Mindfunk - Mindfunk (1991)

One of those albums which emerged during the alternative metal scene of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and was immediately lumped in with the sickening funk metal brigade, obviously down to the cringe worthy band name although apparently they were once known as Mindf**k, shoulda kept it!
Anyway, looking through the frail funk connotations, this album actually smokes. It was the only thing they actually did that sounded like it, as soon the band were dropped and went on to release two disappointing records, although I get the feeling that they’d prefer this record to be a distant memory which is a shame.
There’s elements of Faith No More, Black Sabbath and Chilli Peppers on here, but looking back on this gem, it’s just colourful rock ‘n’ roll, Pat Dubar providing the rasps to the rather rounded yet booming tunes, ‘Sugar Ain’t So Sweet’, ‘Big House Burning’ and ‘Blood Runs Red’ impressive and heavy numbers, the album only mellowed by the acoustic ‘Sister Blue’, all excellent stuff.
Strangely, although reviews were lukewarm, there seems to be loads of bands doing this kind of stuff nowadays and getting eternal respect for it which is pretty disgraceful.
Mindfunk weren’t exactly ahead of their time but they had a lot to offer.
8/10

Testament - The New Order (1988)

Solid, dependable Bay Area thrash that pushed the band up close and personal with the big boys at the time (i.e. Metallica, Megadeth), and at the time of writing they are still going strong, sticking to their heavyweight guns.
I was first introduced to the band via the impressive live E.P. ‘Live At Eindhoven’, but for me ‘The New Order’ symbolises that specific time when so many cool thrash acts were rocking the circuit, selling out the clubs and delivering that hefty crunch.
Although Testament have always been labelled as a thrash act they’ve always preferred the heavyweight crunch to all out speed, and anyways, such pummelling suits Chuck Billy’s gargantuan grunts to the max.
Don’t expect any surprises here, but Testament were certainly one of the better U.S. acts, alongside Death Angel, who although stuck to their roots, still wrote material that fans would be listening to many years later.

8/10

Warrior Soul - Last Decade Dead Century (1990)

Signed to major label Geffen for their brooding debut, warrior Soul, and voice of a generation Kory Clarke, had a bleak, cynical and yet powerful outlook on life, hence the cold, grating feel to this amazing record which to this day remains a pure angst ridden trip through the filth, disease and scum of all life. The inner city ghetto’s, the drugs, the drink, the fights and the politics, it’s all here, a two-fingered salute to the authorities, this is pure rock ‘n’ roll rebellion from one of the finest voices metal has ever had to offer, and boy was Mr Clarke pissed off.
Warrior Soul are a class rock ‘n’ roll band and like every cool, swinging band, there needs to be a frontman with attitude, aggression and a brain and Clarke has it, at once sabotaging the leaders who run his world, condemning those who succumb to the leaders, and painting a grim picture of the dregs and dirt that filter through to his imagination.
Musically it’s downbeat rock ‘n’ roll, it stands proud with defiance in the face of an ignorant public, coming across like British Goth rock from the mid-‘80s and a tinge of grainy punk, the guitars a constant monotone buzz which accompany Clarke’s mournful yet angry death throes. Some classic tracks on here to, ‘We Cry Out’, ‘Losers’ and the beautifully tragic ‘Lullaby’.
Here’s to one of rock’s finest.

8.5/10

Saigon Kick - Saigon Kick (1991)

