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

SACRED REICH (Usa) Surf Nicaragua MCD'88 METAL BLADE.
I've never been a big fan of SACRED REICH since their Thrash metal was the fast kind of stuff that hadn't got a big feeling of metal, and their stuffs weren't into an old school metal state of mind I was searching for at that time! This isn't their best release (their first full length seems to be better), but it's the one I'm the most familiar with since MCDs are cheaper than CDs...
The first half of it isn't very representative of their style, you get "Surf Nicaragua" that's more into a punky thrash metal with core touches and with a riff I could have lived without that takes a videogame's Californian themes. Then you get a BLACK SABBATH "War pigs" cover that brings nothing new as well as a new track of the band entitled "One nation" that's rather Heavy thrash metal like, nothing really great and it's almost linear all along the track (old PANTERA and co had these kinds of riffs...).
The second half of the CD sounds more energetic, some fast thrash metal with cool vocals and a good drummer! (You get 2 live tracks and a studio one). But their riffs just sound too common for a part of it, a final kick is still needed in my opinion to make it worth the listening nowadays! Good powerful sound! A thrashing riff of "Death squad" sounds a lot like a SODOM riff on the "Agent orange" Lp.
Reminds me also a bit of DARK ANGEL's 1st full length Lp.
Those who enjoy old Thrash metal with core touches like old OVERKILL may find it Ok! It's not so bad to listen to it now... but there were totally crushing bands like DARK ANGEL, BLOODFEAST or SODOM (for example) while SACRED REICH was just decent!

                                                                                        Nathaniel

SADISTIK EXEKUTION (Aus) The magus CD’91 VAMPIRE Records.
This isn't my fave SADSTIK EXEKUTION release, but it will have the longuest review! Logic hasn't much place in the world of these Australian fukkers, so FUKK YOU ALL!
At this time the band wasn't playing so fukked up death grind chaos, he style was old school Thrash death metal with blasts to shredd your cunt infested! We are the fukers of deads! We are death! Fukk you all! The style changed drastically later, uh, quite logical since the guitarist who contributed a lot of riffs left after the recording of "The magus". The production is what may let many poofsters think this album is crappy, coz the sound isn't good! The mix and sound levels differ from a track to another... but one more time only Death is real! Play it at the maximum volume and it will shredd!
The fucking drummer had a good energetik feast beating! Ultra blasts, chaos breaks, brutal punch and a good bunch of ass-kicking anger from the guts! Another good reason to insert the uzi in your mouth before you choose to fuck off and die! Of corpse some of you putrid maniacs would recognize the nice death lyrics and vocals of ROKK! Even though his spitting haemorrhage didn't sound as possessed as nowadays, on a matter of vokils. But you had still a bunch of choruses of death such as "Lupercalia", 'Cautness darking blood" or "Agonizing the dead" to scream loud and hail death!
The dirty and disjoncted artworks were there! I own the original release on Vampire records, so I'm able to watch the real pictures.
Argh! Fast thrashing death metal in the old way with many breaks to make the tracks more complex. Old SLAYR, old POSSESSED, early MORBID ANGEL, KREATOR ("Pleasure to kill"), early SEPULTURA ("Morbid visions"/ "Bestial devastation") for the morbid vocals... I stop here the morbid metal lust, you got the deadly point of death!
SADISTIK EXEKUTION have some quite crappy interludes, especially here as it sounds quite confused and cliché. I couldn't listen to this if it was on another CD... but for a deadly obscure reason it sounds cool! Are there ancient obscure deities haunting this CD?? Ah! Each human being needs to eat a part of shitty or full of dust stuffs. It's a nice form of mental illness, isn't it? haha
Explode the head that doesn't band and now drink the dust from my head! It's total fukk off metal! AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!
Ok you fucking poofsters this album might sound like shit for some who "need" perfect production in heir fruity loops "extreme metal", on an 'objective' and high flying point of view it's an average CD, but I don't give a flying fukk! You are still free to fukk off and die!  The band had some good death thrashing tracks of death, they were more technical than your average slip metal band, and Fukk you all!! It sounded more honest than the too clean thrash heavy metal of this time!
http://fade.to/sadx

SADUS (USA) Swallowed in black CD’90 ROADRUNNER
It’s an old one. I reviewed it coz of the presence of the bassist Steve Di Giorgio ( DEATH, AUTOPSY, CONTROL DENIED, TESTAMENT and numerous others). It’s a kind of Thrash/ Death à la DARK ANGEL (fast parts) with some old SLAYER ( 2nd and 3rd one), some old METALLICA ( 2nd and 3rd – not for the melodical side of the band) and some technical techno Thrash/ Death parts. Some songs are really mind blowing for the complex efficiency of structures ( I wouldn’t say so for the emotional impact.). Their are technical flights of bass deliria : the parallel evolving technical bass lines! Steve Di giorgio is really a good bassist!
The vocalist invented the harsh high pitched screams even before Dani ( CRADLE OF FILTH) thought about wearing corpsepaint. Some tracks are compressed enough, trashy as fuck, and quite well articulated!
Despite the ugly cover, it’s an interesting album!

