Master's Hammer - Ritual [1991]

Master's Hammer's debut ''Ritual'' is one of those albums which comes with your early second wave black metal starter pack, along with such cults classics as ''A Blaze in the Northern Sky'', ''Hell Symphony'', ''Burzum'', ''Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism'', ''De Mistiriis Dom Sathanas'' and ''In the Nightside Eclipse''. Yet somehow in terms of 'cultness' ''Ritual'' exceeds the reputation of all the aforementioned records, a grisly, Eastern European response to Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, a record that stands the test of time both with its inherent sense of menace and evil, and its seemingly casual rawness, earning the praise of being 'the first Norwegian black metal album', despite belonging to the Czech Republic. Granted, the early 90's exemplified the sheer crudeness of early black metal, and before the time when Scandinavian black metal outfits poured from the skies like devil spawn during the mid-late 90's, there was a brief stone age, an antediluvian margin of time where demons devoured each other, angel carcasses were abound, and Master's Hammer subsidized some of the most ungodly music around.

Of course, it helps that the market was very unsaturated for black metal back in 1991. Robed in subtle overtures of atmospheric synthesizers and obscure beauty, ''Ritual'' channels a fundamental uniqueness in addition to its undiluted black/thrash hauteur which would later bequeath their sophomore masterpiece ''The Jilemnce Occultist'' with the title 'black metal operetta' which still holds today; looming keys a la early Emperor (though I would argue Ihsahn was probably more influenced by the Czechs than the other way round) are not dominant here, but they have a masterful, huanting quality which perpetuate the kind of folksy, ritualistic ambiance which Master's Hammer channel, especially with longish tracks like ''Pad Modly'', but really, keyboards are just a fragment of what makes ''Ritual'' such a bonafide attraction of early black metal. Where Burzum bathed in constant fuzzed darkness and embalmed forestry, Darkthrone practiced sheer, impenetrable evil, taking the Hellhammer influence to far colder region, ''Ritual'' was all about these mid-paced, almost groovy and syncopated chord progressions, octave laden but not melodic, and while the grittiness of this record still partakes in the rudimentary ghastly mess of Tormentor, or Celtic Frost circa 1985, there is a ribald and sinister feel to the riffs as they congruently evolve into more intricate, well-developed adaptations of their source material, perhaps slightly interchangeable, yes, but nonetheless varied and retaining sufficient clarity within the guitar and drums to appeal to fans of both 'cult', extinct demos with dilapidated production values, as well as connoisseurs of newsprint black metal recordings and those third wave acts like Ragnarok and Nokturnal Mortum.

It's not that ''Ritual'' doesn't feel like a doom metal record at times, it does. I don't always find this expropriation of 'pure' black metal aesthetics and dive into slow Celtic Frost territory very appealing, as in tracks like ''Geniove'', since the synths which back the lurching guitars at this point are hardly potent enough to create dream- or nightmarescapes on their own, providing a mere choral aural undertone to refurbish the rhythm department, and needless to say the band is better on its fast-paced, black/thrashing fervor. But whatever song is played, except the instrumental title track and atmospheric intro, vocalist Storm does a great fucking job of perpetuating the atmosphere with these raw, unhinged barks, that sound surprisingly professional. Some resonance, and the dude sounds like a fucking turbaned Bedouins smitten by leprosy, barking and coughing his way through the songs as though half-burnt and half claimed by a tumorous death; I'm even more in favor of his inflection in the second Master's Hammer record, where he romps up the performance with demonic coughs and sardonic laughter, but at any rate, with its distinctly entertaining shoveling of Czech lyrics, ''Ritual'' is one of the strongest contender to black metal vocal work far and wide across the genre. The native lyrics, while seemingly ostracizing for some, frankly add a terrific degree of calculated and almost poetic clamor to the record in general, and as with just about all heavy metal albums sung with their native tongue, I love this.

Like most early black metal recordings, ''Ritual'' lacks the longing and frigid mysticism of, say, ''Transilvanian Hunger'' or ''In the Nightside Eclipse'', but that's not to say it's a damned impressive offering overall and a record that was very much ahead of its time. ''Jama Pekel'' with its percussive, blast-beat oriented thrashing verse attacks and pungent, declarative chorus line alone should be able to convince any follower of the black metal cult that this is a record which deserves more recognition, full of winding and dark corners twisting into crude semi-nightmares and thunderous Eastern European skies, it is a record which very much evokes the jagged patch of terrain represented in its cover art, one of those midnight haunts every witchfinder should indulge in if he/she can find the time, and surely enough they will. Or, you could also regard it as level ladder to climb the theatrical cavalcade of their sophomore, which easily remains their best, and gleefully take pleasure in the skeletal liturgy as you work your way to the top.

