Warfare - Mayhem Fucking Mayhem (1986)

This is more lie it! Thunderous, black 'n' roll from this vile chimera of Venom, Motorhead, Celtic Frost and any other nasty punkoid frenzy you can think of. For me, this is traditional black metal, catchy, angry, and played for real. Riding high on the back of Sodom with its dank and rusty assault, this is one hell of a cult act who at the time would've no doubt alienated music critics, but years later this kind of sound, courtesy of Neat Records, sounds surprisingly fresh in its hideous form, even the cover of The Kinks 'You Really Got Me' is a messy triumph! However, it's the cursed chug of 'Projectile Vomit' that stains the skin, and 'Atomic Slut' stomps in like some garage Venom. Warfare took no prisoners, and it's this kind of filth and fury that created black metal, not a bunch of kids in corpsepaint. Just ask Fenriz...

7/10

Powermad - Absolute Power (1989)

This Minnesota four-piece did little to separate themselves from the huge crowd of thrashers swamping the scene in the '80s, but they can claim some fame, after appearing on the soundtrack to David Lynch's masterpiece, 'Wild At Heart'. Musically however it's reasonably bland thrash that got left behind. Ten tracks of standard chugging, screeching and mostly melodic Bay Area inspired drudgery with a pale vocal delivery courtesy of Joel DuBay, who does little to extract Powermad from bring a watered down Exodus et al. Check at the UK's Slammer for similar thrashing, although they did it far better.

5/10

Paradox - Heresy (1989)

Peculiar, thoughtful and breezy openings with the acoustic intro, and then a s0lid wall of metal which reminds me a little of Mordred's classic 'Falling Away', before melting into a melodic chug. This German act only released a clutch of albums, but the burning thrash of this opus makes it my favourite, a good, crunchy record that takes alot from the Bay Area scene in the US. The more I listen to the record though I'm reminded of early Mordred, via 'Fools Game' with those jerking almost soulful riffs, the chanted choruses, and the almost funkiness of the melodies. Vocally it's all rather bland however, 'Search For Perfection' is pure Mordred, a huge amount of familiarity in the chorus, whilst 'The Burning' again builds slow acoustically. Although rather formulaic throughout and distinctly American, 'Heresy' is a very good record mainly because of it's catchiness, and for what it lacks in originality it makes up in energy.

7/10

Kraken - Kraken (1983)

Great band name, yet I know little about this super little band. I'm aware of a Columbian act from the '80s, yet this is a Canadian sect, but this is a record that needs checking out. Imagine a doomy Judas Priest, strong vocals, gloomy riffs, classic heavy metal pounding, anthemic yet at times sombre in its epic nature. One moment a St. Vitus thud, 'Blitzkrieg' is catchy yet ominous, rising like some uncoiling serpent. 'Burn With Burn' hits the hurdles hard, taking ground with it as it gallops, and judders to a rattling halt, and the badly titled 'Sleazy Easy' begins slow and ponderous like a rehearsal, bringing to mind Zeppelin at their most subtle before spiralling into a kaleidoscope of guitars, and again, I can't help but think of a more melodic St. Vitus after a few pick me ups! A cracking record that not many metallers will have the joy to own unfortunately...

7.5/10

Gravestone - Back To Attack (1985)

You'd think that with titles such as 'I Love The Night' and 'Wont Stop Rocking' this would be encrusted with cheese. Well, in a way it is, from its fantasy yet amateurish cover art to the screaming vocal attack, this is pure metal Armageddon attempting the serious, and often falling short. However, like so many of these obscure gems, Gravestone succeed in providing a great metal atmosphere amongst the chiming bells, and cardboard tension, especially on 'The Tiger' which sounds like a crustier version of King Diamond. Gravestone weren't new to the game however, the German metallers already having released a brace of obscurities. The more I listen to 'Back To...' I'm worryingly liking the stuffiness of it all. It's not exactly molten metal, somewhere between Fastway's 'Trick Or Treat' soundtrack, and the misleading 'You Are The Sun' which really goes for the throat with its hot musicianship. Fast-forward twenty years for Young Heart Attack to hear a similar searing attack of high energy rock 'n' roll...

7/10

Apocrypha - The Forgotten Scroll (1987)

This is an essential inclusion for the cover alone. I recall seeing this time after time back in the heyday of '80s metal but I was never able to pick a copy up. Thankfully, behind the facade of the mystical imagery lies a very good heavy metal album. Thrash ? At times, especially on the vocal grunts of opener 'Penance', driven by some guitar wizardry (Tony Fredianelli)but the album is more of a power metal trip, relying heavily on a more classic metal vein. It's one of those records something akin to reading a 'Dungeons & Dragons' tome, whilst enshrouding in darkness, the book only illuminated by wavering candle flame and the lights from the stereo. I guess you just had to be there...'Tablet Of Destiny' is a guitar shredders pornography, complex, mystical and classical, 'Riding In The Night' is chest pounding. You can see the armies of warriors seething across the sky, and check out those vocals, boisterous, hairy and proud...this isn't Manowar cheese, but full-blooded power metal perfect for the time. Light the fires and watch them burn in the forest. Gather round dwarves and armoured princes, for tonight we ride into the mists of time...

Produced by Marty Friedman of Megadeth fame, this should please most seeking their own golden fleece...

7.5/10

Razor - Evil Invaders (1985)

Okay, so 'Evil Invaders' may be one of the worst album covers in metal history, but as soon as the opening chords of 'Nowhere Fast' slice through your flesh, and the Slayer-ish buzz lifts you up off the floor, you'll be gagging for more. Released on Attic Records, 'this Razor offering could well have been recorded in stuffy loft, 'Cross Me Fool' has a basement feel, but hurtles at a blistering pace, vocally rather incomprehensible, but this adds to the rusty menace. The title cut is a pounding chug, crashing drums and that cutting riff, whilst with 'Speed Merchants', I think we know what we're gonna get here. A balls to the wall thrash record indeed, Razor were good enough to last several albums and thrashers would have been fulfilled by such energy and reckless abandon.

7/10