CDs/LPs - DEMOS - OLD STUFFS - FANZINES - GIGS
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OLD STUFFS:

MASSACRA (Fra) Signs of the decline CD'92 PHONOGRAM.
MASSACRA has always been a band being avoided by the French metal medias, sure these bastards prefered to fullfill their deaf hears with some full of shit French demos and CD releases! Because MASSACRA was far better than 97% of the french bands that's for sure! And it just seems strange to me the band is actually cult in foreign countries while it's not really the case in France... What's this shit??
Here's the 3rd release of the band, their most Brutal, pro and efficient effort! Their two previous ones included in my opinion some catchy riffs and a good amount of cool tracks with an old feeling, but on these "Signs of decline" they had reached new levels in efficiency and expression! (Some apocalyptic revelations weren't so far!). Check the tracks "Evidence of abominations" or "Defying man's creation" (with its good opening riff)!!
The band played quite long tracks with a good amount of riff that at least had a cool Death metal feeling, the kind of full of tremolos stuffs, but still with thrashy influences. They started to own Death metal ideas that were just evolving into something different, it was just on a few riffs, but something different seemed to be appearing. Some riffs reminded me of old SINISTER (but less technical). They had at this time a drummer that brought quite good touches in his drumming.
This CD procured me excellent Death metal feelings! And there are still some riffs I sing in my head while driving! If you don't enjoy MASSACRA, then fuck you and go back listening to LOUDBLAST!!

MASTER (Usa) Master Lp’90 Nuclear Blast.
MASTER=Paul Speckmann. It is just a useful reminder for the ones who would have forgotten. And if I ask you what bands like X-ECUTIONNER (pre OBITUARY), PESTILENCE, and generally the majority of the death metal bands born in the end of the 80´s have in common, what is the answer?...... Yes, they all have taken the MASTER demos as a big inspiration, as well as the stuff of SLAUGHTER, POSSESSED and DEATH. As a matter of fact Paul Speckmann already released 2 demos under the moniker MASTER in 1983, and was himself strongly influenced by.... yes you get it: MOTÖRHEAD. So, I ant to say to every little motherfucker around who pretends that MASTER never was really a major influence in the creation of death metal to fuck off deeply (Yeah, I´ve heard such ignorant persons...). But come back to the music. As a matter of fact, Paul Speckmann was occupied with his other bands ABOMINATION and DEATHSTRIKE and remained in the underground when he finally got a deal with Nuclear Blast in the end of the 80´s. Then he was able to release his first album under the cult name MASTER, and what an album! Argh! If you like it strong, straight in your face, with sound that only Paul Speckmann knows to produce and a drums that’s almost crust, then why the hell haven’t you already got this album in your collection? The highlights of this cult piece of vinyl are songs like "Pledge of allegiance" where Paul is mocking on his country, the USA, really fun to read these lyrics nowadays with the actual situation in Iraq... Songs like "Funeral bitch" or "Mangled dehumanization" will stick in your mind until you blow your head off with a gun! ha! Personally, I enjoy more the "Funeral bitch" version on the solo album of Paul called SPECKMANN PROJECT, in all humility! Ha! Otherwise, after a not so needed bass solo, Paul plays one of the best BLACK SABBATH covers I have ever heard: "Children of the grave"... Fuck, it’s totally "materized", and it fucking rule. Once you hear this cover you immediately feel how much BLACK SABBATH was and remains extreme. After this cult piece of vinyl, Paul continued with MASTER, and released several albums, whose "On the seventh day... God created MASTER" is maybe the best (and features Paul Masvidal on guitar-ex DEATH, CYNIC). He keeps on releasing albums nowadays that aren’t so godly nor so thrilling than this one. But the guy deserves an immense respect for what he has done for the scene, and for always having sticked to his roots, and also for being the "Lemmy" of Death Metal. Brutal, primitive, efficient and true to the bone.
http://www.master.ca.tc

Nathaniel.               

MASTER (Usa) Collection of souls CD'93 NUCLEAR BLAST.
Before Paul Speckman went to live in Czech republic and started to and MASTERize the declining Death metal of KRABATHOR, he was also the frontman of MASTER and ABOMINATION. And well, MASTER's demo days were very influential for the old school Death metal scene, including bands such as X-CUTIONNER, OBITUARY, DEATH and others... But the following of their productions (except from their first self-titled Lp) wasn't that good in my opinion. There's not much to say about this 3rd MASTER Lp, and this isn't this one of their releases I discovered the first that would have gave me the need to get some more interest in the band!
The music here lacks of aggressiveness, power and anything... Compared to the Super Brutal Lps that were released at this time, it wasn't that decent for an extreme CD release! A good part of the riffs is simple as fuck tremolos with some "melodies" you have heard too much before... and it sounds forced, as if Paul had to release a CD for several reasons (despite it wasn't sincere). Flat and boring riffs for 90% of it.
Anyway the drum playing isn't bad! Fast double bass drums, tight guy.
Some tracks include some Heavy metal/ Rock touches and it seems there's a CD/DC cover here ("Jailbreak"). And there are a few Ok tracks... But the whole is definitely not worth the fucking price of an Lp!!
Even the cover doesn't look good... If you're very curious and want to hear it, don't buy it you fool! There are thousands and thousands of better Lps! So try to find it in a friend's collection, or simply don't listen to it!

MEATHOOKSEED (Uk) Embedded CD'93 EARACHE.
Meathook seed, c’était le premier all star band du death metal. Mitch Harris, Trevor Peres, Donald Tardy, soit pour les incultes, Napalm death et Obituary réunis. De quoi appater le chaland donc. Mais de death metal il n’est pas question sur Embedded, ou seulement de manière très résiduelle. Si la musique reste raisonnablement agressive, elle situe plutôt au carrefour de l’indus sauce Ministry et du hardcore qu’à celui de Napalm et Obituary, même si on retrouve quelques riffs assez Napalm. Malheureusement, le résultat n’est pas à la hauteur de ce qu’on pouvait attendre d’un tel line up et a les défauts de bien trop des side projects : des morceaux trop vites torchés, qu’on joue pour se marrer entre pote sans prendre vraiment garde au fait qu’on va faire envoyer 100 balles dans le vent à des milliers de petit hardos. Ils ont peut être bien rigolé, quant au public, c’est une autre paire de manche…
http://www.meathookseed.com 

