Axemaster - Death Before Dishonor (1990)

Frightening power/thrash metal with terrible production which somehow gives it a stuffy (literally!) charm. This is pure metal, if you like bands like Titan Force, Savatage-circa 'Dungeons...' then you'll love this. Every swirling solo and chugging riff sounds as if it's slaying dragons whilst the vocal attack is pure power metal warble, high pitched screams and guttural growls, and you just know that any band who has song titles like 'Deliver Us From Evil' is going to be good. Some would argue we've ehard it all before, but when it's played this good one cannot complain, this is real dungeon metal from another of those ill-fated, obscure bands. Christopher Michaels and Terry Wilson both provide vocals - the throaty attack so cavernous and thrilling especally when accompanied by a sky reaching solo or crash of stone drums. It's great to hear metal so epic, the track 'Axemaster' has a Venom-style ramble about it, the vocals a low gurgle over dark bass and tinny guitar lick. Great stuff. "The axemaster, now he can run but we are faster...", lyricsw probably written in a few secondds, and yet the primal clattering of Axemaster wins me over every time. 7.5/10