Highlights
''Jama pekel''
''Věčný návrat'' 

''Pád modly''

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

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]

Beherit – The Oath of Black Blood [1991]

Although Beherit’s “The Oath of Black Blood” is often confused for their first album, it is actually a compilation of their “Demonomancy” demo and “Dawn of Satan’s Millennium” EP, due to the recording money for the first actual album being pissed away on drugs and alcohol by the band. The music featured on these early works is, in a word; ugly. Sounding somewhere between early Bathory, Blasphemy, Sarcófago and primitive old-school death metal, this stuff is raw, frenzied and sounds like it was recorded in a cave using a blender. Clearly, a very different approach to what they would later achieve on “Drawing down the Moon”.

The first half of this release is much more primal and violent than the second half; it is here that you notice the heavy influence Beherit took from the ancient South American extreme metal scene. Chaotic and distorted riffs, simple but effective drumming and inhuman vocals assault the listener from all angles. Those looking for melody and fancy musicianship need not listen, as they won’t find it here!

The second half focuses a bit more on the experimental and ambient sounds that they would focus more on later in their career. There’s tasteful keyboard work and whispered vocals worked in with a less is more approach. It’s a bit weird to hear this after the blistering chaos of the first half, but it fits and flows well enough with the first half, still leaving “The Oath…” feeling more like an album than a compilation.

So, while not an actual “album”, I would still say that “The Oath of Black Blood” is an essential in any black metal listener’s collection. Unless you’re a pansy.

Highlights:

The Oath of Black Blood

Grave Desecration

Goat Worship

Black Mass Prayer

Final Rating: Masterpiece [9.0/10]

Immolation – Dawn of Possession [1991]

Something about Immolation’s debut album “Dawn of Possession” was just… special. Immolation have never really sounded much like other death metal bands, I mean, you can compare them to Incantation and Autopsy (the two bands their sound is closest to) all you like, but there was still something to their sound that sets “Dawn of Possession” apart from the other classic death metal albums that were released around the same time…

Perhaps it was the rhythmic experimentation present in the way that the drums and riffs worked together; with the drums following the guitar instead of the other way ‘round as per the norm, or maybe it was the way their two guitarists played off each other and created tension within the riffs, or it could have just been the well thought out song structures that set Immolation apart. Whatever it was, “Dawn of Possession” was and still is one of the most important death metal albums of the early ‘90s.

The first thing I always notice when I hit the play button when this is in my stereo is how truly sinister and evil Immolation managed to sound at the time. Utilizing insane tempo changes and subtle elements of technical prowess, the songs flow effortlessly between mid-paced thrash stomps and all out blasting death metal tempos, occasionally slowing it down to a total crawl. The drum, bass and guitar work featured on this record is some of the most well played metal you will ever hear… forget those ridiculously over the top techwank bands that pop up all over the place these days; Immolation already blew them out of the water way back in 1991. Special mention also needs to be made in regards to Ross Dolans’ vocals; this man is the reason death metal vocals sound the way they do today.

The production on “Dawn of Possession” is cavernous and crushing, yet clean enough to allow the instruments to breathe and show their worth. It is one of the most suitable mix jobs you will ever hear on an album.

Each and every song is a classic; leaving me completely unable to choose any particular favourites and I really cannot imagine listening to this album any other way than as a complete piece. Because that’s what this is: a total masterpiece of mind-blowing American death metal perfection. There are a few death metal albums that I, personally, would hold over this one in terms of greatness, but not many.

Highlights

Into Everlasting Fire
Dawn of Possession
After My Prayers
Those Left Behind
Despondent Souls
Burial Ground

Final Rating 
Masterpiece [9.9/10]

Sentenced - Shadows of Past [1991]

I'm sure any death metal fan reading this knows about Finland and the country's tendency to unleash filthy, murky death metal of the highest caliber, so I won't ramble on about it and bore you. Sentenced is one such band that took up their axes and then proceeded to drown them in melodic, doomy brilliance and then drop tune the shit out of them. Seriously, these guys must have gone a major Bolt Thrower binge because the amount of grooving and chugging on "Shadows of Past" is ridiculous. The opening track "When the Moment of Death Arrives" starts off the way that you would expect a Finndeath band to sound - with a dark, yet beautiful melody that sets up the tone and then all of a sudden this plodding, behemoth-like riff enters the fray and heads begin to bang. "Rot to Dead" and "Under the Suffer" are a couple more tracks that embrace the "Realm of Chaos" groove and pummeling and they do it incredibly well. 

