Master's Hammer - The Jilemnice Occultist [1992]

I've always been hard-pressed to find that Master's Hammer's groundbreaking sophomore was never considered a fountainhead of black metal, being a magisterial and delightfully bizarre work of avantgarde music of its own, since I've consistently found it above the quotient of such sacred cows as ''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'' or Burzum's early body of work, not that I question the significance of these albums in the question of upraising the genre from its inchoate beginnings to fulfillment, nor that I find them 'bad' in any way, but particularly because the mysticism and originality of these Czech antiquarians have to my ears bestowed greater eerie beauty than any of the aforementioned. Granted, understandably, even hot on the heels on their killer debut, a practice in occult Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, the Czechs hadn't the audience back in 1992 to heed their call, but that still doesn't delineate how ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' is inexplicably shrouded in near-obscurity today. This is bar none the greatest Czech black metal album ever recorded in the country, notwithstanding being one of the finest black metal albums to emerge out of Eastern Europe, and though the band's decision to integrate queer, folksy operettas into the core of their raw first wave black metal scree would amount to the greatly unpopular and 'un-metal' ''Slagry'' within three years, I still fucking love it.

Just look at that cover. Sleek bat-like shapes peer jaggedly from the sides. A magician's hat and wand. A sweet looking black Les Paul's. Benignly occult adornments hanging from the wall. In truth, this is what ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' has in store. There's a similar focus on these coarse, black/thrash rhythms and broad chops as with ''Ritual'', with equally eloquent and mystical octave chords here and there, maintaining a relatively tentative pace for the album in general, but overall the guitar work is latticed with a greater deal of complexity and memorability, but likewise I love that the album consistently complements in predecessor and builds on its merits rather than starting completely anew. To wit, the guitars are wondrously dark and perfunctory, and conversely, there weren't many bands which were practicing the level of intricacy and occult lore-fed obscurity which the Czechs masterfully filtered through their instrumentation: if you think about it, the black metal circle was still quite limited beyond Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, who had long soared into a viking metal foray which I can only regard with indifference, and only Darkthrone and Burzum producing 'big' records. Master's Hammer fortunately had their peers Root to compete with, who were likewise very early entrants into the game, yet ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' manages even to beat Root's ''Temple in the Underground'', with its heavy/speed influence and experimental choral effects, in terms of overall quality.

But back to the music. What really makes this such a jump in quality from its predecessor and grandiose exploration in the avantgarde is, of course, the synths. Whatever track your shuffle takes you to, you're bound to land on some model of the synthesizer, which is now played with doubled frequency, ranging from the eerie crepuscular overtures like in the preliminary intro track, to these freakish, yet enchanted keys which sound as though they were plucked out of an illusionist's hat (how very fitting, eh?), but however much they may belong in some bag of Gothic bizarreries, the synthesizers and keyboards add an awe-inspiring sense of frolicking and frivolity, a dazzling, operatic folksiness which is pretty much non-existent in any other black metal album I've heard. There are just tons of excellent examples to the fusion of sordid black/thrash riffcraft and magical synth-work which entails it on the record, from the bass-loaded blast-beat attack of ''Oh, My Precious Sir, Do You Remember When...'' to ''Among the Hills a Windy Way'' which strides with these gyrating cacophonies of whammy bars - the 'occultist' succeeds nearly with every second. But, alas, how could I neglect Franta Storm on vocal duties? His minimalistic, seemingly amateurish inflection is there for a purpose. He coughs, laughs these uncanny Slavic slathers, and not to mention his rasp has only gotten better, with added semi-cleans reminiscent of the kind of choral vocal splendor Root was experimenting with at that time. ''Glory, Herr Hauptmann'' is this ridiculous black metal fantasy evolving with webs spun out of the imagination of synthesizers, nightmarish and heavenly at the same time, with an interlude of orchestral hymnals before erupting into another brilliant, scabrous black/thrash attack.

