Snyper - Manifestations [1988] (Demo)

Introducing Snyper, a carnal and highly overlooked British thrash assault. For many people, these UK thrashers are just another addition to a growing old school thrash demo collection, but for me, or any other thrash-obsessed metalhead, it's simply a marvel of the Internet. There are many reasons why this five-piece never made to the grand league, and probably the most crucial ones is that they were from the UK, which, although mustered a fair amount of convincing thrash acts including my favorite Xentrix, never actually got the attention or support they required, and the second one, is an even more obvious reason; the band could only spew forth a handful of short demos and a split with numerous English thrash vandals, and so, here is their premier demo, ''Manifestations''; where is all began, in a way.

Snyper's style was probably renowned and copied countless times before it was even released, so yeah, in terms originality, Snyper scarcely stands out. I suppose we can call it an estranged mingle of semi-technical thrash with raw Bay Area elements and a few speed/thrash twists here and there, and the reason I can't quite describe the style of this demo is that it consisted of only one damn song, which pretty much erases the hope of a long paean emerging out of nowhere. The sole ephemeral track ''Manifestations'' can nonetheless boast a fair measure of energy, and besides espousing this sort of dark undertone to go with raw projection of riffs, Snyper has a burden of happy, almost ecstatic melodies springing out of nowhere, and a vile sound that I can relate to Mercful Fate with bits and pieces of Venom and Bathory. No, this isn't black/thrash, but the vocals can deliver harsh and ruinous growls, which makes it sound as if a madmen of a surgeon were plucking out bits of your intestines with a blunt scalpel while you're still conscious. Yep, scary shit.

Snyper's beginnings were humble, but the band showed proficiency, and they were apt to improve, but that never happened, unfortunately. Their augmenting potential was probably obliterated somewhere in the early to mid 90's after they released their final demo ''Something Illusionary''. I don't think even most die-hard thrash fan will become deliriously addicted to this demo, or any of Snyper's material for that matter, but giving this demo a spin every now and then for the sake of its some what evil and spurious contents can never result badly, and what's more, is that Snyper's arsenal has just begun to expose its frivolous afflictions, so be warned, for the band's best is yet to come.

Highlight
''Manifestations''

Final Rating
Mediocre [7.7/10]

Snyper - Obituary [1988] (Demo)

For a demo being released in the same year as the previous and somewhat immature installment ''Manifestations'', UK hit n' run thrashers certainly stepped up their game up by a good pace. Not only does Snyper ameliorate the material on the previous demo to form a robuster demo, but ''Obituary'' also stands out with its dexterous approach, its leaps and frivolous excursions, all building up into a single fifteen minute demo of three songs - possibly the best the UK thrashers will ever conjure. Seriously, you can never go wrong with such vigorous splashes in the face like this, and with a itsee bitsee bit of experimentation, Snyper are in the top of their game.

The ''experimentation'' I'm talking about here is lucidly not any major change in the bands style, and in fact, it would be wrong to actually call it an experimentation, but the thing is, on ''Obituary'', Snyper adorn the bloodthirsty thrash craze with fragments of queer twists, which, probably belongs to the same kind of ecstatic  diversity on the previous demo, only more embraced. First off, there demo has a far crisper and cleaner production than ''Manifestations'', and second, with the improved clarity and crunch, the riffs sound better executed, not to mention better penned. The band has obviously grown fonder of tremolos and brusque plods of melody entwining with carnal, raw chops and speed/thrash ruptures, and they utilize these blithe melodies to congeal with the tremolos, forming a solid hooking line of strident narrating riffs.

The vocals have stayed pretty much the same, which is something that I'm very glad about; they're still ghastly and throaty, the way I like it. This time, however, the importance of the vocals have increased. With the band sticking to the primal hostility that they had fancied quite a bit on the previous demo, the vocals become an essential part of the savagery department, emanating the raw insanity throughout the veins of the riff patterns and ultimately, pervading the primal energy. You're bound to have boisterous headbanging time whilst you listen to this, and moreover, this demo deserves accolades for having such a primitive and brisk feel to it, quite literally topping a good number of its fellow peers and countrymen during that time. My only complaint was that it was far too brief, as with all the band's demos, to fully enjoy, but hell, I still like it a lot.

