Nocturn - Estranged Dimensions (1991)

this is pretty decent death metal that does very little to raise its head beyond originality, but it fits in well with the scene at the time, although it may have been lost to many. This plods like a metal mammoth with its bass heavy production. The cover alone sold it to me but when 'Altered Evolution' jolts into a mid-paced jog I can see where this slab is going. Guttural vocals litter 'Graveyard Without Crosses' (who makes these song titles up ?!) and the riffs vibrate the speakers throughout 'Sacred Infames', Nocturn simply slotting in comfortably alongside the countless US death metal acts at the time. A bit of a cult offering I guess, but it never wrenches itself from demo quality, but that's what makes this type of record worthy, for it exists in some banal void of clanking drums and familiar production. Wrapped in a decent cover - skulls, zombies yay! - Nocturn refuse to exist to move, but instead play their brand of violent music straight down the line. 'Estranged...' doesn't need to exist outside of 1991.

5.5/10

Cold Steel - Freakboy (1992)

Really ? For real ? That's some album cover - but nothing about this record really makes sense, its amateurish quality making it endearing and oh so obscure. However, within the folds we find a half decent thrash record with some interesting structures to keep the sound refreshed. Yep, there's those chugs and those thrashy chants, but there's something so obscure about it all, check out the groove on 'Truth Or Dare', nice. Cold Steel (not a good name in the thrash game) take elements of the Bay Area and don't really do a lot with them but I've heard far worse over the years. If I'd seen this in '85 I would have snapped it up but I refuse to believe such a dodgy cover could have existed beyond the '80s!

6/10

Evil Sinner - Evil Sinner (1989)

One couldn't form a thrash band like this today if they tried! Looking back, and not just the cover, Evil Sinner seem almost cheesy and amateurish, and yet just to think these guys were probably formed with some kind of sincerity. Behind the denim and mullet hair there's a basement Metallica or even a dodgy, low-budget Megadeth style of thrash. Opener, wonderfully titled, 'Thrashers', is endearing in its naivety, the drums lost in the mix, vocally mundane, and at times hilarious in its ability to thrash. 'Mosh (Part One)' and 'The Gang' symbolise the teenage rebel attitude of the late '80s although I doubt many people would have heard these voices. This type of obscure metal is always worth digging out but there's never enough in the locker for it to last beyond half a spin.

5/10

Affliction - The Damnation Of Humanization (1992)

Pretty cool US thrash from California - loose chugging riffs and a few crossover structures. Lacks a real identity but thrashers back in the day were keen to lap this sort of stuff up before one of the big four were due to release a record. It's solid with a raw, angst-ridden vocal style that touches on political issues. Whether its the corrosive mosher 'Raping Mother Nature' or  the slower paced 'The Day After', I've no doubt that the thrash head within you will find something to savour. Of course, this type of record back in the early '90s became two a penny and would have suffered due to scene saturation, but many years later I'm still pleased to hear this sort of stuff hasn't lost its bite.

6/10

Sevenchurch - Bleak Insight (1993)

Despite being released on the Noise label in 1993, not many of you would have heard of doom mongers Sevenchurch who hailed from the UK - the home of doom. Sadly, the band only lasted for this gloomy outing but if you can track a copy down I suggest you close the curtains, paint the walls grey and set yourself up for a trip through rainy weather. A year or so previous the guys sent me a wicked package of newsletters and their fantastic 'Nefarious' demo, and so I just had to buy the debut album in support. Now, as we know, doom metal exists the world over, and there appears to be three types - there's the Black Sabbath imitation doom, which the likes of Count Raven have taken on board (which over time can grate),  then there's the psych doom which bands such as Cathedral have succeeded in constructing, and finally, there's the slo-mo dying doom, i.e. Winter, Burning Witch, Warhorse. All of these bands are cool at what they do but it's infrequently when bands come along within the genre and attempt to weave their own path. Witchfinder General did it many years ago, even Pentagram to some extent, and I believe Sevenchurch also did it. Just like Sabbath, and the bands already mentioned, Sevenchurch didn't try to be something they weren't, instead, they created an atmosphere that was from the heart and soul. Of the six monolithic tracks on offer only one runs at under ten minutes, and that's only by a shade - but don't let that put you off, instead step into the labyrinth of what became known as 'magnificent morose malevolence'.

