chat room or in a conversation with anything good to say afterwards. I first saw this band at the 1999 March Metal Meltdown,and their half-hour show was alright because it comprised of newer stuff (If the Misfits wrote lyrics for the Ramones music, "It Won't Die" would be the end result.) which I liked. THIS SHIT,however,is a completley different thing altogether

First of all,let me say that this is the "Rise of the Mutants" EP, the "If We Had Brains..." LP, and a demo from 1987. The "Rise..." is a fucking joke. It HAS to be. Three shitty songs,only the first track "Shock Rock" was enjoyable (because I liked the version from the "It Won't Die" cd) because it actually had a purpose...expose what the band is about. "Crack That Whip" is a song that only a crackhead could love because it has a horrible rythym and juvenile sex/porn lyrics (a problem that still kinda hangs around ANVIL). The other two songs (Impaler and Heavens Force) are decent bordering on horrible. Best of all,if you buy this thing,you get to hear the scratches of the vinyl that they used to put this piece of shit on CD.

"If We Had Brains..." is no better. In fact,it is probably worse than the "Rise" EP because there are MORE SONGS to annoy you. "BloodBath" starts things off and it isn't a bad song,but only the stupidly titled "City In Chains" does anything for me after the opener (and City is track 3...7 tracks of torture). Producer Bob Mould (some art-punk fag) should stay as far away from this as possible because the metalheads will kill him because his band sucked,and the punks will beat him up for making this abomination of a plastic disc. At least there are better riffs here than on "Rise",but the good riffs are killed by the horrific version of The Stooges clasic "Search and Destroy".

The Demo shows me one thing...SLOWLY this band kind of inproved playing wise (the vocals do nothing for me on ANY songs here). These songs are as forgetable as well, but to the bands credit,the demo DID show improvement. The packaging on this thing will make you howl with laughter,photos of the band members in their "stage wear" is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. A few paragraphs writtenby the only member still involved with the band (Vocalist Bill Lindsey) are pointless. No lyrics,but do you really want them?

The only reason this is getting reviewed is because my brother bought it (I think he is disappointed with it,I expected next to nothing and wished I had nothing) and because I was stupid enough to pop it into the CD player thinking it might have been something. Save your money. I know my reviews are shit, but this isn't just a review...it's a warning. I'd rather have a spastic colon than listen to this all the way through again. Eightteen songs and only three of them are worth listening to. You have been warned.

RATING-2/10

MALEVOLENT CREATION-Envenomed-2000-Arctic Music Group/Pavement Records

This is probably the first time in a long time I have listened to Death Metal and not gotten completley bored with it (unlike CANNIBAL CORPSE and DEICIDE and so many countless other bands). I only listen to a few death metal bands (I can probably list them on one hand),but if the rest of MALEVOLENT CREATION's past output is like this,I might have to go back and listen to their older material.

The only album I had by this band was the critically-despised "Stillborn" and it is alright...but nothing special. I remember maybe a few lyrics from the damn thing and thats it,but this album works for me because everything is tight...but it goes on a little too long.

The vocallist is alright...again,nothing special (typical vocals kind of hold this back. The vocal patterns are alright I guess),the music (especially the drumming) is tight and the songs are alright. Production here is great...everything sounds clear and neck-snappingly fast.If you are a fan of this band,you probably have this already and might feel the same way I do about it. For those looking for well-played death metal,this is worth checking out.

RATING-7/10

EXODUS-Bonded By Blood-1985-Combat Records (also re-issued by Century Media)

The San Francisco thrash metal scene had alot of great bands in the mid 80's. FORBIDDEN,VIO-LENCE,TESTAMENT, and of course EXODUS. The reason I am writing this review is because Erik reviewed it,and I disagree with his review...THIS ALBUM IS BETTER THAN HE SAYS IT IS.

Fast,bone-snapping guitars,powerful drums from hell,bass that shakes te earth,and a vocallist who can make heads explode at will...THIS IS WHAT EXODUS PRESENTED on this album,which is why it is a true classic of the thrash metal movement. Songs like "Exodus","A Lesson in Violence","Strike of the Beast",and "No Love" are incredible masterpieces which all should hear just for the head-ripping,neck-snapping power and force that they will exude from your battered,beaten speakers.

The guitarist show off how fast the play,yet the slow it up every now and again to show off the incredible bass playing and the psychoticly heavy drumming. Vocallist Paul Baloff, when I was 13, epitimized the pinnacle of Thrash vocals, but in my old age the half shrieking/half talking-mumbling vocals get to be enough after a while (kind of the same reason why Dan Beehler from Exciter gets on my nerves after a while). Lyrically,it's all about violence,blood,and death...typical thrash lyrics. The production is decent enough. You can hear everything good,lets put it that way.

