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I’m backdating this as a Metal Monday posting but it’s really like Thursday here…

I found a nice bunch of death metal demos here. A couple of serious classic status.  I just finished recording a death metal record for my friend and so I’ve been really brutally oriented lately. Anyway here’s a list of the good shit; alphabetically:

• Crematory “Wrath From The Unknown” cs (1991):
  • Crematory were a lesser band in the Swedish cannon, managing one mlp and a few demo tapes over a couple years, Wrath From the Unknown being the 3rd of 4 demos. They never quite distinguished themselves from some of the bigger bands, but they played the Swedish style of DM quite well and some of them went on to be in lineups of Regurgitate, Afflicted, and Nasum.  I generally feel like this is their best release, outclassing the Denial mlp a bit and being the best of their demos as well.
• Dismember “Reborn in Blasphemy” cs (1990):
  • Ah Dismember, my favorite of the Swedes. Their simple brutality colored with dark melodies is fully-formed for the first time on this tape which basically serves as a teaser for their debut lp “Like An Ever-Flowing Stream”. Their two previous demos, though good, don’t really show the Dismember sound as many of those songs sort of became shared songs with Carnage. So when this demo kicks off with the band’s theme song Dismembered, it must have shocked a few people. It’s a beautiful and sinister melody that plays over the detuned chords. An instant classic.
• Morpheus - “Accelerated Decrepitude” cs 1991:
  • The only non-Swedes on the list here, Morpheus (later becoming Morpheus Descends) were a brutal New York based band, that still haven’t quite got their due (IMO). This is their first demo, which was also issued as a double 7″ on Seraphic Decay under a different title (”Adipocere”). I’ve heard these dudes were serious about their drug consumption, and took to smoking dust in graveyards while listening to Soulside Journey on a boombox. That should give you an idea what to expect from this musically.
• Nihilist - “Only Shreds Remain” cs (1989):
  • As you might know, Nihilist is the band that eventually became Entombed, and about half the songs on Entombed’s debut lp “Left Hand Path” come from Nihilist’s demo recordings. Only Shreds remain contains two songs later to be re-recorded for this album (”Abnormally Deceased” and “Revel In Flesh), as well as the exclusive “True Face Of Evil”. Similar to Reborn In Blasphemy, this is the first Nihilist tape to really have the full formed Nihilist/Entombed sound. Their previous tape almost sounded like a more detuned Kreator, but here is the first appearance of LG Petrov’s signature death growl.

Mecht Mensch - “Acceptance” 7″

Here’s some ripshit, 2nd rate but still GREAT early 80’s USHC.  I’ve always dug this 7″ and sadly didn’t buy a copy when it wasn’t worth nothing to nobody. Mecht Mensch released a demo or two (one is a split with the Tar Babies) before they unleashed this little slab. It strikes me as a less severe take on the Die Kruezen lp. Still this is totally psychotic stuff for the early 80s, right up there with United Mutation and the like.

Opening with the title track, you hear stings of a dissonant guitar chord which continues through the song, almost reminding me of No Trend, but also a lot like Die Kruezen. The drums hammer along in classic hardcore fashion and the singer spits it like it’s ‘82 and he’s just waiting for his big chance to open the local Necros show which gives everything a nice tension. It’s not a totally smooth gelling between guitarist and singer, but that makes it better. When the chorus hits things get mean with some really guttural screaming for ‘82/’83, the guitar here takes a descending Ginn style pattern as the drums get a little slower before charging ahead again. “Grinder” starts with a creepy open chord section that kind of makes me think of zombies in a slam pit. The hardcore part comes next, but the slow zombie mosh part is what I like, and what you as a listener remember. When it kicks back in there’s a great reverbed dive-bomb that sounds like a motorcycle engine. Total creep jamming. Land of the Brave has a Dischargy flavor especially with the drummer taking it in the “No TV Sketch” direction. A bit standard compared to the first two songs but a good way to close the side.