'Bleak Insight' is not set out to grind your bones to dust, because it doesn't have to, because despite its morose glare it offers so much like a vast forest of differing shades and ivy-strewn pathways. Spears vocals are clear, almost casual in their almost reluctance to exist, the tones of a man submitting himself to the cold, vast dungeon like some sinful monk cast out by his brotherhood into a dank dwelling. In fact, the sound of Sevenchurch would be best suited to a ruinous abbey or wasted coastline where grey waves foam on jagged rocks. Am I rambling ? Of course, but that's the beauty and dark poetry of Sevenchurch. 'Bleak Insight' is exactly that, mournful, terrifying but not alienating like so many doom records which only exist to punish. 'Bleak Insight' can be relived, like a traditional ghost story it enables the listener/reader to embark on its journey never knowing what horror is to come and yet at the same time creating some time of cosy dwelling before the rain batters down from the pallid sky. Sombre is what it is, whether in the icy form of the gargantuan 'Perceptions', the concrete 'Low' or sighing 'Crawl Line'. The album fuels the imagination, and never once becomes a burden to the turntable, and when it has gasped its last funereal breath, you'll happily (well, not quite) sift through it again, finding extra layers of grey, and further chilled passageways into some esoteric gloom. Like Trouble, Sevenchurch have found their own relaxed style of hazy sadness without ever depressing the listener to the point of no return.

Sadly, the band would disintegrate after this debut record, and in some ways it's quite fitting they did, and as grunge laughably stained the airwaves of Britain, some of us ran back under our stones and gave bands of this ilk another listen, safe in the know that this type of metal is real - it follows no fad or trend, and it always exists because it comes from the soul, even if at times that place can be a little glum.

8/10

Samson - Head on (1980)

Samson feature the talents of Bruce Dickinson who would of course become Iron Maiden's chief crooner. Don't expect the same high voltage metal here, despite the very cool cover - instead you'll hear a melodic, new wave type of melodic metal which boasts the enigmatic mysterio Thunderstick on drums. 'Head On' will certainly please any metal head who gets their rocks off to the likes of Saxon, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, early Priest etc.

'Thunderburst' is co-written by a certain S. Harris (!), and with steam roller cuts such as 'Hard Times', 'Take It Like A Man' and 'Hammerhead', one will find this record quite a hefty jaunt - featuring some suave guitar work courtesy of Paul Samson. 'Head On' has a distinctive late '70s feel to it and despite being a cult act Mr Dickinson (lmown here as Bruce Bruce) would flee the nest of Samson for greater heights.

6/10

Laaz Rockit - Annihilation Principle (1989)

I couldn't bear the album cover - despite it being typically thrash - and for those not familiar with Laaz Rockit they were a bay Area act who just never got off the ground as their rivals/friends i.e. Exodus, Testament, reached greater heights. However, a few albums on and Laaz certainly became a cult force, and listening back on 'Annihilation...' I hear a ferocity I never fully appreciate back in the late '80s, possibly because it bears so many similarities to the likes of Exodus, especially in the vocal attack of Michael Coons. The album has that classic thrash edge, the guitar assault of Jellum and Kettner gives the album a spark and opener 'Fire In The Hole' is a battering ram of a track. 'Mirror To Madness', 'The Omen' 'Mob Justice', offer the same barrage, and tucked in there somewhere is the cover of DK's 'Holiday In Cambodia' which was released as an EP.

If you like Exodus and early Overkill then Laaz Rockit should find its way into your record collection. Although at the time the album may not have lived up to expectation (mainly due to the competition - as was the case of so many other acts), 'Annihilation...' is true, throw down the gauntlet thrash and you'd be a coward to not give it a try.