SEPULTURA (Bre) Beneath the remains LP'89 ROADRACER.
Un classique de plus à l’actif du plus célèbre des groupes brésiliens. Beneath the remains est l’album qui allait les révéler au petit monde du métal, qui l’accueillera avec un enthousiasme comparable à celui qui allait accompagner la sortie de Burn my eyes 5 ans plus tard.
Sepultura, c’était LE groupe du moment, et on ne comprend que trop pourquoi ! De superbes morceaux à tiroir, des mélodies exceptionnelles, des rythmiques rageuses, un batteur et un guitariste solistes qui commencent à assurer méchamment, tandis que Max Cavalera confirme son statut de riffeur hors du commun.  Si la deuxième moitié de l’album montre une certaine perte de régime, la première est d’une qualité qu’on aurait bien aimer revoir plus souvent dans le death metal de l’époque, et ce subtil mélange de sombres mélodies et de rythmiques assassines fait mouche à chaque seconde. Beneath the remains n’est pas extraordinairement brutal, mais c’est un album fabuleusement impliquant, un album qu’on vit à chaque instant. Ça donne envie de bouger et, surtout, d’appuyer à nouveau sur play quand ça s’arrête.
http://www.sepultura.com.br

Pierre    

SICKENING GORE (USA) Destructive reality CD’92 MASSACRE.
At the first listening, this band seems to play classical Death/grind influenced by old BAPHOMET/ SUFFOCATION (without the hyper technical edge) and with no real ideas in anyway. But if you give them a more carefull listening, you’ll discover grinding tremolo hypnoticizing riffs that, even if it’s simple, will make yer rancid pus filled brain go through another metallized dimension.
Some tremolo riffs are purely surprising and mindblowing at the first carefull listening! Notice there are infernal leads in the vein of old MORBID ANGEL, the vox and the riffs may remind ya of old SINISTER and some may find by moments touches of old untechnical OBITUARY.
Ok, the whole album can sound boring as all the stuff here isn’t great and some riffs are really common, but it’s a cool CD to get as a tape or Cdr copy.

SINISTER (Hol) Cross the Styx CD'92 Nuclear Blast.
After three ep´s that you can consider as killer demos SINISTER gets a deal with the German and at this time uncompromising label Nuclear Blast. It’s funny to read old interviews of the band where they say that their goal was to make the most noisy metal they could do... Hahahah!!! Shit, if all the noise bands could deliver such a fine and technical music, I would be quite happy! From this times Aad, the drummer is the only remaining member, but you can also find Mike, the singer who took part in some of the best work of the band until he parted ways after the release of the mini cd "Bastard saints". But let´s come back to the "Cross the Styx" album. This piece of vinyl was then produced by ALex Krüll, who played in the German bizarre death metal act ATROCITY, and who composed the intro and outro of the SINISTER lp. The production is really honest and aggressive enough to make your spine thrill because of the efficiency of the sharp guitar work. Yeah, at that time, SINISTER worked with two guitarists, and one can feel how good the guitar department was while listening to hymns like "Cross the Styx", "Spiritual immolation" or "Corridor to the abyss". Nothing is to leave behind on this album. The compositions are rich and varied enough to keep the listener’s attention at its maximum. How not to become crazy while listening such dirty, aggressive and efficient riffs? Moreover the drumming of Aad is already recognizable. It’s incredible how this guy has such a strong identity in his playing: loud, heavy and fast as hell. What’s great too is that even if Bart still wasn’t on this album, one can feel after 2 seconds that SINISTER is destroying your stereo, and that’s incredibly fine to bang your head to this quality death metal. SINISTER remains one of the best Dutch death metal bands of this time with ASPHYX, GOREFEST, ACROSTICHON and DELIRIUM.
So, prepare to cross the Styx and to be damned by the SINISTER cult forever.
http://sinister.wingsofdeath.nu

Nathaniel.  