Naturally one wonder what these guys were thinking or what they were on when ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' was being recorded. Ritualistic and poetic would be a naive and artsy understatement. Otherwordly doesn't encompass it. This is a record which, at any rate, deserves to be experienced, and at least a few times repeatedly for the full effect, because the 'basic' attitude of the riffs and the lack of anything truly labyrinthine, this album ages with quality, like proper wine. The cohabitation of operatic and orchestral fancies with traditional, frosty Hellhammer influences is likely to serve as a major caveat for purists and retrograding listeners who want to hear nothing but the raw buzz of undiluted Norwegian black metal in their music, but the truth it, with such imaginative sophistication and a crafty enterprise sprung out of curiously fiddled nightmares and darkly pirouettes beyond the artistic comprehension of so many of these 'cult', 'raw', 'pure' or 'old-school' black metal bands, ''The Jilemnice Occultist'' doesn't give a fuck. So much of this masterpiece twists and soars in my head: the vocals, the harrowing or at times enchanting orchestral work, the riffs, that I've found it impossible after some point to permanently disintegrate this from my cranial compendium of the black arts. It is, to be sure, a sliver or two shy from absolute perfection, but an unsung evolutionary phase in the genre nonetheless that deserves its accolades. Sheer alienating, Gothic, morbid majesty.

The album was initially misprinted as ''The Filemnice Occultist'' because of a typo. Whatever the band and that typist had during the span of 1992-93, serve me a round of that.

Highlights
''I Don't Want, Sirs to Pester...''
''Among the Hills a Winding Way...''
''Oh, My Precious Sir...''
''Glory, Herr Hauptmann...!''

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.3/10]

Baphomet - The Dead Shall Inherit [1992]

Every time there's a new morbid bludgeon going on in the current death metal underground, the origin of the that cadaverous formula is tightly bind to your typical Floridian suspects of brutality; Massacre, Morbid Angel to a certain extent, Deicide, and perhaps even some South American intensity thrown in. Though, I regret to admit that the current trends have taken reiteration to a point where it's almost a necessity, and while doing so, many overlooked gems are ignored or neglected. Borne of the crude and ghoulish cemetery grime and made of rotten flesh and bile, Baphomet is what you'd probably call ''a grotesquery of the genre'', which, at least circa 1989-1993, was considered  to be very true. Huddled in gore, filth and malignancy, Baphomet's ''The Dead Shall Inherit'' is a crudely underrated treasure to be found in the deepest, putrid trenches of the burial ground.

''The Dead Shall Inherit'' was probably overly brutal for even acknowledged mavens of old school Floridian brutality that I've mentioned, who brought the genre to a point of lush and wealthy, mainstream finesse. There's always some good in reconsidering the roots of one's masterful aesthetics that have been divided by dichotomy over years of development and sophistication. Baphomet still today sounds utterly regurgitating and macabre, weighing immense, muscular riffage upon heaps of carnality, forming an oblique hybrid of death and thrash fashioned in such a way that you'd get the feeling the composers were gushing out frantically in violent surge of adrenalin while shattering bones and flaying a marauded cadaver. It's possible that the band was trying to take the gurgling, decomposed ebullition of the roaming kings of gore and brutality at the time, so there are obvious differences; instead of keeping the listener distorted with clinical technical death metal showers, ''The Dead Shall Inherit'' weighs on pressure, excluding the busying, and fluttering their gory momentum with masterfully crafted implements of sordid, ruthless simplicity and sending the listener's pulverized skeletal complex into mire of blood. This is music that neanderthals would've simply adored.

Of course, all these primal incursions come with a cost. Any sort of mood, embellishment and technical diversity is left to rot, omitted. Therefore, in the sense that the band's only implements are pummeling grooves and upright beats, you could say they were pretty ''non-bullshit'', but then again they would probably tell you the same thing. In addition to the hammering rhythmic department, Baphomet had sodden bass lines that really quivered and enlightened the discharge of the guitars as to decompose them even further. Like on ''Valley Of The Dead'', on the legendary intro riff, the bassist literally exposes all the stomach-churning contents of his body while this four strings bob to attain undeniable headbanging pleasure. Tom Frost's vocal timbre is also a shaking feature and oblique like the guitar work; I can't quite relate it directly to any well-known guttural vocalist. Consistent and punishing like a shower of meaty bricks falling upon unprotected heads, ''The Dead Shall Inherit'' will leave the typical OSDM freak sweltering, and should be the weapon of choice for anyone looking for his/her USDM fix. Feel free to abolish you neck, but make sure your next appointment with the doctor doesn't involve any ugly, violent music being blasted out. The consequences will be vital.