Funny I mentioned zombies already because side b opens with a classic 80’s style dirge, entitled “Zombie”. This one’s got all the shit you expect: a crawling pace, tasty reverb effects, growling and moaning. I’ve always thought this was a great one and it’s my favorite cut on the record. Total teenage obnoxiousness proto-noise rock. Speaking of noise-rock… the producer/engineer on this record is none other than Butch Vig. Maybe you’ve heard his band Garbage? Or perhaps you know his work on the albums Nevermind and Siamese Dream. Jimmy Chamberlains drumming notwithstanding, I like this 7″ better than either of those. 

“Whats Right” finishes the record, a bit more standard hardcore, with a little bit of rock soloing even (but just a little). Maybe they should have closed with Zombie, still this is a cool track, the looseness and bad recording almost make it Venom-ish, but not quite. 

Anyway if someone wants to trade this EP, look my way because I actually would really like a copy.  

PS - I’m selling some (mostly) newer records on ebay, you can probably pick something up cheap that you missed the first time around. Lots of BARGAINS.

 [CLICK CLICK CLICK]

Rikk Agnew is the Orange County Hardcore’s original journeyman guitar player, doing time on key recordings by The Adolescents, D.I., Christian Death, and Social Distortion (I think this was brief). The 80’s beachpunk sound owes more to him than arguably anybody else, and at his peak in the early 80’s he tried going solo, cutting the album “All By Myself”.

The opening cut “OC Life” was later re-recorded by D.I. when Agnew was playing with them, but to me this is the superior version, and one of the great Socal punk lp openers. The song is a condemnation of the yuppie culture surrounding the lower portions of California in the early 80s, with the chorus “OC life is not the life for me/stupid little girls/and egotistical boys” set to Agnew’s patented mid-paced surf punk riffs and overlaid with major-key harmonies. Agnew delivers a clean, mostly on-key, vocal that sounds like a more grown up/mature Tony Cadena from the original Adolescents lp. There’s some smooth backing keyboards to accent things as well, and its clear that even though it’s a punk lp Agnew wasn’t afraid to focus his pop sensibilities more than ever before. When the second song, “10″ kicks in with its prominent keyboard stings, it cements what OC Life had already suggested. However, despite the new wave coloring in some passages most of the riffs could fit in with the early Adolescents material, they’ve just had a couple extra coats of sheen applied here; and why not? At the core of most of Agnew’s songs there is a simple Beach Boys type pop-sensibility, it make sense to emphasize it on his solo debut. What are solo records for, if not self indulgence?

How poppy does it get? Check out the song “Everyday” a sugar coated love song, that despite the ridiculously bad love song lyrics, has a great little chorus. With a different kind of production and a publicist I think it could have charted in the 80s. Maybe it could have been sold to a different singer?

I have to admit, I’m personally fascinated and drawn to solo works by people who are previously known as ensemble players. I think there’s something special about hearing what someone can do entirely on their own, especially when they’re used to relying on others. What they focus on in the song writing, what mistakes they make, and what off the wall triumphs come out of their experiments. All By Myself, like most solo lps is uneven to be sure, but it’s a great look into one man’s interests and tastes at a certain point in time. Here those happen to be epic skate punk ragers with echos of Phil Spector style bombast, and a hint of the darkness.

All By Myself has gone in and out of print over the years on Frontier records, but the best way to tell an original pressing is to look for the lyric insert, and to check that the back of the sleeve doesn’t have a printed barcode. This one seems to fit that criteria so bid away.

One of the better slices of KBD here on the ebay machine:

The Authorities - Soundtrack For Trouble e.p.

2 different tracks on here were comped on the original Killed By Death anthology, and I have to say it’s not a surprise those are the better of the four songs by a long shot. The opener “Achtung!” is in my opinion spotty at best. For almost the first minute it doodles around with a surfy intro reminicient of the Wipers that just doesn’t work for me. In the hands of another band it could be frantic or sinister, but here it just sounds dry and unnecessary. Something to pad out this side of the record. When the main riff kicks in it doesn’t have much to do with the intro portion, and instead takes a simplified Dead Kennedys kind of approach with a decent overview of the problems that were facing Reaganized America at the time. Again what could be a great spiraling start-stop hardcore track is left limp in the hands of the Authorities. The vocals are trying too hard to stay on key, and not hard enough to sound pissed, the riffs sound circusy. Basically this is a terrible start to a highly collectible EP. Sorry folks that’s the truth from my perspective, this song is unremarkable in its blandness.