Pierre         

MERCYLESS (Fra) Abject offerings CD'92 VINYL SOLUTION. 
Throw away your melodic thrash crap! And take this pure death thrashing metal gem right in your little poser's face! On their first and best LP, MERCYLESS melted altogether the extreme brutality of death metal, the aggression of thrash metal and some melodic touches to make it more interesting in an excellent obscure mood of pure Death metal! Their compositions were top notch as it included some catchy riffs and melodies (with some worked on riffs or harmonies) and the whole was well structured! All the more the vocalist ("Max Otero") has some vocals' part that were near of John Tardy (Obituary)'s ones, it was more personal than your usual ultra low grunts!
The death metal frenesy was here! It reminds me of old MORBID ANGEL, MUTILATED and old SLAYER! The obscure mood of death and good morbid arrangements were here! It reminds me of old DEATH and very old MORGOTH!
The catchy melodies were here, both skullcrushing or ancient and epical! It sounds like DEATH (all times) and some old BOL THROWER (a bit).
A good classy touch of well-arranged compositions was here!
MERCYLESS was one of the best bands of the 90's French scene as they stood above this country's musical averageness! This is a sincerely good LP that has the needed qualities to please the fans of Death metal who love it extreme, obscure, well arranged and well done!
The second CD of the band was less impressive, and their following releases that were more "original" didn't turn me on! The spirit of this band seems to bee dead since years... R.I.P MERCYLESS!

MERCILESS (Swe) The awakening LP’89 Deathlike Silence Productions 001
I know people who would almost kill me to get my original copy of this MERCILESS first and surely best album to date.Hahaha!!! 1989 seems to be a good year for thrash metal with albums like this one and CORONER´s "No more color", SODOM´s "Agent orange", DESTRUCTION´s "Live without sense"... A Norwegian guy, who seemed to be less stupid than the average population of this country, called Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous) started his label and decided to promote a Swedish thrash metal band because of its unmatched aggression and high quality in repugnance... Yeah, MERCILESS was the first band signed on DSP, and remains a cult act until nowadays thanks to this first LP and to the demo from 1988 "Realm of the dark" (whose 1 song was not re recorded on the album).
So, this album with a famous Gustave Doré´s artwork showing "the awakening" of the deads delivers nothing but pure aggressive and dirty thrash metal whose terrific vocals are handled by Rogga. His voice sounds morbid as hell, and once you have listened to songs like "Pure hate" or the eponym "The awakening", I don’t know if it’s possible to dislike this band! ha! Aaaaargh! One more time, some 10 years old boys are teaching to the actual bands how to thrash ´till death! These kids have digested their METALLICA, KREATOR, SODOM and DESTRUCTION lp´s and really managed to deliver the finest quintessence of Thrash Fucking Metal on their demo and first lp. I mean, if you want to hear frenzy, aggression, speed, feeling, hate, and of course pure thrash metal the way it has to be... Then, what else should I advise you to check than the first MERCILESS LP in the underdogs bands category? Simply as it is, MERCILESS is as cult as the German ASSASSIN, DEATH ROW or DARKNESS, but they push the boundaries in the sense where the speed of the compositions and the agresivity of the voice had hardly ever been heard before, at least in Sweden. So you understood me,
and then go to buy the re-release of this excellent masterpiece of thrash metal by Osmose, and put it next to "Bonded by blood", "Darkness descends", "Raining blood", "Pleasure to kill" and "Infernal overkill".
I said.

Nathaniel.    

MERCYFUL FATE (Den) Nuns have no fun MLP'82.
Here's a nice jewel from my slowly growing collection! I got it for a correct price in a second hand market... the guy didn't know what a jewel he owned! Ah Ah!
It seems to me it's the first recording of the band!
Very nice Heavy metal with lots of well-placed breaks and variations, it's in the same style than their first good LP "Melissa"! Yes!
Everythings were ever here to make of them a strongly good Heavy metal band! Quite aggressive riffs with enough punch, good drumming ideas that makes the thing more alive, good sounding and varied vocals, technical leads that were fucking promising, and lots of breaks and well put surprises in the tracks! The vocals of King Diamond weren't always as screamed and cynical as a few years latet though... Some good leading melodies à la old IRON MAIDEN were there and there was some speed metal riffings! It was both melodic and Hard'n heavy!
It can be felt passion was ever here! And I've got in my ears the proof of an everflowing creativity! A shame you can't listen to this! Ah Ah...
It doesn't sound old compared to the Heavy metal bands of these years I've heard. It just sounds more passionate and energetic! This MLP includes the following tracks: "A corpse without soul", "Nuns have no fun", "Doomed by the  living dead" and "Devil eyes".
If you can't find this very good MLP after years of blood and tears of a search, you still can come to my house and kill me with your big gun! Ah Ah!
http://www.covenworldwide.org          

 Nathaniel              

MORBID ANGEL (Usa) Altars of madness CD'89 EARACHE.
Here's the album of a guy who totally understood everythings to Death metal! All the tracks here simply excellent and now cult! All the riffs, ideas, breaks, leads comes straight from the guts! Excellent Death metal with incredibly efficient and original (for its time) compositions! The dark and sulphurous spectrum of Death can be smelt in all these tracks that include moments of pure domination, brutality, aggressiveness, satanic viciousness and heavier soulful researches! It still makes me hail Death!
All the more, purely inventive and intense drumplaying that surprises you at each new listening! The drummer was tight, skillfull and expressive as few drummers were before! And the vocals aren't gore nor Brutal growls, it simply sounds viciously satanic with some excellent evil spells!
The "metal heads" into extreme music who don't enjoy this album simply can stop listening to Death metal!!
http://www.morbidangel.com

MORGOTH (Ger) Cursed CD'91 Century media.
Premier album pour les espoirs de Morgoth, qui en a déçu plus d’un. Pourtant, c’est peu de dire que cet album a joué un rôle important, car si la plupart des groupes européens misaient clairement sur le doom pour se démarquer, Morgoth avait lui choisit une voie alors beaucoup plus originale : celle de la lourdeur extrême caractéristique des Samael et autres Alastis, en un mot comme en cent, celle du black au sens originel du terme. Et ça tombe plutôt bien, parce que c’est un style de musique qui a été très vite délaissé et qui a donc le mérite de ne pas trop saouler dix ans après, quand bien même Cursed n’a rien d’un album extraordinaire. Je me demande ce que peut bien penser quelqu’un qui n’aurait pas été élevé dans l’amour du thrash extrémiste de cet album un peu vieillot, mais pour les amateurs de cette période, Cursed est un album très recommandable, où tout ce qui est emmerdant chez beaucoup d’autres séduit.