SKELETON OF GOD (Usa) Urine garden MCD'93 CREEPO Records.
Promising as fuck Brutal death metal with both blasting, chaotic and heavy elements! It's Brutal death metal with more than the Brutality the good bands use to crush your skull with! They own some original parts! Imagine NATRON's first album "Hung, drawn and quartered with the SUFFOCATION's lust for Brutality and fucking deep crushing expression! Reminiscences of full of fears and anger primal PYREXIA's recordings where gutted as fuck! Some heavier, dark and soulful tunes evokes some riffs coming from the dawn of IMMOLATION! For dark brutalizing reasons they also remind me of BEYOND FEAR (Uk- R.i.p). Catchy as an emotional trauma! Your brain is branded at the very first listening! Ah! Soulful riffs that makes me feel as if I was penetrating the heart of god! (Only MAYHEM's last release made me feel this cold and claustrophobic way...) All the more this Brutality didn't sound too common for its time! Even if they had a few heavy "Butchered at birth" like riffings, some parts sounded a bit like old ATROCITY on cocaine... well I think their music sounded more naturally flowing and efficient than the one of the German technoDeath heads! Comparable to an obscure aura of Brutality and violence running all around your filthy maggoty head! That reminds me also of SUPPURATION (Fra) on their "Sultry obsession" Demo when they were still a good and personal Death metal band! (With original riffs; ambitious ideas, harmonies and clear vocals). All the more, good powerful sound! A member of the band later played in the band MERDE (a boring one!) and it had nothing to do with the quality of this MCD! I don't know what the band became! That's a shame they didn't offer more as it was promising and expressive! Near of the fucking excellence!  

SKINNY PUPPY (Can) Too dark park CD'90 NETTWERK/ CAPITOL.
I remember the music of SKINNY PUPPY was one of the first disjoncted and bizarre musical stuff I experienced, even before listening to metal; while U2 and DEPECHE MODE (Not most of their crap tracks) were played on my HiFi... It sounded bestial, bizarre, and especially awesome as I never heard of something so mad before.
The music of SKINY PUPPY isn't composed of only extreme parts, since their compositions that goes along the lines of Indutrial and dark experimental electronic music explore several atmospheres and feelings. One of the main characteristics of these cocaine junkies is most of their music isn't built on melodies or guitar riffs (contrary to some Industrial induced bands like FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, MINISTRY, GODFLESH) but on a mix of many cut'n paste samples and deformed sounds. All the more their tracks' structures are strange since it's chaotic, broken, unlogical or simply inexisting.
The musical spheres the band explores are very wide since you can find some old Electronic body music with a crushed drum beat and disjoncted vocals, 80's dark electro with gothrock influences in the spirit and a good sense of derision, total convulsive maelstrom, dark background movie music, and many others... the style even vary several times in the middle of a track. I can talk about the judicious, mysterious and phantomatic use of some samples that give a frightening, endarkened and somewhat nostalgic touch! Engulfed in the deformed blast-beating mind of the puppy! Some background samples that emerge in your face right between two explosive fuse blowing screams are totally unidentifiable... totally reversed, distorted, compressed, hacked, and it sounds strange! All these samples mixed at several levels with the music create a bizarre universe of sound.  
One of the tracks I especially enjoy here ("Spasmolytic") sounds like a guy who runs in a cold and black street by night, afraid as fuck as bestial hunters has the will to kill him! It has the pulse and fright of the situation. In a way not so far from some Death or thrash metal tunes for the way it's done and the feelings it procures.
"Convulsion" is a noisy industrial track full of disjoncting computers sounds, overdriven loops, and obsessive drumbeats with disjoncting denying vocals. Convulsive urge. Total cybernetic chaos!
"Natures revenge" is a calmer dark electro track, with old electro influences and quite bizarre samples that sounds a bit like if everything were mixing up altogether. A quite dark and somewhat nostalgic mood can be food here.
I'm quite disarmed in front of this album since my musical knowledge is really not wide enough to make clever comparisons and draw the right ways of thinking.
This album isn't extreme metal, but it remains extreme in several ways, and it's far more rebellious than a bunch of other 'extreme' bands' since you can't easily categorize the band! Rather cold and machinally aggressive, sorrowful, quite cynical, disjoncted and electronically rythmic.
SKINNY PUPPY is a cult band for the industrial scene, being both personal, bizarre and deeply expressive! From what I listened and heard from various trustful sources, I may tell you their best albums are "Too dark park" and "Last rights". I wouldn't advice their music because it's too special... to get into this you have to be open (broken?) minded to styles like dark eletronic, experimental electronic or Industrial noise; or you simply have to listen to the flesh...
http://www.skinny-puppy.net

