ALBUM REVIEW: Venom Inc., "There's Only Black"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 23/09/2022
Label: Nuclear Blast

 
“There's Only Black” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. How Many Can Die
2. Infinitum
3. Come To Me
4. There's Only Black
5. Tyrant
6. Don't Feed Me Your Lies
7. Man As God
8. Burn Liar Burn
9. Nine
10. Rampant
11. The Dance
12. Inferno
 
The Review:

Venom Inc. return after a five-year gap following the rather good “Ave” from 2017. A few things have changed since then; Mantas has survived serious heart problems and is now back to match fitness, Abaddon has departed the fold and been replaced by American Jeramie Kling while Tony ‘Demolition Man’ Dolan remains at the helm, as steadfast as ever.
 
“Ave” was a good album, but there were a few issues; the rather machine like (!) quality of the drums and a few stylistic detours meant that it was strong rather than an out and out classic. This time around, though, the band goes all out. No industrial inflections, no moody aesthetics- unless that mood is anger, of course.
 
“There's Only Black” is out and out grimy anger- Motorhead on steroids with Marshall stacks fired up to the limit, drums pounded close to breaking point and Dolan’s vocals as vital and gritty as ever. The guitar work is fantastic throughout- the lead breaks in “Infinitum” are testimony to this, the fast and furious riffing of “How Many Can Die” sets the tempo and tone. This sounds like a band playing live, effectively- with a nice natural sound to all the instruments and no fancy production sheen. It’s raw, it’s loud, it’s full of bite.
 
The heavy hits keep coming; “Come To Me”, the title track- they just steamroll the listener. There is some light and shade to be found; “Tyrant” has guitar work that is Maiden-esque in places and it offers a surprising line in melodic playing that is by no means out of place. Indeed, it is complementary to the other tracks on offer here.
 
As the record progresses, it’s clear what the band went for: balls out speed and aggression. It works so well because THIS is what we want from Venom Inc. Nobody listens to “Welcome to Hell” for subtlety. No metalhead ever played “Black Metal” or “Prime Evil” expecting pastoral soundscapes. Nope: we want the sound of the gates of hell being opened. We want to feel like we are in league with Satan and are quite prepared to lay down our souls for it.
 
Over the course of twelve tracks, the record is remorseless in its violence, relentless in its aggression. You can play any track; “Man As God”, “Inferno”, “Rampant…” literally any other track and you know what band this is. It’s a life affirming, gritty, leather encased blast of proper metal. Even “Burn Liar Burn” puts the pedal to the metal after lulling the listener into a false sense of security. By the time “Inferno” closes things out with the bludgeoning power of a bulldozer you’ll have been thoroughly convinced and thoroughly beaten down by the metallic power conjured up here.
 
Venom Inc. have become what they always were live and what they were often on record previously- they are just that all of the time here. This is highly recommended and it’s hard to imagine how this could be bettered by any version of Venom, past or present.
 
“There's Only Black” is available HERE 

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Satan, "Cruel Magic"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/09/2018

Label: Metal Blade Records

Satan have produced another fantastic heavy metal album, packed full of riffs and great songs sung by a wonderful singer. This should come as no surprise to anyone, though- the devil always did have the best tunes.

“Cruel Magic” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Into The Mouth Of Eternity
2. Cruel Magic
3. The Doomsday Clock
4. Legions Hellbound
5. Ophidian
6. My Prophetic Soul
7. Death Knell For A King
8. Who Among Us
9. Ghosts Of Monongah
10. Mortality

The Review:

Satan are one of the more revered NWOBHM bands and also, unusually, have gone on to create fantastic albums since reforming. Both “Life Sentence” and “Atom By Atom” are heavy metal greatness in recorded form and the band are excellent live. They occupy a special place in heavy metal heaven, as they define the NWOBHM sound, in terms of what it should sound like when done absolutely right!

Brian Ross' vocals have always been a strong selling point of this Newcastle band and, for those unaware, the city has more metal to offer than Venom alone. This is their third full length in five years and their return has been welcomed by anyone who ever heard “Court In The Act” and loved it. Musically, then, the band sit firmly along the Angel Witch/Di'Anno Maiden era trajectory with hard rock tropes fitting nicely alongside the metal on offer throughout.

