Poison - Flesh & Blood (1990)

The lads dilute the plastic glam image and are now decked out like cowboys with a catalogue pose! I guess only the US bands of this ilk can get away with this image and sound for so long. Of course, Poison haven't completely disowned their bubblegum rock, 'Unskinny Bop' is as popcorn and sickly as it gets but the band have attempted, on a few cuts anyway, to find a little more depth and grit. Michael's is on form on 'Valley Of Lost Souls' although it's a little too Van Halen for me, whereas '(Flesh And Blood) Sacrifice)' has a sleazy edge. The cowboy skiffle of 'Let It Play' really should have been omitted from the record but thankfully the band find some kind of emotion on 'Something To Believe In' and 'Life Loves A Tragedy'. Naturally the band find it impossible to avoid the cliches and when 'Ride The Wind' comes cruising through the speakers like a glammed up Harley Davidson, I find myself reaching for the cheese bucket, but then again, that's what Poison are all about...I guess. Fourteen cuts, including two short instrumentals, and sadly too many teenage rockers, i.e. 'Don't Give Up An Inch', prove as to why Poison can only be taken in small doses.

Metal DOES need bands like this and I respect them for it...but sitting through an album can be a tad too sickly. Bizarrely, I find 'Open Up And Say...' far more rewarding!

6/10

Re-Animator - Deny Reality (1989)

Although the comedy edge peppered too many UK thrash acts back in the late '80s, the scene was pretty healthy. Re-Animator were certainly one of the better thrash acts intent on getting their chugging riffs out to the masses. Sadly, too many of these half decent mini albums were tainted by the awful imagery of the cover which seemed to bear very little relation to the actual album, giving the UK scene an almost low-budget feel. However, John Wilson's clunky bass and the formulaic vocal attack will still provide the listener with something to get the teeth into even if it's pretty standard. Best cuts being 'Follow The Masses' and the moshing frenzy of 'Fatal Descent' which has some nice orchestrated moments. 'D.U.A.F. speeds things up. Imagine something like a cross between Anthrax in the chugging department and UK's Slammer and you'll get an idea where Re-Animator are at. Pretty average but still worth owning as respect for the scene back in the day.

6/10

Ignorance - The Confident Rat (1991)

Now, I've reviewed several 'funk metal' albums and been pretty critical of them all...well, nothing's gonna change here my friends. Right, Ignorance...once a thrash band from Corby, who decided that after an okay-ish demo, to turn into a bloody funk metal band...like so many others who felt left out by the current trend. These guys even got a chance to support the mighty Mordred which irritated me to high Heaven, mainly after seeing their stupid vocalist pulling faces, dressed up as a poor version of FNM's Mike Patton and trying to mimic his whole act. All this fake weirdness grates my soul and makes me puke and the music does exactly the same...silly songs with slap bass and awful lyrics which attempt to be colourful but instead emerge as wishy-washy bandwagon-jumping bollocks. And bollocks it all is. From the irritating 'Sean' to the underwhelming 'The Garden' and tragically titled 'Momma Hocus', and the horrendously funked up version of their old 'classic ' 'Why ?'

This type of music is so watery and bereft of idea that anyone at the time could slap a bit of bass and pull a face to become a cartoon band, and that's what Ignorance were. Completely out of style and time 'The Confident Rat' attempts slapstick but at least the band live up to their name. And check out that cover for more vomit-inducing twatness. Deserves inclusion just so I can warn you to stay clear.

4/10

Tankard - Alien (1989)

Some strange releases used to emerge back in the day from bands either eager to promote a tour, or on a more positive note, to give the fans something extra to listen to. 'Alien' is a short EP from German thrashers Tankard who've spent their entire career in debt to the booze and in turn created numerous records in celebration of hangover's, piss-ups and thousands of bottles of beer. This type of humour often gets injected into the scene and that can prove to be a negative but Tankard are a no frills bunch who simply like to rock hard whilst slightly intoxicated! A handful of tracks, including the title cut, '666 Packs' and '(Empty) Tankard'. Not too furious, but certainly alcohol influenced thrash that I'm happy to lend an ear to.

