Sempiternal Deathreign - The Spooky Gloom (1989)

Cracking band name, superb album title...this is a weird one indeed. If you're looking for obscure and heavy then 'The Spooky Gloom', blessed with a great album cover too, will be your thing. Doomy, quagmire death gloom, pounding grey riffs, slabs of concrete drums, bassy drama, sludgy vocals, a haze of abysmal solitude and gruelling passion. A few up tempo tracks among the six leviathans of offer, when the band raise their serpentine head this is something akin to a fleshy death-thrash epic, but somehow, like Winter's 'Into Darkness', this stands alone. An album of peculiarity, the one that got away as it writhes like a great, fatty boa constrictor into the murky river.

7.5/10

Nightmare - Power Of The Universe (1985)

The perfect soundtrack to the mid '80s. This is a true slab of heavy metal, the band's second opus. I love the vocal delivery of Jean Marie and the density of the guitars. Nothin' fancy here, just good French metal, and I've heard that the band, despite tragically losing their singer, reformed in the late '90s and their career has prospered. Eight tracks on offer here, worth every penny, and although I've seen this labelled as thrash metal, it's not, but instead exists as a potent and gothic-edged power metal.

7.5/10

Witchcross - Fit For Fight (1984)

Released on the Roadrunner label, this little gem may well have confused or fooled a few metallers seeking darker desires. Although the sleeve artwork isn't the greatest, it does appear to advertise a solid, possibly sinister metal record, and the band's name could also provide images of evil witchery, but instead we get a consistent metal record not too heavy on the evil, but certainly stirring the cauldron. Witchcross are Danish rockers, fronted by Alex Savage who certainly knows how to scream above the wail of the guitars and thunder drums. Imagine a slightly more cutting edge Heavy Load, because this is true metal, blessed with some true metal masterpieces. 'Killer Dogs' and Axe Dance' being my fave torch bearers. Strike a light and blaze a trail for Witchcross.

7.5/10

Running Wild - Gates To Purgatory (1984)

Pretty much a muffled mess of power thrash that never got its feet off the ground. I recall seeing adverts for the bands t-shirts and records when purchasing some vinyl, but I was never urged to buy the albums. Running Wild are pretty mundane, but if I had to listen to any of their catalogue it would be the earlier stuff which at least had some kind of stuffy atmosphere, but the band would become a bit too clean and jolly roger fuelled for my liking. When you consider what Celtic Frost, Voivod and Kreator were spewing out, Running Wild pale in comparison. Fave cuts however, being 'Black Demon' with its watery vicious edge, the darker 'Soldiers Of Hell', and 'Walpurgis Night'. Not the worst record you'll hear, but it's veins run thick with similar sounding lethargy.

6.5/10

Hobbs Angel Of Death - Hobbs Angel Of Death (1988)

Strange band name (named after the band vocalist and guitarist Peter Hobbs), but the music herein is a frenetic thrash work-out worthy of inclusion. Wicked album cover, furious guitar lashes, frantic drumming and a vocal delivery which drops this album deep into the thrash abyss. 'Jack The Ripper', 'Crucifixion' and 'Bubonic Plague' kind of let you know this isn't pansy metal. Alot of Slayer influence in the frenzy, kind of nips at your flesh like a school of piranha, eager to get the message across that this is tortured and tormented music not for the faint hearted. Considered quite a cult act in their homeland (Australia), but their recorded output has resulted in long periods of inactivity.

6.5/10

Hazzard - Hazzard (1984)

Slightly cheesy hard rock from Herman Frank of Accept, but some very catchy tunes. Reminds me of a better Kiss ('Nothing At All') and enough cliche's to boot, but 'Moonlight' imprints itself on the brain, and 'Just A Dream' rocks slightly harder. A bit of a forgotten gem me thinks, eight solid tracks which, through their haze of rather '80s obsession, deserve more attention as the years pass. Believe me, if Paul Stanley can make a living out of some of the most feeble glam-stomper's known to man, then Hazzard at least deserve a bit of credit because what they have achieved on these record, is worth more than many Kiss albums combined.

7/10

Vicious Rumors - Soldiers Of The Night (1985)

The band name was slightly misleading, was it thrash ? Glam ? Power metal ? Who cares, a stonking debut of high quality metal, fired by the band's ability to survive the death of early '90s metal and continue into beyond. An impressive career even if the act never made it to the top flight. 'Ride (Into The Sun) is fury and fire rolled into one, not quite intense enough to be classed as thrash, this is more of an energetic power metal. Memorable choruses (i.e. the title cut and superb 'March Or Die'), this is classic metal for its time, Geoff Tate's triumphant wail wouldn't last the distance, but as debut records go this rocks. I'd slot Vicious Rumors alongside the likes of Metal Church as underrated but clearly far clinical and important than Metallica's output over the last ten or so years. Cool album cover too.

I always expected Helloween to sound like this, but thought the German's lacked a meatiness, and yet they probably gained more success than VC, but I'd chose this type of metal over most.