The initial fast pacing of “Into the Mouth of Eternity” sets the album roaring out of the gate and by the time a cowbell crops up in the title track, you know what you are getting: heavy metal. Resolutely old school heavy metal of the highest quality. It says a lot about the times we find ourselves in when I am surprised to not find doom-inflections in Satan's latest offering. This is not doom, or thrash or any other sub genre currently in favour. It is traditional heavy metal, that's it.

Most tracks are pacey, of course- “The Doomsday Clock” is rapid, but possessed of fleet-footedness a la Maiden's “Killers” album rather than the leaden foot of retro thrash. Elsewhere the riffs come fast, “Legions Hellbound” is heavy metal heaven for those listeners out there who either were at The Marquee in 1980 or wished they had been.

The weighty “Ophidian” is a change of pace and brings into focus the fact that the band have opted for the traditional ten track format here. That is absolutely the right move as all songs are focused and tight, devoid of filler and don't stretch beyond the six minute mark. That is not to say that they don't sound epic though, as they often do. Satan have mirrored the trick that Maiden used to do so well, which is to pack in an entire theme into a relatively short space of time and capture the essence of the subject matter (for Maiden, think “The Trooper”). “My Prophetic Soul” sounds like an epic track with its anguish and multiple changes but it packs it all into only four and a half minutes.

Down the backstretch, the album is no less metal, no less accomplished and features material delivered with absolute conviction. “Death Knell For A King” is heavy metal writ large and classic- fantastic track. “Who Among Us” is larger in scale and quintessentially British in its metallic delivery. “Ghosts of Monongah” is another winner; Priest-esque chugging combines with Priest-esque guitar work in general. Excellent stuff.

By the time of closing epic “Mortality” there is no doubt that the band have done it again: Satan have produced another fantastic heavy metal album, packed full of riffs, leads, frenetic bass playing, drums that don't just consist of frantic double kicks and great songs sung by a wonderful singer. This should come as no surprise to anyone, though- the devil always did have the best tunes.

“Cruel Magic” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Ravens Creed, "Get Killed or Try Dying"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 02/08/2018

Label: Xtreem Music

Total misanthropy. That's what sums up Ravens Creed. This is masterful thrash/death metal for people who hate everything and/or like Venom

“Get Killed or Try Dying” CD//DD track listing:

1). Intro – Unrelenting Extremity

2). Dead Bird on Winchester Street

3). Death on a Rival

4). Get Killed or Try Dying

5). Hymn or Hearse

6). Off with their Legs

7). Treacherous Rector

8). Rats Beneath Our Feet

9). Remember the Hammer

10). Sound of Sirens

11). When a Deaf Man Goes Blind

12). The Trauma of Being Haunted

13). Outro

The Review:

Ravens Creed have always been a feral and vicious beast, but this album sees them return with a new level of aggression and power. After the knockout one-two combination of “Albion Thunder” and then “The Power”, their third record “Ravens Krieg” suffered a little in terms of songs. No such issue here: once again it is just wall to wall riffs from Iron Monkey's Steve Watson. The songs all clock in short and are tightly wound.

Rod Boston and Jay Graham supply a lock tight rhythm section and Al Osta's sandpaper growl compliments this full metal racket perfectly. You get thirteen tracks, all around the two or three minute mark, non stop thrash/death metal with no pretensions whatsoever.

What are Ravens Creed in this for? World domination? No. They hardly play any gigs, aren't interested in promoting themselves and are unlikely to trouble the promoters of Download any time soon. Extremity, then? Pushing the musical boundaries? Not really- there are really catchy elements to most tracks here and the riffs are the work of a true master craftsman. I can only conclude that it's just pure hatred keeps them going.

Total misanthropy. That's what sums up Ravens Creed. That and pun ridden song titles, of course. Masterful thrash/death from the East Midlands by way of West Yorkshire. For people who hate everything and/or like Venom.

“Get Killed or Try Dying” is available to pre-order/buy here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Whipstriker, "Merciless Artillery"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 09/03/2018

Label: Hells Headbangers Records

Gritty and uncompromising, Whipstriker truly are “Soldiers of Sodom” and will cast their “Warspell” on you if you get a hold of this feral beast of an album.