They came, they rocked, and they so should easily have conquered, but Florida’s Saigon Kick were just too damn cool to get anywhere, the immediate mystical openings of ‘New World’ able to crank it up with anything more seemingly metal, yet be so lush at the same time, vocalist Matt Kramer owning a breezy, distinctive charm, making him a vocalist for a new generation of alternate metal types who revelled in the new wave of snake-hipped frontmen spinning curious yarns of love, light and life instead of the usual smorgasbord of blood, sweat and tears.
Saigon Kick should have been huge, the debut album slinked, swerved and shook like no other, boasting heavy guitars one moment, then a Beatles bounce the next, a fusion of funky love rock a la Mother Love Bone, and ‘80s hair metal. The diversity and bewildering talent quite simply confusing those just not expecting such a rush of sugary pop and shining melody. Saigon Kick, certainly on their first two records, epitomise that late ‘80s, early ‘90s alternative take on the metal scene which seemed to at once encapsulate the irritating funk metal trend, as well as retro rock, other acts such as Warrior Soul, Jane’s Addiction, Primus, Faith No More, Kik Tracee, Mindfunk, Mordred, I Love You, Love/Hate blah blah, all being lumped into one huge cauldron which although vibrant and innovative, was also becoming too full, hence the quick dissipation of the scene.
Saigon Kick should have had a career, and although other albums emerged after the first two, but without the enigmatic vocalist, one cannot feel, when you listen to the bombastic splendour of say ‘Come Take Me Now’ and bouncing ‘My Life’, that the scene was robbed of a great band.
All great things come to an end I guess, but SK were never given a fair crack of the whip, was it because one minute they could write a dirty Crue lick, and then a thrashy chant, was it this inaccessible awkwardness that turned off the metal audience ? What’s far more frustrating also is that the bands that actually did become successful, i.e. Nirvana, Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam, were all comparatively bland in comparison, but as metal succumbed to such corporate drivel, so bands such as Saigon Kick prematurely perished.
9/10

The Front - The Front (1989)

I really liked this album, the only one from a band who at the time were touted as another of those alterno-metal groups of great promise, but like so many others, i.e. Kik Tracee, Saigon Kick, Liquid Jesus, Mindfunk, I Love You, etc, etc, never lasted despite writing music that was refrshing and at times, accidentally wonderful, although it could be said that a handful of bands from the scene at the time, such Saigon Kick, Love/Hate, were actually truly amazing yet misunderstood and criminally ignored.
The Front certainly never had the majesty of say Saigon Kick, their sound coming across like a mish-mash of The Cult, The Doors, U2, a pastiche of various ‘60s groups and in the vocals of Michael Franano, Billy Idol, although I don’t think Mr Franano intended this comparison.
Even so, The Front’s only record, before changing their name to Baker’s Pink and then evaporating after one record, is still a pleasant listen, wading through a ‘60s groove, especially on ‘Sister Moon’ and ‘Sunshine Girl’, and also touching on mid-‘80s British goth rock.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the record and would recommend it to anyone, as it pretty much sums up that particular alternative metal scene that exploded yet faded so quickly simply because the bands who promised so much were just too lightweight and at times nonsensical in their alleged mysticism. Shame.

8/10

Violence - Eternal Nightmare (1988)

Rob Flynn, who went on to form the successful Machine Head, played guitar in this superb, no thrills yet violent thrash act from the Bay area. To this day their handful of albums remain cult classics, because they smoke and have that underground feel that so many metal fans craved in the ‘80s.
What makes ‘Eternal Nightmare’ so different from the other Bay area bands is the sneering vocal delivery of singer Sean Killian who rants and mutters his way through the wrecking ball sound which leaves houses as piles of smouldering rubble.
There is a deep psychosis in the bands social commentary, each track speeding fast like a bullet, crunching riffs abound, hyper drums and every track from the spitting ‘Bodies On Bodies’ to the rampant ‘Serial Killer’, see the band living up to their blunt moniker.
See also Sadus for similar furious bleating. Great stuff.

8/10

Swamp Terrorists - Grim-Stroke-Disease (1990)

Some metal fans may become bemused upon hearing this industrialised soundtrack of an album, and then wonder why it’s actually on here, but this is one of those records that received a great deal of coverage in the metal press, as did much of the industrial genre which at times was far more fierce than what much of the metal genre had to offer.
Swamp Terrorists are pretty much an obscure and mysterious double act who sample a lot of metal riffs, slap them alongside a few break beats, and come up with a bastardisation of sound that resembles some kind of horror soundtrack complete with film samples, gruff vocals and thumping beats that would probably clear out any dance club but maybe not appeal to metal heads either. Unfortunately, metal as a genre took a while to broaden its horizons, only the late ‘80s and early ‘90s really waking up the alternative opinion within so many head bangers who had become so used to their music being straight down the line denim and leather.
This is strangely engaging stuff, the material on offer a mixture of eerie, avant-garde and techno thrash with some cracking horror movie outtakes adding to the whole mutated cauldron.

8/10