6.5/10

AC/DC - Flick Of The Switch (1983)

At least you always know what you're gonna get with the boys. Some would call it predictable, others would drool over the three-chord metal magic. For me I'm stuck in the middle...but still always fall for the charm, wit and boogie rock they've churned out since year dot. This isn't to say that 'Flick...' doesn't hold any aces, but of the cuts on offer this comes nowhere close to the mayhem of 'Back In Black', but 'Flick...' does remain one of the best AC/DC albums with Brian at the helm. 'Rising Power', 'This House Is On Fire' and 'Brain Shake', like so many other tracks on this record, offer those punchy chanted choruses and Angus' unique yet oh so simple riffage. 'Nervous Shakedown' slows the pace whilst 'Bedlam In Belgium' does pretty much what it says on the tin! And that is pretty much the AC/ DC motto...no fancy stuff, just good rock 'n' roll for the masses. Time and timer again AC/ DC are able to churn out these type of albums and yet the listener never feels cheated because this stuff is timeless without moving with the time. Docked half a point for the rubbish cover.

7.5/10

New Idol Sun - Reach (1994)

I can churn this stuff out all day but choose not to as it gives me toothache. New idol Sun, another of those alterno-metal acts with a bad name who leave me bereft of anything to say. Okay, where do we start ? Well, again, after all the grunge hype bands like this found themselves in a bit of a no man's land, but it didn't stop them grinding out this Mindfunk (later years) type of slo-mo metal, with its feet firmly in quicksand. Thankfully the clear vocals enable me to escape from the caramel soundscape which drags the record into some kind of stoned, mild psyche hole, bringing to mind tinges of Soundgarden and that type of gluey, occasional heavily grooved rock. I'm sure this would appeal but after the grunge hangover, I just feel numb. (No cover)

6.5/10

Motherland - Peace For Me (1994)

Wrong place, wrong time...big sounding, should have made it big, like so many others, but never picked up by the record companies, and so faded into nothing. A mix of everything bombastic, never driving itself to the grunge cess pit, instead always applying a hint of Zep against those sharp corners of what could have been stadium rockers. Certainly influenced by the likes of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, but with elements of so much else, big production groove rock, and even Jason Bonham on drums. Slots itself into no category, but not because it's so original, but simply because it emerged at a time when you were either grunge or nothing. Cool vocal delivery, all very casual and swaying but with muscle and plenty of dream-like visions. In other words, a lost record that never finds its place or its feet, but still worth a listen if you're one of those alterno-metal muso's. Cover says it all really, pretty faceless.

6.5/10

Deathwish - At The Edge Of Damnation (1987)

One of my fave UK thrash acts, Deathwish weren't around too long, falling into the dismal pit occupied by so many Brit thrash acts. Even so, this, and their other decent album 'Demon Preacher' were very listenable slabs. John Van Doorn's vocals were nothing special, Dave Deathwish's (nice name ha!) riffs did their job and pounded causing cracks in those concrete pillars, and the band wrote a few memorable cuts, i.e. opener, 'In The Name Of...', and stuff like 'Exorcist'. Mind you, what I really like about UK thrash is it's obscure nature, all unintentional I'm sure, but with a cover of stone walls and hooded figures, I can't but help become consumed by the witchery and Medieval echoes of it all, even if that's not its intention. Deathwish thrash pretty hard, just a shame this sort of stuff never really saw the light of day except in rainy England.