Highlights
Sacred Blade
Deathright At Sunset

Final Rating
Awesome [8.3/10]

Benediction - Subconscious Terror [1990]

This is an album that has been quite hard to fully enjoy for myself. The first time I listened to it, I thought it was entirely mediocre and I’m amazed that I gave the sophomore a chance. Still, a few listens later and it didn’t really grow on me, but I did start notice subtle little parts of the music that made the whole better. “Subconscious Terror” is not my new favorite death metal album, nor is it anywhere close, but I do appreciate it more. Benediction’s approach to death metal on this record isn’t entirely groundbreaking as they resemble a good deal of the Swedish bands, though without the chainsaw tone, but they do have bits and pieces of other notable acts like Autopsy and Bolt Thrower present in their music. 

Benediction’s formula for writing songs on this record didn’t provide much variation as a majority of the riffage throughout “Subconscious Terror” consists of plodding to midpaced chord progressions, mixed with your typical tremolo passages. The title track, “Divine Ultimatum” and “Spit Forth the Dead” all follow the same precedent well enough to get the listener’s head banging, but there isn’t much accomplished as far as creating some memorable music. “Eternal Eclipse” is one of the better tracks of the bunch, simply because it reeks of Autopsy influence. The riffs and atmosphere may not be as brooding, but they definitely sound similar in structure, and the incredible drumming performance reminds one of the phenomenal Chris Reifert. 

Barney’s vocals aren’t entirely impressive on this album (he definitely would shine with his later band, though), they were just there, really. His low growls fronted the riff-driven music well enough, but he didn’t take the overall sound over the top like other vocalists of the times. The rhythm section on this album was very significant in the sound. The bass added some heaviness to the music and had a couple fills here and there, while Ian Treacy’s drumming performance was stellar to say the least. He had plenty of terrific moments (intro to “Eternal Eclipse” especially), but it was just a solid performance displayed throughout that made his drumming that good. The fills, d-beats, double-bass sections and everything else was spot on. Benediction definitely would go on to create some vastly improved death metal, but “Subconscious Terror” isn’t a terrible way to start off your career, as it has its moments. It just may take a while for it to click…

Highlights

“Artefacted Irreligion”

“Eternal Eclipse”

“Experimental Stage”

Final Rating

Mediocre [7.8/10]

Iron Maiden - Powerslave [1984]

There's not a single metalhead out there that hasn't heard of Maiden and at least a few of their most essential songs, if not whole albums. Going strong and growing stronger with each release, Maiden forged an unbreakable barricade of classic albums, consecutively releasing five albums within just five years, starting from 1980's infamous ''Killers'', to this, their eternal and timeless classic, ''Powerslave'', an album so majestic that it's condemned to stay a virgin for infinity. Maiden already found the sound that would use for the next 9-10 years with ''The Number Of The Beast'', but on Powerslave, everything is established perfectly and every single detail is worked out masterfully; from Steve Harris's bumping, groovy bass line, to Nicko's simple yet balanced drumming, to the beautifully worked out harmonies and eccentric leads and melodies, to Bruce's dominating voice that soars over everything.

The songs are nothing extremely intricate really, but they're displayed so extravagantly that's its hard to omit them. The clean, warm atmosphere and production quality provides viability for the riffs and renders them clean, and melodies sound sharp and vigorous as they're calm and melodious, beautiful. Most verse sections of the songs are driven with power chords and typical NWOBH gallops and chugs, but an occasional narrating melody also seems to be prominent during certain passages. The luminous effect of the melodies is what makes this album so special, but the delivery is also fantastic as the songs never lack life energy or any sort of garnishment to improve themselves. The music is as soft as it can get, so there's really no need to add anything decorative into the mix, and as mellow tides of harmonious melodies effortlessly, swiftly roll into a catchy little gallop, you'll be too concerned with the efficiency of the music to give a fuck.