 Pierre            

MORGOTH (GER) Feel sorry for the fanatic CD'96 Century media.
Changement de cap pour Morgoth qui abandonne le Death metal de ses débuts pour se lancer dans une musique beaucoup plus variée et mélodique quoique toujours aussi sombre.
Une chose est sûre : nos gaillards ont beaucoup biberonné Killing Joke pendant les trois ans qui séparent Feel sorry de Odium. This fantastic decade est donc l’entrée en matière parfaite : sur fond de riffs somme toute classiquement métal (Slayer les aurait-il renié sur Seasons ?) se détache un chant qui évoque immanquablement Jaz Coleman. On poursuit avec l’excellent Last Laugh, toujours dans la même veine, puis avec un Cash qui évoque Prong ou un instrumental purement électronique. Disque courageux donc, au titre on ne peut mieux trouvé à destination sans doute des “ puristes ” du death metal. metal (où en serait-on d’ailleurs si on les écoutait ? à Death strike ?).
Même si il manque souvent à ces morceaux le petit plus qui vous transforme un titre honnête en classique (au niveau des refrains notamment), Feel sorry est un bon album qui ne peut que faire regretter que Morgoth n’ait pas poussé plus loin dans cette voie prometteuse.

Pierre         

MORPHEUS (Swe) In the arms of...  12'Ep 91.
MORPHEUS was the perfect band to review before goind to bed! At least their name could sound nice before drowing into hellish thoughts and unhallowed fantasms.
What we had here was old school Death metal with a cool swedish sound. I really like this quite corrosive and aggressive guitars with heavy (yet compressed) and tight drums' production. Their style was very much influenced by old GRAVE with some CARNAGE occurences. Nothing excellent, but it sounds rather like a cool copy compared to the amount of very shitty stuffs released at these times. There are a few synths used in an old way... it's very much into old GRAVE both for the fast parts and mid tempo riffs with an underlying guitard chord. There was also a few old MASTER touches in the vocals as well as a few old DEICIDE/ VIBRION (Erradicated life Ep) Death/ Grind elements thrown in.
So the final question is: should the nostalgic old School Death metallers ruch on this piece of vynil if he finds it in a second hand market? No, I wouldn't cross this point, it's not too bad if it's not sold for more than a few bucks! It's enough copied on an old rotten tape that will decease and explode its inner guts in the very few next listenings!

MORPHEUS (Usa) Adipocere Ep'91 SERAPHIC DECAY.
Some old average release are nice for the mood it procures and for some nostalgic thoughts it awakes, even if the music isn’t very good. This American MORPHEUS (Not the Swedish one) played some Death thrashing metal in the style of this epoch: MASSACRE, old DEATH, OBITUARY. Quite simple stuff with punching beats and few heavy parts. Their music in itself was quite common (there were worst stuffs of corpse, in this case it's Ok/ quite cool) but I surprisingly found some nice stuffs in the drum-playing (a bunch of cool breaks and rhythms). MORPHEUS may have sounded similar to CANCER, SUFFER and VIOGRESSION for several Death metallic reasons. (Just a few tracks' names for your little morbid pleasure: "Accelerated decrepitude", "Triformed limbs", "Stigmatic crucifixion"). Notice the band later changed its name for MORPHEUS DESCENDS because of the Swedish MORPHEUS.
This nice looking double grey Ep was then released on SERAPHIC DECAY, and it was a nice double piece of roooaaarrring vynil to review!

MORTA SKULD (Usa) As humanity fades CD. 1994. PEACEVILLE Records.
Let's make a little break from your usual scuntinavian cumswallowing metal, you slutty wongoloïd!
We'll go into something hotter, something more mellow, more morbo and testosteronized that had a lot in common with the old morissound genre! More rounded guitar sound, more heaviness, more riffs... And simply more riffs!
Probably not original and personal enough to be enjoyed so much at the release date, I must admit I ordered this album in a second hand fingers market few years ago, and keeps on listening from time to time... Regardless of a leprozy infection, the atmosphere is cool, the production is quite nice and hooot, and the quite red colors escaping the little piece of plastic make nice views for my eroded eyes.
If you don't shake the mixer too hard, you could hear quite strong similarities with DEATH (Rather "Human" but a bit less technical and less "jazz" infusioned, both for the riffingalure and the productional materialization), some LOUDBLAST (For the "Disincarnate" album, the only release on which they really sounded like Death metal... Think about the various kind of riffs in each songs, the melodic touches, the production (More or less)... But also think the atmosphere is different), a bit of old RESURRECTION ("Embalmed existence" in a not so compacted and motivated-to-kick approach), a bit of ooold BAPHOMET (For "deathcore" parts, with a different atmosphere), maybe a bit of heaviness à la 3xold KONKHRA (Without any Carcass influence), and some older Death metal touches... But keep active in forefront of your mental prosthesis the fact something like a groove often remains present.
The production is typical of the Death metal records and demos you could find around the 1994-1996 (or even 1998) years: Quite deeply tuned (Yet not ultra deep), it was just quite cool, quite "dark", heavy and pleasant to hear.
Jellyfying the corpse, it was sometimes heavier, per moments fast, sometimes filled with double kicks, and per moments groovier... The bass guitar also happened to appear and insert its nice touches... The vocals were the usual death growls, but didn't bother... I couldn't really say the music embalmed the dead in a perfect atmosphere of deep soul liquefaction, that's why "Jellyfying the corpse" could be the right cadaver manipulation to fit. Very cool cover artwork.
Some necro-perfectors might not find this release extreme or raw enough, but the cool atmosphere emanating from these 12 songs is enough to say something like "Cool!" when you hear the music, and keep it coming... Ok, I agree it might sound a bit quite convienent sometimes, but it might add a bit to the "Well rounded" and relaxation-appeal of the whole wool.
Definitely not a classic, but a cool album to own, and listen again and again, from time to time...