Overall,this album is a thrash classic which CANNOT be overlooked by fans of current Death metal. A true classic in every sense of the word. Too bad that from here it was mostly downhill (fast or slow depending how you look at it).

Rating=9/10

ATTACKER-Battle At Helms Deep-1999-Sentinel Steel Records(originally 1985-Metal Blade)

DAMN! I knew that the New Jersey/New York area had alot of great bands in the 80's (like OverKill, Blood Feast,Blessed Death, and Nuclear Assault) and this band is right at the top of the heap. Everything on this album is incredible,from the songs to the vocals to the sound and to the new cover art (the older cover is included also,and it is so bad I almost pissed myself laughing at how horrible it was)

Musically,ATTACKER played TRUE HEAVY METAL (along the lines of JUDAS PRIEST,IRON MAIDEN,etc) while also keeping the NY/NJ sound(sometimes OverKill comes to mind when I pop this fucker on the CD player) that defined the region in the 80's. Songs like "Downfall", "Battle At Helms Deep", "The Hermit", and "Disciple" are awsome,classic metal songs that everyone should hear,while "Kick Your Face","Battle of Nevermore", and "Call On The Attacker" kill with power, keeping a great pace going on the album,adding speed with the skill necesarry to pull it off. The guitarist kick ass on the shredding solos and awesome riffs,the bass and drums keep a really great rythym for the guitarists to show off their considerable talents,and vocallist Bob Mitchell (a man who should pay us for all the publicity he recieves on this site. LOL!) has a very unique but powerful voice to push the music as far as possible (reminds me alot of Udo from ACCEPT, which is a really good thing).

Along wth this clasic album,4 bonus tracks are included (one song which didn't make it to the record and an old demo the band did). The booklet for the CD tells the story of ATTACKER when they were starting out up to the point where vocallist Bob Mitchell left the band (with how much we drop his name on this site,he should be paying us.LOL again!). Overall,this is a great package for the price. Think about it... a classic example of true metal,a booklet crammed with reviews,pictures,and half of the ATTACKER story (other half in "The Second Coming" cd re-issue,which is great as well.) which is interesting to say the least. You can't do any better than this. BUY OR DIE!

Rating=10/10

DESTRUCTION-All Hell Breaks Loose-2000-Nuclear Blast

Let me say this. This is NOT the DESTRUCTION that recorded classics like "Release From Agony" or the "Eternal Devastation" albums of the 80's. This DESTRUCTION is more modern sounding. That doesn't make the album suck,but it isn't what I was hoping for when I heard these legendary thrashers were getting back together.They didn't become a crap/metal fusion thing, but their sound now is closer to FEAR FACTORY than KREATOR.

Songs like "The Butcher Strikes Back","Machinery of Lies","Visual Prostitution",and "The Final Curtain" are all great songs with the modern sound showing that the newer sound might not be such a bad thing. Most of the other songs,although played well,sound too much alike (at least to me they do). The music here is well played,the production is alright,and lyrically it isn't too bad, the band even covers their own song "Total Desaster" which ain't too bad,but doesn't stand out like the songs I mentioned above.

All in all, they are great live (if you get a chance to see them,I advise going),and it ruled that I was able to see this band live finally (last time they played the U.S.,it was in 89 I think with N.Y.H.C. stalwarts the Cro-Mags). The newer songs were great live,but on record something is missing. Maybe it's just me.

Rating-6.5/10

CARNIVORE-Retalliation-1987-Roadrunner Records

What the fuck was Pete Steel thinking when he let this band die to form the queer-as-hell TYPE O NEGATIVE? This album is one of the coolest albums to come out of the NY/NJ area...kicking off with "Jack Daniels and Pizza",which isn't a song...just some guy puking into a toilet (the first 10 times is funny,after that it's annoying. For puke sounds on records,get "Shark Attack" by WHERMACHT),then heading into thrasher heaven with the song "Angry Neurotic Catholics" which sets the pace for the record music-wise. This album is all about thrash (with a slight bit of N.Y.H.C. seeping in at times) and that is where its strength lies. The lyrics are alright on this album (S.M.D. and closer Sex and Violence are the best songs lyrically), and Pete still sounds pissed off at the world on this slab of vinyl plutonium.