Highlights:
''Valley Of The Dead''
''Streaks Of Blood''
''Vile Reminiscence''

Final Rating:
Awesome [8.2/10]

Incantation – Onward to Golgotha [1992]

Incantation has been one of the most consistent long-running death metal bands, releasing killer material on almost every release they’ve put out since forming way back in 1989. Their debut full length “Onward to Golgotha” is one of my personal favourite death metal albums and a total classic of the genre.

Combining a crushing guitar tone and some truly sinister riffs, some of the most guttural vocals ever achieved, interesting drumming and an atmosphere blacker than the Guinness I’m drinking as I write this review, Incantation created a truly evil and cavernous sound that many have since tried to top. Only few bands have come close to achieving such a feat.

The writing on this album is absolutely top-notch. While the songs do follow a similar formula, each one still manages to have its own flavour and fair share of decent riffs. There are moments that will cause your head to bang uncontrollably and moments that will suffocate you in total darkness. Incantation’s formula has always been to suck you in with infectious riffs and then hammer your skull in with that bone crushing bottom end.

Songs like “Devoured Death”, “Unholy Massacre”, “Christening the Afterbirth” and “Profanation” will stick in your head and destroy you from the inside out. It’s a shame that this particular line-up never recorded another Incantation album, as what they achieved here was truly something special. Old-school death metal perfection, if you ask me.

Highlights: 

Devoured Death

Unholy Massacre

Christening the Afterbirth

Profanation

Final Rating: 10/10 Legendary

Torchure - Beyond The Veil [1992]

Torchure were actually quite a promising death metal band, alongside some of their fellow countryman Jumpin’ Jesus, Morgirion and Atrocity (who unfortunately leaned towards Goth later on), but they were also one of those short lived bands, disbanding just a few years after  their creation. Civilisations become destroyed too, but their culture and creations live on forever, which just might be the case with Torchure. This, their debut album is probably the better known and the better of the two consecutive releases they unleashed, bringing Torchure’s prime elements on the last on table; a doomy cluster of unbridled thrash and death, joining to exhale a depressive bombard of riffs, doom-laden, yet surprisingly vigorous.

The album has queer song structures, and with such as mash up of death, thrash and somewhat melodious doom, they almost fabricate their own distinct sound, one that’s different from the US and Swedish old school death metal scenes for a change.  With such ambitious textures set, the band proves to be much more dexterous and experimental than many other groups who dwelled during the same time, but their efforts also effects the way the album moves, and with the subtle doom metal worshiping done and the nearly fifty minute album length, ‘’Beyond The Veil’’ turns into a laggard of an album, cauterizing and encompassing the victim very, very slowly. And due to its length, this record is something that you definitely have to spend your time with, so that you may fully comprehend the absurd structures behind the plain, comprehensible riffs.

The sluggish approach may be irrelevant at times, but it also relieves the listener from any sort of depressing, or moody need, like a recompense for the long, drudgy moments. The guitar tone is really a nice addition, because its somewhere between chubby, gritty and thin, and once the leads of melodies jump in, the tone blankets itself in an even nicer, warm, subtle and oozy tone with a little bit of cavernous melancholy even. And like I said, Torchure are more adventurous than many other acts of their time, and they’re unafraid to insert tons of drowning melodies on top of their crunchy riffs, serving as even more captivating hooks than usual, and of course, proving that the band isn’t at all inept in musicianship.

The percussion is well done, nothing more, but the vocals are exceedingly filthy and grotesque growls and rasps, and even gurgles when the vocalist drenches himself in repugnance. But the album as a whole is not really murky and even filthy for that matter, but doomy, ponderous and mighty, laden with musical prowess.  Throughout the whopping fifty minutes of doom-oriented death/thrash, you’ll find a fairly extensive amount of variation; sometimes you’ll feel the brisk attitude of thrash leaping in, like on ‘’Abysmal Malevolence’’ or ‘’In His Grip’’, while melody freaks will profoundly love ‘’Depressions’’, but the ultra opus of the record is the eleven minute doom metal epic ‘’Resort To Mortality’’, a transcendental slab of traumatizing riffs, and don’t forget that wherever you go, keyboards are always going to follow you. ‘’Beyond The Veil’’ stands out as a peculiar and gripping release, and for people who enjoy its dragging monotony more than me, it's a delicious feast. 