Of course, this is Finnish death metal and "Shadows of Past" isn't just a Bolt Thrower-worship record. There are plenty of melodies strung throughout this album, whether they're used as an atmosphere enhancer like on the intro to "Rotting Ways of Misery," or they're being used to balance out the heaviness with the melodic like on "Disengagement," Sentenced knows how to write some great music that isn't just endless tremolos and blast beats. Another notable trait of the country's style of death metal is the underlying doom influence and just about every song has a moment that is undeniably doomy. The powerchords possess a grim emptiness to them that conjures the feel most of the time, similar to a band like Autopsy, but there are also plenty of riffs that are just straight-up doom ("Disengagement"). But, the major influence for this low-end sound is none other than the heavy-as-fuck bass. The bass creeps along and is always the elephant in the room, so to speak, and its presence is very welcome as far as I'm concerned. 

In addition to the Bolt Thrower grooving and the more melodic material, a lot of the other riffs and parts of the music are greatly influenced by the godfathers of death metal, Death. The tremolo sections throughout reek of "Leprosy"-era Death, as they're fast and somewhat evil sounding, but not as heavy as a band like Incantation or as evil as a band like Morbid Angel. The vocals are also very reminiscent of Chuck Schuldiner, but there's also a healthy dose of Brett Hoffmann in there as well. "Shadows of Past" is definitely a great record to have in your collection if you're a fan of Bolt Thrower, Death or Autopsy, as it is a fantastic representative of what Finland had to offer, though Sentenced wasn't the best. It's a shame that these guys would go on to later produce some utter shit, but at least I've still got this album to deteriorate my eardrums to...

Highlights

"When the Moment of Death Arrives"

"Rot to Dead"

"Suffocated Beginning of Life"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.3/10]

Autopsy – Retribution for the Dead EP [1991]

Autopsy is a classic old-school death metal band and every self-respecting death metaller should have at least a couple of Autopsy releases in their collection. I recently obtained a physical copy of their first EP, “Retribution for the Dead”, which was released following their legendary debut album “Severed Survival” and the “Metal Forces” split they did with Paradise Lost.

First and foremost, it should be pointed out that “Retribution…” is more of a death/doom hybrid than their earlier material. Each of the three tracks here simply crush, coming across as some of the most sludgy and bluesy death metal ever put to record. The production is suitably murky and cavernous; sounding like it was recorded deep within an ancient crypt. 

The three songs featured here; “Retribution for the Dead”, “Destined to Fester” and “In the Grip of Winter” all run over four minutes and are top-notch examples of simple, yet beautifully written and well thought out death metal. Each one has a clear beginning, middle and end, and plenty of variation whilst still sticking to a mostly slow paced death/doom template. 

One thing you’ll definitely notice, is that just about all of the thrash influence present in many early death metal works is absent here, leaving Autopsy with a sound similar to what I think a punk-influenced doom metal band like Saint Vitus would do if they played death metal. Even the few moments where the pace does speed up sound more akin to a band like Discharge than, say, Slayer, due to the loose and bass heavy tones present.

“Retribution for the Dead” stands as one of my favourite death/doom EPs and should be an essential listen for any serious old-school death metal maniac. There is a clear reason it was tacked on to the end of the 1993 reissue of “Severed Survival” as bonus tracks…

Highlights:

It's three of Autopsy's best songs... obviously each one is a highlight in itself.

Final Rating:

Awesome 8.5/10

Interment - Where Death Will Increase [1991] (Demo)

Some may know Interment from their recent album, and some may know them as one unknown pioneer of early Swedish old school death metal from their demo days. Interment was formed first as Beyond in 1988, then they changed their name and released three killer demos right before a lengthy hiatus, and today they're basically putting out the same stuff they were in the 90's, only maybe more intricate. While all of their demos are classics and imperatives in the Swedish death metal scene, it wouldn't be wrong to say that they didn't much of a diverse aroma to the scene as bands like Unleashed, Dismember and Entombed were already putting out superb release. Their first demo, ''Where Death Will Increase'', stands out as their most favored release among the small group of underground DM nerds, and it stands as the most important release in their career, too.

I feel many have already suffered the same old groove laden incursions of pure face melting punk-driven chainsaw madness, and scores of entrails have already been spilled to the floor by similar acts. It engraves itself upon a crusty pattern of morbid, ghastly death metal, and from its skeletal seat, it commands its freshly revived ghouls to strike and butcher all that is not morbid. The production is a fairly convincing as the demo prevails within the abyss created by it. The atmosphere is crucial here, and while the demo has little ambiance, there's still some left for the album to breathe blood and filth, so new riffs can spawn healthily. The crypt of ghouls now stands before you, and there's no turning back. The first track ''Morbid Death'' shakes you and pummels you into dust while it spreads some infectious grooves. The drum chokes are also worked up pretty well, and the riffs offer a beefy tone as well, so they sound hefty at all times. The music is extremely accessible as the main focus of the riffs are maiming thrash driven grooves and classic tremolo descents.

