Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells (1991)

I remember hot summer's in the early '90s - the buzzing flies, the scorching heat on the brow, the metal girls in their cut off denims - and of course, Floridian death metal. Obituary, Deicide, Monstrosity, Morbid Angel, et al , piunding out their brutal soundscapes, but eventually bands from all over the world were seeking that same sound, but not Unleashed. Alongside Entombed, Dismember, and a few other Euro bands, Unleashed were more interested in creating a doom-alden deathrap to ensnare listeners, exhibiting a grating, chainsaw-ridden sound that demolished the stereo and left cities to dust. Unleashed were pretty savage, but like Entombed they had something different to offer, not just the acoustic interlude here and there, or the maniacal vocals, but the whole product was one so fierce and grinding that in most cases these sort of bands destroyed the US scene. I'm of the opinion that it was the heavy groove type of feel that distanced such bands, and I recall hearing 'Where No Life Dwells' and being astounded by its brutality but also its layers of emotion. Over twenty years later 'Where No Life Dwells' - like so many classic death metal records - has stood the test of time, its sound so fresh and yet grating on the soul, the relentless pounding of its extremity something akin to putting one's ears into a blender. Unleashed carve bleak and ominous spundscapes, gargantuan images cast into the psyche from the stirrings of the title intro and punishing 'Dead Forever' to the formidable crushing noise of 'Before The Creation Of Time.' 'Where No...' is an immense record, and I'm so glad that this type of death metal, alongside the US scene was so dominant because many years later both scenes stand side by side as great guardians to remind us of the monstrous stirrings that went before. 8/10

Ruthless - Metal Without Mercy (1984)

And boy does this obscurity live up to its name. Ruthless don't mess about, they startle the nerves with a backward message or two, then show no mercy (scuse the pun) by executing an early Slayer-style of thrash that, despite its shortcomings, is bloody marvellous if you ask me. 'Gates Of Hell' (great spooky intro to keep the parents out of the bedroom), the epic mayhem of the title cut and the cranked up 'Winds Of War' will play havoc with the mobile phone reception, and yet it's another of those '80s gems that no-one knew about. Thankfully more and more of these type of bands are surfacing on the the internet but I almost refuse to believe that back in the '80s this stuff was around, because I can't see how metalheads would have found out about it. My local record store stocked a lot of good, stuffy Satanic metal, but Ruthless must've been buried in some dungeon of doom away from prying eyes. Think of Slayer's first two records and Ruthless are where it's at, and at times, although I'm scared to say it, 'Metal Without Mercy' gives both 'Show No Mercy' and 'Hell Awaits' a run for their money. Great cover too. 7.5/10

Black Cat Moan - s/t (1991)

Mmmm, the swagger is there, the sleaze is present, but once again another half decent rock 'n' roll band gets swept away by the tide of so many sound-a-likes. They succumb because they can't get the budget or the recognition, and so aeons later we have to dig these type of records out and finally appreciate them more rather than back in the day when they were swallowed by G n' R and the likes. Black Cat Moan may never have had a leg to stand on but if you liek your metal with a lil' honky tonk injection then this self-titled opus may be the ideal saloon for you. At times it's very Black Crowes ('Good Girl Gone Bad') but when the band are interested in beffing up the sound and removing the drunken piano, it's quite rewarding, 'Breaking The Rules' (archetype metal track title if ever there was one!)brings to mind War babies. The vocals are a litle strained at times, but hey, not all metal vocalists can be Robert Plant, but Black Cat Bone are a decent sleaze band, not quite as good as say Cats n' Boots, but still damn fine party music for those who still liek to slip on the cowboy boots and pretend to drink Jack Daniels straight from the bottle. 6.5/10

Iron Cross - s/t (1986)