MORTA SKULD (Usa) As humanity fades CD’94. PEACEVILLE.
Second hand markets happen to have some positive sides.
I knew an only MORTA SKULD album released around 1996, and it did few in my spiked as hell hears (too slow and too much CORE influenced!), but I found this earlier album of the band offering it's sexy low price services, lying legs closed, between some crap pop-asslick and r'n'boobs insipidity! Uh!
This one sounds cool. Here you have some nicely packaged American Death metal with plenty of riffs and tempo changes.
The whole can remind of RESSURECTION (R.I.P), old OBITUARY, BAPHOMET/ BANISHED, some early DEATH, early MALEVOLENT CREATION and some early GORGUTS.
Nothing gut shaking, but these Death metal tracks are finely structured, every song have its cool moments, and the quite obscure atmosphere warms up my cold Christmas beer.
Notice a part of the riffs could sound equal to the "Deathcore" bands like BAPHOMET, OBITUARY or RESSURECTION occur of happened to have, but it has few to do and sounds much cooler than the current Deathcore (that has few to do with 'Death', it you ask me).
It's a fine album with a cool (but old looking) packaging, a good production and nice songs. Nothing original or (bloody) killer, but it might fulfill its cool job if you're a fan of the bands quoted before; especially if this album opens its legs for a low price. Ah Ah!

NAKED WHIPPER (Ger) Naked whipper Ep’93. UNITED FORCES Recs.
Total porno satanic black war metal Grind! Influenced by the chaos and filth of early BLASPHEMY, NAKED WHIPPER used to warmetallize the Grindcore of early NAPALM DEATH to spread its satanic decrepitude during troll-rapping tracks like "Pagan pussy gore intruder", "Anal queen" or "Hyper incest". This is raw as fuck and chaotic à la BLASPHEMY, early BEHERIT and few old SARCOFAGO! With some typically vomiting vocals. Hell isn't so far, my little gothobitch!
It sounds more honest than many current bands trying to imitate BLASPHEMY, because the sound really sucks (Ah!), there were no shitty trend flying around the goatfucking warmetal of BLASPHEMY around 1994 (like flies around shit!), and NAKED WHIPPER had the old school Grind touch many bands who try to copy BLASPHEMY lamely forgot! A nice piece of destruction for maniacs of... BLASPHEMY!! AARRGGHH!

NAPALM DEATH (Uk) Fear emptiness despair CD'94 EARACHE.
Here's the album that made me discover NAPALM DEATH. It surely wasn't the best way to begin with and to get a good overview of their style, but that's the way it is!
On this one, Napalm started to evolve into something seriously different from their two previous very much Death/ Grind Lps. A lot of new influences appeared and it hadn't so much to do with Death metal anymore! They added a lot of new influences coming from Crossover, old Hardcore, Sludge and bands such as HELMET. A good part of the riffings and rythms is composed of mid placed stuffs with mechanical drumbeats, an element that became very important in their following albums.  The whole remains quite blurry to listen to as it may sound like the beginnings in new experiments. This isn't an album to advice to those who aren't NAPALM DEATH fans as it may be interesting to judge their evolution. There are also some riffs the musicians would find interest in.
One point that personally pleases me is the quite numerous amount of depressive riffs and vocals thrown everywhere! Even the cover artwork looks bizarre, and the back cover is apocalyptic!
There are some truly excellent tracks here! The second part of "Remain nameless" that begins with a technical riffs and is followed by an "End of life" simple discordant riff mixed with keyboards is great!
The second part of "More than meets the eye" includes an heavy riff that's so full of sense and so excellent! Total deceptive realism and strong disillusions! (Some nice depressive riffs were added on this track!). "Thrown away" is excellent in the Death/ Grind style! What a kick in my face when I discovered it!
So this is a quite average album (for NAPALM DEATH) I for it's most depressive sides but also because it was the first Napalm CD I've been listening to! It's not their best CD, an average Napalm Death CD with some very good tracks!   
http://www.enemyofthemusicbusiness.com

NAPALM DEATH (Uk) Harmony corruption Lp'90 EARACHE.
After some important line up changes, here was the new era of NAPALM DEATH. Bill Steer definitely left to fully consecrate himself to CARCASS while Lee Dorian blew another fuse and smoked so much hash he created the total Doom band CATHEDRAL. The new members being Mitch Harris (Guitar) who came from the Grind/ Death/ HxCx band RIGHTEOUS PIGS and Barney Greenway who left the lame "asleep" Death metallers of BENEDICTION after their "Subconscious terror" Lp. Only Mick Harris remained from the original line up of the band's punk beginnings.
This album was much more into Death/ Grind with few Crust and some old Grindcore touches. While this new Lp was more in the traditional fields, their previous ones were far more creative, original, energetic and aggressive! And here was the problem of this Lp! While a lot of fans awaited some new excellent Grindcore à la "F.E.T.O", they were offered some Death/ Grind that wasn't so great. (A friend of mine was disappointed when he saw them live at this time, he thought he'd see Lee Dorian crushing everythings on the scene, but he wasn't aware of these changes and saw Barney growling instead of Lee...). There were still some good drumming moments aka Mick Harris (Even if he sounded less crazy and totally disjoncted than before, much more academic) and if there were some good riffs, I consider 'Harmony corruption" as one of the N.D albums that are the less worth the listening! (Some riffs are too boring...) The sound lacked in aggression, the music lacked in craziness.
As well as "Utopia banished", it wasn't a bad album, but I do not listen to these 2 Lps very often (At best one or two times a year).
To conclude, this was a quite good album for its time, but it has grow old! It was somekind of an introduction to a new band that would evolve into something more interesting (better said original or different?) later on "Fear emptiness despair" or on the more fresh "Inside the torn apart".
http://www.enemyofthemusicbusiness.com

NECRONY (Swe) Pathological performances CD'93 POSERSLAUGHTER.
Some grinding friends of mine told me the NECRONY Eps were better, but it's damn hard to find! So here we go with the review of this freshly downloaded CD! (My old NECRONY tape has totally agonized the dead as its sweety bowels finally was the light of the deadskin thrash can...) Their style is a Goregrind/ Death grind that doesn't remind me much of CARCASS even if some riffs may sound like Bill Steer's formation. Their music reminds me ways more of the SANITYS DAWN first CD "Cryptic menu", it's rather fast (and sounds quite disjoncted) than aggressive or brutal! Some GENERAL SURGERY's quite funny riffs were detected by my vaginal third eye's decrepancy!
There are some blasting moments, heavier more bizarre sounding riffs as well as punching Death metal beats. A few melodic tremolo Death metal riffs à la old HYPOCRISY were assorted as well.
It's not a bad album and some catchy riffs are there, but there's nothing to bestially rush on some years after its release!