Highlights

''In His Grip''

''Resort To Mortality''

''Apathetic''

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Morpheus Descends - Ritual of Infinity [1992]

While my personal favorite year for death metal would be 1991, there were still plenty of fantastic releases after the year that saw numerous landmark releases. One such release was New York's own Morpheus Descends' debut full-length "Ritual of Infinity." There's a reason why these guys were one of the most popular bands in the New York scene (a pretty prolific scene in its own right, though not as much so as Florida) and that's because their music was fucking brutal. And, no, I don't mean brutal as in Suffocation or Cryptopsy kind of brutal, I mean in more of a relentless thrashing way much like Malevolent Creation, Solstice (US) and Sinister were doing. A simple way of putting things would be to say they were the death metal equivalent of a band like Demolition Hammer or Morbid Saint, absolutely crushing and destructive. 

The majority of the riffs on "Ritual of Infinity" gravitate towards incredibly heavy midpaced riffs which are more than capable of breaking some unwilling soul's neck, as well as some lethal tremolo bursts. There's no way you could listen to "Corpse Under Glass" and not headbang, it just doesn't happen, especially with the awesome riffs that are beyond heavy and catchy. You throw in some very heavy, yet typical death metal vocals with the amazingly-toned bass and violent drumming, and that's a recipe for absolute havoc. The opening sequence on "Enthralled to Serve" is pure devastation, and I can't recall many other simple tremolo sections being as memorable or punishing as this one. "Residual Kill" shows off the band's ability to play some slower paced music, but only for a while before it turns into a thrashing onslaught of immense proportions. Honestly, not much more could be said about "Ritual of Infinity" and Morpheus Descends' near masterpiece. All of the songs are just great mixes of aggresive riffs, abrasive vocals, and a stellar rhythm section. There's no intent on sounding evil like other death metal bands, and there's surely no intent on showing off some technical ability, this is just unbridled insanity.

Highlights

"Corpse Under Glass"

"Enthralled to Serve"

"Ritual of Infinity"

Final Rating

Almost-A-Masterpiece [8.9/10]

Altar/Cartilage - Ex Obliovione/The Fragile Concept Of Affection [1992] (Split)

During the days when death roamed the world like a unmerciful tyrant, bands were exploiting their own music rapidly, and many couldn't even get pass demo level. Splits were scarce, yes, but they still existed, and somewhere in the repugnant bowels of time, lies a hidden split of two bands; The Finnish act Cartilage and the Swedish devil Altar, but great bands who would gradually escalate towards the same fate that many suffered during the late/mid 90's: Destruction. Yes, it indeed brings me great sorrow to see that both bands are now disbanded, but instead of mourning over their death like me, you can grab a copy of their split LP (which is now a precious rarity), and enjoy forty two minutes of decomposed manifestations of corrupted death metal, from the two countries that made produced the during the heydays of old school death metal.

Four bonus tracks were added to the album later on (two songs four each), and I suppose they're fairly good, but let's focus on the main, decrepit material here. Altar are from Sweden, though they don't extract the same kind of Swedish death metal bands played in those days to the opposition of many, creating a rather thrash-oriented churning of Morbid Angel circa ''Altars Of Madness'' with a slightly rougher production and a more doom-laden edge. Altar keeps the balance of the music at a steady level with jumpy incursions and spiky verse and that additional thrash crust I was talking about, but I still didn't find their style too distinct or gloomy. The vocalist's muffled growls don't stand out with great prominence, but so long as they fit the music well, I'll be content.