Track 2 is a hit though - “I Hate Cops”. The opening lines: “I hate cops/They’re all fuckin’ piggers” is sung with such obnoxiousness that you know this dude really does hate cops, as opposed to his half-hearted “lets drop the bomb”-s in Achtung. The chorus, a simple “I-Hate-Cops” set to a great melodic and speedy riff. In addition to being on Killed By Death vol. 1, this song was on 2 different Mystic records comps. It’s a one-hit-wonder style classic.

Flip over to the B-side for “Radiation Masturbation”, the other “hit”. This song is great goofy punk wave, like a bunch of striped shirt fools hopped up on goofballs. It’s total nonsense and I’m a little lost as to how it fits with the vibe of the other songs on the record, but it’s catchy and that counts for a lot. It’s also the archetypal KBD style punk song. It’s mildly offensive, a little bit goofy, melodic, and energetic. The last song “Shot In The Head” tries to work a half decent call/response setup around a couple 2nd tier riffs that kind of ensures you won’t remember this song. 

I say you’re fine with just a copy of KBD 1. It’s got the 2 songs you’ll actually care about heaing a 2nd time.

Hello - just a little foreword here, my daily schedule is in the process of a revamp, and as such, I’m still figuring out when I can hit the blog scene. For the time being I’ll hit it whenever I can, and hopefully I will get a routine down. Also, for the time being, if you want to read my thoughts on home recording once a month, check out the Basement Screams column in MRR. This is strictly for the amateur lo-fi/no-fi/beginner crowd. I will not be reviewing the latest guitar center gear, nor will I be giving you tips on the safest way to dumpster dive.

For now - Pick Your King on clear

It’s a classic but also a starting point for one of the most prolific and important music careers of the last 30 years. Jamming it now as I type it’s still a shocker how stripped to the bone everything is. One guitar track without much distortion on one side, a fuzzed out bass on the other, a meaty snare drum behind them, and hoarse shouts in the middle. Riffs are just a few chords crashing into each other, Discharge style simplicity and speed, with the snot nosed obnoxiousness of early Black Flag. 13 songs that just blow by in their speed and simplicity but already have the beginnings of Poison Idea’s tuneful and “song-oriented” approach that eventually came into full bloom later. Observe “Pure Hate” which injects some mid-paced rock ‘n roll tendencies into their otherwise thrashed out tendencies, or the noodling goof-off verse of “Reggae (I Hate)” (one of the best song titles ever). Don’t be fooled though, there’s plenty of 30-60 second string grating throat shredding slammers like Think Twice, Thing Called Progress, or Cult Band.

The original pressing of Pick Your King is on clear vinyl, and comes in a white sleeve. The sleeve itself is one of the best examples of the hardcore “found art” aesthetic. One side has Elvis, the other Christ, and both pose the challenge “Pick Your King”.

Added a link to CC’s favorite posts on the left panel.

Also:

• Gavin Ogelsby jacket at Radio Silence.
• Free Spirit demo available for free download here –> Free Spirit demo
• New Breed tape comp.

ANGRY SAMOANS - INSIDE MY BRAIN

Man these days there’s an endless glut of snotty 2 chord clean guitar hardcore/punk bands that go for the irreverent perfection of the first 2 Angry Samoans 12″s, and unfortunately they basically all miss the point. Still this will not tarnish the sugar coated greatness of Inside My Brain. On this original version (pre-bonus trax) Metal Mike and company take the seeds of early LA HC & Punk but fit them to their already existing 60’s punk fixations. It wasn’t just biting off bits of the Damned, the Ramones, and the Dickies that formed the basis for their sound, but also but also all that inept suburban garage rock found on the Nuggets compilations. In this way, despite all the “fucks” in the songs, the Samoans had a secret pop edge that few bands at the time could match, and few of their imitators since have really been able to grasp. The Right Side Of My Mind, Gimme Sopor, You Stupid Asshole, Get Off The Air — these songs never leave you once you hear ‘em. Gold plated million dollar choruses, it’s too bad they made a stack of bad records after the early 80’s because it’s the only thing that can dim the radiance of these jams. Really not too much to say about this one other than that. It would make could cruising music for spring if the weather didn’t seem intent on staying below freezing at least 4 days a week where I live. Maybe I can pogo to stay warm.