SODOM (Ger) Agent orange LP'89 STEAMHAMMER.
This is my opinion the best SODOM album released in their whole carreer! A golden age of riffing and energy! It took me a few listenings to enjoy it as it isn't really old school, but when you get into it you're so fucking damn impressed and hooked by your metal heart! Chris Witchhunter had a good drum playing with well placed breaks and arrangements plus full of skills rollings on toms, some Franck Blackfire's riffs were simply full of frenesy! And some vocals choruses were good, with excellent words placed here and there! Some die Hard fans denied this album because it was too much produced, professionnal and blah blah! This one is in my opinion far stronger than "Persecution mania" or "In the sign of evil"! Somewhere it's not so far from albums like KREATOR's "Coma of souls" (but less technical) and other SODOM albums of course! It's soo good to liten to this kind of punching almost all the long Thrash metal when each new band seems to focus on the blast beats and forget the energy! On tracks like "Agent orange", "Magic dragon" or "Tired and red", their music wasn't only Thrash metal, it was excellent! One of the best Thrash metal albums ever released! Check it if there's an only SODOM album you could hear! It's simply as emotionally intense as most of the Grind and Brutal death stuffs of today!   

SUFFER (Swe) On sour ground Ep'91 NEW WAVE Recs.
AAARRRGHH! BLOODY DEATH! SUFFER was a very old school Death metal band! Do you remember old great and totally excellent bands such as DEATH, PESTILENCE, ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER? Do you remember the fucking frenezy and obscure Death metal aura that reigned on the world from 1988 to 1991? With SUFFER you have a good band reminding me of DEAH (first riff of  the "Spiritual healing" Lp, plus riffs and melodies à la old Chuck Schuldiner!) old PESTILENCE ("Consuming impulse" for some heavy riffs and researches on morbid melodies) and MERCILESS ("The awakening" for thrash and fast as fuck parts). Full of guts and feelings riffs, good drum parts that were enough varied, screamed thrash vocals. There's a real Death metal feeling as well as lot of variations! Some of the riffs aren't excellent, but what's the fuck! The quality is fucking here! And that's the most important! (For me at least...) Death metaller! If you find some SUFFER's stuffs anywhere, don't hesitate to spend your precious money! It's recommended!

SUFFER (Swe) Global warning MCD'93 NAPALM.
This MCD showed the beginning of an heavier and kinda more techno death metal like evolution in SUFFER's Death metal! While their previous Ep "On sour ground" was much more into a punching European death metal style with guts and shredding riffs à la PESTILENCE/ DEATH, the music on this 4 tracks release was ways more influenced by the "Spiritual healing" of DEATH! Understand quite cynical sounding tremolo riffs with complex drum patterns; but the last 2 tracks that were probably older were still in a simpler kind of old death metal (in the vein of the first OBITUARY, VIOGRESSION and some DEATH "Leprozy").
Even though the vocals had similarities with John Tardy's style, it lacked of power by moments. The style was a bit too complex to really please me. It's rather a cool MCD to pleasantly listen to with few beers in hand and old feelings in mind. Their previous released "On sour ground" was much more played with pain and guts! But it remains a cool MCD!

SUFFOCATION (Usa) Human waste MCD'90 RELAPSE.
Peu de disques dans l’histoire du métal sont aussi cultes que ce Human waste. D’abord parce que Human waste est le premier disque édité par un label appelé à devenir référentiel en matière d’ultra-violence : Relapse. Ensuite parce que Human waste est le disque qui sert de référence, avec le second Carcass, Slowly we rot et Eaten back to life, à la totalité de la scène brutal death.
Vocaux d’outre tombe, structures alambiquées, légères touches grind (“ Mass obliteraion ”) mid-tempos bien gras et accélérations fulgurantes, tout est déjà là.
 Si l’original souffrait d’un son exécrable, le remastering a grandement arrangé les choses, et l’ajout en bonus track du très bon “ Human waste ” suffit de toute façon à justifier l’achat de ce petit bijou, dont les quelques exemplaires en circulation s’arrachaient à prix d’or.
 Human waste n’a pas la perfection musicale de Effigy of the forgotten, mais sa valeur historique est quasiment incomparable, d’autant que le tout vieillit bien. Descendu en flamme par la critique de l’époque, pas toujours clairvoyante, Suffocation allait bouleverser une scène toute entière.
http://www.suffocation.us