''Where Death Will Increase'' should butter you up easily as soon as it arrives but don't expect it to offer anything more than straightforward, thrash-injected Swedish death metal. Fans of Entombed, Grave and Nihilist will certainly love this little spectacle of nostalgia, dotted with a few queer twists and even some exuberant synthesizers delving into the demo. Interment crafted their weapons with simple, but cold and hard steel, no more inventive than the scores of bands out today, but this certainly does crush a good number of Swedeath worshipers, allowing the morbid atmosphere prevail throughout. Get this demo now and close your eyes so that you can be slammed into the graveyard dust, and just let yourself flow as putrefied cannibal ghouls and crypt fiends eagerly feast on your flesh.

Highlights
''Morbid Death''
''Cranial Putrefaction''
''Infestering Flesh''

Final Rating
Awesome [8.4/10]

Nocturn - Estranged Dimensions [1991]

There are a lot of people out there who take any random underground band and their album, then proclaim them to be the greatest band ever and then try and compare them to legends of the genre, which is highly stupid and usually is nothing more than some fan trying to be cool by being able to namedrop an obscure act. This also tends to happen a lot with death/thrash bands, as I've seen just about every band out there being praised by someone, while they slobber all over about how "random death/thrash album" is just as good as "The Awakening," "Final Holocaust," and other masterpieces. However, Nocturn is a band that I feel is pretty close to being worthy of such admiration, as their brand of music is stunning to say the least. Coming from the Netherlands, they were already in the shadow of the death/thrash masters in Pestilence and the incredible Thanatos, but Nocturn's music was definitely different. The music on the band's debut (and only full-length) album "Estranged Dimensions" isn't focused on the brutality aspect, rather they evoke a very dark atmosphere. 

A simple descriptor for the band and the songs on "Estranged Dimensions" would be something like a much more evil sounding Morbid Saint. While Nocturn aren't as vicious and hostile as the "Spectrum of Death" creators, they make up for it with the dark aura that is found throughout the record. The title track that opens up the album starts with some heavy powerchords and a grim sounding melody before the abrasive vocals eventually find their way through. A lot of death/thrash songs are usually fast and aggressive, but the song carries on at a very slow and creeping pace as the melodies bring that eerie feel and the very harsh vocals crush the listener, making for a nice change of pace. "Delirium Tremens" and "Shades of Insanity" also deviate from the path at certain points, with their gloomy, yet beautiful melodies and stark, heavy riffs. 

The only thing that held this album back from being better was the length of some of the songs. I have no problem if bands want to write longer material, but they had better be able to hold my attention. Nocturn, did not accomplish this on every track, with "Delirium Tremens" and "Century of Execration" being the two best examples. Both songs featured some great riffs and stellar moments, but there were also points in the songs where they went nowhere or repeated themselves. Had those two tracks been more like "Altered Evolution," a song that clocks in at just a little over eight minutes, then "Estranged Dimensions" would definitely have ranked higher, as this track had plenty going for it: the aforementioned riffs, melodies, and everything else simply worked here and kept my headbanging for the whole duration. Nocturn comes with the highest recommendation as their music will easily please fans of acts like Ripping Corpse, Revenant, Infernal Majesty and other thrash bands who brought the extreme aggression, as well as some unfathomable darkness. 

Highlights

"Altered Evolution"

"Graveyard Without Crosses"

"Morbid Shining"

Final Rating

Damn-Near A Masterpiece [8.9/10]

Assorted Heap - The Experience of Horror [1991]

Around the year 1991, two of the three Teutonic thrash kings (Kreator and Destruction) were no longer a force to be reckoned with. Kreator would release the abomination known as the "Renewal" demo and Destruction had already began to fade away after releasing some mediocre material, thus a new thrash powerhouse needed to step up. Whether or not Assorted Heap was that band is all a matter of opinion, but their debut album "The Experience of Horror" definitely made a great case for the Teutonic tech-thrashers with its blend of aggressive thrash that Germany is known for, and technical prowess. 

This record is often referred to as one of the death/thrash subgenre which I still don't understand. Sure, the vocals are akin to Max Cavalera (Sepultura is another one of those bands that gets incorrectly tossed into the death/thrash category), but the riffage is far from the riffs of bands like Merciless, Ripping Corpse, Massacra, and the other familiars. The opening track "Unexpiated Bloodshed" features a solid mix of riffs that make for an above average track, with some riffs that have a technical edge to them, ripping thrash riffs and midpaced headbangers that all weave in and out of the song for its four minute entirety smoothly. The title track follows a similar pattern though it has a bit more technical riffing as well as some stellar bass interludes. 