7/10

Midas Touch - Pressage Of Disaster (1989)

Just by lookin' at this record you can tell it's off the Noise Records roster. So, it's bound to be thrash of some kind ? Possibly European ? The intro 'The Arrival' gives us no real clue, but 'Forcibly Incarcerated' certainly does, a cutting, Mordred-esque slice 'n' dice brand of thrash. Some Bay Area chugging, tight musicianship and this is turning into a hearty, albeit slightly predictable listen. Vocally it also hints at Mordred's master Scott Holderby, especially on the more soulful chorus of 'Forcibly...', and hell, I quite like it. Think back to the already reviewed Paradox and their US-inspired German thrash, and this grooves on the same lines. This would have probably been overlooked at the time, but of the eleven tracks on offer, a majority remain fresh even if standard when put alongside the likes of the already said Mordred, Forbidden etc. Still, Midas Touch are a cool little act who I'd recommend to any thrasher looking for something a little different than your average chug-fest.

7/10

Manilla Road - Invasion (1980)

All rather strange if you ask me!! These metallers beginning life in the late '70s and churning out a real feast of molten metal from day one. Extremely underrated as an act, this debut slice of power rock has many a progressive moment, and does slip in to self-indulgence, whilst the watery production tends to swamp the groove of the vocal delivery. Of the six tracks on offer a handful weigh in at over six-minutes, 'Cat And Mouse' is an eight-minute wonder of oddness, beginning like some heavy metal/reggae shuffle before becoming a swirling whirlwind of wild guitars. Quite an inspirational act but the cosmic waffling and bamboozling experimentation could be lost on a few as the hefty tracks slither by like robotic slugs. And if you can stick with the final thirteen-minute epic, then you've achieved a great thing!

6.5/10

Excalibur - The Biiter End (1985)

Stuffy Judas Priest-esque basement metal for the masses. Six tracks, 'Im Telling You' is a bit of a fist pumper, high octane metal, 'Devil In Disguise' opens slowly like some heavenly Zeppelin take-off and it's this kind of track which symbolises mid-'80s metal if you ask me. I'm digging the dark atmosphere, but nothing Satanic, but simply pondering like some weary traveller over the flames of a flickering forest fire. Well, maybe I'm just rambling now, but Excalibur are a decent act. 'Come On And Rock' is a crotch-ripper of a cut, see those heads banging down at the front, and the closer 'Haunted By The Shadows' (with another acoustic slo-burner of an intro) finishes off a rather nifty little EP as it descends into a fiery abyss of molten metal. Good stuff.

7/10

E-X-E - Stricken By Might (1987)

Released right in the centre of thrash chaos, E-X-E were touted as the next cool thing in thrash circles. Of course, they never reared their ugly heads beyond the mundane despite 'Stricken...' being a relatively decent thrash assault. Ten tracks on offer which remind me alot of early Slayer but without the haunting menace or evil arrogance. The album exists on a hot-bed of soaring solo's, buzzing riffs and predictable vocals, and comes wrapped in a truly atrocious sleeve which looks to have been drawn by a five-year old. Okay, so petty quibbles aside, 'Stricken...' is a half-decent thrash opus but they won't win any awards in the serious stakes for calling sides A and B of the record, Icky and Pooey!! Oh such metal humour could be so cringe worthy to say the least.

E-X-E do play reasonable thrash metal, and this is a cult offering, but once you've slapped on Slayer's 'Hell Awaits' you'll soon forget E-X-E ever existed.

6.5/10

Obliveon - Nemesis (1993)

As the slow, ominous chugs of the title track seep in, there's a stark realisation, that even in their blissfully cold environment, Obliveon, and their brand of technical metal, will never truly get their just desserts. It's a shame that so many bands of this type, who lurk in the alleyways of our subconsciousness, will always be perceived as cult acts, but they deserve much more. 'Obscure Mindways' is classy complex thrash, something us thrashers widely appreciated when Megadeth churned it out on 'Rust In Peace', and yet when bands such as Obliveon play an even darker and more progressive style, they remain overlooked. Music is a fickle thing, so grab 'Nemesis ' while you can and be fully appreciative of this remote style of thrashing.

In its icy glare and formidable structure of awkwardness, 'Nemesis' doesn't lose its weight in sound and still heaves with the best. 'Factory Of Delusions' creates a grey kaleidoscope of brutal soundwaves, and the final cut 'Strays Of The Soul' opens with some Cynic-like meanderings before oozing into darkly gothic rumbles and melodic jangling. And it's this kind of experimentation which enables the band to have such an elasticated sound, a wiry frame within which to work such wizardry. Many will find such an experience as alienating, but that's the point of the Obliveon sound, to create an extraterrestrial cosmos where there is no boundary.

