Darkthrone - Soulside Journey (1991)

When these Norwegian guys hit the racks, they were considered one of the more promising death metal acts. ‘Soulside…’, despite being a very good record, was not to be the bands musical journey as they become enshrouded in the sinister Norwegian black metal scene, and very much part of the Inner Circle, a whole different story altogether which can be reflected in the bands next batch of albums, on which they would completely shed any death metal leanings and opt for a raw, very evil sound. However, ‘Soulside…’ is still a death metal record worth checking out, one of the finest European albums from the genre if you ask me, combining an Entombed style atmosphere, only colder and far more bleak.
The musicianship is tight, the vocals harsh and obscure, so there are certain black metal influences already showing here, but what was to come made even a majority of metal’s fans cower with fear as black metal took its hold and the early ‘90s became a pitch blanket of necro-metal not for the faint hearted.
As it stands, ‘Soulside…’ and its eleven tracks, remains a solid death metal album that shouldn’t slip by any fan just because the band disowned it in favour of murkier depths.

8/10

Trouble - Trouble (1990)

The Chicago combo hit the heights, signing to Def American, and then destroying the entire metal fraternity with what is without doubt one of the greatest heavy rock albums of all time. Would this have happened without the influence of Zeppelin, Sabbath and a bucket load of drugs ? Maybe, either way, it’s a potent mix of all three, Rick Rubin’s production here making this record a bloated behemoth, an iron giant of an opus that strides above the rock scene, trampling all the newcomers and old-timers in its monolithic wake, even making the bands earlier efforts seem comparatively mild! This is earthquake overload, at times lucid, sometimes beautiful, mostly sad, always frightening in its sheer weight, this is not doom rock, it’s just rock ‘n’ roll Armageddon.
Wagner, a banshee, a foghorn, a rampant yet soulful messiah breathing light and dark into the kaleidoscopic sky, a storm s brewing here, the zenith cracks and the riffs just rain down, the drums are more than thunder, the track list more than heavenly, spin the record time and time again, it never weakens, but it lessens the so called competition, forget Candlemass, forget Saint Vitus, only Sabbath and Zeppelin’s darkest moments match Trouble’s grandeur and arrogance.
How a band could be still considered just a cult act after releasing such a monster is beyond me, here is one of the genre’s most perfect works, eight tracks that just plough through the streets and the fields, sweeping, shaking and destroying with such casual ease, it’s as if the band are mocking all who dare stand in their way, because what is on offer here is just ludicrous in its genius. There’s no sleeve art of fantasy to draw you in, just the band standing there, just like Sabbath all those years ago in their almost dated album covers, simple images yet which mean so much as the funereal chords march through the city, crows perch ominously on every building, the clouds ache in their willingness to bleed rain like there’s never been rain before, and when it comes, it’s at one sweepingly majestic yet suffocating, no sludge, just pure tyrannical rock music, with the most uplifting and timeless choruses, solo’s which embed themselves into the soul, and lyrics which paint pictures of leafy misery, rainy Sunday’s and graveyards drenched in mist.
Pick a track, any track, and it’s a full blown classic that still, almost two decades later, remains untouched by any other band. ‘Trouble’ as a record stands confidently alongside Sabbath’s most masterful works, as a record it shuns no deity, and instead becomes one, a godly, supreme force which spreads huge black wings and envelopes the world in its overpowering shadow.
Buy this record, or forever remain bereft.
10/10

Sanctuary - Refuge Denied (1989)

Vocalist Warrel Dane has always had a fair set of lungs on him (check out his more recent workings with the underrated Nevermore), but it was with Sanctuary that he caught my eye, ‘Refuge Denied’ is another of those classic looking metal albums, adorned in Repka sleeve, that never really lets you down, coming across as Judas Priest meets lightweight thrash, hell, even Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine allegedly produced the record.
It’s actually good stuff, although the vocals you’ll either love or despise, often soaring off the radar, but thankfully this is at once good old fashioned searing rock, mixed with an icy gothic slow-paced thrash, if there’s such a thing, and not forgetting the very adequate cover of Jefferson Airplane’s psych ‘60s classic ‘White Rabbit’.

7.5/10

Witchfinder General - Friends Of Hell (1983)

Another thirty-minute slab of Northern doom rock from the Brit band who literally sum up the word ‘cult’. This has all the Sabbath solo’s, riffs and “…oooh yeaaaahs”, and yet it has its own sound, this is no depressive work-out, but tongue-in-cheek yet at times masterful dark rock, blessed in another sordid and wonderfully erotic cover like something from a Hammer Horror movie, this is a record rich in simple yet effect grooves which inspired many bands to fill the genre that would become known as doom rock.
Fave tracks are the plodding ‘Last Chance’ and Maidenesque title track at once encapsulating the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal sound and that classic Sabbath riff.

7/10

Entombed - Left Hand Path (1989)

‘Left Hand Path’ caught many death metal fans unaware, the brutal, churning chainsaw riffs grinding through flesh and bone, yet sounding unlike any other death metal noise out there. The scene was becoming swamped by a horde of American death metal acts, who’d all had their records produced in the same manner, but Entombed, on the UK based Earache label, were far from the conventional gurgle, this being more of a cold yet somehow grooved chug, the guitars here, from Cederlund and Hellid enabling the band to become a noticeable cacophony and inspiring many other European acts to do the same, i.e. Dismember et al, which made the scene far more refreshing.
The vocal delivery of Lars-Goran Petrov somewhere between throaty rasp and frostbitten rasp, making this record a must have for any self-confessed death metal freak. The balance between speed and mid-tempo is perfect, the juggernaut riffs occasionally spliced by some icy leads, the opening, title track alone is worth the money.

8/10

Sepultura - Beneath The Remains (1989)

Vastly overrated record from the Brazilian bunch who came along way from their early speedcore roots, this time the band become more than just a cult thrash act, stepping up the gear and propelling themselves to new heights, but in reality ‘Beneath…’ isn’t that much of a heavyweight album, still a bucket of blood away from Slayer’s mighty ranting, but still, this is way better than the murky earlier years and a fine progression, the record boosted by some superb drumming, courtesy of Igor Cavalera and his brother Max’s intense yet clear vocal delivery which enables the band straddle the death and thrash metal void without never truly slipping into either.
There are some razor cuts on offer here, far more than your bog-standard grunt ‘n’ roll Floridian act, but this lacks the chainsaw delivery of early Entombed and Dismember, or the complex bewilderment of Atheist, or anywhere near the fuzzing weight of say Obituary, but it’s still a decent record that put the band on the map.

7.5/10

Dio - Dream Evil (1987)

My favourite Dio opus, although ‘The Last In Line’ rocks big time too, ‘Dream…’ adorned in a fine and fantastic cover, depicting the Dio ‘demon’ standing in an innocent looking child’s room, which is under the spell of so many different lurking horrors. Musically, it’s not quite as grim, Dio once again opting for magical anthems, Ronnie’s voice soaring like some enchanting sorcery weaving and constructing all manner of potions and spells as dragons, gargoyles, elves and dwarves spill from the castle portcullis.
Metal during the mid’ to late 1980s was always dark and magical, and Ronnie James Dio was always one of the front runners of such musty, crackling fiery musicianship, a fine storyteller as well as an immaculate vocalist, up there with Ozzy as some kind of leather-clad idol.
‘Dream Evil’ is a strong record, the band’s finest for me, so expect one or two swaying power ballads, i.e. ‘All The Fools Sailed Away’, but there are some true metal stompers on here also, being the title cut, and ‘Sunset Superman’.
Overall a quality metal record for those dark nights in by the fire.

8.5/10