Assorted Heap also made the decision to include acoustic guitars on "The Experience of Horror." The track "In Vain" is a minute long instrumental that consists of a relaxing acoustic passage that transitions into the next song "Sold Out Souls" nicely. I must also comment on the bassist's performance on this album because he does a tremendous job of providing some awesome fills that could be compared to the great Roger Patterson (though, not quite that great). The bass pattern on "Trick to Your Mind" is terrific and serves as the main focus of the song for that point, rather than a guitar riff or melody. There isn't much more to be said for this six song record, other than it is clearly superior to anything that Kreator or Destruction released around the same time. 

Highlights

"Unexpiated Bloodshed"

"The Experience of Horror"

"Sold Out Souls"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10] 

Cancer - Death Shall Rise [1991]

Here is an album that occasionally gets lost in the shuffle when discussing the best material to come out during the year 1991, which is one of the best years for metal in general, especially death metal. I don't want to lead you on and say that "Death Shall Rise" is the epitome of what death/thrash should be and that it is the greatest album of the subgenre, because it really isn't, but it is still an album that stands tall on its own feet and delivers a great eight-track onslaught of what you would expect a death/thrash record to sound like and one that certainly deserves some more recognition. 

Cancer already had an uphill battle when releasing their sophomore album, because their fellow UK comrades in Bolt Thrower and Benediction would both release two excellent albums later in the year. Luckily, this group of metalheads had a different sound than their countrymen, not settling for a doomier or groovier sound, instead they would release an unbridled assault that became apparent once the classic "Hung, Drawn and Quartered" punched through the listener's speakers. Fast riffs and tremolos that sounded like they could have been written by Chuck Schuldiner himself (Maybe it was because James Murphy played guitar on this album?) and heavy riffs guaranteed to cause some whiplash to the vertebrae are what were to be found on this track, as well as an incredibly catchy chorus (with guest vocals from Glen Benton). 

While the first track is the definition of brilliance, the rest never seem to catch up to the precedent set so early on. A lot of the riffs aren't anything overly special or anything that couldn't be heard from other bands that came out before, and the vocals are a little dry. The bass and drums also don't do anything that warrants much attention, either. The closest that Cancer comes to recapturing the greatness from the first track would be on the songs "Back From the Dead" and "Corpse Fire." The former track has a darker edge to it due to some melodies placed throughout, and the later song is a no-nonsense song that never lets up and even features some blast beats. After the eight songs have all gone through, there is an impression that is made on the listener, but it isn't on par with the same that are left by albums like "Dreaming with the Dead," "The Awakening" or "Idolatry." Not that it really matters, this album did have one of the best album covers out there, though, and had the music been as fantastic as the cover art then "Death Shall Rise" could have been an undeniable classic.

Highlights

"Hung, Drawn and Quartered"

"Back From the Dead"

"Corpse Fire"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.5/10]

Funebre - Children of the Scorn [1991]

When people talk about death metal from Finland, the names that are always brought up as the best are the usual culprits of Demigod, Convulse, Amorphis and Demilich, but what about Funebre? "Children of the Scorn" is the only full-length album that Funebre ever recorded, which is unfortunate because this album is great and severely underrated. I'm still not sure why these guys aren't as cherished by the metal underground, especially since this album preceded any of the now legendary records that those other aforementioned bands released. 

At first I thought it might have been the glimpses of technicality and general weirdness of some of the riffs and basslines that might have turned people off from this record, but Demilich is pretty technical and a lot of pretentious death metal fans love to wank to "Nespithe." The riffs and the craziness that ensues with a lot of them throughout "Children of the Scorn" are stellar (though, some are cool for a listen but not all that memorable), especially on songs like "Congenital Defeat" and "Walls that Held Screams." Instead of taking the same approach to constructing some dark music by adding numerous tremolo passages and downtuned, doomy passages, Funebre delivers some crazy sounding riffs which add a nice sense of chaos to the music, placing significance on the actual music rather than trying to sound evil. 

Don't get me wrong, these guys definitely can conjure up some vile sounding music when they want. While not settling for the usual heavy and muted tremolo bursts, Funebre goes for that eerie sound by using some higher notes for their weapon of tremolo picking assault, with "Walls that Held Screams" and "Slumber End" being two of the best instances of this. And of course there are the melodic parts that death metal bands from Finland have made so essential to their morbid sounding music. The melody near the beginning of "Waiting for the Arrival" should have no problem in sending chills down the listener's spine, while the melodic passage of "Blood on White" is exactly how melody should be integrated with death metal, and not like that shite from Gothenburg. 

In between the crazy weirdness that Funebre does so well and the darker parts of their music, there are some heavy riffs ("Grip of Insanity" and "Redeemed From Time") that compliment the other parts well and give the listener an opportunity to bang their head. There really isn't much else to discuss regarding "Children of the Scorn," other than the riff in "Grip of Insanity" which sounds a lot like the riff on a certain Death song. This album isn't as great as "World Without God" or "Slumber of Sullen Eyes," nor does it have a lasting effect like those two albums, but it definitely deserves to be mentioned alongside them because this is a damn fine slab of filthy death metal. 