“Brutal” is an adjective that folks throw around wily nily these days. It’s no big deal to a lot of people. Brutal this, BRUTAL that, FUCKIN’ BRUTAL SLUDGE RIFFS BRO, etc. It’s really overused y’know? Brutality, when it’s real, is something that’s primitive and savage. It feels violent at its core, no matter what “it” happens to be (a song, a word, a building). It’s governed by something that’s neither modern, nor refined, nor civilized.

Showing or suggesting a disposition to be violently destructive without scruple or restraint.

Follow me?

YDI - A Place In The Sun (1983).

The cover is a black and white shot with a coarse film grain. The scene is a WWI battlefield littered with dead bodies. One is being picked at by a wolf. Might be a dog actually.

A Place In The Sun opens with a distorted guitar line, much like you’re used to, but also not at all like you’re used to. It sounds like the band was using an older amplifier that didn’t have an actual distortion channel to record with. They compensated for this by cranking the gain knob to its loudest volume, but finding this was still not distorted enough, elected to record the guitar with the mixer actually peaking into the red so as to further distort the sound. It produces something much thicker, much more abrasive, than anything I’ve ever heard. Like Blue Cheer - “Vincebus Eruptum” trying to kill you.  It’s a unique, uncivilized sound, with serious weight and presence. The drums and bass come in bashing in a way that almost equals the guitar sound. Reckless and LOUD. 

When vocalist Jackal makes his entrance it’s clear that he’s on par with the rest of the racket. He snarls and intimidates and growls and howls and seethes all the way through each song. His teeth sound clenched and his sanity questionable. Thuggish doesn’t even begin to describe it. Unsafe might would be an understatement. A Place In The Sun is of the same tradition as No Policy, and Can’t Tell No One. Though it may not have been as ground breaking or historically important, it’s every bit as good. This is the sound of real violent youth in a post apocalyptic world. This music is physical. It crashes against your body with measurable and seismic force. Wood breaking glass. Metal striking concrete. Bricks hitting bones.

Chew on song titles like “Out For Blood”, “Mad At The World”, “Get Up and Fight”, “Not Shit” — YDI (I should have mentioned before that’s pronounced WHY DIE?) are as blunt as a baseball bat, and as capable of inducing trauma. It’s 1983, you’re standing up front, Jackal is wearing a studded leather vest and a Damaged t-shirt swinging a mic at you. There’s a good chance you’ll leave missing teeth or with glass stuck in your scalp.

Brutal.

Turning this Metal Monday over to Stuart Schrader of Shit-fi dot com. Check it out it’s a good ‘un.

V8 “Luchando Por El Metal” LP
By: Stuart Schrader

V8 was the first true heavy metal band from Argentina and arguably the first from South America. Like the classic Argentine punk band Los Violadores, V8’s first LP was released by the independent label Umbral in 1983. “Luchando Por El Metal” is a landmark record, and it’s a shame it is not more well-known outside Argentina. It’s such a classic in Argentina that one can hardly walk down the street without encountering headbangers pledging allegiance to V8 (pronounced VAY-OH-CHO).

The online heavy metal archive site Encyclopaedia Metallum is full of effusive praise for V8, as is the South American metal history site Metaleros, which includes a great history of the band and Argentine metal in general. To really understand where the band was coming from, you need to know about Argentine guitar god Pappo, whom I’ll get to in a minute, but this riff-driven LP really just sounds like a mixture of Motörhead and Judas Priest, with a dash of Black Sabbath. It’s not NWOBHM, it’s FWOAHM. Some of the faster (and better) songs even have a feeling akin to metal-influenced UK hardcore of the early 80s, unfortunately minus Discharge’s drumbeat. Think GBH. (Fans of Canada’s Inepsy would probably love this record.) The production is perfect for this type of music, without any fancy embellishment: guitars prominent, bass drum and vocals next in line.