NECROPHAGIA (Usa) Seasons of the dead LP'87. Rereleased 97.
I've ever reviewed this NECROPHAGIA LP, but fuck the hell shit! There are some nostalgic feelings in here! And NECROPHAGIA had something really obscure, wicked and DEATH METAL in these passionating years when Death metal was still Underground, fresh (and rotten!)
Most of the new bands emerging from tape traded tapes were fucking killer, catchy and obscure! Ah!
NECROPHAGIA played total Death thrashing metal with the real Morbid feeling that awakes the zombies! Even not needed to say there were a bunch of catchy grave-robbing riffs in here! Morbid Death thrash catchy parts with the ancient feel! Tremolo stress of death speed thrashing skull metal riffs that blew out more than a thrasher's head! A shame the drummer wasn't that good, with some real fast, tight and unrelentless drumbeats some parts would have been totally killer! But drummers weren't always so skilled in these times of beer overdose and Morbid devourment!) The vocals weren't bad also, quite sick, yet clear, but also screamed with disgustfull and wicked evil spells! Black blood vomitorium! Chaotic leadz were also tormented into obscure decay! Obscure death metal despair.
Notice they used the "Night on the bare mountain" theme (MUSSORGSKHY) that was later used by MEKONG DELTA and MARDUK.
Some guys I know who listened to NECROPHAGIA in their early days told me the band was killer, technical and quite original at this time! And I gladly trust these metallic words! This is old stuffs, but there were a bunch of really aggressive riffs and the tracks were well composed!
And I have a good nostalgic pleasure listening to this piece of abominated sickness! It has something from what I call "True Death metal"! Thrashing speed death aggression from above! But for fans of old school only!
A shame they "forgot" the feeling when they reformed years later! Sterile riffs lead to almost no Morbid devourment nor schizoblood insanity! Anyway, the "Seasons of the dead" remains a very cool LP with the obscure mood of death, and many consider it as a cult one! It deserves its 666 skulls!
http://www.necrophagia.com

NECROPHAGIA (USA) Season of the dead CD’97 RED STREAM
NECROPHAGIA groupe culte de death/ thrash underground, les vocaux de son vocaliste KILLJOY, violeur de tombes sont l’incarnation de tout ce qui est le mal et le profane! Le groupe prépare actuellement un nouvel album alors soyez sur vos gardes, vrais fans de death métal!  Encore une fois un disque des années 80 plus malsain, morbide et satanique que tous les faux groupes de black actuels! WHORSHIP NECROPHAGIA!

NECROSANCT (Uk) Incarnate CD'92 BLACK MARK.
This band was the kind of formation tat takes a bit from everything and that doesn't offer something very impressive.
Their music could be defined as a mix of old POSSESSED, old DEATH, with a bit of ASPHYX and BRUTALITY. There's too much reverberisation on the drums, it makes it sound more blurry while some parts sound hesitating and confused. The point that quote my attention is the vocals that sound like a mix of old POSSESSED and Martin Van Drunnen (PESTILENCE/ ASPHYX/ COMECON/ SUBMISSION). Scorched and screamy, that's clear!
My opinion is this album was composed and recorded in a rush! (Almost every American bands had an album released at this time...) and they could have offered something better with more time and rehearsals!
Nothing to cum on, just try to check it in an old friend's collektion if you're a lot into Death metal and if you've reached a certain maniac's kollektor threshold!
http://www.necrosanct.co.uk

NEUTHRONE (Bel)/ VR (Uk) split Ep'94. GENET Recs.
If it's too fast, goddamn got to bed and sleep!
NEUTHRONE is a nice instrumental doom band I met at the corner of an underground metal shop, it fits exactly the kind of deadly doom that has its place in my webzine: Monolithic doom with strong influences of very early PARADISE LOST, early MY DYING BRIDE and the slowest moments of good old AUTOPSY! (One could hear the 2nd/ 3rd generation influence of early Celtic Frost).
Most of the music is situated between the slow and the mid placed, it always keeps a depressed and obscure side. Some deadly vocals from hell could have turned this curious track into an haunting one, but the use of vocals was probably too concrete for them... In short words, Doom death à la "Lost paradise" that might be a nice curious piece for fans of real doom! (The death metal influenced one!).
Other side, other kind of music, less interest.
VR plays somekind of alternative rock with some core and eventual 70's or depressive influences. Well it sounds quite correct, but I find nothing special in here and I don't give a fuck about this kind of music unless the songs has a really killer feeling. Already Forgotten.

NIHILIST (Swe) Drowned Ep’89 Bloody rude effect records.
Here we are with one of the most influential death metal bands from Sweden. A lot of you have surely already heard the name of this cult pre ENTOMBED/UNLEASHED act, but never had the chance to listen to the music... Well, I can only say to you to get in touch with some tape traders, or to pray Satan during nine moons in order to get the chance to find an original of the NIHILIST demos on tape or on 7´´ vinyl. hahahaha!!! Yeah, I am a motherfucker as I have found the original of the last NIHILIST demo called "Drowned", that´s proposing two titles "Severe burns" (later appearing on the CLANDESTINE LP), and "When life has ceased". A certain Lars Göran Petrov (COMECON, ENTOMBED...) sings on this demo, and the rest of the line up is the same that plays on the two first ENTOMBED albums... oups, I mean classics. So if you are already familiar with the song "Severe burns", you´ll find a version that’s a bit longer and different at the NIHILIST times, but the general structure and arrangements are quite all already there. I find this version better than the one to be found on the "Clandestine" lp...
Well, I guess it’s a matter of taste. The production is quite clear for a NIHILIST demo, maybe the best to date. And one can feel that the difference between NIHILIST and ENTOMBED is then not so big. What remains totally amazing is that these dudes were something like 17 years old when they released "Drowned"!!! Fuck, someone has to explain to me how it’s possible to be so young and to play such an innovative and mature music... The same goes for bands like VENOM, SLAYER, DEATH ANGEL at their beginning. Otherwise, the artwork has been drawn by Nicke, the drummer, and if you are lucky enough, maybe that you possess the SLAYER mags from 91/92 featuring his artworks. It´s really in the ultimate underground vein: black and white, ugly, raw, hand made, but full of charm! ha! Yeah, NIHILIST is not just a cult name that makes you proud to have in your collection, it’s also a very good band which played a definitely major influence in the creation of the Swedish death metal. Highly recommended!!!! You only have to hope that all the NIHILIST/ENTOMBED demos could be re-released some days. http://site.voila.fr/Death_Metal_Godz

 Nathaniel.   