“Merciless Artillery” CD//DD track listing:

1). Merciless Artillery

2). Rape of Freedom

3). Calm after Destruction

4). Mantas ’Black Mass

5). Solider of Sodom

6). Warspell

7). Enemies Leather

8). Bestial Hurricane

The Review:

Brazil's Whipstriker are back- again- in their prolific career since 2008 they have amassed no less than four albums and countless split singles and so on. If you haven't heard the band, I can sum things up for you: Venom. This band are the hellish spawn of Mantas, Abaddon and Cronos- ably assisted by Bathory, Hellhammer and early Celtic Frost.

That tells you exactly what you are getting. This is a dark and rough listen- echoing Venom's legendary debut and Motorhead's attitude perfectly. The title track kicks things off in gritty style- have a listen and you will know instantly if this is for you or not. Over the course of eight tracks, you get Venom, Sodom, Motorhead, Frost, Hellhammer, Bathory and so on all wrapped into an appealingly raw production. The band has gone for vibe and attitude, not sound replacements and perfection. This really is a warts and all recording- there are some imperfections here and there for sure! That is of absolutely of no issue to me, though. There is also a fair amount of very smooth playing and surprisingly melodic riffing. This music is supposed to be rough and ready and Whipstriker have delivered their own vision.

If you are after anything in the style of the bands mentioned above, this album is a must. Gritty and uncompromising, Whipstriker truly are “Soldiers of Sodom” and will cast their “Warspell” on you if you get a hold of this feral beast of an album.

“Merciless Artillery” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Vomitor, "Pestilent Death"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 20/04/2018

Label: Hells Headbangers Records

This is metal as it should be: balls to the wall, nasty sounding and with an evil undertone to it all. No wimps. No posers. Vomitor are ungodly and stand as a beacon of satanic light. Welcome to hell, again.

“Pestilent Death” CD//CS//DD//LP track listing:

1. Tremolation (04:19)
2. Roar of War (04:38)
3. Abracadabra (04:46)
4. Manic Oppression (03:48)
5. Tremendous Insane (05:40)
6. Pestilent Death (04:12)
7. Hells Butcher (04:29)

The Review:

Australia's Vomitor plays a kind of death metal/thrash metal/black metal hybrid. Noisy, tough and uncompromising about sums these boys up. This is very much on the Venom-Bathory-Sodom continuum, use that as a starting point and then modernise a bit...

The band, having been plugging away since the 90s and are on vicious form here. This is even better than “The Escalation” album of a few years ago. Better songs, production and mix. Over the course of seven tracks the band batters the listener very convincingly from the opening maelstrom of “Tremolation” to the slowed down and grinding “Road of War” and into the noise fest of “Abracadabra”, the band sets out their stall and invites you to leave if you don't like it.

You can hear the influences here; early Slayer, Sodom and so on, but this is more extreme than any of the bands mentioned above. The band has picked up the ball and run with it, Aussie-rules style. The dramatic opening of “Manic Oppression” gives way to an all out thrash attack while the album's epic centrepiece of “Tremendous Insane” makes a truly unholy racket.

Of the final two tracks, the title track is more blackened in approach while the closing horror of “Hells Butcher” is as beastly as the previous album's “Pitch Black”. The record is unrelenting and makes for very uneasy listening throughout. This is metal as it should be: balls to the wall, nasty sounding and with an evil undertone to it all. No wimps. No posers. Vomitor are ungodly and stand as a beacon of satanic light. Welcome to hell, again.

“Pestilent Death” is available on Cassette (HERE), CD (HERE), and Vinyl (HERE).

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Carach Angren, "Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten"

By: Ernesto Aguilar


Album Type: Full length
Date Released: 16/06/2017
Label: Season of Mist

If you had hopes Carach Angren could dig that hole back in your heart that their previous full-length could not, you will certainly not walk away disappointed.  The overall composition is simply superlative.

 

"Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten" CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Opening

2. Charlie

3. Blood Queen

4. Charles Francis Coghlan

5. Song For the Dead

6. In De Naam Van De Duivel

7. Pitch Black Box

8. The Possession Process

9. Three Times Thunder Strikes

The Review:

Black metal has many signifiers. The harsh thunder of the music itself. Lyrical themes oriented around the darkest corners of our imaginations. A vocal style that is unmistakable. Lost in this cacophony – and to history for some – is a cornerstone of what we regard as black metal, a flair for the presentation.

