Death Strike - Fuckin' Death (1985)

Death Strike featured Paul Speckman who went on to form cult death metal heroes Master. Mind you, Death Strike are far better in my humble opinion. This was reissued in 2011, a welcome reissue of a cult classic that comes fromt he stuffy heyday of extreme metal when death metal was just getting off the ground. This stuff was pretty inspirational and sums up old school values. I can see where Darkthrone and the likes got their influence, Death Strike play a pretty manic, musty and punkoid style of black metal/death metal. From the gnarly vocals and those stuffy riffs this is a surefire winner on the underground. It revels in its own grave, proud to be obscure and for its thirty or so minutes of existence this pukes harder than most. The riffs buzz, the drums clatter and the dirt just clogs the arteries. Perfect for a night dosed up with early Vovoid, early Death, early Celtic Frost, old Venom, old Destruction, and with a handful of bous tracks this really is a glimpse into a past that no metaller should ever forget. Cool lyrics which are more social commentary rather than satanic worship, the band would go on to inspire several bands within the hardcore, grindcore and crossover genre. As crusty as it gets, fuckin' death... 8/10