Cartilage, on the other hand, provide with a slightly different brand of death metal, this time taking influences from their home country instead of another. Cartilage definitely pleasured me more than Altar because the riffs are rawer and even more filthy than Altar, and Cartilage's vein is laden with Demilich, Abhorrence and Convulse; some of the finest Finnish death metal bands out there. They're sordid, no doubt, and evil at that, and they can preserve that quality of the music through each riff, slow or fast. Cartilage mainly focuses on frantic attacks and swift channels, leaving a bit of an old school thrash mark on your ears, but they still tend to give off a horror feeling to the listener with numerous implements, so you'll be headbanging and feeling chills slithering through your spine at the same time. Awesome.

Both bands would eventually be destroyed, but Altar released a couple more demos before their annihilation, so I guess they're a little more lucky. This split offers death metal that any old school death/thrasher would enjoy, and they're even bizarrely flourished, and even though both bands may not have created considerably original death metal, their material is still sturdy, cunning and rotting, so jump at it while you still have the chance.


Highlights
''The Underworld''
''Why Do I Watch The Dawn''
''Ex Oblivione''
''Daymere/A Message From The Grave''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.6/10]

Purtenance - Member Of Immortal Damnation [1992]

As you may already know, the Finnish death metal scene was a scene just as monstrous as the Swedish and American scene, yet for some reason, Finnish bands never got the recognition they needed. Although many Finnish bands sounded similar to Swedish bands, little notice that they actually have a distinctive sound of their own, and maybe that was the reason they despised and excluded. Purtenance, a band which was formerly known as Purtenance Avulsion, is a band that can easily add up to that list of unappreciated yet awesome death metal bands. Truly, Purtenance carry out that vile, atmospheric, melancholic Finnish DM signature sound perfectly, and this a record that definitely should be praised more as it carves out that gnawing, crushing death/doom tone and fuses it with the melancholy of the Finnish trademark sound.

This album's depressing, filthy and rotten, and it's certainly not for the weak. Each blow of each riff is a drowning mammoth, a huge foot that buries the listener deep within it's inundating atmosphere, and each riff is just as crushing as it's depressing. The raw production quality and gnawing chainsaw guitar tone is also highly prevalent, yet, surprisingly, none of the instruments drown one another in that filthy mix since all of them are given equal amounts of space to consume, and the vocals are another tasty aspect that bludgeons the listener with grindcore-ish pukes and gnarls.  One great thing about these Finnish death metallers is that they always tend to incorporate a fair amount of sinister melodies to increase the diversity of the riffs, and Purtenance is no exception. During the sequences which adopt more of a doom metal sound, brooding melodies fly in the air and spread chaos upon the riffs, giving a beautiful sense of feeling and passion to the listener while still haunting him/her. Not up for sluggish riffs? Well, don't worry, because ''Member Of Immortal Damnation'' has lots of fast paced riffs in store, just as much as it has doom laden passages. ''In The Misty Morning'' is one galloping death/thrash monster that bestirs that raw guitar tone with some Asphyx crunchiness and a hint of Bolt Thrower grooving. Yummy indeed.

The best quality of the music here is that the speed of the riffs constantly change, so you've got lots OSDM tremolo bursts, and numerous death/doom sections. Everything on this album is totally obscured and every aspect is altered by the atmosphere, which may actually put off lots of people, but that's just the way the Finnish DM scene rolls. What else can I say? ''Member Of Immortal Damnation'' draws influences from many variations of death and doom metal, from the depressing lament on ''Black Vision'', to the mid paced Bolt Thrower grooving found on ''In The Misty Morning'' to volatile barrage of tremolo pickings on ''Crown Waits The Immortal'', each track comes with its own beauty, its own bitter aroma that's good enough to compete with even the biggest of Finnish bands like Convulse or Demigod. ''Member Of Immortal Damnation'' is definitely up there, up there with all the exalted releases that helped build death/doom.

Highlights
''Crown Waits The Immortal''
''In The Misty Morning''
''Deep Blue Darkness''

Final Rating
Masterpiece [9.1/10]

Bestial Summoning - The Dark War Has Begun [1992]

I have never been an expert on the black metal genre, but I do know that Norway, Canada and Australia boast bands that just aren't to be fucked with. Bestial Summoning, on the other hand, is a band that hails from the Netherlands, a country better known for death metal acts like Asphyx and Pestilence, as well as thrash bands like Dead Head and Occult/Legion of the Damned, so my expectations honestly weren't that high upon my first listen of "The Dark War Has Begun." Whether or not having set the bar lower for this record had any effect on my perception of it, I don't know, but I do know that these guys aren't to be taken lightly, sounding like they couldn't decide whether or not to embrace the atmospheric tendencies of the Norwegians or the sheer brutality of the Canadian blasphemers. 