Consider the classic black metal image in your mind’s eye. Performers like Venom, Bathory and, of course, Mercyful Fate surely spring out first. Their fidelity to the visual even before the ascendance of music visuals made them infamous. Today, with all manner of indie and international horror films engulfing what would otherwise be our wildest mental pictures, not as much black metal is as adept at setting the blackened altar as back in the days of the founders. That assertion could be heresy to some devotees. Still, many black metal bands are gifted at carrying on the story just inside the fearless, and feared, basement of a house that metal music built.

Dutch black metal trio Carach Angren offer their fifth release, "Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten," amid much anticipation, not to mention high expectations. The multilingual act is lauded worldwide for its symphonic brand of black metal musicianship. Although its 2015 recording, "This is No Fairytale," was regarded by critics as a disappointment, the band’s body of work is enthralling. Blistering guitars, an ominous build, delicate violins and a dash of piano have long been part of the canon. It was nevertheless unclear if this nine-song release would return Carach Angren to form.

In addition its music, Carach Angren has cultivated a rabid following through their incredible music video presence, which combine crisp, quality visuals with crushing and often sublime music. No sleeveless t-shirts in an empty warehouse here. The group carries forward textured storytelling in the vein of some of the many greats. You can find online many terrifyingly dazzling visuals already for songs from "Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten," and they’ll be worth your search, if you do not mind a sleepless night or two.

Many of Carach Angren’s best music has been rooted in folklore and other tales. Such is the case with "Blood Queen," a sonic departure for the group though its themes of death, despair and infernal dealings appear in other cuts here. The specter of a Ouija board floats through the many stories here too, mostly as an usher to that aforementioned despair. It is the vehicle for a malevolent spirit in "Charlie" and reaches its zenith in the album’s closer, "Three Times Thunder Strikes." "Scrambling for matches/Determined to burn it to ashes/She threw the Ouija board to the flames and kneeled to pray/’I wish I never ever, ever listened to my friends’/’Who had said it would be fun to play’/’Now the one that follows me’/’A predator, and me its new prey.’

There’s so much than can be said about the performances, completely separate from the group’s imagery or lyricism. The overall composition is simply superlative. Guitar and drums are fierce as they are jarring on "In de Naam Van de Duivel" (“In the Name of the Devil" in Dutch, though the song is in English). The orchestral crests in "Song for the Dead" are haunting. If you had hopes Carach Angren could dig that hole back in your heart that its previous full-length could not, you will certainly not walk away disappointed.

"Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten" is available here:

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Dread Sovereign - "For Doom The Bell Tolls"

By: Brandon Green

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 03/03/2017

Label: Ván Records

This is a fantastic doom release for walking around in the woods when everything is dead.  This album deserves to be cranked, listened to on headphones in the dark with candles lit.

“For Doom the Bell Tolls” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. For Doom The Bell Tolls

2. Twelve Bells Toll In Salem

3. This World Is Doomed

4. Draped In Sepulchral Fog

5. The Spines Of Saturn

6. Live Like An Angel, Die Like A Devil (Venom Cover)

The Review:

I’ve been a huge fan of Primordial for years, so when Dread Sovereign formed in 2013 (featuring Primordial vocalist Alan Averill) I was beyond excited. Their first full length, “All Hell’s Martyrs” was a fantastic doom release loaded with memorable riffs and catchy vocal melodies. When it came out in 2014, it was a frequent listen for me. Fast forward to 2017; Dublin’s doom trio have put together their second full length effort, and it’s dripping with evil atmosphere, soaring vocals, and huge riffs.

Compared to “All Hell’s Martyr’s”, “For Doom the Bell Tolls” sounds a bit more vintage and less noisy.  Fans of the occult/psychedelic doom genre may take notice and appreciate this approach more than their previous release. The album starts with an atmospheric intro loaded with bells, feedback, and then builds into the effort’s longest track “Twelve Bells Toll in Salem.” The song starts with pure Sabbath-worship riffs pushed with soaring vocals and layered psychedelic guitar leads which develop into slow bass-distorted drum/bass/vocal sections.  The sound of this track just oozes with imagery of witchcraft, occult symbolism, and appreciation for evil. Definitely my favorite from the album.