Downside? "Jesus Hitler" which is just kind of boring,the cover of JIMI HENDRIX's "Manic Depression" is decent at best, and "Race War" is kind of dull. Still, they don't ruin the record entirley. The sound is good enough for a thrash record, and the vocals are better than they were on the first album (also great,but the effect on the vocals blew monkey ass). All in all,a great thrash album that may have been over-looked. Fans of TYPE O, find out WHY Pete is such a sour person. Also,if you want to get the CARNIVORE albums,buy them seperatley. The CD version of RETALLIATION includes almost the entire first album, cutting of "God Is Dead", one of the bands greatest tunes.

Rating=7.5/10

HOLOCAUST-"The Nightcomers"-1980-Phoenix Records

This album is one of the best NWOBHM albums ever...but I don't know why. I mean,the band are good enough as musicians,the singer is nothing spectacular,but one thing keeps this album from being a piece of shit...the songs.

The album starts off with "Smokin Valves", a basic rock song with a decent hook which introduces you to the album. The song is also an indication for the rest of the album,seeing how most songs never achieve a great deal of speed. "Death Or Glory" is a classic song and one of the bands best known songs (other than "The Small Hours",a song metallica covered). "Cryin Shame","It Don't Mater","Heavy Metal Mania",and "The Nightcomers" are great songs from this era as well,and this album is worth your money.

I have the CD version of this,with added bonus tracks from various 7"s and EP's. For the most part,they show how powerful the band can be when they have a good sound guiding them (the sound on the album itself is alright,but the vocals sound mixed back a bit. Thats a minor complaint,though).

Neat Records is re-releasing this album as well as their second album,a live one,named "Hot Curry and Wine" I think. Anyway,when it comes out,get it. It is worth it.

Rating-7.5/10

IRON MAIDEN-Brave New World-2000-Columbia Records

BUY IT! IT RULES! That's all I can say!

Rating-9/10

RUNNING WILD-Gates to Purgatory-1984-Noise Records

This album, the bands first, is pretty straight forward metal with some NWOBHM slightly discrenable. Personally,I think the bands best effort has been "Port Royal" because it mixed the music of Iron Maiden with the bands own sound (alot like Maiden with more speed thrown in for good measure) as well as the kind of dopey "Pirate" fetish the band adopted for their "Under Jolly Roger" album and hasn't given up on since.

Why am I talking about the bands releases AFTER this album,you might ask? Very Simple! This album is just not as good as those two mentioned above (or their godly power metal album "Death 0r Glory"). Why not? Because of two simple things...the dependence on the opening riff of the song through the whole song, and the throw-away lyrics.

The album starts with "Victim of States Power", a great riff opens the song,and the festivities are underway. The vocals come in a little later,and though mixed back a bit (on an otherwise awesome, clear production job for an indie release in the mid 80's). Just as I start getting into it,the chorus comes in. Again,I'm hooked...and then I wonder why? C'mon, " Stand up, fight for your freedom and be Lucifers friend"? What the fuck is that? Juvenile staanism...and this album has other very cliched lyrics and a not always clear vocal performance.

Do I hate this album? No,I don't,mainly because the riffs are so goddamn strong,and for every song that has dumb-as-hell Satan lyrics (the Dark One even has a song here named after him), this is the bands first real album (after appearing on the DEATH METAL compilation by Noise in the early 80's), and the song "Black Demon" is great. For a first effort,this is great,but then again,it IS a first effort, and luckily the band grew up fast,leaving Satan behind and discovering Long John Silver along the way.

Rating-6.5/10

MANILLA ROAD-"Mystification"-1999-Sentinel Steel

This band I had HEARD of,but never actually heard before I picked up the incredible "True Metal Triumphant" CD Sampler from Denis Gulbey of Sentinel Steel Records at a record show. The two tracks on the album took some getting used to,but eventually,I bought the album,and I am glad that this album was re-released (It was originally released on small French label Black Dragon Records in 1986). The album has also been remastered and given new artwork.

For starters,the musicianship is TIGHT. I have said this before about many bands,but this is honestly a collecion of three great musicians creating awesome music. The album starts off with speed blast "Up From the Crypts", truly the ONLY fast song on this album. This is not the song to judge the album on,though. That honor goes to the follow-up track "Children of the Night" which sets the pace for the album. This iSn't as fast as a thrash album,and it isn't as slow as a doom album (althought the structures are mid-paced to slow,they are CRUSHING) but it creates a mid-paced burn. The songs here NEVER achieve the lightning quick pace of the track "Up From The Crypts", but they are still excellent.