Metal will always have a bright future, but it's the past that intrigues me far more. With today's technological wizardry anything can be achieved with sound and image, and yet when you hear a band like Iron Cross, you can see why metal was so influential in the '80s, and yet also feared. This is a stuffy, devilishly obscure heavy metal offering from a Finnish band who were all too keen to get the denim jackets on and start fires in the bedroom. These are the sort of albums that make metal history and folklore so rich, because these hellish records coem from the heart and soul - there are no gimmicks here, and sure, the production is hazy, but if I'd picked this up in 1986 I'd have been in my element. This is metal through and through, from the song titles to the music contained - cavernous, gloomy noise that'll have you reaching for the black candles. "Demons in my sleep..." screams the vocalist, as a creeping, ominous chord rings out, painting pictures of sinister engulfing shadows and cold cavern walls. "Demons everywhere..." he adds, keen to thicken the already chokinga tmosphere. It's low budget rocky horror metal that creates atmosphere, leads you in, then rocks your balls off - prime example being 'Fantasy World' which doesn't kick in until 2:30 but when it does it's a molten crotch grabber, as is another slow builder, the doomy 'Demons' whilst 'Dark Dreams' is more upbeat. I was always happy to spend hours listening to the cold steel assault of Judas Priest, but for me metal was always about the imagery, the dark Satanic hints and the twisted noise of a track like 'Mistress Of The Dark/Bloodlust' with its echoes and growls. Iron Cross are metal, the name says it all, but be warned, this is real '80s metal, not some overdubbed, overproduced modern machine. 7/10

Lords Of The Crimson Aliance - s/t (1986)

Anyone with a band name like that deserves attention! Okay, so LOTCA are not some secret government project and neither are they a clandestine Satanic sect eager to kidnap your children, but they are a pretty cool metal band from the '80s who would have been ignored back in the day, but with that name and cover how could such a band slip by ? Well, truth is there was so much metal in the '80s it was difficult to hear about every gem, and whilst so many bands made a success of their career it didn't mean of course that all these bands were good, in fact most of the obscure acts stayed very much in the foggy realms of folklore, these guys a prime example of that despite their buzzing riffs and high octane energy. When you hear a track like 'The Sorcerer' with its eerie organ and clattering drums you'll wish you were still in the mid '80s, kicking back in the darkness and banging along. The vocals are classic metal, nothing more to be said really as they remain pure amidst the metal mayhem, although on 'Dragonslayer' they go so high that you'll be hiding the mirrors. As in the case of so many '80s metal bands of this ilk, there are a few doom-laden stirrings too, '...Morpheus' has a Zeppish yet mournful strut. LOTCA are long forgotten by many, but not here, and their ability to pump out fiery metal is what makes them essential. We don't care if the sound isn't original, it's metal and it melts the ears and eyes, and sometimes that's all that matters.

7/10

Felony - To The Core (1994)

Did this really come out in 1994 ? This takes me back to a time when funk metal was coming through, and this would have fitted in nicely alongside the likes of King Of The Hill, Circle Of Soul, and also the thrashy aspects of say Napalm, because Felony is a confusing record, clear out of date - especially when you consider that by 1994 grunge was on the airwaves and the production on records was immense - but from its cover to its jarring, yet cold steel metal sound, Felony are lost. Even so, for me this is a cute little record that's more than deserved of a few listens, as vocally it sways from a thrashing Vince Neil, and musically exists as a lightweight thrash affair at times, but never once does it plod, remaining soulful, calming almost in the vocal department as the riffs splice, particularly on 'Yank That Chain' and the furious 'Heist In Helltown'. Surprisingly refreshing, reminds me of when I discovered the Grinder record, expecting some death metal assaqult only to be pleased by a hybrid of funk and thrash. Probably hard to find nowadays but get your sweaty arse in gear and find a copy.

7/10

Bride - Snakes In The Playground (1992)

Well I don't remember this back in the early '90s. Okay, so Nirvana (I blame them for everything!!)killed 1992, and maybe that's why Bride fell by the wayside but it seems as if this alterno metal combo have a clutch of albums out, for me this being one of their best - a real stomper of a record that slots nicely between Liquid Jesus, G n' R, RHCP, Zep and at times Alice In Chains, laying on sprinkles of funk but pumping hard all the same. Soulful in its dreamy weight, vocalist Dale Thompson has a beefy rasp that also seems comfortable with the choppy raps too. The heavyweight strut of 'Would I Die For You' being an underground minor classic whilst ballad 'Goodbye' tugs on the heartstrings. Not quite up there with Saigon Kick and the likes, but a record that sure as hell surprised me when I heard it, so instead of me trying to explain how good it is grab yourself a copy or alternatively get on You Tube and experience it there. 7.5/10