Pierre              

SUFFOCATION (Usa) Effigy of the forgotten CD'91 Roadrunner.
1991. Alors que le petit monde du metal termine à peine de s’exstasier devant la musique des dégénérés de Cannibal Corpse, un obscur groupe New Yorkais, repéré par Roadrunner après un premier EP prometteur (“Human waste”, ici presque intégralement réenregistré), démontre à qui veut bien l’entendre (pas grand monde) que le death peut se faire ultra-brutal tout en étant fabuleusement intelligent. Loin de sombrer dans la platitude qui caractérise souvent le genre (qui a dit Immolation?), Suffocation  parvient à maintenir son auditeur perpétuellement en haleine. Les morceaux sont d’une complexité telle que l’on a sans cesse l’impression de les redécouvrir pour la première fois, avec avidité, et on se surprend vite à écouter ça en boucle. Sans cet album, qui peut occuper son propriétaire plus que 99% de la production, le death  brutal n’aurait jamais été ce qu’il était: la voix ultra-gutturale utilisée comme instrument rythmique, la double qui martelle, les blast beats rares mais bien placés, les riffs tours à tour rouleaux compresseur, hérités de Napalm death première époque, ou scie sauteuse, les influences hardcore, grind et thrash; bref, tout ce qui fait les Internal Bleeding, Dying Fetus, Aborted, Deeds of flesh et des centaines d’autres. Déterminant.
http://www.suffocation.us

Pierre              

SUFFOCATION (Usa) Breeding the spawn CD'93 Roadrunner.
Breeding the spawn ou l’histoire d’un terrible gâchis. Disons le tout de suite, si l’album est assez mauvais sans être catastrophique musicalement, et très, très  inférieur à Effigy of the forgotten, il est gâché par une production absolument atroce qui ferait passer le Nattens Madrigal de Ulver pour le Burn my eyes de Machine head. A vrai dire je me demande bien si j’ai un disque plus mal produit que ça dans toute ma discothèque à part le premier Carcass.
 Musicalement, pour ceux qui ont le courage de s’y investir, on découvre un Suffocation plus mélodique par endroit, parfois proche du doom d’un Asphyx ou d’un Autopsy pour quelques secondes, mais toujours très brutal. Seulement entre ce son miteux et la comparaison forcément pas très flatteuse avec la véritable légende qui le précède, Breeding the spawn ne donne vraiment pas envie d’être écouté et sonne plutôt comme un des clones de seconde zone que Suffocation a lui même engendré. Une grosse erreur de parcours qui coûtera très cher à Suffocation, cantonné dans l’anonymat pour ne plus jamais en sortir, avant de splitter dans l’indifférence.
http://www.suffocation.us

 Pierre          

SUPURATION (Fra) The cube CD'93 REINCARNATE/ DANCETERIA.
Le premier album cultissime d’un des meilleurs groupes français. Le death experimental du groupe y fait mouche à chaque instant, agrémenté de quelques solos bien sentis (“The elevation”, “The cube”).  Inattendu (surtout à l’époque), Supuration se frayait un chemin à travers la masse des sous clones de Morbid Angel et Deicide et offrait un bel exemple de créativité. Des rythmiques très particulières, des lignes de chant alternant le grognement typique du death à des parties claires très inspirées par Depeche mode, des mélodies qui montrent déjà une forte personnalité, une influence Voivod légère car parfaitement digérée, autant d’éléments qui font de Supuration un groupe absolument unique. Premier d’une série de concepts albums (au sens propre), véritable invitation au voyage, The cube fit l’effet d’un électro choc à une scène française souvent trop occupée à copier ses modèles américains. On n’ose imaginer l’impact qu’aurait pu avoir une telle bombe si elle avait été composée par un groupe sorti de Floride…

 Pierre  

TERRORIZER (Usa)/ NAUSEA (Usa)/ MAJESTY (Usa) Bootleg CDr
The fucking bootleg that will make you shit your pants when you'll read this review!!
It includes TERRORIZER's "Day zero" rehearsal 4/25/87 with an ok sound (for fans) and two of the tracks aren't on "World downfall"! + TERRORIZER's Demo'87 (that sounds more blasting), NAUSEA's Demo'87 (quite cool grind with a strong REPULSION feel in the riffs and in the whole atmosphere. Just cool old school grind!)+ MAJESTY's "Bestial vomit" Demo (that seems to be a previous band of NAUSEA members, not great but it was surely a beginning!). If you're a TERRORIZER fan, don't do like me and check this low price Bootleg CDr without hesitating!