7/10

Re-Animator - Laughing (1991)

It's another of those peculiar British thrash sleeves which suggests the band are desperate to venture towards a slightly funkier edge - this is proven immediately when 'Rude Awakening' stumbles in, somewhere between a chug and a slither, and then there's the silly face-pulling, a jazzy riff here and there and those vocals which have moved away from the typical, straight-edged thrash chaos of before. I dunno, can I bear it ? Well, it's certainly a better listen than Ignorance, the rhythm of the opener is catchy and the production of Colin Richardson as clinical as one would expect. However, I just can't get away from the fact that this type of bubblegum thrash shoots itself in the foot, it lacks identity and tries to imitate everything else around it. 'Laughing' is a sign of the times as more and more bands strived for a more colourful adventure which wouldn't last as grunge took over a year later. I guess I can, at times, see why bands sold their souls to funk, they may have seen no future in thrash but considering how long thrash lasted compared to funk Re-Animator should have stuck to their guns. That's not to say that Re-Animator completely buried their head in the funky sands, but the album, especially with its sleeve, reeks of that sickly multi-coloured vomit that littered metal back in the day. The songs are well structured, from the chugging 'Laughing', and a half-decent cover of 'Too Drunk To Fuck', but in the end the comedy element just grates and by the time 'Monkey See, Monkey Dance' opens side two I've given up with the tom foolery. The only bands who could combine such styles being Mordred and Suicidal Tendencies who bands such as Re-Animator can't even hold a candle to.

5/10

Only Child - Only Child (1988)

For some reason I was always after this record. Strange, considering it's pretty melodic metal with a hint of Whitesnake, particularly in Sabu's vocals (Sabu also produced the record). Whilst the cover of W.A.S.P.'s 'Scream Until You Like It' is a bit of an album outcast, the rest of the opus is a dreamy metal record which has me imagining city lights of a midnight, the distant hum of the freeway (or is it  Sabu's lush guitar ?), crystal tears of a lost love tumbling (or that could be the drums of Esposito)...hey, you get the idea. It's hair metal - it drifts along at a nice pace - and you know that any band with the balls to write sultry cuts such as 'Always', 'I Wanna Touch' 'I Remember The Night' and 'Save A Place In Your Heart' are gonna throw in a few keyboards as the mist drifts in the room. When the smoke clears some naive metal kid may just hope that the band will leave him with the dream girl they seem so keen to speak about! Of course, it rarely happens because it's more than likely that the band had its wicked way with her anyway. 'Only Child' is a pretty good melodic metal album, and it sounds better now than it would have back then when this sort of metal was two a penny. Nice touch with the cover - young boy in the darkness and the talismanic guitar just within reach!! grab it boy, grab it! Reach for the stars....

7/10

Bonfire - Fireworks (1987)

I scoffed at this back in the day - I guess I was too busy thinking I was friends with Satan - but even so, giving this another spin I like it and appreciate for what it is - German metal with a Scorpions edge which isn't as weak as I would have expected. Claus Lessmann's tones give the whole affair a distinctly European edge, and the tumbling drums of Ken Mary and at times pulverising guitars of Ziller and Maier-Thorn actually shock me into liking it even more. Strangely, I recall this when it came out and it just reminded me of perfect metal for a late night, and the cover always embedded itself into the lore of my mind although I couldn't push myself to buy the record at the time. Hell, there was so much of this stuff around at the time, but when the searing guitars scorch the skin on 'Never Mind' and 'Rock Me Now' slinks with sultry aplomb I find myself nodding along with a smirk as if to say, 'Hey guys, this is alright'. The whole album appears to be bathed in a fiery hue, and although the dress code of the band is strictly for the cringe basket, I refuse to slag this ten track opus off because many years after its release, and several sweltering guitar licks down the line, I am man enough to say that Bonfire rock and 'Sleeping All Alone' could well be one of metal's finest three minutes.

7/10

Anvil - Hrd 'n' Heavy (1981)

I think it was a good move going from a Thunderhead review to this. Both bands of the same ilk, Thunderhead certainly taking a leaf out of Anvil's school of hard knocks attitude. Of course, Anvil have been in the game for what seems like centuries, their dinosaur metal never got them the acclaim they deserved whilst the bands at the time around them - Slayer Metallica, rose to the big time. Anvil stuck with it, some would say rather stubbornly, but there's no denying their place in metal's hall of heavy fame. This debut only a hint of what walls the juggernaut would demolish on its rocky road.