Highlights

"Waiting for the Arrival"

"Shiver"

"Redeemed From Time"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.0/10]

Axetra - Demo 1991

You all know that feeling, when you find a demo from a band from back in the day and it kicks you in the fucking jaw and you couldn't be happier with it? When going through several demos that range from terrible to mediocre, but then you come across that one hidden gem that makes it all worth it? That would be Axetra's only release, the 1991 demo, and what a tremendous five-track demo of raw power-thrash we have here.

Hailing from the desert of Arizona, the same home of thrash favorites such as Flotsam and Jetsam, Atrophy and Sacred Reich, Axetra probably resembles Flotsam and Jetsam the most, with their brand of catchy power-thrash. The somewhat quirky, high-pitched vocals that soar over the music, the terrific solos and melodies, and everything else here is all in top form. While there aren't many riffs on this demo that are to die for (although the riffs on "Stand Up and Fight" are pretty close), they mesh together so well with the rest of the music that having amazing riffs in every song just isn't necessary. Take the track "IOU" for example, the riffs aren't anything overly special, but they'll get your headbanging, while you sing along with the insanely catchy choruses and air guitar to the stellar solos. The bassist also does a really fine job on this demo, especially on the song "Nowhere to Hide." The bass playing during the intro, and even later on the song is fantastic and adds another dynamic to the already impressive music. 

Sadly these guys would never record anything else after releasing this awesome demo, and had these guys gone on to record a full-length, it wouldn't surprise me if that record, or the entire band of Axetra would be considered underground legends. But, speculation aside, this demo is one hell of a good time that any fan of power-thrash could enjoy as they drink several beers in their denim jackets while riding a top their dragon to save a princess, or something like that. 

Highlights

"IOU"

"Stand Up and Fight"

"Blind Evil"

Final Rating 

Awesome [8.8/10]

Pyathrosis - Fields of Unceasing Death (Demo) [1991]

Coming straight out of the Netherlands is a very underrated and overlooked death metal band by the name of Pyathrosis. Their "Fields of Unceasing Death" demo is absolutely brilliant in every sense of the word. It came out in 1991 which was a pinnacle year for the entire death metal genre and as far as the Netherlands went, all eyes were on Aspyhx's debut record "The Rack" and Pestilence's "Testimony of the Ancients," but this five track demo is really the hidden gem of the time. 

The first two songs on this record are a one-two punch of groovy, heavy and dirty death metal at it's absolute finest, crushing the listener with an onslaught of catchy midpaced riffs with the same intensity and fervor of those that could be found on Bolt Thrower's "Realm of Chaos" record. The title track clocks in at a just a little over seven minutes, but every second of this song is amazing and those seven minutes just fly by while the listener's neck writhes in utter pain at the pleasure of having headbanged like a wild animal for seven minutes straight. 

After the first two songs are through, Pyathrosis speeds things up a bit with the song "Drowning Soul" that features the first glimpses of the band's use of the traditional death metal tremolos as opposed to the groovy perfection earlier on. The very low growls of the singer are also a highlight on this song as they are a bit more focused with the heavy powerchords backing them, making for a downright savage song. The final song on this demo, "Eradicated Evil" is the slowest song on this album and features some almost doomy chords that mix in perfectly with the continued midpaced mayhem that was seen at the beginning of the "Fields of Unceasing Death" demo. 

This demo is the definition of a hidden gem and it's a shame that this band never released a full-length because it would have been phenomenal to see these guys play alongside their fellow countrymen in the legendary Asphyx. Oh well, at least this 24 minute demo exists and I can play over and over until my black heart is content. 

Highlights

"Slithery Flesh"

"Fields of Unceasing Death"

"Wrecked Sacrament"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.0/10]

Benediction - The Grand Leveller [1991]

First I must say that I'm very content with my decision to give Benediction's sophomore effort a chance after listening to the highly mediocre "Subconscious Terror." After hearing all the talk of how these guys were similar to Bolt Thrower (My favorite death metal band), I was extremely disappointed with my first impression of these guys, but luckily "The Grand Leveller" is light years ahead of Benediction's previous effort. Everything about this record is better: the songwriting, riffs, vocals, solos, drumming and everything else. 

On "Subconscious Terror" everything seemed so bland and predictable. I don't recall any moment where my head was banging or I was intrigued by a single solo or riff. On this record, however, Benediction decided to change things up structure wise. Not every song is written in the same fashion, and there is plenty of variety to be found here, riff-wise anyway. The undeniable Bolt Thrower influence is present once those doomy melodies on "Jumping At Shadows" enter the fray, while "Opulence of the Absolute" features some great tremolo sections that would make the American masters proud, as well as some midpaced riffs that are absolutely crushing. "The Grand Leveller" is most reminiscent of the band's fellow countrymen (and woman) in it's creeping, midpaced mayhem but the title track here shows off the band's ability to go at much faster tempos and it sounds awesome. 