"Masque of the Red Death" is probably my favorite song on this album because of the chorus and the rythym of the song. So what might turn someone off to this band? Maybe the vocals of Mark Shelton,who has a unique voice in the realm of metal, much like John Cyriss or Udo Dirkschneider. Shelton's voice adds the element of doom that fits the pace of these songs like a glove. Just like those vocallists mentioned above,you would like this band if you like the vocals. Personally,I think they kick ass,and the lyrics of these songs are hard to get out of your head. A forgotten metal classic (here for the first time ever on CD) worth investing in.

Rating-8/10

ABATTOIR-"VICIOUS ATTACK"-1985-COMBAT

This album is alright. This was originally a demo tape...and Combat liked it so much,they decided to put it out as a true album. That strategy kinda sucked,because the sound on this (I have the CD,Re-mastered I think)is definetly demo quality. The songs are what matter, though, and they are a mixed bag indeed. The album starts off with a hellstorm of a song called "Screams From The Grave" which kicks ass. The vocals of Steve Gaines are awesome. He has a great voice on him,and I hope he did some other things after he left this band. This dude rules. The next song "Vicious Attack (Maniac)" starts off with a cool bass effect and the vocals kick in as a sort of whispering...then the lame-o riff comes in and 86's this song's enjoyability...not to mention the lyrics are lame as well (read the ones for the title track on this album. OHHHH man,it hurts reading them). That seems to be the pattern on this album. A cool riff,killed by boring lyrics (like I said,I love the vocals) and boring riffs to kill the cool riff that starts the song off.

Standout Tracks: Screams From The Grave,The Enemy, Ace of Spades(motorhead cover...pretty cool one as well),Living and the Dead(great riff)!

RATING=6/10

ANVIL "Speed of Sound" 1999-Hypnotic

ANVIL have been in the metal business for a long time. After releasing their definitive statement, "Metal on Metal" in 1982, they have been a good band with not a lot of exposure. Enter "Speed of Sound", one of the better albums from the 1999 releases.

The album opens with the title trck,and afetr the riff pounds itself into your head...it won't leave. Lets put it this way, you will know if you like or hate this album by listening to that riff. The song itself rules,with vocalist/lead guitarist Lips (real name Brian something,forgot the last name) delivering a deep,gruff kinda vocal performance here,this song rules.

After the greaness of the first track...the only song that can truly compare is "No Evil", one of the nastiest,most insane songs I have ever heard. Fucking excellent everywhere (especially the drums, Robb Reiner beats the shit out of the drums like noone in the business and he deserve the credit guys like Pete Sandoval and Gene Hoglan get. This man is a monster)

However...with the good comes the bad. Three tracks here suck the big old donkey dick...Man Over Broad, Mattresss Mambo, and Bullshit. The first 2 songs here are what has plauged almost EVERY Anvil release...badly done songs about porno/getting laid. Bullshit sucks because the music is boring and the lyrics are exactly what the title suggests.

Overall,I really enjoy this album. The songs above aren't really THAT bad (but they ARE the weakest shit here by far), and the song "Blood On The Playground" is frightening,almost like those two dumbfucks in Colorado listened to this song instead of Marylin "Without stealing Alice Coopers gimmick,I'd be nothing" Manson. Overall,this rules!

Standouts: Speed of Sound,No Evil,Secret Agent, Life to Lead.

RATING:8/10(I hate the dumb porono songs,but the other songs are good enough to work in benefit of this album.)

AT WAR "Retaliatory Strike" 1988 New Renaissance

AT WAR were a thrash trio from Virginia,and they have releases two albums (This one and 1986's "Ordered to Kill"). This album is pretty good for what it is...a thrash/crossover album with some really cool songs. Alot of the lyrics here are about war,but they rule.

The album starts off with "F.Y.I.", a war themed opening of speach which gives way to the first song "Consientious Object", which is a cool song. The rest of the album rides the same kind of wave musically and lyrically.

Some songs, like "Felons Guilt" and "Thinkin" are kinda dopey and musically they show the crosover tendencies mentioned earlier (but the song "Crush your Life" takes the cake as far as the crossover asspect is concerned). The music sounds like early SLAYER and the vocals are pretty much the same,but sounding a bit more hardcore-ish (even gang shouting on "Thinkin").Pretty good album from a band you probably never heard of.