NOMED (FRA) Troop of death MLP'87 DAMAGED RECORDS.
Old school french thrashing metal! Yeah, at its time this was a good release for a good french band. Old school thrash metal with hardcore touches and real aggressive vocals not so far from old KREATOR ("Pleasure to kill") and MERCILLESS' first album "The awakening" (the swedish band); some DESTRUCTION's stuffs of the beginning could also be a bit felt for the riffs. It wasn't a boring one, cool variations on nicely energized riffs, one more band that deserved more recognition? (But of course the labels weren't as strong as nowadays...)
The thrashers were in the skateboard stuffs at the time. AAAARGHH!!
The guitarist actually plays in FATAL (Cool old school Thrash).     
Get it in the second hands markets if ya like the old stuffs!      

NOMED (Fra) Live Ep'89 BAD CARD Records.
I'm happy that I found this live Ep in a crappy second hand market! NOMED was one of these very cool French thrash metal bands that were forgotten while some quite crappy bands where hailed by the scene! That's another malediction... but anyway this Ep is cool! Total Thrash metal the old way with strong SLAYER (old), early METALLICA, KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and DARKNESS influences, plus a good dose of thrashing moshcore in the vein of old ANTHRAX!
On this piece of Ep, the band plays 4 fucking energetik and fast as fuck tracks! This was far more aggressive than their "Troops of death" MLP! With much more riffs and tempo changes per track. Even if the band wasn't always all tight, this is a good dose of fucking thrashing energy! The musicians as well as the public seems totally into it! ("ça joui dans la salle!" said the vocalist, Jean Luc, Ah Ah!).
Of corpse some speed metal touches were there.
It's bloody cool to hear this live Ep sounds more convincing and ass-kicking than a big bunch of new old school thrash metal bands! Even though it was recorded the 07/05/89.
NOMED Wasn't a very original band, but they did play thrash metal with a lot of enthusiasm and they had some crushing tracks! Argh! The guitars sound aggressively raw! NOMED is a band the French new old school maniacs should know, at least for this Ep! An advised Ep if you want to bang your head , if you can find it of corpse! Eh eh
http://nomed.free.fr

OBITUARY (Usa) Cause of death CD'90 ROADRUNNER.
Passées les poussées de fièvre de l’adolescence, Obituary s’inscrivait avec Cause of death dans le courant général de l’époque en proposant une musique plus élaborée (on n’osera pas dire raffinée), plus technique (le jeu de batterie devient superbe, le petit prodige James Murphy échappé de Death remplace Allen West et pose quelques solos biens sentis et très mélodiques),et en général plus lente et moins bourrine que sur Slowly we rot.
Mais la violence insidieuse de Cause of death n’a rien à envier à celle de son prédécesseur, car Obituary, grâce à un sens marqué du rythme et à son toujours aussi phénoménal chanteur, élaborait un death metal véritablement dansant (« Chopped in half », « Dying ») qui allait faire le bonheur des fosses de toutes les salles du monde et poser de nouveaux standards de puissance, le groupe s’avérant avec Sepultura le seul à faire à l’époque sonner de manière aussi incroyablement heavy la bête et méchante Mi grave (plutôt du ré en l’occurrence). Cause of death est, avec le premier Grave, un des disques où l’on comprend le mieux pourquoi le death metal est le métal de la mort, paradoxalement servi en cela par la production relativement plate de Scott Burns. Les tables de la loi version death metal, ni plus ni moins, avec en prime une reprise magistrale du célèbre « Circle of the tyrants » de leurs idoles de Celtic Frost.  Et la pochette demeure une des plus belles que j’aie jamais vues.
http://www.obituary.tk

 Pierre                

OBITUARY (Usa) The end complete CD'92 ROADRUNNER.
The End Complete est, je crois,  le parfait résumé du drame du « grand public » et du conformisme ambiant . On tient là un des albums les mieux vendus de l’histoire du death metal (le premier à avoir dépassé la barre des 100 000 exemplaires si je me souviens bien), et pourtant, pour ne pas tourner autour du pot, ce disque est une merde.
Le retour d’Allen West laissait augurer le meilleur, la présence du chanteur de Possessed aux chœurs aussi, mais il n’en est rien, les solos mélodiques de James Murphy sont remplacés par des tentatives assez piteuses, et rien ne vient compenser son absence. Obituary est revenu à la simplicité de Slowly we rot, mais très certainement pas à sa qualité. Le chant est toujours aussi énorme (bien qu’en baisse de régime), mais il ne suffit pas à faire oublier la nullité des riffs, particulièrement peu inspirés. Obituary se lance dans l’ultra lent à la Autopsy ou à la Paradise lost, mais rien la dessus  n’aura la quart du dixième de l’impact du rouleau compresseur que pouvait être un morceau comme « Dying ». Inutile de s’étendre, à part le relativement bon « I’m in pain » , il n’y a rien à sauver du désastre.
http://www.obituary.tk

Pierre                  

PARADISE LOST (UK) Lost paradise CD’89 (Re release) PEACEVILLE
Hellish intro with the screams of the damneds in a bouillon of blood.
This album offers some great melancholic Doom/ Death that has always inspired me in my mourning Death Metal days! Obscure mood of Death, entering the empty casttle of pure sorrow and feeling the emptiness breath your flesh, feeling the cold statues in mourning! Darkened Mourning! Most of the music is slow or mid placed, with a bunch od Death metal influences, but the really Death metallic parts are few since it remains slow, doomy and morbid most of the time..
This one counts great high pitched fear-possessed screams + some Death harsh growls, Nick Holmes sang like he was possessed by an inhuman mourning cold morbidity back then! Interesting long songs with enough variations to keep you hanged up. I remember myself experiencing some nice full of sorrow darkened emotions while listening to this one and reading pure underground occult Death Metal fanzines such as TALES OF THE MACABRE, NIHILISTIC  HOLOCAUST(lol) and LIQUID OF LIFE.
This is a classic.