Track 3, “This World is Doomed” starts with a classic heavy metal and more upbeat feel. The vocals and guitar riffs are more traditional in song structure, but this is a welcome addition providing the listener with a doom track perfect for pushing your speakers. There’s a brief break with “Draped in Sepulchral Fog.”  A two and a half minute atmospheric song loaded with atmosphere and feedback providing a build up to “The Spines of Saturn,” which is the final original song of the record. Clocking in around 8 minutes, the track has the feel of an 80s traditional doom song with loud catchy jam sections and upbeat repeated sections with vintage synths in the background.  The vocals overall in the intro provide more texture/melody than anything but are a welcome addition to the sound. Halfway through the song, the instruments open up to massive reverb/chorus drenched vocal melodies which build to the familiar heavy sound in the beginning of the track. The album closes with a Venom cover of “Live Like an Angel, Die Like a Devil” which is a ripping track loaded with the lo-fi evil feel of the rest of the record.  They did a fantastic job with this tune, and I can only imagine how huge this would sound live.

Dread Sovereign have created another worthy addition to their discography which is their own brand of filthy lo-fi sounding doom dripping with memorable vocal melodies. My only gripe with this record is I feel like it is a little on the short side.  I think another track would have rounded this album out nicely. This is a fantastic doom release for walking around in the woods when everything is dead.  This album deserves to be cranked, listened to on headphones in the dark with candles lit.

“For Doom the Bell Tolls” is available to buy/preorder here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

FFO: Primordial, Candlemass, (old) Ghost, Pallbearer, Crypt Sermon

ALBUM REVIEW: Sodom - "Decision Day"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 26/08/2016

Label: Steamhammer

This is highly recommended for anyone who likes the gnarlier end of metal from Motorhead to Venom to Exodus to early Sepultura to Ravens Creed and so on. Nasty. And great!

“Decision Day” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. In Retribution (06:14)
02. Rolling Thunder (04:22)
03. Decision Day (04:03)
04. Caligula (04:01)
05. Who Is God? (04:35)
06. Strange Lost World (04:59)
07. Vaginal Born Evil (05:15)
08. Belligerence (04:00)
09. Blood Lions (03:17)
10. Sacred Warpath (05:34)
11. Refused To Die (04:27)
12. Predatory Instinct (04:44) (bonus track for vinyl and iTunes edition)

The Review:

From their early days when they played a kind of primitive black metal akin to Venom/Hellhammer, to the seminal albums of the late 80's, Sodom have occupied a rather special niche. They remain part of the German Big Three (arguably four, if you count Tankard) with Kreator and Destruction. Truthfully, I have never gone through Sodom's back catalogue in the same way as I have Kreator's, but that may now have to change.

“Decision Day” represents another quality release in the Sodom discography. You get eleven tracks of feral thrash. From opener “In Retribution”, through the title track and beyond, this is evil and dark music from masters of the genre. The technique is most certainly there these days, with Tom Angelripper backed up very impressively by Bern Kost and Markus Freiwald. Keeping to the power trio format has been the band’s strength over the years: think of them as a thrash Motorhead. You know what you want, what you are getting and what the band will inevitably deliver.

There are surprising moments of melody to go with the bombast- a lead break here, a tempo change there- it all adds up to a record that is well rounded and impressively adrenaline fuelled. The bass sound, as heard on “Caligula” is also mightily impressive. Sodom have kept the somewhat inventive/bizarre phrasing from earlier albums with titles like “Vaginal Born Evil" and have certainly kept their anger intact. This is metal of the old school variety- when it was still dangerous and a bit... well, scary.

It is on the most focused and succinct tracks which the band really shines- “Blood Lions” being a prime example- but the album is such that there is nothing spare here, nothing wasted. The song lengths are fairly uniform- around four minutes, although sometimes on either side of that and this is indicative of the fact that Tom and crew have their style down and write in a particular way as pertains to structure and changes. Ultimately, this is a huge strength: the band know exactly how to do this and they do it very well.

By the time “Refused To Die” rolls around, the album has proven to be very much a heads-down-see-you-at-the-end thrash fest. This is highly recommended for anyone who likes the gnarlier end of metal from Motorhead to Venom to Exodus to early Sepultura to Ravens Creed and so on. Nasty. And great!

“Decision Day” is available now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Kreator, Destruction, Slayer, Venom

Death - "Scream Bloody Gore" (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Reissue
Date Released: 20/05/2016
Label: Relapse Records

Overall, this is the definitive release of this classic record- it is unlikely that it will ever sound any better and comes in a form so expanded as to be the last word on this era of the band. “SBG” is undoubtedly one of the most important releases in the death metal- and even metal- genres. Interestingly, the same could be said for probably at least three further Death albums. Not a bad tally, and one that places the band in the league of Sabbath, Priest, Maiden, Metallica, and so on- albeit arguably only within their own sub genre.