Standouts: Creed of the Sniper(basically an istrumental which kicks ass with the words "One Shot,One Kill,One Way" being repeated a few times),The Example,Cocienious Object

RATING-7.5/10

BloodFeast "Face Fate" 1987 New Renaissance

BloodFeast were a thrash band from New Jersey who released 2 full length albums"Kill for Pleasure" and "Chopping Block Blues" and this....an 4 song EP (which was a picture disc on original release. This thing is really valuable,I guess).

This EP gets under way with the title track, which shows vocalist Gary Markovitch blending his vocals between their two albums (vocals on "Kill" sound like german thrash, on "Chopping", they sound like bay area thrash). The vocals here lean towards the german side of things, but the musics pure bred American Thrash (basically Slayer and Possessed with some greman thrash in there to keep it interesting). The song "Face Fate" is pretty indicitive of how the entire first album sounds, and the other "New" song here, "Bloodlust" is fucking kick ass. The other two songs here, "Vampire" and R.I.P." are taken from the first album and are not the best on the album,but they still rule.

Seeing as how this IS an EP, if you have to pay more than 8 bucks for it...fuck it. It is NOT essential to own, just cool if you were ever a fan of this truly underrated band.

Standouts: Nothing. The whole thing rules. BUY CHEAP!

RATING-9/10(CHEAP), 6/10(if more than 8 dollars)

Liege Lord "Master Control" 1988 Metal Blade

OHHHH HELL YES! This rules. Just buy the fucking thing. Everything here is pretty flawless. The vocals of Joe Comeau(who now plays guitar for OVER KILL, go figure) sounds alot like Bruce Dickinson(of the unsurmountable IRON MAIDEN) and the songs here are cool (except that the cover of RAINBOW's classic "Kill The King" is kinda mediocre when compared to the rest of this album). The song "Fear Itself" pretty much sets the pace for this album.The guitars rip the shit out alot of bands of the time, and this album is better than "Burn to My Touch"(a possible 6 out of 10) by a long shot. Better songs, better sound (thanks to Terry Date and Liege Lord), and a much better vocalist make this album a must have in ANY metal collection.

Standouts: Fear Itself, Broken Wasteland, Eye of the Storm, Rapture

RATING 9/10

WITCHKILLER "Day of the Saxons" 1985(?) Metal Blade

Witchkiller were a Canadian bandwho sounded alot like the metal greats(ie:MAIDEN and PRIEST) and kicked ass. Too bad their only release was the 5 song "Day of the Saxons" EP. This ep is pretty fucking cool.Again, if you can buy this cheap, it's a must for fans of classic/power metal (Metal Disc, a mailorder company, has this on cassete for $4.99. At that price,it is a must!). The songs on here all kick ass, with "Cry Wolf" slowing it down a bit, and "Beg For Mercy (my personal favorite) speeding up slightly. The rest of the album is mid-paced, never achieving a shitload of speed, but kicking ass because the lyrics and music are so damn good. Hell, buy this no matter what the cost,you won't regret it.

Sandouts-Beg For Mercy,Penance for Past Sins (just awesome).

RATING-9/10(cheap or not,just get it. It rules)

Various Artists "True Metal Triumphant" 1999 Sentinel Steel Records

I'm not a big fan of albums where a bunch of bands appear and only a few are worth anything. This,However,is NOT one of those CD's. The title tells you what to expect. TRUE METAL...and over 70 minutes of it.

Is it all good music? Hell yeah it is. The only song I didn't really care for here was by GOTHIC KNIGHTS "Keeper of the Gates" and that is because the song plods on for over six minutes without alot of variation. The bands that appear here include ATTACKER, LEGEND MAKER, MANILLA ROAD, SACRED OATH, ONWARD, AXEHAMMER, and BURNING STARR. This thing is pretty chep as well, so if you are curious as to bands that rule,or just want to hear what Denis has to offer,this will only set you back $4 at the most. You have NOTHING to lose (except four dollars if you buy this thing but hate true metal. Then again,you would have to be a moron not to know what you are getting if you read the title of this compilation) and a bunch of new bands to look forward to hearing more stuff from. All the bands here have 2 tracks to show their stuff (but ATTACKER have 4,2 from each album Sentinel Steel has re-released) and BURNING STARR get the short end of the stick here with one song(but it rules).The ONLY complaint is that at 70 minutes it starts to all sound the same after a while (anthemic paces,awesome vocals,and all that stuff. I love True/Power Metal but it does get samey after a while. A case of "too much of a good thing")

Standout-BURNING STARR(their song kicks all ass. Most of the bands don't do in two songs what this one accomplishes in one.Thats not to say everything here's shit, all of it rules, but this song in particular is special).