If I were to sit here and describe one song for you, the same could be said for the rest of the tracks. All of the songs feature some fast black metal styled tremolos backed by incredibly ferocious drumming. And just about every track has a doomy break or features some chords that awaken a sense of dread, courtesy of the amazing guitar tone which invokes a dark feeling that the Norwegians excelled at. The blending of the two different archetypes for the black metal genre worked out brilliantly on "The Dark War Has Begun," because despite the constant repetition throughout the record, the listener can be treated to the raging fury of the Blasphemy-like madness, as well as the more sinister material that shares more common interest with bands like Mayhem and early Immortal. 

The most standout part of Bestial Summoning's music would definitely have to be The Unsane's vocals. This dude sounds pissed, almost like he had been caged by some religious group, only for him to eventually become unhinged and release his anger as well as his love for the unholy (Listen to "Give Me Your Orders" and "Enjoy Your Death for Satan") to the very unwilling masses. I wouldn't say that this album is the best black metal album to ever cross my path, but it is definitely a fun one that comes with all of the evil, the darkness, and the hilarious band names that I have become accustomed to and serves as one that any black metal fan should check out. 

Highlights

"Exorcism Fails"

"Give Me Your Orders"

"Enjoy Your Death for Satan"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Assorted Heap - Mindwaves [1992]

Let's say that you liked the debut. I cannot promise whether you will like ''Mindwaves'' or not, but I can say that this album is almost nothing like its predecessor. I was quite shocked by the deliverance of the music and how it changed in a mere year, how a brutalized death/thrash crusher like Assorted Heap all of a sudden turned into something different. Surely, during the early nineties, new sounds were rapidly developing. Primal cavemen were all of a sudden transforming into technically proficient virtuosoes. I might have expected such a precipitous morph into technicality from Assorted Heap, but their mutation here is something else entirely.

Whereas ''The Experience Of Horror'' is stubborn, frenzied and monstrous, ''Mindwaves'', turns down the savagery and archaic sound, and increases the atmosphere. The sound is thrash, under everything else, but above the music it gets intense and atmopsheric, even gothic at times. The production on this album leads to a gate which just brings up more ambiance, it's darker and more torturing than the debut. You cannot find a single trace of the savage, primal riffage that was highly prevalent on the debut, as they've been replaced by ultimately crushing stompers. They're extremely simple but feel like an iron mace shattering a skull. With such heft and density focusing on the riffs, the album becomes beyond heavy, leaving shattered bones. The immense ''What I Confess'' is the absolute climax of the album, featuring both stampeding thrash genius and a number of gothic acoustic guitar medleys and ambients, all cased in one eight minute bag.

Well, the sophomore still attains some of its predecessor's primal savagery, as seen on the title track, though still executed in a controlled way. The vocals have also changed from the traditional Max Calavera-esque death/thrash madness, to a more comphrensible style, principally still guttural, but darker. The sophomore has so much difference than the debut that I'd bet if you wouldn't have known that the album were from the same band, you would have never guessed that they were. Synthesizers, ambients, acoustics and atmosphere are only the general aspects that differ. Comparatively, I like ''Mindwaves'' more, because it has the groove and dark, almost atmospheric authenticity that the debut never came even close to having.

Highlights
''Dealing With Dilemma''
''What I Confess''
''Mindwaves''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.7/10]

Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence [1992]

It really shouldn't be possible to release an album this damn amazing nearly ten years after the inception of the thrash subgenre. Thrash seemed to peak during 1986 with masterpieces like "Pleasure to Kill," "Reign in Blood," and "Darkness Descends," rendering all later output by other bands virtually a compliment to these divine creations. Still, once "Epidemic of Violence" is heard by a listener for the first time, their reaction might be similar to the reaction of someone who just ran away from a speeding bull or the survivor of a hellacious trainwreck. Demolition Hammer's sophomore release is akin to a shot of adrenaline directly into one's heart because never before has there been such a combination of brutality, catchiness, and relentless aggression in a single thrash album before. Sure, Kreator really set the standard for brutality in the thrash genre with their magnum opus "Pleasure to Kill", but Demolition Hammer took that sound and injected an amount of catchiness and an almost groove-like sensation that the entire genre was unable to successfully do for nearly ten years.