It's amazing the amount of bands from the '80s who sang about school - I guess it was the bands' way of telling the kids who listened that it was important to rebel against the system, although many of us never did! 'School Love' kicks in like a bastardisation of Van Halen with Allison's fuzzy riff and Lips' swirling leads and his almost cheeky vocal pout. Anvil keep it tongue in cheek throughout the album - 'At The Apartment', 'I Want You Both (With Me)', 'Bedroom Game', 'Bondage', but the innuendo would have been lost on many kids who sang the anthems and shook their head. From here Anvil would develop into a sturdy heavy metal act who quickly shed the slightly comical edge and replace it with a serious, straight spiky attitude. The inclusion of 'paint It Black' is kinda out of place, but 'Hard 'n' Heavy' is certainly a worthy addition to any early '80s metal collection even if it pales against the likes of Sabbath, Metallica etc.

6/10

Thunderhead - Busted At The Border (1990)

Incredibly underrated, Thunderhead are a warts 'n' all, balls to the wall, rock 'n' roll outfit who combine the grease of Motorhead with the swagger of Kiss and to great effect. Pretty no thrills some would say, the ten tracks on offer are there to rock and nothing more or less, but that's the point in bands like this. Tattoos, tight jeans, long hair, no gimmicks, just oily, fist-pumping, lung busting metal - '42nd Street', 'No Security', 'Terrified', 'Wicked Love' etc, constructed with a passion and not relying on Satan's minions to prop it up, but instead cold, steel riffs, a bluesy fury and hot rod motion. I saw these live and was impressed and every record they chucked out did exactly what it said on the tin and I can't argue with that.

7/10

Hexenhaus - A Tribute To Insanity (1988)

Blessed, rather oddly, with the same cover art as Morbid Angel's classic 'Blessed Are The Sick', Hexenhaus may not be as evil as Morbid Angel but they sure make a helluva thrash racket - and I dig it. The five piece hail from Sweden I believe and play a doomy, technical type of thrash, with heavy riffs, vicious vocals and clearly have some intelligence behind the noise. Think Coroner, Kreator, a bit of Celtic Frost et al, not hyper thrash, just quality, dense cacophony which reveals itself within a vast concept the band has created, as an ode to the witches who were burnt in Germany during the seventeenth century - the name Hexenhaus was a place in Germany said to have been inhabited by witches who dabbled with Satan. Great stuff. Musically 'A Tribute...' is tight, woven together by the riffage of Meister and Wead and solid drumming of Raideen. Favourite track on the album is the Bathory-esque 'Delirious' with its classic Venom type rattling and buzzing backbone.

This is the sort of album thrashheads would have loved back in the day and would have felt that their hard earned cash - or pocket money, would have been well spent on such a consistent raging record. Hats off to this type of thrash, I could go back to it time and time again and experience the same highs I experienced back then. At times creepy, often bewitching, and always furious.

8/10

Mama's Boys - Power & Passion (1985)

As a kid I would have been drawn to the album for one reason only - the cover - then, even more so by the poster - a slightly more lewd version of the cover, i.e. lady on gravestone clutching a knife whilst wearing a silk gown now becomes naked and cavorting with a guitar. Pure rock 'n' roll! The trio of brothers on the back sum up the cheesy image of mid '80s metal, attempting some type of gothic foray with the dripping candle wax, the cobweb coated crypt, but the look is just so lame. So, what does the sleeve hide sound wise ? Well, it's pretty mediocre but extremely anthemic metal - kind of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, think Def Leppard meets a bit of Kiss, but bereft of glam. Instead, Mama's Boys offer it straight and true and get their hooks in with those big choruses, 'Hard 'n' Loud', 'Lettin' Go', and anyone who comes up with a song called 'Needle In The Grooves' deserves their kudos - oh how we metalheads worshipped the vinyl.'Power...' deserves a listen on vinyl, because that's how metal like this shines even if there are a few bagpipes somewhere in there. It's not gonna change metal but an extra mark for the inclusion of the poster. Rockin'!

