Terrahsphere - Third In Order Of The Sun [1991]

Though the 90's obviously did not provide with a wealth of thrash that was half as prolific or good as the 80's, emergent acts that culminated during 1990-1993 no doubt have a colorful, even mercurial appeal that I sometimes find to be superior to those of their more olden counterparts. I'm not claiming that New Hampshire thrashers Terrahsphere were bringing a slab of utmost distinction to the table, but they were certainly an enlightening band to come across during the years which thrash was slowly being torn asunder. Terrahsphere's sole album ''Third In Order Of The Sun'' was conducted by the underground entrepreneurs New Renaissance Records, which previously released an abundance of excellent underground obscurities from Soothsayer, Amulance, At War, Blood Feast and Dream Death to name a few; and I believe they found their perfect fit with Terrahsphere, a bristling, busy quartet of madhouse fugitives who don't shy from exposing their sympathy for science-fiction. Well, almost perfect.

You could really assert that the group is drawing influences from a number of suspects: early Toxik, Realm, Megadeth, Norwegian obscures Equinox, Sacrifice, and so forth, but to me they seem like an almost direct translation of Invocator's clinical, surging debut, only stripped up of some of the punch that really rendered the debut so hostile and raucous. Ah yes, the punch. Probably the sole thing that made me malcontent, but thankfully, the band deploys such a myriad of carnal, technical speed/thrash interpretations that it becomes nearly impossible not to succumb to the brisk, curving bevy of sci-fi induced grapple hooks, which take numerous forms of hostility over the coarse of the record, and what's more is that Terrahsphere have a manic vocalist behind all the superfluous machine-gun fire of acute tech-thrash spurts, a frenzied madman whose rupturing vocal cords gyrate between Flemming Ronsdorf of Artillery in his more rowdy days, Jacob Hansen of Invocator and Voivod's Snake. So whether it be the robotic tapping riffs of the opener, the Voivod-like chord progressions of ''Scioreality'' or the finalizing, frivolous leads of ''What Was And Will Be Again'', you've got yourself a genuine futuristic minefield, and every moment is explosive.

The single flare of the opener, ''Re-Emergence Of Atlantis'' is enough to inform the the listener that he/she has just stepped into the chamber of the sovereign of demented pandemonium, but bear in mind that Terrahsphere is not completely about razing, guitars and frenetic vocal output. Terrahsphere set the incomplete fundamentals of a sub-genre that could not reach large heights and would have otherwise boomed into something even more exciting. Sure, technical thrash metal with just faster tendencies is hardly a novel, even for the people of 1991, since Watchtower, Toxik, Deathrow, Hexenhaus and Mekong Delta dropped their pioneering works in previous years, but with the extra aid of fluttering craze behind technically adept guitars something truly attractive could have been born, but the number of bands worshiping the aforementioned acts are low today, so a tiny kindle in the lesser parts of the underground seems to have almost no impact at all.

And perhaps the blossom of such a sound would have occurred in future years by its creators, but unfortunately, Terrahsphere did not live long enough to shed more light on their aesthetics. ''Third In Order Of The Sun'' has its flaws, no doubt, mostly that it lacked the meat it needed to pack a proper punch and because, despite the proficiency of the guitar work, it's still somewhat held aback, a merely combustive fragment of the albums it vaguely tries to exemplify, but through a voluptuous, though not brutal vortex of cavorting intricacies, bound to each other by cajoling elements extracted from outer space, it makes for a highly vibrant and enjoyable listen, and a reasonably good achievement considering the year it was released. Fluent debut which is second in order of the tech-thrash constraint, bested only by the initiating masters of the sub-genre.

Highlights
''Scioreality''
''New Clear Day'''
''Re-Emergence Of Atlantis''
''Inheritance''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.2/10]

Savage Death - Crucified After The Genocide [2010] (Compilation)

Perhaps one of the most staggering and resonating sojourns into the mid 80's reservoir of extremity can be attained best through the unearthing of classic demos that no doubt had their impact on the local scene, but where later on deterred and trampled into submission with the rising of stronger, to be mainstream acts, but I still feel such obscurities stuck in amid the very ooze of time bear the essence of the true energy of their period. Really, any underrated demo could have served the purpose here, but in this case I've chosen one of my underground favorites, Savage Death. While band's body work is short; only two demos ranging at about 35 minutes, F.O.A.D Records has blissfully uprooted the band from their subterranean prison and has brought the two works of savagery to disposal, all the better for collectors of unveiled antiquities.