There isn't a single thing that Demolition Hammer did wrong with the music on this record. The midpaced moments are astounding in how incredibly heavy they are for a thrash act. While a band like Bolt Thrower is notorious for their undeniable heaviness and crushing midpaced riffs, there's a distinct difference in the sounds of the two bands, because Demolition Hammer didn't need to downtune their guitars as low as the death metal masters, yet their music could smash through a brick wall all the same. The intro to "Human Dissection" is devastating with its thunderous double bass drumming a la Vinny Daze and vile guitar playing that could be compared to a giant stomping through a city and the midpaced riffs on the title track could make a corpse headbang. The faster moments of "Epidemic of Violence" are equally diabolical and intense as the slower stuff, with the track "Omnivore" being a blitzkrieg upon the listener's eardrums, but a sonic assault like this has never been more catchy. 

Steve Reynolds' vocal performance on this album is a highlight all of its own. His insane barks during the slower parts of the band's music take the already brilliant songs to a level that you never thought thrash could go and his rapid-fire assault during the faster moments (Think "Aborticide" and "Omnivore") is in a word, "eargasmic," not to mention the stellar gang vocals throughout which are just as destructive. Vinny Daze won't go down in history as one of the best drummers to ever sit behind a kit, but his work on this record is beyond superb and will be the shining moment of his legacy. The soloing isn't mindblowing, but they get the job done well and they're never playing over a dull riff, so I can't bring myself to even try and complain about it. Honestly I could talk about "Epidemic of Violence" and Demolition Hammer all day, but it would be easier to just turn the volume all the way up and seclude myself from existence for 39 and a half minutes while I headbang myself silly. 

Highlights

"Skull Fracturing Nightmare"

"Epidemic of Violence"
"Omnivore"

Final Rating

An Absolute Skull-Fucking [10/10]

Arachnid - Arachnid (Demo) [1992]

Probably the greatest thrash band to not record a full-length album. Yeah, these guys are that fucking good. Arachnid's only release is this seven track self-titled demo, while unfortunate, the empty void that these guys left could be filled by simply listening to this demo over and over because it doesn't wear itself thin and can sustain multiple listens for years to come. As you can tell by the release date of this demo, thrash was pretty much a dying breed and death metal was becoming the prevalent force in the metal underground, but that didn't stop Arachnid from delivering one of the finest offerings (to never be heard by the amount of people it should have) to the thrash realm. 

Sure, these guys could have hopped on the death metal banwagon, or even incorporate some death metal elements to their music, but aside from the evil sound on this demo, this is pure, raw and aggressive thrash that wasn't made for the weak. This is basically what Morbid Saint would have sounded like if they took that sinister sound from records like "Altars of Madness" or "None Shall Defy" and threw some minor glimpses of technicality into their riffs. The vocals sound near identical to those of Pat Lind, as they rip the listener to shreds with such a brutal force. On the track "Beyond Torment" it almost sounds like this song could have been a track off of "Spectrum of Death" due to the insane vocals and the intense riffage that backs them. 

The main aspect of Arachnid's music that separates them from the legendary Morbid Saint would be that looming, dark and murky atmosphere that is present pretty much throughout the entire demo. The clean intro on "Fears" conveys the song title perfectly, as the sound that is created is haunting and is amplified more as the track builds up with heavy powerchords and guitar solos. "Water Burial" also has a clean intro, though this one isn't as dark as the other one, it creates a different kind of feeling that isn't common with your typical brutal thrash act. The audibility of the bass is another great part of Arachnid's music, as it almost serves as the focal point of the music at points, especially when it serves as a fill over the echoing powerchords like on "Webs of Doom." 

