Blessed Death - Kill Or Be Killed (1989)

A cult offering - as so many are - that brings to mind the oaken thrashing of Britain's Sabbat, fronted by warrior banshee screams and a few Slayeresque thrashings, this is very much metal from the rock days of yore. I know little about these guys but I know a cool track when I hear it and 'Knights Of The Old Bridge' is a forgotten epic metal classic, drenched in atmosphere, shaved by grating riffs that bring to mind old Darkthrone, and some doom-tinged melody. Cool stuff, but a majority of metalheads back in the '80s would've probably missed this sort of stuff unless they got to the import racks of great shops such as Shades. 'Eternal War' and the likes are killer cuts, perfect for an evening in the dark.

7/10

Sacrilege - Turn Back Trolibite (1989)

Wow, what a great album title, and with that cosmic cover I was always hoping for some power metal trip into the dark ages, and thankfully, that's what I got. Sacrilege, doom-edged, female fronted power rockers from the dreary Midlands, enable the landscapes of their home town to slip into their fantasy world as we're treated to a lengthy, almost epic sounding record that crosses an almost doomy style of thrash with a Gothic rock feel. At times rainy, but never depressing, the band are at ease with grinding out seven-minute epics, 'Silent Dark' and 'Equinox' are ominous doom cuts only slightly weakened by Tam's vocals which at times, despite their yearning for power, get swallowed up by the monolithic plod of the terrain. 'Into The Sea...', in several parts, is as epic as it gets and the Euro goth metal feel of 'Father Time' adds weight to the band's CV, and yet despite several sound alterations over the years, 'Turn Back...' is still my fave Sacrilege record, a record so magnificently crafted and overweight as it plunders, but also a record that shows great maturity, and proof also that there were Brit bands back in the '80s able to trade blows with the likes of Sweden's Candlemass and the like. Turn back or forever be bewitched.

8/10

Circus Of Power - Vices (1990)

This being the band's second record, now signed to RCA. Circus Of Power play decent dark-edged sleaze metal daubed in oil, grease and lady juice! Pure rock 'n' roll swagger, sits well alongside Zodiac Mindwarp, The Cult, and hell, even Danzig for sultry gloom. Of course, there's the Stones-esque beginnings of 'Don't Drag Me Down' which drifts effortlessly as a cool ballad, whilst 'Temptation' is a rattlesnake shake of a cut steeped in Faster Pussycat sneer and Cult-esque bravado. Circus Of Power never made the big time and were soon swallowed up by the grunge invasion, and with 'Vices' merely sporting good old fashioned sleaze rock, it was never gonna be easy from here on. Vocally, Alex Mitchell is strained, but in a good way, his rasp playing mouse to the catty guitars. The cover reminds me of some half-hinted early '90s alterno-metal record, and I think some people want C.O.P. to slot right in there with that scene, but instead, 'vices' is more akin to a night in a piss-drenched alley.

7/10

Slaughter - Strappado (1986)

Punishing death thrash, so, not easily confused with '80s glam pompsters of the same name. Slaughter were somewhat a cult band that never climbed their way out of the cult status quagmire, but 'Stappado' is one of those volatile underground thrash records you should own. From the buzzsaw riffs of 'Nocturnal', which combines Celtic Frost deathgrunts with the face-ripping hate of Slayer, this dark intense thrash work out, which boasts beefy deathly vocals, succumbs not to commercialism. 'Tortured Souls' and 'Parasite' are perfect examples of '80s thrash, hyped up by drums which zip along at an alarming rate, the former boasting full on demonic chorus. Nice work if you can get it, but I've no doubt that these guys are now probably washing cars or dead...cool album cover and kick ass drum sound.

8/10

Token Entry - Jaybird (1991)

Old school hardcore punk thrashing skatecore!! "All I wanna do is skate, skate...", pretty much sums up the scene at the time, think Suicidal Tendencies first album and the crossover majesty of D.R.I. Streetwise, aggressive, hyper teenage angst with attitude. 'Jaybird' was a bit of a cult record for me and many others, I loved the cover and the refreshing pace of the record, it made the ideal soundtrack to those summer days in 'Anthrax shorts' speeding down a hill on a crappy skateboard and crashing into a wall. I guess you had to be there, and thankfully Token Entry were, now, patch up those cuts and bruises and get back on the board to hardcore babylon.