Even though the debut full-length of Benediction featured the legendary Barney Greenway of Napalm Death fame, the vocals on "The Grand Leveller" fit the music much better. Dave Ingram's vocal performance here adds a darker atmosphere to the sound, whereas Barney didn't really add anything to the music, he was just growling in front of the already mediocre music. The drumming on here isn't much to brag about, but it did it's job just fine so no complaints here. The bass is pretty good throughout, thumping along audibly while also providing some nice fills on the intros to "Born in a Fever" and "Jumping At Shadows." 

Some might complain about the overall comparison of Benediction to the more well known Bolt Thrower because it makes them seem like a subordinate, but it's definitely a compliment. "The Grand Leveller" is a fantastic death metal record and one of the best to come from the UK, so if you haven't heard these guys then you now have some homework to do. 

Highlights

"Jumping At Shadows"

"Opulence of the Absolute"

"Undirected Aggression"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.0/10]

Invocator - Excursion Demise [1991]

If you thought Artillery was the only thrash band from Denmark conjuring up some wicked metal, then Invocator is here to enlighten you with their brand of technical thrash. I'm not saying that these guys are better than Artillery, because they're not. "By Inheritance" is one of the greatest thrash albums ever made, but "Excursion Demise" isn't bad either and is probably better than some of Artillery's material. While both bands play the more technical style of thrash, there is absolutely no way that Invocator could be mixed up with Artillery. 

The most notable difference is definitely the speed and the death metal influence on "Excursion Demise." These crazy danish bastards really wanted to go fast because this record is pretty much a blitzkrieg throughout with an occasional midpaced moment. Luckily for Invocator, they knew that an album consisting of nothing but speed throughout could get a little dull after awhile, and they manage to mix in some nice breaks here and there. Some of them are extremely headbang friendly ("The Persistence From Memorial Chasm" and "Schismatic Injective Therapy") and add some heaviness to this speed-demon. Along with the occasional breaks in tracks the instrumental featuring a near-sinister sounding acoustic "(...To A Twisted Recess of Mind)" serves as a great transition between the title track (The best song on this record by the way) and "Forsaken Ones." 

As mentioned earlier, this record is ridiculously fast, which is both a positive and a negative on "Excursion Demise." It's a positive because there are plenty of stellar riffs here and there that are a result of the speed. The riffs found in the songs "Beyond Insufferable Dormancy" and the title track are fantastic. They tend to follow a more death metal style, but they're more controlled and are perfect for headbanging along to. As for the negative part, some of the riffs just come off as spastic or repetitive. There aren't any songs in particular because this is present in a lot of them, but there is usually a really good riff in the same song to make up for it. 

Another negative aspect of this album is the length of the tracks. I have no problems with longer songs, as long as they can keep my attention and to be honest Invocator failed there for the most part. "Schismatic Injective Therapy" is probably the biggest victim of this. There are definitely some moments of brilliance shown on the track but it goes on too long and could have been cut down a bit. If a band is going to write songs that are longer, they need to have enough dynamics in the music to keep one interested, not sit there and wank on the guitar solos. Seriously, these guys put a lot of attention on the guitar solos, and while they're not horrible they're nothing special and they dominate the music for quite some time. To put things simple, there should have been more focus on the riffs and overall structure than spending too much time being a fretboard warrior. 

Aside from those problems there is a lot right with this album. Jacob Hansen's vocal performance is a definite highlight here. He sounds like a really sweet mix of Chuck Schuldiner and Chris Bailey, and the way he just spits out the words in rapid-fire fashion reminds one of Steve Reynolds. It doesn't matter if he's barking out lyrics at the speed of the extremely fast riffs or if he's singing with the heavier midpaced riffs, Hansen's performance deserves a beer because it's really well done. The drumming isn't anything too special but the speed on this record has a lot to do with the intense work behind the kit. The bass playing here is pretty tight and even gets some moments to shine on its own ("Occurrence Concealed" and "(...To A Twisted Recess of Mind)"). 

The verdict here? Invocator's debut album "Excursion Demise" is some very solid metal that any fan of thrash should be able to enjoy. This record definitely could have been better, but it's still a very worthwhile album that possesses some top-notch material and another that proved there was some great thrash in the nineties. 

Highlights

"Excursion Demise"

"Occurrence Concealed"

"Beyond Insufferable Dormancy"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.7/10]

Ripping Corpse - Dreaming With the Dead [1991]

The death metal scene during the nineties in New York and the upper east coast was one of the stronger American metal scenes, and the thrash scene wasn't too shabby either. Well, Ripping Corpse proves to be the best of both genres. After releasing three monstrous demos, the band unleashed what is quite possibly the greatest death/thrash album ever, "Dreaming With the Dead." This isn't your typical death/thrash album, though. While most death/thrash bands made their mark by pushing the limits of extremity for the thrash genre, Ripping Corpse had a sound that hasn't really ever been duplicated. 