There are also some moments of technical brilliance from these guys, but not enough to consider them a technical thrash act like Artillery or Coroner. The riffs in songs like "Beyond Torment" and "The Witching" all have a subtle technical edge to them that doesn't take away from the sheer aggression of the music, but adds a sense of catchiness that will have the listener replaying the track several times. And of course Arachnid can get your headbanging with my personal favorite for such occasions, "The Reaper Within," which has one of the catchiest breaks I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. Simply put, it's demos like this one that makes the countless hours spent hunting down hidden gems of the past so worth it. 

Highlights

"Beyond Torment"

"Fears"

"The Reaper Within"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.2/10]

Mystik - The Plot Sickens [1992]

"The Plot Sickens" is the best power-thrash album that you may have never heard of. What is there not to like about this album? The vocals are coherent and command the music very nicely. The riffs are fast, catchy and will get your headbanging and the leads are spectacular, from the shredding solos to the great melodies and harmonies found throughout the record.

The best part about this record is definitely it's undeniable catchiness that is created by the excellent combination of the riffs and the vocals. "Reflection of the Dying" has extremely catchy and memorable verses due to the great riffs and the vocals that appear to be a part of the riff itself. Don't be surprised if you find yourself singing along while banging your fist like a maniac. "Red Rum" is another track that is guaranteed to send the listener into an uncontrollable state of singing along, while simultaneously stamping their feet mercilessly along with the riffs and pummeling drums. 

Along with the riffs and vocals, Mystik was able to create some beautiful melodies and harmonies, stunning solos and chilling, yet brilliant clean guitar sections. "Commandment" switches between the heavy and fast distortion guitars and the acoustic/clean passages throughout, while maintaining all of the catchy material that makes this album so fantastic. All of the solos are magnificent, and add another layer to the already great music. "Death to All (Peace at Last!)" and "Commandment" both feature terrific solos that are capable of getting any listener to shred on their air guitar. 

There isn't much more to be said about this album, other than it is too good to be overlooked. This album is just another victim of many, amazing albums to be undiscovered, so this album receives the highest recommendation. Download it or track down the actual CD copy, but get your hands on this album, you will not regret it. 

Highlights

"Reflection of the Dying"

"Red Rum"

"Commandment"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.9/10]

Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade [1992]

Where do you go after releasing three awesome albums in a row? Do you stick with what brought you to the forefront and risk being labeled as generic or repetitive? Or do you take an even bigger risk and tweak your sound? Well, this question is pretty irrelevant when the band you're in happens to be Bolt Thrower. "The IVth Crusade" isn't a departure from their normal sound, in fact you could say they took a step back. The band's previous full-length "War Master" saw them at their most savage since "In Battle There Is No Law!" and it also saw the band lose that doomy guitar tone. On this record, however, that sound returns and so does the crushing mid-paced massacre that was found on "Realm of Chaos."

One of the main reasons that "War Master" was such a flawless album was because of the drums. The double bass pedals resembled heavy artillery machine guns and added a lot of heaviness and speed. On this record, the drums aren't as much of a stand-out, but there are still plenty of great fills that add to the overall heaviness of "The IVth Crusade." Karl Willets' trend of heavy vocals continues here and I can't think of a better vocalist for this war-themed troop. The solos are also great and much like the ones on "War Master" they stray away from the Slayer worship and fit the music beautifully. It's little things like this that add to the epic sound on this record. Remember people, it's the little things that matter.

As mentioned earlier, this is Bolt Thrower's most epic album yet. The songs are all relatively longer, heavier and more doomy. Just listen to the intros on the title track and "This Time It's War." Extremely heavy powerchords with some melodic tendencies always fit the mold for an epic feel. The doom elements also appear later on in some songs like "Spearhead" and "Celestial Sanctuary." But Bolt Thrower never overdoes it with the slower parts and they always manage to keep the listener interested by mixing in assortments of death metal style tremolo bursts or headbang-friendly mid-maced riffs. 

Once again, Bolt Thrower provides us with another masterpiece and continues to prove why they are the greatest death metal band to ever grace this earth. While this album may not be as strong as it's predecessor, there is no reason why anyone who's enjoyed the band's previous work can't enjoy this one. 

Highlights

"The IVth Crusade"

"Where Next to Conquer"

"Ritual"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.1/10]