As important as encompassing aspects are, it's obvious that its the real musicianship here that makes the music special and the perfect adjustment of the delivery that disables any nitpicking. Seriously, how can a band be so effectively balanced and coordinated... and Maiden aren't even trying to be pretentious here. It's hooks are gripping yet so polite that you'll basically allow them attach themselves to your flesh, doubtless just another piece of meat out of many, many others who have fallen into the hooks of ''Powerslave''. The epic side of Maiden kicks in substantial amounts of time on this album, which is another difference from all the other albums, because on ''Powerslave'', copious amounts of riffs are choruses are driven into epic territory, and we have Bruce's amazing vocal work to thank for that. Take the chorus on the title track for example. A  canorous quartet of back up vocalists murmuring, while Bruce's voice soars on top of the main material, which is basically three durable power chords. Three fucking power chords, two back up vocalists and one, ear piercing tone soaring with resonance. Three fucking chords, people! It's absolutely perfect yet so simple, and you can't top that, no matter how hard you try.

The durability of the album keeps renewing itself as the album progresses, and you even keep the enhancement as you will be too baffled a listener to even notice. ''Aces High'' is an exceedingly robust start for the album, wherein thundering melodies of swiftly channel in and forth, as if moving on butter. Yes, butter. And its chorus has to be one of the best metal choruses ever written both music and lyric-wise.

''Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Won't you run, fly to live
Live to fly, Aces High''

''Two Minutes To Midnight'' is a glamorous 70's metal flick, its swaggering array of bluesy riffs and excellent bridges never failing inconsistent, as well as pumping the old metal spirit up. ''Losfer Words ''(Big 'Orra) is a basically a beautiful churning of an abundance of melodies, sharp and is crisp all the time. ''Back In The Village'', ''Flash Of The Blade'' and ''The Duelists'' all embrace the catchy momentum of classic Maiden songs, each flailing out a nifty riffs with a slightly different demeanor of its own. The title track is dripping with mystery and cryptic hints of heavy metal, and most importantly, it stands as the first ever song to entwine with Egyptian subjects, hinted in both the lyrics and the music. The title track is dotted with tiny segments of groove laden arabic riffs and scales, and even Bruce's voice has adopted a sort of mystical, ominous tone to accompany the music. And the journey ends with a rather long exploration into the ocean with ''Rime Of The Ancient Mariner'', guiding its hefty body and over thirteen minute structure most delicately, swaggering with mid paced riffs, attached to each other with subtle melodies, right before breaking into a brooding, queer hiatus. Such a classic an timeless album this is, and there's no way it can lose its virginity, not in this world. You cannot call yourself a metalhead without listening to ''Powerslave'', this is the quintessence and essence of heavy metal, responsible for influencing a large amount of the genre. It will never die.

''Tell my I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die, I'm a god,
Why can't I live on,
When the Life Giver dies,
All around is laid waste,
And in my last hour,
I am a slave to the Power of Death''

Highlights
''Powerslave''
''Flash Of The Blade''
''Rime Of The Ancient Mariner''
''Two Minutes To Midnight''
''Aces High''

Final Rating
Legendary [10/10]

Sacrilege - Behind the Realms of Madness [1985]

I can't think of any two metal subgenres that embrace aggression or personify intensity as much as thrash or crust do. Sure, there's the abrasiveness of war metal and the horrifyingly awful repetitiveness of brutal death metal, but neither boast the memorability or catchiness of some good ol' metalpunk or thrash (There are a few exceptions to this, though). So when encountering an album like "Behind the Realms of Madness," a record universally known as a prototype for the crust punk sound and one that possesses plenty of thrashing recklessness, there's of course going to be a solid amount of excitement and anticipation upon the first listen. Well, don't set your expectations too high unless you enjoy letting yourself down.

