Originally published in ‘zine issue #13, 1995
Amorphis Black Winter Day
(Relapse)
Ethereal, majestic, foreign-sounding metal. Four songs seasoned with piano pieces, operatic vocals, and on one song a part that sounded like something from Doctor Who. There’s not one moderately fast part on this whole EP. Very worth owning.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Anal Cunt Top 40 Hits
(Earache)
I liked Anal Cunt a lot better when it didn’t have any song titles, or songs for that matter, when it would mix down its 7″ tracks on a stereo. The name “Anal Cunt” doesn’t appear anywhere on this tape! Do they intend to “change” their name to “A.C.”?
(by Editor) ■
At The Gates Terminal Spirit Disease
(Peaceville)
Nine songs (three of which are live) in all. I do like what’s on this record: very proficient material. Judging by At The Gates’ music, I’d almost expect to hear beautiful vocals but the guy sounds like a death metal singer.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Bathory Requiem
(Black Mark/Cargo)
I dig it. It’s not as evil sounding in the way the early stuff would hit you, but at least Bathory hasn’t slowed down, lost their original logo, and overproduced the stuff, which seems to be the trend as of late. This would make for good driving music too.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Deceased Death Metal From The Grave
(Last World)
We have three things to review from these guys, so we’ll begin with Death Metal From The Grave, which is a sampler of Deceased demo tracks, live tracks, and their cover of “Die Hard” for an aborted Venom cover LP. It’s great it you’re a die-hard fan of Deceased and want to check out their early material.
(by Editor) ■
Deceased The Blueprints For Madness
(Relapse)
[This] is the new full-length album, and what can I say that I haven’t said before about this band? At first I wasn’t thrilled with the production (I was nitpicking; it’s still a strong record), but I got used to it with repeated listens. The packaging has nice art and the conceptual lyrics are spooky, as is the music. At some points it reminds me of a soundtrack from some deranged horror movie. One of my favorite moments from the album is this keyboard part in the track “Mind Vampires”—chilling!
(by Editor) ■
Deceased ’95 demo
The latest from these mutants is a ’95 demo of two brand-new songs and an old Slayer cover. The band ventures into a new lyrical concept here and the songs are again long and packed with catchy riffs, with a bit of early Deceased influences touch to them. Get it! (USA)
(by Editor) ■
Deicide Once Upon the Cross
(Roadrunner)
I must say I did enjoy this, though not for the exceptional musicianship but maybe for what the production made sound this way. Rather uninteresting death metal on the whole, but kinda catchy and cool in an obscure way.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Descend ‘95 demo
Slick Carcass-like heaviness and vocal style. Good production on this too. A morbid, heavy, pounding groove thang. (USA)
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Earth Crisis Destroy the Machines
(Victory)
Very metallic slow-paced hardcore. The lyrics champion the vegan straight edge cause. Not only is this band intelligent, but they kick ass as well. Two-guitar crunch and a vocalist that kills. Nice one. Ten fucking skulls!
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Extreme Noise Terror Retro-bution
(Earache)
Consisting of new versions of various ENT classics for the benefit of us ignorant Yank fucks, this slab is a total vegetarian punk grind onslaught that will bulldoze over the skulls of the non-believers. There’s been some line-up changes and a lead guitar added as well.
(by Editor) ■
God Forsaken The Tide Has Turned
(Adipocere)
Another great effort from the Finnish boys. After some lineup troubles and some subtle style changes, the doomsters are back. Straight-ahead guitar-driven material with of course very good, personal lyrics. What else can I say? $16. (Finland)
(by Editor) ■
HiFi and the Roadburners Fear City
(Victory)
They’re rockabilly and they’re good at it. Their style has a nostalgic feel to it. They have a saxophonist, too. I know most people wouldn’t get into this, but if you’re ever going to buy an Ice Cube record, drop that and get this!
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Integrity Systems Overload
(Victory)
It’s good but I don’t think it tops their previous work. This is predominantly faster than the last album. Rock tinged, death metal tinged, morbid hardcore with manic vocals. The CD has ’87 and ’89 demo cuts so this is the format to go for.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
King Diamond The Spider’s Lullabye
(Metal Blade)
King and LaRocque have a new lineup and a new label and a new LP with more concept lyrics and more contemporary riffs. There’s a more old metal feel on this, but the classic standout-type songs found on earlier albums like Them aren’t here.
(by Editor) ■
Letters To Cleo Aurora Gory Alice
(Giant)
This new version of the album doesn’t live up to the expectations I had for the album after hearing the single, which is the best cut on the record. Sometimes a bad choice for a single release won’t give much insight into a band’s sound.
(by Editor) ■
Memory Garden Blessed Are the Dead
(IUP/Megagrind)
Check it out! I haven’t heard a band of this style in a while: imagine the guys from Fates Warning singing for a Euro-doom metal band. Lots of downpicking … fucking cool two songs, man!
(by Editor) ■
Memory Garden Forever
(Heathendoom)
This mini-CD is the same type of stuff, except the band has more of its own sound here, and it’s even more doom. You can order this for $10, and the above 7″ ($?) as well.
(by Editor) ■
Mundane/Soulstorm split 7”
(Utopian Vision)
The Soulstorm side has got to be the slowest thing they’ve ever done. It’s not really doom, though. It’s like slower Clutch. Mundane are very industrial sounding but in that industrial/metal sort of way.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Rich Kids On LSD Riches to Rags
(Epitaph)
I imagine being straightjacketed, getting chased around a padded cell by a couple of clowns while this is played in the background. Amazingly, they don’t sound like 99% of the bands on Epitaph. This is so-so but not as good as RockNRollNightmare.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Scorn Ellipsis
(Earache)
Wow, a new Scorn LP that’s even more mellow than the last one. Actually, these are all remixes by various bands of tracks mostly off the last LP. Standouts are the Meat Beat Manifesto, Bill Laswell, and Scanner mixes. If you love the ambient dub sound of Scorn like I do, pick it up!!!
(by Editor) ■
SNFU The One Voted Most Likely to Succeed
(Epitaph)
How could I describe the new SNFU stuff? Well, it’s OK. Some of the time. It kinda has that carefree west coast punkiness to it. That’s not really my thing, so this is probably why I’m not into it, ya dig?
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Suffocation Pierced From Within
(Roadrunner)
This is really great stuff from these guys. I think it kills their last album as well as just about everything else around. They have a new drummer too. This is just too fast and heavy for you to miss.
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Unleashed Victory
(Century Media)
One hears such sounds, and what can one say but “Unleashed.” Yet another killer album these Swedes from hell, death metal’s answer to AC/DC. If you can get through the first slow song, you can enjoy the speed of “Legal Rapes” and the heaviness of “Hail the New Age.”
(by Vaughn Currier) ■
Photo: Memory Garden (courtesy the band)