And delving into the demos, you'll find that Savage Death's material is hardly a novelty for anyone who has the slightest idea what crudities were being churned up in the US scene back then, but even so compared to many of its contemporaries' axe-work circa 1985-1986, this carries a reasonable level of aggression, extremity, along with all the fundamentals that comprised the anatomy of an average speed/thrash neanderthal. In fact, had the group started their endeavors a year or two earlier, they might have surpassed their fellow countrymen Possessed, all thanks to a roiling, gyrating tone to serve as an arboretum to Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and even some of the earliest crossover thrash examples that laid in the very heart of the US. That being said, Savage Death's compositions are hardly sentient interpretations of precision. The tone is highly muscular in contrast to speed metal bands who took their respective influences from primal power metal and NWOBHM footings, but at the same time it's twangy, high-pitched and takes up the majority of space in the mix, the other quadrants unequally given to the dissipating, feral inflection of the vocals and the raw clangor of the drums.

Despite all the one-dimensional perspective of acquiring belligerence through meat, bones, grime and evil that are highly prevalent in both demos, the 1985 ''Mass Genocide'' and the 1986 ''Crucified In Hell'' have their vague differences that help butter up and radiate the emergence of diversity on the entire compilation of songs. One of the core reasons for this implicit difference may be the change in drummers; as Eric Young picks up the drum sticks in the stead of Dave Marks to do some snare-battering action on ''Crucified In Hell'', a distinction in percussion ambiguously forms, and additionally, the ever schizoid Joe Barrows also makes some slight changes in his rancorous toning. ''Crucified In Hell'' features a stockpile of tremolo wails too, unlike its predecessor, and on the same demo, the band begins a tighter focus on traditional crossover aesthetics, as seen on ''I Impaled Your Mother'' and ''Kill The Posers'', while ''Mass Genocide'' was almost purely devoted the meaty, grinding edge of its hostile brute blade, swinging voluptuously.

It seems like these vandals could have burst and released an expunging debut just a year after their second demo, but sadly, their brief discography never saw the light of a full-length that would have even trebled their potential for creating unbridled blitzkrieg. Yet, I suppose we should be thankful the band released two demos of sheer mid 80's speed/thrash excellence. Even for a critic who takes all his/her music quite seriously, this is a traumatic, raw onset of nostalgia, in which case translates simply into interaction, interaction and interaction. Certainly a sumptuous feast for anyone who gets pleasure out of early Slayer, Metallica, Exodus, DRI, Possessed, and primordial South American textbook examples of death/thrash like Sepultura, Vulcano, Attomica and Dorsal Atlantica circa 1986-1987.

Highlights
''Mass Genocide''
''The Advisory''
''Evil Dead''
''Savage Death''

Final Rating
Mediocre [7/10]

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]

Grand Belial’s Key – Mocking the Philanthropist

Grand Belial’s Key is one of the more recognizable bands from the overcrowded USBM “scene” and a favourite of mine. Influenced by punk, speed metal, death metal, traditional metal and doom yet forever shrouded in a blasphemous black metal atmosphere, Grand Belial’s Key truly forged a sound that they could call their own, especially when it came time to unleash their debut album, “Mocking the Philanthropist”.

The album has a very dark and occult feel to it, mostly due to a very “natural” sounding recording. Although the production is a bit “amateurish” when compared to their later works, everything sounds heavy and full of tone with the guitars and drums especially packing a punch. The riffs are melodic yet beefy and have a bit of a “punk” drive to them in parts while the lead work is tasteful and accentuates the rhythm parts nicely. The bass is there, but doesn’t have a huge presence, just doing its thing and holding the songs together. The drumming, provided by The Black Lourde of Crucifixion is very unique (albeit a bit sloppy at times), in that he uses the whole kit and provides a solid sense of rhythm that is not often seen in underground metal. The Black Lourde… also provides vocals, which sound much deeper in pitch and raspier than one usually associates with black metal, making them, like his drumming, rather unique in this genre of music. Keyboards and organs occasionally pop up as well, adding a nice touch and some extra dimension to the music.