6.5/10

Testament - Low (1994)

Thrash kings Testament drive into the '90s and beyond and 'Low' is not only one of if not their best record, but it's one of thrash metal's finest moments. In fairness, it would be unfair to call this a thrash record, Testament have matured beyond those years and never they effortlessly create rumbling chasms of dense, layered metal, maybe with a nod to the like of Pantera who pretty much ruled the mid-'90s metal scene. Opener 'Low' is a brooding slab, beefed up by Chuck Billy's immense vocal growl...Billy is now one of metal's finest front men vocal wise, bordering on all kinds of death and doom rantings. Great to see James Murphy on board, a guitar master, 'Low' exists on he and Peterson's chugs which mould themselves into black sounds of doom. 'Legions (In Hiding)', obliterates the thrash void, an earthquake in itself and as those pummelling riffs and heavyweight elephant feet stamp on the head, I can only mock the likes of Metallica for not sticking to their guns and being as respectable and cool as the likes of Testament. I really enjoyed the more recent heavyweight records from the likes of Exodus and Overkill, but hearing 'Low', and realising how old it is, I can only smile with appreciation for such a monstrous record. 'Hail Mary' reminds me of C.O.C. circa 'Blind' the way it grooves, Billy at once smooth yet ominous. 'Dog Faced Gods' features some Eastern sounding guitars before ripping the face off and 'All I Could Bleed' harkens back to the bands glory days.

'Low' destroys everything Metallica and Anthrax made after 1987, so if you call yourself a true metalhead or thrasher, then 'Low' is the album to get. Time to fix those speakers...or what's left of them!

8.5/10

Winter Of Torment - Immoral World (1992)

I don't know a thing about these Brit thrashers, except to say they are a four piece, my vinyl is a dark green and it's signed! This eighteen-minute EP features three tracks, all kinda basement, but chugging, mid-paced thrash I guess. 'Slowly Ticking Clock' has quite a chug going on and the b-side features two six-minute cuts in the form of 'Words Of Ammunition' (featuring some rather tin-can drumming)and 'The Sacred Words'. It's all kinda stuffy, has that demo/basement feel which a majority of UK thrash acts seem to suffer from. Even so, it's better than a smack in the nuts and they deserve a bit of exposure, even if it's decades too late! (Image is not the cover)

5.5/10

Obituary - The End Complete (1992)

I've always been a huge fan of Obituary and felt that the bands first two records, 'Slowly We Rot' and 'Cause...' were pretty much unequalled slabs of death metal. This means of course that the band have a need to move on but as is often the case, fans want the band to try to emulate what went before, which isn't really about progression. 'The End...' is nine cuts of buzzing death metal, star performers being the guitar evil of West and Perres. This is a darker, more complex record than previous, Tardy's vocals less intense, mind you, after a few years of those kind of vocals it's no wonder at it, and opener 'I'm In Pain' could be a direct reference to Tardy's sore throat!! Donald Tardy's drums are dense throughout, and there are some killer riffs on offer, fave cut being 'Dead Silence' with its twisted riffs. Another quality record from the swamps of Florida, and for those of you stuck in the time warp of the first two albums I ask you to lend a severed ear to 'Corrosive' as proof that Obituary can still desecrate a grave or two with their sound.

8/10

Lucifer - Black Mass (1971)

WARNING - This is NOT a heavy metal record, BUT, if you want to sacrifice a virgin tonight, or set the mood for a bit of stormy sorcery, then this obscure, crusty record could be for you. Compiled by Mort Garson, this is best described as something akin to a '70s horror movie soundtrack, bereft of vocals yet as disturbing as a majority of metal albums you're likely to hear. Weird, obscure electronica is what escapes from the speakers, and with track titles such as 'Exorcism', 'Evil Eye', 'Black Mass' and 'Witch Trial' I'm sure you'll find something to savour. Rolling n at a spooky-kooky thirty minutes or so, this has all the Gothic quality of a ruinous castle or church bell of doom. Don't expect guitars etc, there's nothing cheesy here, just muzack for those of a mysterious disposition!

7.5/10

Prong - Beg To Differ (1990)

For me Prong were always a band hard to pigeon-hole. I saw them supporting Faith No More in promotion of this record and remember the icy feeling that emanated from the stage as thousands of confused FNM fans looked on. Prong, like their name suggests, have always delivered a short, sharp boot to the head, reliant on muscular crossover type of sounds from a spiked punk-hardcore, to industrial tinged anger. Whatever Prong choose to spit out always fits within their grey hue of a noise and 'Beg To Differ', is no different, except now the band are more groove based, punchy in their rhythms and at times, dare I say it, slightly funky, but all the while beefy, and sure to inspire bands such as Pantera. 'Take It In' has a full throttle thrash feel to its structure, and the title cut digs in like a rusty hook. Prong have no limits as long as they can muster some kind of icy, metallic and bruising groove which has earned them respect from day one.