Sacrilege's debut full-length is far from terrible, but it wanders aimlessly between tolerable and brilliant throughout its six song duration, just enough for it to hover on the higher part of the proverbial scale. The record gets off to a decent start with "Life Line," as it bombards the listener with passable thrashy riffs, crust oriented passages, wicked solos and over the top vocals, that have a lot of Grimmett-like tendencies, but with a lot more anger and attitude. Sacrilege seemingly appears as an elite band once the next track "Shadow From Mordor" comes on with its dirge-like intro riffs and terrific solos. But that's the last we see of the greatness. 

The next four tracks on "Behind the Realms of Madness" are nothing more than visions of what could have been. "At Death's Door" features mediocre riffage until the break where the listener is treated to a catchy headbanger of a riff, only for it to drag on and go absolutely nowhere. "A Violation of Something Sacred" and "Out of Sight Out of Mind" both offer flashes of glory with Venom-esque riffs and moments of thrashy goodness, but neither ever ascend past the plateau made at the beginning of the record. It's too bad that Sacrilege didn't live up to the hype, and instead chose to tease the listener, making "Behind the Realms of Madness" a good album that could have been stellar.

Highlights

"Shadow From Mordor"

"A Violation of Something Sacred"

Final Rating

Barely Awesome [8.0/10]

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]

Energetic Krusher - Path to Oblivion [1989]

When it comes to thrash and the UK, there are always the same names that are mentioned first. Onslaught and Sabbat. Both of these bands are great and more than worthy of the praise, but there is another band from the UK who should be mentioned in the same breath as these two bands. That band is Energetic Krusher. While Onslaught was writing their brand of awesome thrash and Sabbat was taking a more progressive route, Energetic Krusher was brewing up some intense, brutal and extremely catchy music. "Path to Oblivion" is another album of many to go unheard of, which is too bad because this record could easily compete with much more known thrash albums out there.

So what can you expect from "Path to Oblivion?" You can expect to be destroyed by the vicious and crushing riffs that are accompanied by some Slayer-esque solos, stellar bass work, fast and precise drumming, and vocals that sound like a harsher Max Cavalera. The riffs on this record are phenomenal in every way. The faster ones will smack the listener across the jaw with the force of a sledgehammer. Both tracks, "Battle Cry" and "Yukk" clock in at under two minutes, but both songs hit with a serious impact. One second you've got your headbanging to a nice mid-paced riff, but then in an instant, the drums fire off like a machine gun and that riff increases it's speed tenfold. Another reason why the riffs on "Path to Oblivion" are amazing is because even the mid-paced riffs are unbelievably catchy. It will be impossible to not headbang when listening to tracks like "War Path" and "The Blades." The combination of the lethal vocals and mosh-inducing riffs is too much for any metalhead to resist. 

Despite Energetic Krusher's focus on undeniable brutality, they manage to accomplish one of the most essential things needed in their music. And that is having the ability to structure their songs in a way that each track stands out and grabs the listener's attention and keeps it throughout. "Lord of Darkness" starts off with a slow, heavy intro but then it turns into a steady gallop, and then a raging thrash riff enters the fray, sending the listener into a frenzy flying fists and merciless headbanging. "War Path" is another track that does this perfectly. The intro kicks the track off with a sinister clean intro accompanied by some nice bass lines but the the track becomes an instant mosher and never looks back from there.

So if you're in the mood to check out something that is guaranteed to get your headbanging and satisfy your needs for brutality, then check out "Path to Oblivion." 