One of the major reasons why the band's sound hasn't been completely ripped off by dozens of new bands, is because of the absolutely evil sounding guitar tone. Think Infernal Majesty on "None Shall Defy," only much darker and sinister. In addition to the tone, the riffs throughout this record are top-notch and have a lot of variety. The opening track "Sweetness" has an amazing arsenal of riffs on it's own. The song opens with some morbid sounding chords and Scott Ruth's vocals which sound like a much more understandable version of John Tardy, before turning into a nice midpaced riff that eventually transforms into an amazing riff that is impossible to not headbang to. The title track and "Rift of Hate" utilize the awesome guitar tone the best by bringing in some more doomy riffs and melodies to accompany the blistering fast thrash riffs. Another small, yet vital part of the overall atmosphere created on "Dreaming With the Dead" comes from the inclusion of the fast, one to two bar solos that guitarists Rutan and Kelly manage to weave in randomly throughout the album. The song "Beyond Humanity" is the best example of this. 

Another real highlight of the album are the vocals. As mentioned earlier, Scott Ruth sounds like John Tardy of Obituary, but less throaty and with some slight vocal tendencies similar to those of Max Cavalera on the early Sepultura albums. His vocals really stand out during the more midpaced moments, where he can add his voice to take the parts over the top, especially during the chorus of "Anti God." Brandon Thomas' work behind the drum kit on this record has got to be one of the most underrated performances on any kind of death or thrash metal record. The drums add an intense amount of speed, whether Thomas is blasting away or just destroying his double bass pedals, the speed on "Dreaming With the Dead" reaches tempos faster than some grindcore records. 

In the end, there will never be an album that can capture what Ripping Corpse did on this one. The evil and dark atmosphere, the speed, solos, riffs, melodies, vocals and everything in between. This album is just flawless in every way and I can't find anything to complain about, other than Ripping Corpse not continuing on, but that's for another day. If you haven't heard this album, get on it ASAP. 

Highlights

"Sweetness"

"Anti God"

"Through the Skin to the Soul"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.7/10]

Bolt Thrower - War Master [1991]

Bolt Thrower absolutely needed to deliver nothing short of a masterpiece with their third full-length "War Master." After releasing two awesome albums, there's definitely a lot of pressure to make something memorable, but there's even more pressure when the album is being released in 1991, which is quite possibly the greatest year for death metal releases ever. Classic albums like "Mental Funeral," "Like An Ever Flowing Stream," "Into the Grave," "Clandestine," "The Ten Commandments" and several others were all released in the same year. Luckily for Bolt Thrower, they released not only their best album, but a flawless death metal record to be cherished until the end of time. 

Everything about this album is amazing. Karl Willetts' vocals are just as destructive, if not more, than on the first two records. When he bellows "CENOTAPH!" at the beginning of the song with the same name, it sends chills down your spine. The bass is also extremely heavy and plays a vital part in the overall sound, which by the way, is heavier than a cinder block smashing your skull. One of the more surprising improvements on this album was the solos. Bolt Thrower went from the very Slayer-esque solo style to coherent and rather memorable solos that fit perfectly with the songs here. But the real show-stealer here is Andrew Whale's performance behind the kit. Every time the double bass pedal hits, it's almost as if a shot is being fired by a cannon off in the warzone. 

Of course I'd be a fool to not mention all of the riffs. On the band's previous effort "Realm of Chaos," we saw Bolt Thrower downtune their axes and we felt each doom-laden riff and every bone-vibrating chug. On "War Master," though, the band must have started listening to the American death metal bands because they tuned their guitars back up and found a much sharper tone similar to Death or Morbid Angel, only Bolt Thrower's sound was a lot heavier. Despite the less doomy tone, the songs here are even more doomy than before. That may sound idiotic, but once you listen to the intro of "Profane Creation" or the first verse of "Cenotaph" you will understand. One of the best parts about the band's decision to doom it the fuck up, is that it makes the faster moments seem even faster, especially when the thunderous double bass pedals are following suit. 

This is easily Bolt Thrower's best work. "War Master" retains the doomy essence of "Realm of Chaos" but also has the aggression and relentlessness of "In Battle There Is No Law!" There isn't a single weak track here either. Every song could make a death metal "Greatest Hits" collection and everyone could be the soundtrack to a medieval battle. In other words, this album is perfect.

Highlights

"Afterlife"

"Cenotaph"

"War Master"

Final Rating

Perpetual Endless Torment[10/10]