7/10

Kiss - Rock And Roll Over (1976)

Dressed in one of my favourite album covers, Kiss once again strut faintly through glam rock soup. 'Opener 'I Want You' actually boats a little beef, Stanley finding a bit of soul behind the make-up, but again, I'm still questioning the whole existence of these weightless pomp rockers, wondering how they've inspired so many. As 'Take Me' stomps with a whimper and the tin-can 'Calling Dr Love' exposes Mr Simmons' all apparent vocal inadequacies, I'm bereft after listening to the Kiss machine. I'll never know how they survived so long in the music biz and yet the dollars keep rolling into their bank accounts despite the junk-shop glam riffs, and bar room boogie of tracks such as 'Ladies Room' which must have taken seconds to write. There is no thought process behind much of that Kiss do, but with each bubblegum riff passing by, and Stanley spluttering through the twang of 'Mr Speed', I can only scratch my head in confusion then hang it in shame for listening to the whole damn thing. There's a lift from T-Rex's 'Get It On', and as Gene Simmons does an awful job of convincing the brain dead listener that he's the lord of sleaze, sex and kinky darkness, I can only think that maybe kids just liked the cover of these albums, because behind those images of black 'n' white, I'm hearing just a clattering noise. 'Makin Love' closes the album and believe me, intercourse is the last thing Kiss inspire me to do...and yet somehow, after every Kiss album, I come back for more. Why, I'll never know.

6/10

Deicide - Scars Of The Crucifix (2004)

Only Deicide can get away with such unholy cacophony. Released through Earache records and blessed with a sordid image of Christ chewing his own finger off in order for his hand to form the Devil horns, this is without doubt one of the best death metal albums I've heard in a long time. The demonic Glen Benton's 'Evil Dead'-type vocal delivery is now even darker and deeper, and Deicide have move away from the sound of the early albums to construct a far more evil, double-barrelled noise. In fact, 'Scars...' is quite a terrifying experience that spits in the face of everything holy on every track, 'Fuck Your God', 'Go Now Your God Is Dead', 'Mad At God'....this is brutal, unrelenting and frothingly heavy, bolstered by the guitar attack of the Hoffman brothers and Asheim's ominous drums of hellfire. Deicide stuck to their weapons long after metal had apparently lost its crown, and they continue to shock by way of these pummelling sounds and vicious verses. In its bludgeoning horror, 'Scars...' sounds so refreshing considering countless bands have attempted similar hatred, and whilst this sort of unholy experience may not appeal to every metalhead, every church will be shaking to the core...exactly what Benton and co intended. Evil.

8/10

Laaz Rockit - Know Your Enemy (1987)

These guys have been banging heads since the early '80s and I never really gave them a chance back in the day, mainly because I was overloaded with thrash, the scene was saturated, and many similar acts were no competition for the Big Four and those immediately beneath them. However, as soon as 'Last Breath' screams into motion chugging with its stern bass courtesy of Willy Lange, you realise that Laaz Rockit are certainly one of the most underrated but accomplished of thrash acts. 'Know...' is more than just a solid slab of a record, instead, whilst more melodic than most thrash acts, it propels Laz Rockit to new heights, possibly those now occupied by the likes of Overkill and Exodus. For its time, and for now, 'Know...' is a superb thrash album, vocalist Michael Coons has a better voice than most and one of variation and the record boasts some fantastic guitar work from Jellum and Kettner. 'Euroshima' is classy pounding thrash, and my fave is 'Most Dangerous Game'. Laaz Rockit are mid-tempo mostly but know how to vary the sound and also dig in with memorable choruses and they should be applauded for this work.

7.5/10