THERION (Swe) Theli CD 1996 NUCLEAR BLAST Recs.
I didn’t listen to this album since perhaps 1996-97 when it was played on french metal radioshows…
So I thought, maybe my mind and feelings have changed, perhaps I might try it again? After all, this quite cheap-price CD in the second hand store was maybe a sign, a message from the “metal gods” telling me to check it out 20+ years later? So, in lack of better choice, I bought the Therion CD…
BAD IDEA! I didn’t remember about it, but there are very present Opera-alike vocals during a good part of the album, this is really a problem for my hears (It remembers of the musical comedies that got massive airplay on french TV in the end 90’s)… Sometimes it even seems like an operatic musical comedy with rock/ metal guitars in the back… Uh, where is my money?
Now to be totally honest, everything here doesn’t suck, some guitar parts are even quite nice and some kinda screamy vocals aren’t too bad (By moments it sounds a bit like mid 90’s Tiamat (which was somewhat “doom”)), and I think Therion were influenced by CELTIC FROST (To megatherion/ Into the pandemonium) during the composition of this release for some kinda “death doom” moments… (With a bit of imagination, perhaps this album could have been a nice rework of the most “doomy” moments from these two Celtic Frost albums, with some “gothic rock” influences here and there… Who knows).
But, to be totally honest again, what I can save from the whole is rapidly mixed with too happy moments (Something like proto happy folk metal, to dance at the edge of the woods), too easy guitars (4 notes in 4/4, really?)… And there are so many operatic vocals that if you don’t like it, you can’t “appreciate” the remaining…
This new listening session of “Theli” was mostly composed of “Skip it” for me… See you in 20 years Therion…

UNLEASHED (Swe) Shadows in the deep CD'92 CENTURY MEDIA.
The main thing I remember with this CD is seeing it on the pile of stuffs I don't check often... and each time saying to myself "I don't want to hear it". Compared to their first album that had good and obscure total old school Death metal beats, cool melodies and groovy mid tempos Death riffings with a dark enthusiasm, this one is just okey for most of its length, using the same elements than on their previous compositions but with less quality and dynamism. Tracks like "The final silence", "A life beyond" or "Onward into countless battles" were quite cool into the old fast Death metal style (nice riffs with cool drum playing), but tracks like "Neverending hate" didn't bring something new or aboce the average Death metal we've all overabused during all these years of bevery and disjoncted existence. And the "Countess Bathory" isn't one of the best VENOM covers I heard, far from this! What about EXHUMED covering a track from "At war with Satan"? As a whole it's Okey for the fans of the old style, wut it's not really worth your bucks! It's just cool to copy it... Nice obscure cover with mournfull textures though...

UNLEASHED (Swe) The utter dark revenge bootleg CD
Here's a cool bootleg containing a good obscure part of what UNLEASHED recorded before "Where no life dwells": the "The utter dark" demo, the "Revenge" Ep, their part of the "In the eyes of death" Compilation LP and the "And the laughter has died" Ep. It includes all the releases' covers in a quite cool photocopied booklet.
It contains mostly tracks that were later recorded on their first album, but in a more raw and less professional way, sounds very underground and it lets us see the evolution of what they'd become on their first good professional release! Doomy death metal with nice obscure atmosphere, cool mid placed with riffs that are almost groovy, good punching Death metal beats! It has some real energy but only nostalgics will enjoy these darkened listenings! This bootleg's stuffs has grown old and due to the sound I'd advice it to big old school Death metal fans only! Cool band for it's time! This is the only UNLEASHED period I enjoy (Demo days and first Lp + a bit of the second one) I enjoy since their next releases lacked of fucking enthusiasm (and the band's previous drummer said he left after the 3rd LP coz it wasn't exciting anymore to play in the band... became somekind of job).

UNSEEN TERROR (Uk) Human error Lp'87 EARACHE.
One more time I'm going to break a CULT and brutalize the "dreams" of some extreme metallers! Ah Ah... Despite what some reviewers think about this release, Unseen terror wasn't so great! Uh... It was old school Grindcore along the lines of old REPULSION/ GENOCIDE but no real crushing riffs nor total grinding energized stress was here... Uh... I understand it could be cool to listen to this old school Grindcore stuff, and I personally find it nice to play the Lp and watch the "evil" faces of Shane and its friends, on a total old school posters' background! (Cool posters and flyers of Napalm Death, Metallica, Death, Sceptic Death, Dark Angel, Genocide...).
But there was nothing special nor good here, only an Ok band for its time! And the cheezyness of the "Oblivion descends" track that was also on the GRINDCRUSHER Vol 2 compl Lp makes me smile. It may have been quite cool for big underground Grind maniacs at the time, but I'm sure UNSEEN TERROR would have been forgotten and buried if Shane didn't play the bass in NAPALM DEATH later...     