PESTILENCE (Hol) Malleus maleficarum LP'88 Roadrunner.
Groupe majeur de la première vague du death metal, Pestilence se démarquait de ses consorts en jouant un death-metal beaucoup plus proche des pionniers de Slayer et surtout Possessed que de Morbid Angel. C’est donc plus aux recettes du thrash (guitares ultra rapide, 4x4) qu’à celles du death metal ordinaire (batterie furibarde et guitares plus pesantes) que Pestilence fait appel, même si le résultat trouve clairement sa place dans le métal de la mort.
 Si le groupe pêche encore par immaturité (la conséquente surcharge pondérale des structures), il fait déjà montre d’un talent impressionnant, si ce n’est de la créativité débordante qu’on lui connaîtra par la suite.
Quelques morceaux vraiment réussis ont remarquablement franchi les âges, et même si la production a pris un gros coup de vieux, Malleus maleficarum semble pouvoir encore séduire un public plus large que celui des seuls nostalgiques de l’époque.

Pierre            

PESTILENCE (HOL) Spheres CD’93 THE ALL BLACKS/ ROADRUNNER.
Even if it’s not their best one, I wanted to review it as it seems to be forgotten now. On this one they’ve evolved a lot since their 3 previous albums ( and even denied it…). Here, it’s techno Death including some various musics such as jazz, progressive rock, atmospheric free jazz but some (few) parts are still mid fast Death Metal ones in the vein of «  Testimony of the ancients ». Their’s a bit of ATHEIST’s « Elements » on some mid placed jazzy drumbeats.
Even more parallel and interesting variating bass lines, some 70’s space acid influenced metallized righteous brainside demonstrative keyboard parts reminding me some old HAWKWIND LP covers but their is a more scientific and serious touch here.
They include some parts that sounds totally senseless and absurd, or it’s maybe not the common sense and they’ve reached new «  Levels of perception ».
It’s like a space transcending spacionaut with a great dose of liquefied cocaine injected air in the breathing system and some guitar and tape recorder in the right hand so that we would be able to get « Surfing with the alien » by hearing these strange visions. I like the track title for the song « Voices from within » that’s more or less atmospheric, instrumental and interesting. There are some distorted old 70’s crackling TV screen vocals and some cool expressive interludes and atmospheres. It sounds sometimes as if their was something hidden behind the wall of guitars and drums that we couldn’t hear. ( But it’s maybe due to the high quality of my stereo system…).
Even if it could be fastly boring for fans of efficiency, some parts of this album still sound fresh.  This is just interesting to hear the evolution of PESTILENCE when you have been a fan of their three previous albums.

PITCH SHIFTER (Uk) Submit MCD'92 EARACHE.
While GODFLESH gave birth to a totally new depressive and tortured industrial metal style, a bunch of bands were strongly influenced by this new original way of composing extreme music, but few did it with enough feeling and personality to be convincing.
PITCH SHIFTER are one of these bands who were very influenced by GODFLESH; and this second release showed the way of better compositions in terms of creativity and personality. The 6 tracks of this MCD offering a more accessible style than GODFLESH, the guitars being less tortures en enormously crushing, the whole sounding more classically constructed. Cold Industrial metal with feelings such as semi depression, crushed machinal walk, cold sorrow, black hole anger, strong deception...
Interesting and sensed lyrics that deals with the inner deconstruction of a human being, societized deviances, abuses towards humans' lifes and virtues, various kinds of conditionnement... The deep vocals were a nice addition since it made the music a bit more inhuman by moments.
The track "New flesh P.S.I" stands out from this MCD because of its deeper and darker depressive mourning. It's slower, less rhythmic than the other tracks; simply hopeless and more inhuman.
PITCH SHIFTER weren't as visionary as GODFLESH, but they had some good visions of a depressive society and crushed inhumanity.
"Submit" remains the best PITCH SHIFTER release out of their first epoch (the most industrial one that includes the "Industrial" CD'91, "Submit" MCD'92 and "Desensitized" CD'93); this MCD hasn't grow old much and it's still largely enjoyable nowadays.
A good choice for those who doesn't search only for brutal and extreme emotions in music, but also need pessimistic visions of truth. And overall a realistic state of mind.

POISON (Usa) Open up and say… Ahh! Lp'88. CAPITOL.
Johnny has always been Metal as fuck, a true die hard in he old sense of the word. Worshipping the most cult ancient thrash deities since (well almost) day one and banging his head whenever possible. But this morning when he woke up, he didn't immediately realize some strange things occurred during the night, the pink fog wasn’t the most suitable for auroral headbanging, and some strange odors of sexy metal babes were teasing his crooked nose… Johnny was pretty sure he didn’t bring a woman yesterday night, but was he sober enough to remember?
It was time to clear the mourning atmosphere up, and put a flow of thrashing power in the turntable… First problem, where the fuck is this godamn «Kill’em all» album, and who has forgotten his glam Lps collection on the floor? And are there sexy metal babes visiting gigs and metal discotheques with all their Lps? Johnny is quite confused…
It’s not before he watched in the mirror he realized some strange things occurred in the night. His long hairs turned to pink, his morbid and necro tattoos changed into pictures of Hanoi Rocks, Poison, and other love love glam fags, the 'sexy' make up covering his face couldn't be washed and his body was covered by some green nylon trousers that can't be worn off or shredded. Confusion, Anguish, «What the fuck is this shit??»
Johnny worked hard to change this shit (hot-blooded flow of detergent, massive headbanging in oil paints, hellish licking by the dog) but realized quite soon a bath of acid wouldn’t be enough to wash away the queer.
How could he walk in the streets and decently work at GORY Records without being the laughted and pissed on? Would the local citizens need another mundane looking bagman or superfag? If Satan doesn’t help him, how could he be a little bit ignored and left leaving in reclusion, since respect became out of question? One more metallic damnation chose to freeze the hell in blasphemy. The gods of metal, if they only exists, have one more time left a true warrior of steel being torn in blasphemy… or maybe are they full of cynicism and sarcasm?
If the existence of some metallic gods can’t be proven or down-to-earth trusted, the traces of a glam come-back can be found from here and there: I heard about some «glamorous festivals» in Sweden (It’s not surprising when you take in consideration the past Gotenburp craps… All the fags begin to leave metal to reconvert to Glam or emoqueer… Ah Ah!) or some strangely dressed bands in Japan… My conclusion is simple: if you don’t want the metal scene to be polluted one more time with glamorous queering (as it was in the eighties) and if you couldn’t deal with what Johnny had to face: fight the return of glam before it shall be more than few pink seeds in the bottoms of current mellow-dick metallers! EXECUTE THEM ALL WITH THE CORROSIVE ANAL PROBE! METAL MEANS WAR! Ah Ah!