Lyrically, GBK can be compared to bands such as Profanatica, in that the focus is on perversion, blasphemy and a general hatred of all things religious. The lyrics are also well-written, which makes for a change when compared to other bands that use similar themes yet come across as immature or childish.

While GBK’s later two full lengths would turn out better, you really can’t go wrong with their debut as a solid introduction to their works and a classic album in itself, full of great songs and catchy, headbanging moments. No other band, past or present, sounds like Grand Belial's Key. 

Highlights:

Foul Parody of the Lord's Supper

Shemhamforash 

The Slums of Jerusalem

Castrate the Redeemer 

The Holocaust Trumpeter

Final Rating:

8.0/10 Awesome (not as great as their next two albums, but still a classic)

Necronomicon - Necronomicon [1986]

Necronomicon formed way back in 1983 but didn’t get a demo out until 1985 (they released 2 demos that year, actually) and released their debut self-titled full length in ’86, so I guess they kind of missed the ball on the whole “German thrash explosion” thing which prevented them from getting the kind of recognition that has seen Sodom, Kreator and Destruction heralded as 80’s thrash metal giants.

What can thrash aficionados expect from this album? How about something that sounds very similar to early Destruction? Snarling Schimer-esque vocals, crunchy guitars and killer riffs to match and competent drumming. Sadly, the bass seems to drop in an out here, but I think that’s more of a production problem which is unfortunate because aside from this small detail I think the production is perfect (keep in mind, though, I have the reissue which was put out in 2007 by Battle Cry records, which also has a different tracklisting to the original).

One thing about this band that will stick out to most listeners is the Destruction comparisons, which unfortunately can’t exactly be avoided, but I think it’s very unfair to the band to refer to them as a “poor mans Destruction”, because if you can ignore the comparisons I think you will find plenty to like with this band and their releases (the third full length “Escalation” is essential German thrash listening). Infact, after listening to this band for a long time, I actually prefer them over Destruction.

For me, the standout track on this album is “Possessed by Evil”, which is an absolute stomper of a thrash metal song and I would put it up there with the likes of “Riot of Violence” by Kreator and “Nuclear Winter” by Sodom. In other words; it’s a classic track!

The big let down with “Necronomicon” is that the tracks are pretty inconsistent with a lot of hit-and-miss going on, but they redeem themselves with tracks like “Possessed by Evil” and “Magic Forest”.

I would recommend this album and band to every old-school thrash aficionado out there. Give it a chance, and keep in mind, the band does improve on their later releases, so don’t be too put off by the sloppiness of their debut, if that’s the kind of thing that puts you off.



Highlights:
Possessed by Evil
Magic Forest

Final Rating:
7.5/10 Mediocre (poor choice of word in the case of this album; I would call it"above average but not brilliant, just a fuckin' good thrash record".)

Gammacide - Victims Of Science [1989]

Although at the time there was Devastation, who delivered their smoldering masterpiece two years later, Gammacide were ultimately the most spastic, ballistic thrash metal act coming from Lone Star State. This would, unfortunately be the the sole full-length release by the band, but during the uttermost pinnacle for thrash Gammacide ruptures an absolutely tremendous cataclysmic boulder-shower of brickwall riffs and immense nuclear bombardments hailing in an all-out pernicious atomic explosion, and so infectiously captivating are their riffs that it was literally impossible to shelter from the brick rain that never seemed to cease; the band's shtick was thundering with ridiculous abominations of ferocity and and riveting attention with their meticulous obscenity.

The very first time I encountered this frenzy, I was perplexed, to say the least. Gammacide could have easily reigned over the parched wastelands of Texas with such a stomping precision, but such a fate was never written in the cards. But ignoring their future misfortune, ''Victims Of Science'' is the gathering of the most violent thrash that was available up to that point, a shrewd aversion against society's imprudent actions against the environment, and pure, unbridled anger, absolutely pulsing through the gamma-radiated veins of the band members. Gammacide delivered so many riffs in single three-minute tracks that they could even be considered omnipotent riff deities, and there's also Vernam Ponville's Sean Killian-esque approach that boasted of relentless fury, and spasmodic leads drilling into the listener's subconscious like some mutated laser - these were all the surgical twists they could pull off, and who knows, they might have even fabricated more and even catchier material if they had lived through the massacre of thrash during the mid-late 90's.