6.5/10

Corrosion Of Conformity - s/t (2012)

Well, the 'fans' are moaning because weed king Pepper Keenan seems to be more interested in Down, but the true fans will argue that this is C.O.C.'s best ever record, the band now existing as they did in the beginning, as a trio consisting of Woody Weatherman (guitar), Mike Dean (bass/vox) and Reed Mullin (drums/vox). I personally think that despite a few decent tracks here and there, C.O.C. were on the gradual slide after the brilliant 'Wiseblood', for me 'Blind', 'Deliverance' and 'Wiseblood' being the bands greatest batch of albums. Even so, C.O.C. have always been a tad frustrating, taking the word 'cult' to new heights in the sense that whilst they were always cool as fuck and pretty much better than most bands, they never got the credit and certainly not the success they deserved despite such monstrous tracks as 'Clean My Wounds', 'Vote With A Bullet' etc. C.O.C. gave us a gargantuan hybrid of the bands we loved as kids - Sabbath, Metallica, etc. However, in their early days C.O.C. were considered more brash, records such as 'Technocracy' bridged a gap between metal, punk and hardcore, and on their new opus I'm hearing the same.

I don't think C.O.C. will ever lose their swampy doom riffs, 'Come Not...' a prime example of their ability to create Sabbath-inspired monolithic doom, but this time round everything is done at a much faster pace, the dope-induced journeys seem few and far between except for a few lumbering riifs strewn here and there. In general, 'Corrosion Of Conformity' reminds me of the fast paced experimentalism of Bad Brains, circa say, 'Quickness', upping the riffage to levels of angst, particularly on 'River Of Stone' and the punkoid 'Leeches'. Fans expecting those lucid, doom-laden slabs will be disappointed, and vocally Keenan's suave drool may be sorely missed, but the facts are, C.O.C. will always exist in some form, and in 2012 it's the aggressive sneer of 'What We Become' and the rock 'n' roll thrash up of  'Rat City'. Personally, I'd give anything to hear the 'Blind' line-up again, because whilst I'll always have great respect for C.O.C. the current incarnation I'm finding a little bland round the edges. I haven't lost complete faith, because as I said earlier, I'm still stuck on the glory days of the trio of albums I already mentioned, but judging by the reaction of fans, most seem happy with this more aggressive direction, but in the world of C.O.C. we'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

7/10

Cynic - Carbon Based Anatomy (2011)

After a few experimental side projects messr's Masvidal and co, return with an intergalactic six tracker that may surprise even the most die hard of Cynic fans. 'Carbon Based Anatomy' was always going to be an original record, but this time out the band have stripped themselves of their metallic edge and constructed cosmic landscapes and tribal pastures, rarely existing beyond a whisper. Metalheads may be slightly disappointed, but Cynci were always thinking outside of the box but on this occasion they've ripped the box up and discarded it like some empty milk carton. On 'Carbon...' all limits and boundaries have faded into angel dust as the band drift, with extraterrestrial direction, into a netherworld of bubbly bass-lines, serene vocals and almost drug-induced tranquillity. Call it prog rock, call it whatever you want, but Cynic defy gravity, stretching the boundaries and creating their own chimera of sounds, a swirling myriad of awkward soundscapes - I had to laugh at the crowd reaction when watching their Wacken gig online, so many deathheads desperate to headbang hey just bamboozled by the textured and almost inaccessible exhalation. 'Amidst The Coals', featuring a breathless female vocal is magical, but again, not a hint of metal in sight, and the bongo-fuelled 'Bija' is layered with drum sprinkles and simmering beauty. Alien worlds indeed, yet places which the Cynic guys are clearly at ease with. It might be argued that such a record may only appeal to those who dig bands like Dream Theatre, but for me, Cynic, with their ability to create such marvels, have now opened themselves up to a greater, wider audience.

Cynic's first two masterpieces, 'Focus' and 'Traced In Air' will always be considered highly innovative and experimental metal records, but 'Carbon...' is a completely different force of nature. Cynic are ina  field of their own, the trouble is some people may find this patch completely inaccessible, but for those who do appreciate the band and their obvious talents, 'Carbon...' will come as a soothing journey through time and space.

7.5/10