                                                                                         Nathaniel

PROTECTOR (GER) The heritage CD'93 ROUGH TRADE
PROTECTOR is an old German death/thrash band. I even don't know if they're still "alive".  In fact, their stuff is very much DEATH influenced (mostly "Spiritual healing") but the way they apply the drum beats on the riffs makes them sound like MORTEM (Peru - also strongly influenced by Chuck); I would have added quite mid/slow placed rum beats with double bass drums in the vein of "Leprozy", they would have sounded maybe not as fast, but surely more powerfull. There are also some KREATOR ("Coma of souls") for the thrash/ heavy parts and for some melodies (not sure for the melodies).
They use some fast blast beats with double bass drums in the vein od CANNIBAL CORPSE and a few OBITUARY ("Causes of death") touches can be heard. The last track includes some interesting double bass drums variations on a techno thrash riffing idea in the vein of MEKONG DELTA ("Dances of death") but it's shamely too long! I would say this band had some nice and interesting ideas but their songs wasn't constructed to get the best efficiency (as it sometimes could be long).
Not uninteresting.

PYREXIA (Usa) Sermon of mockery CD'93 DROWNED.
Ok PYREXIA sounded a lot influenced by old SUFFOCATION with this release, but it was more than a blatant copy as some of my brutallizing friends think!
They had some full of sufferance and fear heavy tremolo riffs that sound just cool! The heavy suffocated riffs Suffo are very known for, the tremolo Brutal death riffs (American style) and the technical Suffocation touches are also present! Hellish well hidden riffs! Ah! Don't like too much the way the drummer blasts (with both snare and double bass drums at the same time) and the snare sound is too much present and thin. But it remains Ok, it's a professional recording with powerfull guitars.
The whole is melted in quite complex tracks' structures, it wasn't original but offered a few really catchy parts. A quite good CD for fans of the American Brutal death style! I still enjoy listening to it while I'm quite bored with the Brutal death trend, it's just a good sign...

RESIST (FIN) Bootleg CDr.
Here's another bootleg of a band I didn't know before. It includes the RESIST Ep'89 and the "Ignorance is bliss" LP as it includes 25 tracks of old sounding punk with some few Crust elements. Nothing is aggressive or punching on their Ep and it has grown old a lot in 13 years! But their tracks on the LP sounds more crusty and a bit efficient. Ok/ Cool drummer on this LP, some vocals remind me of some old THE EXPLOITED/ old HIRAX (an old thrashing band with blast beats of had a some Hardcore touch in some stuffs) and some riffs sounded a bit à la DARKNESS (The old thrash band, can be an ok comparison as the first thrash/ speed bands were influenced by the old punk/ pre hardcore scene). A bit of some DISRUPT can be found here. This is just an ok band that may have been important for some guys at the time, but I don't find it good nor specially interesting as it has grown old a lot!! Only for old Nostalgic crusty bastards...

RESURRECTION (USA) Embalmed existence CD’93 NUCLEAR BLAST
Good death metal band with old OBITUARY ("Causes of death") influences for some double bass drums mixed with tremolo riffs parts but also some all times OBITUARY for the death/doom sides. They brought some interesting and a bit fresh sounding ideas, and some intros' arpeggios parts were a bit "flying" for me. In a way, it also makes me think about VIOGRESSION (A band that was very much into OBITUARY) for the doom and the vocals. I don't know why, something in this CD makes me think a bit about old MALEVOLENT CREATION (2 first CDs), it must be for the way it sounds and for some arrangements and breaks (not for the grinding side). Notice there is not a blast part on this CD!
There are a bunch of heavy Brutal death elements (BAPHOMET(USA)) mixed with both heavy and rumbling drums. A negative point on this CD is the quite long spoken intros before each song. But it was a good CD that's still worth of your attention. 

RIGHTEOUS PIGS (Usa) Live and learn LP'89 NUCLEAR BLAST.
Old school Grind you bastard!
This B- zone underground Grind band wasn't bad! Fast Grindcore à la old REPULSION with heavier moments that were not so far from HxCx and Thrashcore!
The surprising point is the vocals were clear (not growls nor screams), rather old school Hardcore punk vocals with few old DEAD KENNEDYS touches. The sound was fucking raw, bot very understandable, it made it sound even more underground!
Some heavier riffs remind me a lot of old DEFECATION and old NAPALM DEATH (And this isn't a coincidence! Ah! Mitch played in these two great old school Grind bands later!) Nothing really excellent, some nice tracks and riffs, a rather cool band for it's time! Good for Grind maniacs! And old traded tape will be enough... an Lp bought for a low price in a second hand market would be cool, but it's not really worth the full CD price in my opinion!

ROTTREVORE (USA) Iniquitous CD'93.
This old band played a Brutal death that's very low tuned and sounds very low! I thought some tracks were cool at the time, but it has grown old into a very average stuff! This is very heavy Death metal that would need a big kick in its ass to sound convincing in 2003! Simple Heavy Death metal or traditional sounding riffings à la old GRAVE (3 first CDs) but it lacks something special for 95% of it! ROTTING(Can)'s first CD can be quoted for the heavy moments, while a bit of old heavy GOREFEST wouldn't be misplaced as an influence. The riffs remains too common and the structures aren't original, just boring in parts! And it's a shame since a few doomy death melodies had something really catchy! So it sounds boring now, maybe absolute GRAVE fans will find it cool? 1 or 2 tracks to fill the end of a tape will be enough!
http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/interviews/rottrevore.htm