6/10

Dangerous Toys - Pissed (1994)

I just don't get it. After the okayish debut and more okayish second opus 'Hellacious Acres', Dangerous Toys are dropped by Sony, probably understandable considering a) they hadn't sold a great deal, b) there were so many sleaze bands around at the time, c) straight edged metal was dying out. Oddly, spending several years never living up to a reputation, DT respond with what is probably their most invigorating record blowing away the sleazy cobwebs and instead taking a leaf out of Skid Row's book and thumping out 'Pissed', a slightly lesser relative to the Row's mighty 'Slave To The Grind'. Sadly, this grunge tinged, scuzzed up, fizzing, hissing record, still epitomises the mid '90s, a world where everything is either the grunge way or the wrong way. Everything here has been turned up a few notches and doesn't dwell on cowboy melodies, because there's too much angst to release. Bold riffs, gluey rhythms, and a dirty face, 'Pissed' does exactly what it says on the tin...however, my big problem with this is that I find it all to be fake. I've always stood by bands who've stuck to their guns, and whilst I believe progression is important for a band, completely changing styles is not something I admire at all. A year after this the band would release the bemusing grunge suck-off 'The R-Tist 4-merly Known As Dangerous Toys', and whilst 'Pissed' offers itself up as a more bruising encounter, I'd still rather be sitting on the porch listening to their brand of sleaze rock because that's where they came from. In my opinion, if a band is going to wipe away its past and change direction altogether, they should change their name and not exist to simply suck up to trends. Skid Row simply rocked hard, Dangerous Toys sucked harder.

4.5/10

Masters Of Reality - Masters Of Reality (1988)

What a strange band these guys are...signed up by the Def American label, MOR caused quite a stir (the band formed in 1981 and this record is their debut seven years later) with their brand of grand hard rock. This won't appeal to everyone but once it's got it's hooks in you it becomes a cult masterpiece, experimenting with that retro '70s style of dark, boogie rock all wielded together by huge riffs and the coolest of grooves. I'm hearing so many influences here, from Roy Orbison, Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Zeppelin, Sabbath, The Cult. The super-cool chugger 'Domino' has such a timeless feel, stunning vocal melodies and a mega catchy chorus, the whole cauldron created by these guys feels so familiar in taste yet somehow so unique. The '70s blues and soaring psyche of 'The Blue Garden' reminds me of Cream meets The Cult (Cream's Ginger Baker was in the band at one point), and it's all so effortless, the album grows more and more with every spin, becoming hypnotic like a sinister magic show, taking the listener high then low into unusual places. Unfair to call it alterno-metal but it rocks big time, driving anthems, stadium fillers in fact, 'Gettin High' has a bluesy shuffle and 'The Candy Song' reminds me of a psychedelic Danzig!! The bar room funk of 'Magical Spell' and the twang-stomp of 'Eyes Of Texas' take the band through varying styles, and by the time the twisted grunge of 'Sleepwalkin' lazily oozes into the room, you'll be fully mesmerized by this record. From swirling organs to Zeppish occult oddness, it's so hard to pigeon hole and yet reminds me of so much, from The Doors to ZZ Top in places, and yet with such a wicked edge. Hard to fathom where this sort of stuff comes from but has all the traits of everlasting folklore, embedding itself into the walls like blood into a stone. Give it a try...

8.5/10

Kuss - And The Circus Leaves Town (1995)

A big cult band, this being the bands final journey into stoner rock. For me this spaced out type of retro-riff heavy rock signalled the arrival of what became known, rather irritatingly, as 'stoner'. An almost cosmic step on from 'doom', but far less atmospheric and certainly less gifted than say the mighty Trouble. The likes of Sheavy, Orange Goblin, Monster Magnet, all dabbled in the sounds of space rock, touches of Mudhoney, The Stooges and of course Sabbath, but never once getting close to the monolithic haze created by the Brummie masters. 'Hurricane' and 'One Inch Man' are blessed with concrete buzz riffs, which for me seem to drown the vocals and the whole hazy high the band creates leaves me rushing for the toilet to be honest. I get nothing from Kyuss whatsoever, in the same way I get nothing from doom mongers Electric Wizard, it just all seems predictable and faceless. I don't even want to bore myself by extending the review even more except to say that this type of stuff, which ran alongside the rise of nu-metal, was another sign that metal in the mid '90s was dead.