''Victims Of Science'' can well be considered as one of the most neck-wrecking extremities that was prevalent in those days, and it's absolutely straight up ferocity at its finest, most purest. I even consider counting the band's later demo material as an inimical piece of this puzzle, and hell, even if you can't show relative enthusiasm against this distorted nuclear bombast, I'm assuming many will still give into its lyrics:

In the race to win priorities lost
Victory assured at what cost?
Defense network spread far and wide
Works off human sacrifice
Radiation that leaves us dead
Won't harm circuits encased in lead
Countries of the world are robbed of life
Battles are waged by satellites

Machines are given full reign
Electronic soldiers feel no pain
If they win who's to gain?
Your fate is sealed by emotionless steel

For the typical, banging thrasher there's not a single fail in this album. Even a more reluctant listener might as well be content with a dozen of listens to bear and behold this imposing ferocity and the ludicrous ingredients that make if what it is. It's hardcore, it's thrash, it's sheer brutality, and no matter how overlooked it is it can still send countless numbers of its fellow competitors spinning in dazzled exhaustion and still explode with an hooking, atomic, and even cheesy discharge. 

Highlights:

Observations

Victims Of Science

Chemical Imbalance 

Endangered Species

Final Rating:

Awesome [8.7/10]

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I [1987]

Here we have an album that many consider to be one of the most influential Euro-power metal albums of all time, and that wouldn't be an inaccurate statement, only it was influential for a sound that I couldn't care less for. Helloween showed that they were a legit band capable of delivering doses of brilliance in their music when they released the masterpiece "Walls of Jericho," but this album is just... different. For one, "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I" sees the introduction of Michael Kiske on vocals, and while I have nothing against the man, it's a shame that Hansen could no longer pulled double duty on guitar and as the frontman, because his unpolished and enthusiastic approach to fronting the band was a joy to hear on the debut EP and full-length. Kiske's vocals are on their own outstanding, but they suit a watered down version of Helloween a lot better, and that's really what the band is on their sophomore - watered down. 

It may sound like I'm bashing "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I," but I do enjoy the album, it's not what I was expecting to hear after listening to the much more raw debut, a bonafide classic, and while this record is considered a classic, it just doesn't live up to expectations. For the most part, the kickass speed-oriented riffs that Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath mass-produced before are gone; replaced by more midpaced riffage akin to groups like Priest and Maiden, which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't spark the same feeling that amazing songs like "Ride the Sky" and "Victims of Fate" had. It's not all bad, though, as songs like "I'm Alive" and "A Little Time" are great midpaced tunes that show off Kiske's great voice, as well as the non-stop shredding from the guitarists, with the former track featuring excellent solos that are actually some of the better parts of the music at points throughout the record. This album also has one of Helloween's best songs ever in "Twilight of the Gods," an epic anthem with an insanely catchy chorus, stellar guitar playing on both ends, and Kiske's phenomenal vocal performance. 

However, I find myself needing to complain about this album again. It's very short and with only six songs of actual substance, all six of these songs needed to be overly-exceptional, but that's not the case. "A Tale That Wasn't Right" is an acoustic ballad that just falls flat and makes me want to hit the skip button, while "Future World" is another song that just fails to retain anything that could be considered awesome. I don't want to sound like some miserable cunt, but the song is just too damn happy sounding and has no real substance to it. Had these two tracks been cut from the record, "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I" would've made a terrific EP and another Helloween release that could be considered a major "win." The basic tale of the tape for this record is one that sees the band evolve their sound (which is a natural thing for bands, and one that we as fans have no control over), but not for the better. There are still some great songs here that save it from being a total flop, with "Twilight of the Gods" and the epic closer "Halloween" being worth listening to this record again on their own. This is a band that showed a lot of promise, but unfortunately fell short and it's safe to say this is the last record where I could summon enough fucks to give about the group after they teased me with their fantastic debut. 

Highlights

"I'm Alive"

"Twilight of the Gods"

"Halloween"

Final Rating

Barely Awesome [8/10]