Highlights

"Lord of Darkness"

"The Blast"

"War Path"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.1/10]

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]

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]

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]

Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos (Slaves to Darkness) [1989]

Take a look at that album cover. The new logo and awesome "Warhammer" artwork look nothing like the cover of the band's debut album, so one has to wonder if the band even sounds the same. Well, not really. Sometime after "In Battle There Is No Law!" was released, Bolt Thrower must have gone on a doom metal binge, because "Realm of Chaos (Slaves to Darkness)" is way heavier than the band's previous full-length. The sound here is a perfect bridge between the US death metal bands and the Swedish death metal bands (Who would later release their first full-lengths). Bolt Thrower didn't play at 200 mph and riddle their music with blast beats, nor did they possess a chainsaw guitar tone backed by d-beats. They had their own sound, and what a glorious sound it was. 

As mentioned earlier, Bolt Thrower decided to slow things down. They went from wicked fast riffs on "In Battle There Is No Law!" to some crushing, mid-paced madness on this record, and the transition was amazing. Every single track on this album has at least one riff or moment that will get the listener's headbanging, with "World Eater" being my choice for maximum whiplash. It isn't just the riffs that make this album though, but the groove that is created from the guitar tone and tempo. The tone isn't as thick as Entombed's, but it's plenty heavy and a lot more doomy. Simply put, if you don't find at least one instance where your head is bobbing uncontrollably, you are a false and may not entry. 

Bolt Thrower didn't completely abandon their inner speed junkie, but they effectively mixed the faster riffs with the slower ones and they did so flawlessly. "Through the Eye of Terror" and "Lost Souls Domain" are great examples of this. One minute you're enjoying the mid-paced mayhem and the next, Bolt Thrower decides to channel their inner Slayer and your neck will thank you later. 

There aren't any complaints that can really be made about this album. It's one of the heaviest albums ever recorded and has a great mix to please just about everyone. Now quit being a pansy and put on your big boy/gal pants, grab your preferred alcoholic beverage, put the album on and proceed to damage your neck. 

Highlights

"World Eater"

"Lost Souls Domain"

"Eternal War"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.2/10]

Bolt Thrower - In Battle There Is No Law [1988]

Debut albums by legendary metal bands are always a tricky bunch when it comes to judging them, especially when looking back at the albums years after they were released. In some cases it can be the band's best work, their worst or it could just be an average album. So what about "In Battle There Is No Law!" the debut album of death metal legends, Bolt Thrower? An album that showcases the band at their most raw and primitive state (Not counting demos of course). Well, before the answer to that question, an even more important one. Is this album even a pure death metal album? 

Bolt Thrower is of course a death metal band, but "In Battle There Is No Law!" is definitely not a pure death metal album, but more of a metalpunk or grind album. While death metal pioneers in the US, like Death and Possessed were creating their brand of death metal based on their love of thrash bands like Slayer, Kreator, and Dark Angel, Bolt Thrower was worshiping Discharge and other punk bands that roamed the UK at the time. The songs on this record are definitely more likely to be found on a Napalm Death or Repulsion album than a Morbid Angel or Obituary one. The classic death metal tremolos aren't present for the most part, but instead ridiculously intense riffs being pushed by punk-driven beats. 

Now, for the actual music. This record is pretty damn fast throughout, with some headbanging, mid-paced moments placed in the perfect spots.The album kicks off with the track "Attack in the Aftermath," which is one of the better songs on there. A cool drum intro starts the track and is followed by some power chords that resemble a lot of punk bands at the time (The tone), before being launched into blistering solos and fast riffs, accompanied by Karl Willets' savage vocals. This, more or less, is pretty much the description of all nine tracks on the record. Nothing but nontechnical solos, headbang inducing mid-paced riffs, great drumming, extremely fast riffs and a heavy vocal assault, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Back to the original question. Is Bolt Thrower's debut album their best, worst or is it somewhere in the middle? Well, there's no such thing as a bad Bolt Thrower album, but this one is definitely not their worst, but it isn't their best either. One thing is for sure though, this album was just the beginning of what would become the best overall death metal discography ever. 

Highlights 

"Attack in the Aftermath"

"Concession of Pain"

"In Battle There Is No Law"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.4/10]