RATING-10/10 (for the money it costs you vs the value of the product.you can't do any better than this.)

ANNIHILATOR-"Criteria For A Black Widow"-CMC-2000

ANNIHILATOR kicked alot of ass with their first two releases ("Alice In Hell" and "Never NeverLand"), but their third album on a larger label didn't bring in the business, and the band was taken off the label...leaving the band's fans to purchase their albums through import until CMC International signed ANNIHILATOR, making this the first ANNIHILATOR album easily avaliable in the United States since 1993.

Criteria For A Black Widow is an amzing piece of work. The riffs are awesome, examples being the tracks ("BloodBath" and "Sonic Homocide"). The pace of the album varies between fast heavy thrash and midpaced heavier metal ("C.F.A.B.W." and "Punctured"). Randy Rampage sounds just as great as he did on "Alice In Hell" and those older D.O.A. albums, and the songs here are written like they could have been on that album (thanks to the contributions of John Bates, who helped Jeff Waters write some lyrics for "Alice In Hell). Jeff Waters also picks up where he left off on that first album with "Schizos Are Never Alone part III", showing that while the album has more of a midpaced feel to it, he can still rip shit up better than most people who play metal guitar.

This is a great fucking album. I urge you to buy this if you were an old ANNIHILATOR fan, as well as a fan of metal in general. CMC has also seen fit to re-release the other ANNIHILATOR albums that weren't avaliable in the U.S. for a long time, and they have bonus tracks (usually a demo version of a song from the album and spoken word commentary from Mr. Waters himself. Interesting stuff.) This is a great album. Get it!

Rating-9/10

ANIHILATED-"Created In Hate"-???-1988

No, this isn't ANNIHILATOR, this is ANIHLATED...a thrash/death band from England with a MAJOR SLAYER INFLUENCE. The songs here aren't to bad, but like some of SLAYER's recordings of the past,not a whole lot stands out as being great. The best songs here are the opener "Chase The Dragon", the fast-as-hell "Power Is The Path", and the mostly-instrumental "Nightmare". On "Nightmare", the band shines, showing that musically they could do a bit better than being mere SLAYER clones. The vocalist sounds almost IDENTICAL to Tom Araya, and alot of the solos strive to be SLAYER, but the band just isn't good enough to pull it off. Thats a shame,because this could have been pretty good, despite the boring production and thin guitar sound.

Overall, if you get this cheap,its alright...but if SLAYER fans out there that think "Diaboulous In Musica"(or however the fuck it's spelled,I don't really care) sucked bad,check this out, you might be pleased.

By the way, the cover art was done by Simon Bisley,the guy who I think is doing the art for GLEN DANZIG's comic book line. It doesn't matter,because the art sucks on both the album and the comic.

Rating-4/10

ASSASSIN-"Interstellar Experience"-Steamhammer-1989

HOLY SHIT! I WANT MY SEVEN DOLLARS BACK! This album is WAY to dirivative of too many bands for me to care to list. But lets start with the vocals, which sound like a cross between the guy from TANKARD an John Connely from NUCLEAR ASSAULT (they don't sound to different to begin with, but this guy sounds like that to me). The music is almost like TANKARD, just not interesting enough to be TANKARD,though (I LIKE TANKARD). Their cover of "Pipeline" sucks,their song "Junk Food" sucks (I don't CARE if you eant Oreos,asshole!), and they don't even know the name of the last song on the album ( cover says "Baka", tape says "Balxa". Make a fucking decision). Not only that, the album cover is horrible!

Any Positives? Yeah,there are. The production is pretty good for a thrash band (thanks to Harris Johns, he rules), and the solos are REALLY good (the only original thing on this album probably).

Most of you out there probably won't be as dumb as I was when I made this purchase. Now I know WHY, although I love German Thrash, why some bands remain buried in the past while others (like oh,I don't know...TANKARD!) keep going.Avoid unless you are a masochist

RATING-1.5/10 (great solos prevent total disaster)

DECEASED-"Supernatural Addiction"-Relapse-2000

DECEASED kick ass! Thats all I have to say. Oh,I also forgot the other thing I wanted to mention...BUY THIS ALBUM! With this album,DECEASED really have themselves a masterpiece. Everything about this is great, from the first song to the last one.

"The Premonition" is one of the best tracks DECEASED has EVER recorded (and I am a big DECEASED fan), and from there,this album just gets better. The lyrics are based on all things horrific, from Edgar Allen Poe's "Tell Tale Heart" to "The Blair Witch Project" to the original film version of "Tales From the Crypt" and other stories/films.