VENOM (Uk) At war with Satan LP'84.
A few years ago I knew only the 2 first VENOM releases: "Welcome to hell" and "Black metal", Ok it was new and extreme at its time, but I think it sounds quite old in 2003!  And well, musically speaking, I think BATHORY was the first band to include real Black metal influences and darkened as a nun that would deny it's fucking god after 40 years of so dedicated services... (Check the "Possessed" track on "The return"! "I'M POSSESSED!!" AAARRGHH!!) In my opinion, VENOM's music was rather somekind of Speed/ Heavy metal with Thrashing punk stuffs (if I could say so coz thrash didn't exist in '82).. But well, I'm not on this threshold of pain to speak bad words about VENOM! I'm nicely convinced "At war with Satan" was and is the best VENOM release! The 20 minutes long opening track includes some good Heavy metal riffs between the speed Thrash metal parts! A powerful heavy riffs reminds me of some BATHORY's darkened and satanic as hell moments! (It's the kind of riffs that comes from the entrails when you play it on your guitar! Ah!) It's nice to hear some old BLACK SABBATH touches in here, and there's some JUDAS PRIEST of course!
There's a good metal vibe in this track, it's obscure, with some sulfur in the soul! Some other old sounding tracks (in the style of old VENOM) are here also, it's a bit more speed thrashing stuffs (even if "Cry war" is an heavier and nice track for example.), it's not bad even if nothing is fucking spectacular! The old mood of war is here anyway! Nice to drink a few beers and talk about old metal! It must have been impressive at the time! Well, all those who are meant to enjoy VENOM certainly know the band as their audience is mostly composed of old bastards! So how can I conclude this review? You see me in big troubles as I'm sat on a pack of beer! Well, if you want quite speed metal stuffs check the "Black metal" Lp. It has as much mood in my opinion. If you're more into heavy stuffs and feel old and nostalgic for some good old metal, then check "At war with Satan", there are some really good riffs in here!
http://www.siteofthehydra.com

VIBRION (Argentina) Eradicated life Ep'92 WITCH HUNT Recs.
In this epoch of brutal emptiness, now the really inspired brutal music lacks, it's always nice to open the darkened caves of buried releases to exhume some old Death grind items for other bloody reviews!
VIBRION was a death grind band with a nice name few years ago in the underground; they released some demos, an Ep, 2 CDs and then they split up. But this Ep released prior to their 2 albums is their best release I've heard so far! To be honest there was nothing great, just decent stuff, but as I told you before the ass kicking stuffs lack nowadays!
The style of VIBRION was a Death grind with few Crusty touches, the main influence being NAPALM DEATH ("Harmony corruption"). Some parts could also remind of RIGHTEOUS PIGS, old SUFFOCATION, early MORBID ANGEL, old ATROCITY (1st LP)... old grinding underground urban filth! These tracks remind me the album ROTTING HEAD recorded in 1998. The blasting style of the drummer sounds kinda like old PYREXIA (Snare and kicks at the same time, not my kind of blasting! Uh) and there was something military in the drumming.
I smoke another cigarette in the name of VIBRION, coz even if I'm not a fan of their music they're the best band from Argentina I've heard so far, and for its time this Ep was allright!
If you ever find this piece of vynil in a 2nd hand market for a low price, get it maniac death grind bastard! It's a nice item in a Brutal death collection.

VIOGRESSION (USA) Expound and exhort CD'91 TOMBSTONE.
Old school death metal with some strong Doomy old OBITUARY/ X-CUTIONNER influences.
As Doom influences could also be noticed the previous works of AUTOPSY (R.I.P) and I may tell you there’s a melancholic touch drowning in the realms of very old PARADISE LOST (« Lost paradise » and demos days).
Vocals sounding like John Tardy with a little something of old MORGOTH, but it’s not as tortured and aggressive.
I also noticed a riff reminding me of OBITUARY’s « The end complete » for the way it’s done and for the blank break. There are a few blast parts here and there, and the few classical fast death metal beats could remind of old ENTOMBED/ CARNAGE/ DISMEMBER.
Some chorus like sounding parts are little bit catchy, but some parts sound a bit cheesy nowadays as all what they played didn’t grow old very well and some tracks doesn’t seem to be organized in its construction.
So it was a cool band that’d procure a few cool listening to the die hard fans of OBITUARY’s 2 first excellent albums « Slowly we rot » and « Cause of death ».