8/10

Obliveon - Carnivore Mothermouth (1999)

My favourite cult thrashers release their fourth and final platter of cold, technical speed. A truly mesmerising record, a clinical mix of Sodom, Fear Factory, but still a world away from any known existence. Chugging, icy, complex, awkward yet melodic, moving on with vast change from the slightly darker debut, 'From This Day Forward'. Obliveon could easily slip into the known quantities of today's metal, just check the steel glint of 'Love, Die, Resurrect' and the monstrous pummelling of 'Such A Quiet River'. Slap this in the same cyber vortex once frequented by Coroner, Cynic, Watchtower, and Atheist only heavier and more meaty.

The musicianship is stunning, flicking bass lines, industrialised guitar riffs, guttural yet comprehensible vocals watered by a robotic structure and drums which kick, strut and trigger to form the concrete background. Ten tracks of cutting, frosted and remote power thrash. Hear those great cogs churning and revel in the unpredictable extremity. For fans of complex and refreshing music everywhere. Thrash - but not as we know it!

8/10

Lions Breed - Damn The Night (1985)

Certainly not life-changing metal. The cover alone however would've got me interested as a naive kid!

'Heavy Current', 'Live & Let Die' and personal fave 'Lady Of The Night' gallop along nicely, and there's nothing here that's gonna bite your face off. Rather standard metal in its structure, good solid rock of which I know little about as far as the band goes.

5.5/10

Agony Column - God, Guns & Guts (1989)

Oh boy, this is some serious backwater hostility. Unsure how to categorise this gem of a record, but it digests classic metal, gorges itself on deathly growls, chokes on thrashy chugs, and chomps down on a few Motorhead riffs. Add to this wonderful concoction everything from White Zombie, Slayer, a bit of punk, a slab of grunge, a dose of hardcore and a pounding garage blues, and you may have some idea of what Agony Column are. Of course, descriptions aside, Agony Column play a fiery breed rock 'n' roll that grooves, thrashes, rages and stomps. 'Snakebite' is truly immense, completely unexpected in its drag-racing go-go strut, C.O.C, White Zombie and buckets of oil, but where is this strangeness coming from and going to ? Only Faith No More really served up such aggression and coupled it with subtlety and wonder, but Agony Column do a fine job of combining hot-metal, an almost ZZ Top-esque boogie (halfway through '4x4'), and a Guns 'n' Roses sleaze. Big sounds abound here.

'Fiendish Plots' almost pokes fun at the graveyard metal stomp of yesteryear, a mutation of AC/DC , The Cramps and Misfits with its comical buzz, and yet somehow...somehow...this is all so serious and rocking. 'Cars, Sex & Violence' chugs like Anthrax, but Richie Turner's warble twists and turns through the molten riffs. 'Walk The Night' begins akinto some Joe Satriani guitar wank, yet remains blessed in tattooed darkness and then there's that head pounding chug, could that be Exodus ? Priest ? Or maybe that groove is pure Hollywood sleaze chained up in a dingy castle!

'Blackjack' finds itself years ahead of anything else, a funky strut of a tune that comes from out of nowhere. You'll be perplexed, but always coloured by this hot-potch of monster groove and daring rock. Always aggressive in its motive, but sexy as it writhes like some multi-coloured serpent. A strange brew indeed. Track this one down.

8.5/10

Ivory Tiger - Metal Mountain (1986)

This rarity is a four-tracker adorned in rather childish cover art and pumping the fist of metal might! Imagine a slightly beefier Saxon, 'Stand Up' is a mini-anthem, 'Starchild' has more wail than your average Saxon anthem, and the title track begins as a slow chugger. Don't know much about these guys, but it's certainly a good listen, and those almost corny choruses just might get their hooks into you.

6.5/10

Gorguts - Considered Dead (1990)

If you've ever walked into a lamp post, it's neither rewarding or something you wish to happen again. 'Considered Dead' is a similar experience. Here's a band who, like so many other death metal acts from the late '80s and early '90s, would've released a fairly decent slab of extreme music, but most certainly have been swept by the wayside as hordes of similar bands climbed the mountain. Monstrosity, Massacre, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Suffocation, Gorguts, Atheist, Nocturnus, Deicide, blah blah..scores of death metal bands, only a chosen few really getting noticed. 'Considered Dead' is an unhealthy wallop around the back of the head of paving slab proportions. It's heavy, it's often fast, the vocals are a gurgle, the drums frenetic, and to be honest, we've heard it all before. For some reason so many bands from the era had a similar sound. Of course, a lot of bands were tweaking their sound at Morrisound Studios, but the harsh reality is, not a lot separated the acts. Morbid Angel had a twisted originality, Obituary rasped off the flesh in their vocal attack, Deicide simply claimed to be Jesus-hating lunatics, and Atheist baffled us with their complexity. Many other bands lacked the creativity to prosper, and although Gorguts released several heavy death metal records, they are pretty much symbolic of the era. There's not a lot here that enables them to stand out. Maybe their no thrills attack was all part of the plan, but after all is said and done, and you've been pummelled by the record, the highest compliment I can actually pay Gorguts, is the fact that around two decades after release, it doesn't actually sound that dated.

6.5/10