4/10

Pigeonhead - Pigeonhead (1994)

Featuring Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, Pigeonhed is a Seattle-based collaboration between Steve Frisk and the subtle voice of Shawn Smith, but this is no grunge album. Pigeonhed are an experimental act who dabble in everything from electronica, trip hop, lo-fi, and a dash of soul. Hardly metal but for me more rewarding than say Mad Season. This will appeal to those who are avid collectors of anything connected with the grunge era, but musically this drifts along, peppered with mellow vocals. Not a guitar in sight, some may find this too frustrating and moody, it being so laid back with a hint of hip-hop laziness. Alterno indeed, displaying soulful quality and Shawn's touching vocals which made Satchel so endearing. Whilst not essential or even metal, it makes for a nice little breather if this this is your thing. This is the bands debut, two more albums followed.

5/10

Thrashed From The Start - Volume 6 (2010)

Some would say that with Volume 6 of this series the best has been saved for last. Personally, I found more joy listening to the demo's by bands such as Violence, Death Angel, Overkill etc, but hey, Volume 6 gives us Slayer circa 1986 and Metallica from '82. Slayer's demo is called 'Escape From The Studio' and sees the band vomit out a handful of classics including the nightmarish 'Necrophobic', the stirring thrash anthem 'Evil Has No Boundaries' and the raw 'Die By The Sword' alongside another four metal monsters. Metallica offer four cuts in their 'Power Metal Demo', those being 'Hit The Lights', 'The Mechanix', 'Motorbreath', and 'Jump In The Fire'. What more could a raging metalhead want ? This is where it all began, back in the mists of the early '80s where denim, leather, fire, sweat and blood united. Personally, I think these 'Thrashed..' records are a great idea and I'd love to see more of these released, possibly involving the early outings of bands such as Death, Morbid Angel, Possessed, etc. My only negative point being that the covers of each volume are identical except for a sticker on the back of the record, but that's a minor quibble.
(Image from Bad Seeds Records)
8/10

Thrashed From The Start - Volume 2 (2010)

This set of six was a bit of a mysterious release but certainly one which has been applauded by thrash fans. If there's any metalheads out there just getting into the murky void of thrash then the least you can do is learn your lesson by buying these records. Back in the day all the coolest thrash bands released pretty low-budget and basement quality demo's which would have exchanged hands between tape traders. It was this sort of scene which enabled so many cool bands not only to flourish but become the rich bitches they are today. Old school thrash demo's only really existed on dodgy cassette but hey, this was all part of the scene, but it's great to have some of these gems resurrected on vinyl. 'Thrashed From The Start' (pretty bad title!), volume 2, introduces us to metallic punks Voivod and the blitzkrieg thrash of Tormentor who would go on to become the force that is Kreator. The Tormentor demo's date back to 1983 and the four cuts, 'Armies Of Hell', 'Cry War', 'Satans Day' and 'Messenger From Burning Hell' were yet to feature that clinical, biting Kreator sound but still, this is still ferocious thrash that built a huge fan base. The band would of course grow from '83 and eventually churn out classic albums such as 'Pleasure To Kill' and 'Terrible Certainty'. Voivod, meanwhile, were always something a little different, the French Canadians had a unique, bone-rattling, ear-splitting sound with a spiked edge. The '84 demo offers five cuts including the brilliant 'Suck Your Bone', the choking, smoke-ridden clatter of 'Voivod' and face-ripping 'Live For Violence'.

Voivod and Kreator, thrash kings who, even from the start, waved the banner for original yet pulverising sound.

(Image from Bad Seeds Records)

8/10