Musically, this is their best record to date. From the fast an furious "A Very Familiar Stranger" to the really wicked riffs found in " The Hanging Soldier", this album trancendes any kind of genre that you try to put this band into (yeah probably death metal, but this is a great album METAL album). "The Premonition" is a more traditional-sounding song in the vein of Maiden, while "A Very Familiar Stranger" has a strong old school death/thrash sound to it.

Everything here sounds great production wise,but I don't like the cover art. Fortuntley I am writing about the record and not the cover art, and this record is a masterpiece.

Check this album out. This is even better than the last DECEASED record "Fearless Undead Machines". If you liked that album,and you don't have this yet,I suggest you get it...this is great.

RATING-9/10

EXCITER-"Violence and Force"-Combat-1984

EXCITER are one of my favorite bands, and most fans of the old school thrash sound will probably agree with me on this...THIS ALBUM IS FUCKING AWESOME! Yeah, the cover sucks (why is the hand dangling the knife instead of griping it?), and Dan Beehler's vocals get annoying after a while, but this is still a great album.

Songs like the title track and "Scream In The Night" are awesome fast-paced thrashers, while "Pounding Metal","Evil Sinner", and album closer "War Is Hell" are more midpaced and crushing in their metallic assault. The solos John Ricci plays are out there and pretty cool, and the rythym section ao Alan Jackson on bass and Dan Beehler on drums make a pounding rythym section. Dan Beehler's vocals are pretty cool, but goddamn the mans voice can peel paint off a wall at 30 feet away. He is a shrieker,and if anything kept people away from this band it was probably his voice.

This album is a thrash classic (along with the bands first alnum "Heavy Metal Maniac" and their classic thrash-fest "Long Live The Loud"), and also helped make Canada a country to be reckoned with when it came to metal (along with ANVIL,VOIVOD and PILEDRIVER).

RATING-8/10

GASKIN-"End of the World"-British Steel-1998 (re-issue)

During the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, many bands like IRON MAIDEN,SAXON,AND RAVEN became popular enough to have long careers. Others,like GASKIN, lie in obscurity, although the band has out two full length albums that were re-issued on the same CD a few years ago (That is how I found this album,but I'm only going to review this album now. The other one is OK).

"End of the World" was the bands first album, originally released in 1980 on Rondelette Records, and this is a great album in the tradition of the N.W.O.B.H.M. The songs here are,for the most part, really strong on the opening guitar riff and midpaced rockers. The first song here "Sweet Dream Maker" kicks the album off on a good note, and the rest of the album kicks ass with some slower songs like "On My Way" to the truly blistering speed machine "Burning Alive" and the title track.

The production here is pretty good for a low budget record at this point in metal history.Is there anything band about this album? Yeah, some songs go on a bit to long (does "DESPISER" ever end ?), and the song "Lonley Man" is a slower song that sounds lost on this album full of heavy rocking scorchers (even "On My Way" is faster than this song.).

As a HUGE fan of the N.W.O.B.H.M.,I find it great that this album (as well as their other album "Now Way Out") is avaliable on CD, and this is a worthy addition to anyone's collection.

RATING-7.5/10

GUILOTINE-"Under The Guillotine"-Necropolis-1997

Retro-thrash. Two words that I kind of hate. Its great that bands are interested in bringing back thrash and all that other shit,but alot of bands also mix in a black metal cheesiness to the proceedings and kill what should have been beautiful in my eyes. Fortunatley, GUILOTINE doesn't suffer from the problems above,although this is in NO WAY a future classic.

GUILOTINE was a side project, and while I think it is a cool one, there are a few snags on the way to thrash metal perfection. First of all, the album cover. The logo is a direct rip-off of the way DESTRUCTION use their logo (abstract lettering with alost the same font used as DESTRUCTION), and the illustration is nicley done, but lacks any true power to it. KREATOR's "Endless Pain" is a powerful looking cover, the victim ready to die under the blade of his assailant. This one has a grim reaper pointing to a guilotine in the middle of no where with an old guy in the block. Disappointing.

But metal fans don't buy albums based on cover art, they buy it based on music. Again, not badly played or sung by any means (I actually kind of like the vocals on this), but it lacks ANY originallity. These riffs (some of which are great-listen to the song "Violence" and tell me the opening riff sucks) are like left overs from the great masters of German Thrash. The lyrics follow the same route, songs like "Grave Desecrator","Violence" and "Tormentor" tell you exactly what they are about, but these tales have been told before by better bands.

