Satan - Into The Future / Suspended Sentence

Been a while updating this site, it's been left as an archive for a long time due to most of my updates coming via my Instagram account (it's so much simpler and quick for me than updating here). Still, I found a stack of pics I took a long time ago which I will now post, starting with this - a compilation of the 2nd album 'Suspended Sentence' and the EP that preceded it 'Into the Future' from British NWOBHM band Satan. Great stuff here, this version is pretty hard to come by these days, and was initially at least the only way to get this material on CD (as it was original vinyl & cassette only).

Sortilège - Sortilege EP / Metamorphose

The early EP and debut album from French trad/heavy metal band Sortilège here, both in numbered limited copies (5,000 for each) on Axe Killer Records. A real gem from the underground here, these guys are exactly what you'd expect to hear when the words 'heavy metal' are uttered. Blazing solos, twin leads, melodic sections, soaring falsetto vocals and a pounding rhythm section - all in a days work for these boys. Surprising these guys never made their name the likes of ADX or Blaspheme did - they're every bit as good.

Deceiver - Tales of Time

Maximum obscurity from the depths of Germany's early 90s trad metal scene here. Deceiver formed in the mid-80s, releasing a single full length album 'Tales of Time'. Originally released on vinyl in 1991, this was the CD pressing which came a few years later in 1994. Nothing to lose your mind over, but and interesting piece of work non-the-less, hitting all the usual tropes you'd expect from classic/traditional heavy metal.

Darkthrone - Under A Funeral Moon / Arctic Thunder

A mixture of old and new here from Darkthrone, starting with the old, and the very first pressing of their seminal third album (matrix - MAYKING RECORDS VILE35CD 10218011 01 %). This was a fortuitous second hand store find. Onto the new, is the band's latest album from 2016, 'Arctic Thunder', where their sound has devolved from the black metal they were best known for, to the black/heavy metal they kick out these days. I generally like all stuff they've released over the years, so a new DT album is always a guaranteed buy.

Carcass - Swansong

Swansong, the 1995 release from Carcass which was (for a long time), the bands Swansong that the title suggested. A departure in sound from their earlier works, increasing on the melody of 'Heartwork', and gaining a much more rock inspired riffage into their sound. The loss of Michael Amott who went on to pretty much reproduce the mid-period Carcass sound with early Arch Enemy was a big one, but Bill Steer was still the driving force and riffmeister general. This was the limited edition 'brain' shaped disc version, which came with a bonus disc featuring (strangely) the last track of the regular album, and a bonus track tacked on - thus 2 tracks on the disc in it's entirety. The reason behind this was apparently that the full album wouldn't fit onto the shaped brain disc, so a last minute fix was made. Oops! Anyhow, a nice little rarity that is worth picking up if you see it kicking around.

Tortoise Corpse - World's Got A Problem

Another contender for most dubious band name here with Tortoise Corpse. These Welsh bastards kicked out a rather rocking brand of Motorhead inspired heavy metal on this their debut album from 1991. They went on to release one further album in '96, where their sound had evolved into something much more thrashier (something which they had visited at times on this album, especially on the likes of their re-recorded demo song of 'Psychotaff'), but still revisiting their rocking edge that they had throughout most of this album.

Venom - Calm Before The Storm

Venom here with one of their lesser known (and more commercial) albums, 1987's 'Calm Before The Storm'. This is the original pressing on Filmtrax, but this album has seen many re-issues and even a few name changes throughout the years (it was also released under the titles 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Under A Spell' by various other labels, as well as an unofficial release under the title 'Metal Punk'). Until finding a copy for myself, I'd always believed they'd gone for the fully monochromatic album artwork with this - not so when you take a look a the slight bluey hues in the cover art. This album was definitely one of their more polished, very NWOBHM sounding, even with Cronos taming his vocals and the other guys providing some harmonising from time to time. I know, Venom, harmonising. Whatever next.

Voivod - Into My Hypercube (Promo)

A nice little pick from a car boot sale here, I spotted this along with a handful of other bits I thought I might like. I saw it had no booklet, but went for it anyway as it mentioned being a promotional copy (even though it has a regular back inlay). Turns out, its not meant to have a booklet - so all good. A couple of nice cuts from the bands rocking 'Nothingface' album.

Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep of Reason

Meshuggah's latest album here, the creators (whether they like it or not) of 'djent', and all the bands that spawned in its name. I can't say I'm a huge fan of this onomatopoeic genre, but I do have a soft spot for Meshuggah themselves following them from their proggy, almost Metallica like beginnings. Twisted polyrhythms, bellowed growls and guitar's tuned so as to register on the Richter scale as is usual with these guys, with a killer production job that pushes it all in your face for a claustrophobic atmosphere.