“Scream Bloody Gore” CD//DD//LP track listing:

 
Disc 1

01. Infernal Death
02. Zombie Ritual
03. Denial Of Life
04. Sacrificial
05. Mutilation
06. Regurgitated Guts
07. Baptized In Blood
08. Torn To Pieces
09. Evil Dead
10. Scream Bloody Gore
11. Beyond The Unholy Grave
12. Land Of No Return

Disc 2

13. Torn To Pieces (Original Florida Session)
14. Legion Of Doom (Original Florida Session)
15. Scream Bloody Gore (Original Florida Session)
16. Sacrificial (Original Florida Session)
17. Mutilation (Original Florida Session)
18. Land Of No Return (Original Florida Session)
19. Baptized In Blood (Original Florida Session)
20. Regurgitated Guts (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
21. Sacrificial (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
22. Sacrificial - Take 2 (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
23. Torn To Pieces (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
24. Do You Love Me? V1 (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
25. Infernal Death (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
26. Zombie Ritual (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
27. Beyond The Unholy Grave (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
28. Do You Love Me? V2 (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)
29. Denial Of Life (Rehearsals 08-20-1986)

The Review:

The reissuing of Death's seminal back catalogue continues here; the debut in two disc expanded form. The first disc comprises the original twelve tracks in remastered form, while the second disc takes in a further seventeen (17!?) versions of the songs on the record and oddball tracks. “Scream Bloody Gore” is, arguably, the first death metal album (yes, Possessed have a fair shout for this too, as do Celtic Frost etc etc). It finds the band on feral form, with Evil Chuck's vocals noticeably more brutal than on later releases. It was certainly hailed as a classic of the genre throughout the 90's, but since that time, Death's latter day catalogue has seemingly overtaken it in terms of reverence.

Truthfully, I prefer the later Death albums such as “Symbolic” (when is the remaster and repackage of that holy grail coming out??!) and “Individual Thought Patterns”, but there can be no denying the impact of this one. The remaster sounds great; crisp and live sounding with some tape hiss audible here and there. The thrashing beats are very fast in places (albeit blasts are still away off in the death metal canon).

Naturally, you cannot argue with the songs here; “Zombie Ritual”, “Torn to Pieces”, “Baptized in Blood”, “Mutilation...” the list goes on. Each track is an example of early death metal. For contextual purposes, it is important to remember that just four years earlier, “Kill Em All” by Metallica was the most extreme record ever released (the Venom issue is arguable). This is how far metal had come in those years; faster, heavier, gnarlier, more extreme in every way. Things would only get more extreme form here; Napalm Death and the emergence of Grindcore all the way to ultra tech, ultra brutal modern day outfits such as Nile. The groundwork is here, though, in Chuck's guttural vocals, riffs blurring with speed, copious use of double bass drums and so on. The record is not without flaws, of course- the time changes on “Denial of Life” still sound odd to my ears- but the album stands as a classic of the time and of all time.

If the album itself is an essential part of every death metaller's collection, what can be said of the bonus material? As is often the case, and as I have written about the Death reissues in the past, this is a completist's dream but a nightmare for fans of hi fidelity audio everywhere. The demo versions are exactly as you'd expect. The oddities such as “Legion of Doom” are well worth a listen if you have the time, though. To go through this with a fine tooth comb to look for differences in songs between demo and album is a luxury that I cannot really afford at this point, but for big fans of the band and album it could be a rewarding exercise. The inclusion of two rehearsal snapshots of “Do You Love Me” is at best mildly diverting.

Overall then, this is the definitive release of this classic record- it is unlikely that it will ever sound any better and comes in a form so expanded as to be the last word on this era of the band. Death would go on to make better records, but whether Chuck and whoever he hired would ever reach this level of influence again... who is to say? “SBG” is undoubtedly one of the most important releases in the death metal- and even metal- genres. Interestingly, the same could be said for probably at least three further Death albums. Not a bad tally, and one that places the band in the league of Sabbath, Priest, Maiden, Metallica, and so on- albeit arguably only within their own sub genre. Certainly, within death metal only a handful of bands could make similar claims;  the bands who only have one classic to their name are not eligible for inclusion...

“Scream Bloody Gore” is available here

Band info: facebook