“Luchando Por El Metal” is not particularly rare because thousands were pressed, but it had zero distribution outside Latin America when it was released as far as I know. Also, Argentines do not have much of a collecting culture, meaning “mint” in Argentina is quite different from “mint” here in the land of Puritanism, and the flimsy stock used for the jacket doesn’t lend itself to durability. In addition, one listen to this LP will demonstrate why it tends to be in “partied-on” condition. It’s a ripper.

Like Los Violadores’ first LP, “Luchando Por El Metal” includes a printed inner sleeve with lyrics. And what lyrics they are! True headbanging fanatics will derive great pleasure, if not goosebumps, from songs like “Brigadas Metálicas,” “Tiempos Metálicos” (lyrics: “Basta de hippies / basta de rogar / estalló el tiempo del metal”), and “Hiena de Metal”—yes, Hyena of Metal! About that last one, which closes the album, V8 collaborated with their hero Pappo on this one (he plays the solo), which I found surprising because it’s the shortest and fastest tune on the record. It actually reminds me of Chelsea’s guest solo on that one Selfish song, if that helps: the whole band concept was inspired by this virtuoso and when he collaborated with them on a song, he threw a curve ball, unlike anything he’d done before. Anyway, the lyrics, as far as my rudimentary grasp of Spanish tells me, combine the dumb dark “poetry” typical to metal since Sabbath with cheeky irreverence, as in the song about a visit to a torturador known as the dentist! (In a country where people were actually being tortured and killed by the military dictatorship, such a joke probably came across as tasteless to both sides.)

To digress on Pappo (né Norberto Napolitano), who died in a motorcycle crash in 2005, this guy was without peer. He was a hero to millions, especially those who saw him as a working-class rocknroll outsider type, the perpetual underdog. He released over a dozen LPs and even more singles throughout his career, which began in the late 1960s. His group Pappo’s Blues, which released seven albums in the 1970s, was a pioneering hard-rock/psych/heavy blues-rock act. In 1977, he formed Aeroblus, another heavy blues-rock band. And in 1980, influenced by AC/DC, he formed Riff, which is the band of greatest interest to me. (I haven’t heard all of what he released, but Riff seems better than either of the previous bands.) Veering more toward heavy metal, away from blues rock, Riff is a band quite worthy of its name. Fans of riff-centric rocknroll would do well to check them out (obviously). I saw a few copies of their records in Buenos Aires; the first, “Ruedas de Metal,” is pretty cool. Don’t pay much more than US $20 for it because thousands of copies were pressed. Psych collectors seem to think that Pappo’s Blues Vol. 3 is the most desirable of his 70s albums, but it doesn’t move me much. Vol. 7 from 1978 was recommended to me as much heavier than Vol. 3, but this one seems to have some sort of “Southern” rock influence, with a bunch of slide guitar. It’s got some cool, slow riffs, but overall it’s not really heavy or ballsy in comparison to what was happening in the UK or Australia at the time. Headline: “Southern rock meets the southern cone: Scumbags rejoice, ride motorcycles, drink maté.” Oh yeah, most Pappo’s Blues songs are instrumentals. You’ve been warned.

Anyway, if you’re not ready to delve too far into Argentine 70s–80s rock, the only records you need from this site’s perspective are V8’s and Los Violadores’ first LPs. “Luchando Por El Metal” is on eBay relatively frequently for buy-it-now prices around $80. That’s too much, in my opinion. But I say you ignore this record at your own peril. One listen and you too will become a hiena de metal.

What the fuck is wrong with people? This is not even a real record. It’s a toy. Also the same seller (Max Ward - of Spazz) is selling a bunch of other Spazz stuff. My rule of thumb: buy any Spazz record for $5 or less, there will be a good riff on it, but there will be some samples from school house rock every 15 seconds. I still dig La Revancha. 

I’m surprised the goons in that band Straight Edge Kegger haven’t tried to release a 7″ bootleg of the Spazz 1″ yet. I’m sure they will.

Funfact: Derek Scace’s wife released the mysterious Spazz/Slobber split. I heard there was some 90’s beef over it.