Sepultura - Kairos

Sepultura are a divisive band, and have been for a good while now. Some will ignore any release post-'Arise', many will ignore any release post-Max Cavelera, and various degrees of turn offs in between. Myself, I kept following the band through their 'groove/nu' phase, but lost interest along with many others. I'd occasionally dip in to see what they were up to these days, and this purchase was another one of those  occurances (via a £3 2nd hand shop pick up). I was pleasantly surprised with this, actually sounding a lot better than the bad memories of 'Nation' and 'Roorback' which I was left with previously. They will never re-visit their death/thrash days, but this stuff is actually fairly palatable in my opinion - nothing to be blown away with or life changing, but certainly worth the £3. This is the deluxe edition with comes with a bonus DVD of the making of the album (which admittedly, I've no intention of watching haha).

Anthrax - For All Kings

Well, this the latest album from US thrashers Anthrax here, in limited digipak format with a bonus live EP. I, like many, love their early career, but I feel they'd gone off the boil a bit during their John Bush era. Since the return of Joey Belladonna to their ranks and the release of 'Worship Music' a few years back, I feel they've had a real resurgence in their sound. This album is pretty decent, never really crazy or 'metal thrashing mad', and filled plenty of sugary sing-along melodies (so kvlt patrol, look away now). For me, it's a solid effort, and as strong as you can expect from any of the big four these days.

Angel Witch - Screamin' Assault

This is the original 1988 Killerwatt pressing of this CD only compilation of material from the Angel Witch's 2nd and 3rd albums "Screamin' N' Bleedin'" and "Frontal Assault". It was reissued on CD in 1995, but with different artwork. Music wise, it's trad heavy / NWOBHM as usual, but just not quite on the same scales of greatness as their timeless debut. Fairly hard to find these days, so worth picking up if you spot it on your travels.

Heretic - Breaking Point

The 1988 debut album from LA's Heretic, 'Breaking Point'. Vocalist Mike Howe quickly joined Metal Church after this release, with guitarist Brian Korban and bassist Dennis O'Hara later forming Reverend with David Wayne (former Metal Church vocalist). With that said, there are a few similarities in sound with the Church, with a mix of thrashing riffs and a strong (but not overbearingly cheesy) power/heavy metal sound. Good riffage to be found, so worth looking out for if you're a fan of the style. Metal Blade Records.

Warlord - Best of Warlord

More Heavy/Power here from US old school bangers Warlord. This was the 1993 issue of their greatest hits album, featuring a solid slice of their debut 'Thy Kingdom Come' and their 'Deliver Us' EP in its entirety. Good, genuine, balls out metal! Metal Blade Records.

Wardance - Heaven Is For Sale

Power/Speed metal here from relatively unknown Germans Wardance. 'Heaven Is For Sale' was the bands only album, released in 1990 to pretty much zero fanfare on a tiny label. However, it's a solid release - and one to look out for for fans of Angel Dust or Scanner who share a similar style. An original pressing on No Remorse Records.

Drunken State - Kilt By Death

Glaswegian thrashers here Drunken State, with their one and only album 'Kilt By Death' (yes, they went there). Pretty much as obscure as you'll find a thrash rarity, and as it goes the album is pretty good fun as thrash albums go. An aggressive guitar tone with a vocalist who sounds more like Blaze Bailey/falsetto Anselmo than any thrash vocalist, adding more of an epic tone to their sound. A strange but pleasing album, certainly one to look out for - an original press on Heavy Metal Records, and not the easiest to come across on your daily travels.

Gwar - Scumdogs of the Universe

Everyone knows Gwar, so there isn't really need for an explanation of style/substance here in my opinion! This was their 2nd full length, the album that saw them gain the attention of Metal Blade Records in 1990. This is an original Master Records pressing on CD, every pressing afterwards was released by Metal Blade. Not impossible to find by any means, but a first pressing none the less!

Titan Force - Titan Force / Winner/Loser

A great little discovery of a band for me, Titan Force. Basically, this is a project of Harry Conklin (a.k.a Tyrant of Jag Panzer) and for a relatively unknown band, this is pretty damn awesome. Powerful heavy/power metal anthems, with pretty much no cheese and plenty of fizzing riffage and strong compositions. The s/t debut album is on the a.b.s Classics label, and 'Winner/Loser' is the original pressing on Shark Records, a label which housed a cubic fuckton of greatness which most people are sadly barely aware of.

Liar - Cheatin' Games

The second album from Germans Liar here on TRL records - long forgotten and long out of print. Liar had a very recognisable sound, pretty catchy with touches of power metal mixed into their thrashy/speed punch. Worth a look for fans of early Savatage & Testament.

Havoc - Father Jones

Another slice of obscurity here with Havoc, from Washington USA. Ignoring the overly Christian lyrical stance, this is some decent US heavy metal with touches of power. Father Jones (1992) was their only full length release, before they disappeared altogether a couple of years later. Only pressing on B&N Records, not particularly easy to find these days.