VOIVOD (Can) War and pain LP'84 METAL BLADE.
AAARGH! I find back more fucking old school forgotten tapes each day! Even my CD player begins to scratch like an old turntable! Old school definitely revives! From the past reborns the storm!! Trembling demons and sulphurously embalmed metal thrills, pains and oppression now revives! The fear of Death now awakens in your little human being's entrails! On this very first release, VOIVOD was very far from the quite original band we all know! They hailed Death... and Fuck! it was almost the old school metal spirit! Spike, leathers and hailing of the morbid and violence! Very much into a FUCK OFF style with both thrashing speed metal and punk as fuck with metal leadzzz!
Tracks like "Warriors of ice" smells the street fights! And "suck your bone" had some originally done riffs. Even the artwork was excellent! It smells Death, Underground, nuclear crass and rebellion! (It reminds me the dirtiness of old SADISTIK EXEKUTION's warpaints if you dig my words!). Frenetik vocals, total fuck off we're death riffs including catchy at the very first bowel leech original and futuristic "no future" ideas! Ah! Their vision of the nuclear future and sulfurous Nihilistic holocaust (Ah Ah! The name comes from here in part!) was ever present on this very first release! Here were some hymns of the very beginning of the 90's! Fucking extreme and original for its time! It was a fucking metal headbanging Lp that made me run everywhere! But ok it's has grown old and sounds old! It may be interesting for the fans of the old school or for the ultimate metal kollektors only!
http://www.voivod.com

WEHRMACHT  (Ger) Biermacht Tape Lp'88. NEW RENAISSANCE Records.
In case of infinite thirst, never confuse a beer with a bear! No!!! I know both might calm down the envy, and there might always be a bear in your beer (No one knows what they are able to do!), but never say "butt" in front of a big hungry bear needing butter!! Your beer might suffer from this lack of white bears from the land of Extreme cold weather... (Beer!!)
This is quite efficient and complex thrashing crossover filled with all the fucked christmas gifts and decoherence you need. "Fun is in the detonator!" They got it and cut up their songs often, to reach an almost old Grind state of mind and avoid the lengths (Why the fuck waiting till the beer is hot? Drink it fresh!). It sounds quite crazy, frenetic, fresher than the usual... Beer! Beer is unholy, "You broke my hear, so I broke your face!".
Think about early DESTRUCTION meets SPAZZTIC BLUR (Later brewed with 2 ex beercore bangers from WEHRMACHT), early SUICIDAL TENDENCIES (Mellow cat vocals outside), DARKNESS (1st Hell-P), the FILTHY CHRISTIANS (Maybeer?) and SOD, and your vision won't be too blurry... Some peoples might piss and refuse to swallow, thinking it's too full of beers to be serious and decently played... Wrong! This is really tight and correctly brewed for the time (Time of the beers, time of the beers...It fucking makes me thirsty!).
Fuck my Lp player is broken!!! How will I bang my head?
In a way, this is a very good recording for those who like the motivated and engaged side of old crossover, the thrashmania, the quite "chaotic" structures and humor from some early core-grinding grindcowww... Maybeer not so cult whatever beer-drying matters might doomy influence the thrashing minds to sleep, but quite worth the beer sucking!
Steal my beer,
Drink my beer;
Piss my bear!

WINTER (Usa) Into darkness CD'92 NUCLEAR BLAST.
What I knew of WINTER from several CDs or video comps always bored me! It was too fucking slow, slow and slow... And this CD is in the vein of the tracks featured on various compilations! It's somekind of Death/ Doom, sounds like some very old CATHEDRAL (for example), like a gutless version of old CELTIC FROST that would have lost all its energy or maybe like some slowed down as fuck BENEDICTION with a few keyboards! They had some riffs à la PUNGENT STENCH but it was slowed down to 100%! (Damn, the car didn't stop, it was running behind!)  Unfortunately they hadn't got the great doomy inspiration of old PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE! There's not a lot of stuffs to say about it! It could fit the tastes of one who's very much into slow as fuck Doom death. I find nothing interesting nor above the very average on this CD! And well.... I know nobody who enjoys it.

WOMBBATH (Swe) Infernal caustic torment CD'93.
The exhumation of my fucking old tapes never ends! More dust and sulfur emerges each time as I have the visions of cool old school images of Death, skulls, war, pain and humanity's end! WOMBBATH is one of these 3rd zone Death metal bands you never listen to when their CD is released, but it's a bit more nice some years after...
Their music was Thrashy Death metal along the lines of old SINISTER (without the great mood and feeling of death), DEATH's Death metal riffs on "Leprozy", old BENEDICTION's Death metal beats, and very early DEICIDE's Death metal (without the satanic aspect). But even if some riffs are Ok, it becomes repetitive very fast, and some catchy riffs are lacking!! When I've crossed the path of the 2nd track, I want to play the original releases: DEICIDE's "Deicide", SINISTER's "Cross the styx" and DEATH's "Leprozy"! This is tight and correctly arranged, but nothing stands out.
I have definitely found back some better tapes in this old school Death metal mess emerging from the remains of a once renewed as fuck and totally obscure tape trading collection!