The production is pretty good for 80's thrash, but for 90's retro-thrash,I think they could have done a bit better. This should sound heavier than it does, but as it is, its tolerable.

So,is this album any good? Actually, yes it is. This is thrash the way it should be. The original bands have moved on to better (DESTRUCTION) and worse (KREATOR), this album is a time capsule of an era when thrash dominated. This album is a great example of old school thrash,and will do if you can't find those classic KREATOR,DESTRUCTION, and SODOM albums. However,if you can, stick with the originators, because these guys aren't plagarists, but they aren't re-inventing thrash either. Again,if you like this kind of old stuff (like I do), this is alright. If you hated thrash,this band is a perfect example of why Retro-thrash is just the same old thing.

RATING-6/10

RAVEN-"Raw Tracks"-Metal Blade-1999

RAVEN are one of the best known NWOBHM bands ever. After 20 years as a recording act,these guys have released "Raw Tracks", which they say is "a boxed set without the rip-off". Personally,I would definetly buy a RAVEN box set, this band is just to good to ignore.

The title sums it up perfectly. These tracks are raw sounding (i.e.-rough and not very well produced), but it is great to have tracks like "Thunderlord" and other tracks from after their "Live At The Inferno" album done live. Included are covers of QUEEN (Tie Your Mother Down,a classic which is done justice here) and JANIS JOPLIN (I didn't care for the song), and there are also three demo tracks presented here, only one saw te light of day (Nightmare Ride), while the other two, "Barbarian" and "The Savage and the Hungry" weren't released in these versions. In fact,I don't think "Barbarian" was relesed at all, and that was a good decision. The song is a bit slow and very boring, while "The Savage And the Hungry" has different lyrics and music than the song of the same title on their "Life's A Bitch" album. The music here was later used for a song on "Nothing Exceeds Like Excess" (namley "The King"), and this song is excellent.

This is a great CD for RAVEN die-hards to own, while people new to the band might want to pick up their back catalog (especially the Neat Records 20th Aniversary editions with the bonus tracks). For the die-hard Raven lunatic, though, this is a must have.

RATING-8/10 (for raven fans),4/10 (for non-raven fans because these tracks are pretty beat up sounding)

WITCHFYNDE-"Best Of"-British Steel-1997

WITCHFYNDE, from this compilation, are a kick-ass NWOBHM band. Compiling tracks from the bands frst three albums (Give 'Em Hell,Stagefirght,and Cloak and Dagger), this gives the listener a pretty good idea of how this band sounded.

The opening track "Give 'Em Hell" is an awesome track, and it's great to hear vocalist Steve Bridges hit the high note in this songs chorus (I tried it,and it messed my throat up. Damn,It's high), and from there on, there is not a bad track on the album...until we hit the track "The Devil's Playground". Luckily,the songs preceding this one are good to excellent (the song "Stagefright" is a black pounding beast of Sabbath-like destruction and my fav. song on this album).

The last six tracks here, featuring singer Luther Beltz, are alright,but nowhere NEAR as great as the Steve Bridges tracks. "The Devils Playground" isn't a bad song,and Mr Beltz isn't necesarrily a bad singer (kind of like King Diamond with a lower voice), but his material here is weak. The song "Cloak and Dagger" ia a nice,slower song with a plodding riff and bass line.

Again,this album is pretty good, but it only covers their first three albums (their fourth and final album "Lords of Sin" has nothing representing it here), but this is a good album to have for NWOBHM fans because I haven't found any re-issues of these albums (if you have info about them,e-mail me immediatley)

RATING-8/10

WEHRMACHT-"Biermacht"-New Renaissance-1989

This album is definetly a crossover record with the music of the band D.R.I. (Their first 2 hyper-fast albums) and the lyrics of N.Y.H.C. stalwarts MURPHYS LAW (songs mainly deal with beer).

The songs here are played very good, and this time the production is MUCH better than their other album (1987's "Shark Attack") and this helps bands that play like this so that everything doesn't sound jumbled and ultimatley turns into a vocal/drums album.

The guitar solos are really good for bands in this genre, and the vocals are still the really fast,million words a minute type that older hardcore bands used (as well as Cryptic Slaughter).

If you liked crossover,check this out. It's short, to the point, and amazingly fast. I like it!

RATING-7/10

PLAYLIST-Dec

• DEMOLITION HAMMER-Epidemic of Violence
• KREATOR-Terrible Certainty
• D.R.I.-Dealing With It
• CIRITH UNGOL-King of the Dead
• RUNNING WILD-Branded and Exiled