Cryptic Slaughter

More Thrash.  Cryptic Slaughter were out-thrashing the grown ups before they were even old enough to skip out on that whole "voting" malarkey, or even drive themselves to band practice.  This link includes their demo, Life In Grave, and their first LP, Convicted.  Don Thy Denim.  Bang Thy Head.

CROSS OVER

Detente - Recognize No Authority

Detente was a thrash metal band from Los Angeles from the mid 80's to the present(?), and their thrash was pretty standard, almost punk even.  The (female) vocals are what make this record great instead of just alright.  Dawn Crosby lead the thrash attack with a ferocity that few could match.  She left the band to form Fear Of God, and Detente replaced her with another singer, then that singer was replaced by another.  I'm not sure if they are still active or not and honestly, I haven't listened to any of their later records, so I couldn't tell you if they're as good as this one or not.  Sadly, Dawn died in '96 of liver failure.

NO AUTHORITY

Damad - Burning Cold

The second excellent LP from punk metal sludgers, Damad.  This is one of my all time favorite bands and I don't understand why more people don't feel the same way about them.  If you missed out on the first LP, just click HERE.

KICK IN THE SOUTH

BLACK METAL

HAH!  Here ya go.  Fancypants Deluxe Edition, too.  The first link is the original album.  The second link is Bonus (ooh la la!) tracks and for shits and giggles I threw in a track of just stage banter.  Rock N Roll is the Devil.  We are the Devil.

BLACK METAL

EXTRA STUFF

more Noothgrush

damn.  I haven't been this tired of everything in a while.  The world is shit, people are shit.  I'm sure I'll feel better soon, but I'm also sure that people will continue to be shit and I'll find myself back in this familiar, spiteful place sooner than I'd like.  Here's some more Noothgrush for you.

ERODE THE PERSON

SPLITS AND STUFF

Corrupted - Noothgrush split & El Mundo Frio

Corrupted ALWAYS brought the ultra heavy.  You get the fantastic split with Noothgrush (their tracks, too) and then you get the hour and eleven minute commitment to DOOM that is El Mundo Frio.  Personal favorite.

CORRUPTED / NOOTHGRUSH SPLIT 

EL MUNDO FRIO

Nausea

Here's some Nausea for ya.

SMASH 

SSWWAANNSS - FFIILLTTHH

You don't need any of my words to accompany these sounds.

YOU JUST DON'T

Inquisition

100 posts!  As tribute, I offer this slab of EVIL.  It may not be the most menacing, the rawest, or the most kvlt record, but these things do not matter once you push play.  This is an entrancing and epic trip into the blackened nether-regions of the cosmos.  Hop on this wicked spaceship.

HERE

Syudan Jisatsu - Demon Priest

Here's some true "mysterious guy" punk.  Syudan Jisatsu translates roughly to "mass suicide" and only put out this one EP from '91.   Obviously the whole record is steeped in the traditions of Japanese hardcore, but people seem unsure about who was behind this project, whether they are even Japanese or not.  Some say Sakevi of GISM performed vocals on this, but while they sound incredibly similar, i don't think that's the case.  The stronger opinions out there say that Syudan Jisatsu is comprised of Finnish folks, and some say that it's a solo project by a member of Selfish.  Regardless of origin, this is a really well-done and authentic take on Japanese punk and it's intentional shroud of mystery is an added layer of intrigue.  Get dark and weird.

MUSTER UP

Requiem

I just posted Catharsis, so I figured I'd post some Requiem as well.  I really like this record.  You can tell they took the production of it very seriously, and I appreciate that.  Very dark, very powerful melodic hardcore from North Carolina.

STORM HEAVEN

Blasphemy

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this blog really under-represents my love of metal.  The metal I most love is the filthy, nasty, deathly kind.  There are death metal bands that play really technically and impressively, and then there are death metal bands that sound like death.  I'll give you one guess at which kind I like more.  Blasphemy formed in the late 80's in Canada somewhere and they created this grotesque concoction of blackened death metal before either black or death metal were fully formed genres.  It's face-smashing pure evil and I like it a lot.  Lots of bands have taken this style of metal in interesting (and BRUTAL) directions, such as Portal, Proclamation and Diocletian, and you should check that stuff out as well.

HERE'S A DEMO THAT SOUNDS LIKE A RECORD

 

HERE'S A RECORD THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DEMO 

both rule.

Catharsis

Catharsis was a much loved anarchist hardcore project from the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area of NC.  Their songs were intense and ambitious, borrowing from all types of metal as well as punk.  The folks involved in Catharsis went on to be in many many bands, including Requiem, Zegota, From the Depths and Paint it Black, as well as being active in the anarchist collective, Crimethinc..  Close to home, this one!

Samsara

Death Side - All Is Here Now

Continuing the Japan Punk Forcefeeding.  When people talk about "burning spirits," this is what they mean.  This 5 song 7" just knocks you over.  Freakin DEATH SIDE were like Poison Idea ramming fullspeed into Iron Maiden or something.  They were definitely a punk band, but the songs sometimes take very metallic turns and the guitar playing is really really good (RIP Chelsea).  Death Side existed from '87-'94 and released 6 excellent records.  Surviving members would go on to play in Forward and Paintbox(?)   All is...

...Hear Now

G.M.I.A.S.N.M.

You should already be familiar with the Genius Intellect Sonic Masterwork that is their FIRST RECORD.  Now gash yourself upon the jagged metallic edge of this second mighty blow to ordered civilization.  I'll meet you in the rubble of what once was and we will smile.

HERE IT IS 

 

Damad - Rise & Fall

OOH!! One of my all time favorites!  I love DAMAD so freakin much.  KYLESA's getting all the accolades and recognition, but before KYLESA there was DAMAD and they brought the HEAVY.  Dark, gloomy, depressive sludge punk crust metal with the nastiest, gnarliest, most demented vocals to rise from the stinky, sweaty South.  Victoria goes from the most guttural lows to the screechiest highs in just a breath (she also did the awesome artwork)  Seriously, if KYLESA is a Mack truck, then DAMAD is a mile long freight train.

RISE/FALL 

Moonshine

This blog definitely under-represents my love of metal.  Here's a remedy: Baltimore's MOONSHINE.  Sludgy, doomy and evil metal from former members of the excellent WAKE UP ON FIRE and maybe future members of NUX VOMICA (?)  One time I went to see This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb at a house in town and the bass player had a broken arm, so she played a xylophone instead.  I liked TBIAPB but their bassless set lacked the "oomph" my teenage heart was craving.  Luckily I heard of a metal show across town and lo, MOONSHINE came (without xylophones) to rest my soul.  I went to bed crushed and elated that night.

OOOMPH

excuse the shitty, grainy image

Death SS

Alright, it's been mostly punk (and will continue to be mostly punk..hey, it's just who I am) and maybe that's a bummer?  Maybe a curveball is overdue?  Okay...Here's Death SS, an Italian metal band...or "horror music" if you were to ask them...they've been around off and on since 1979 and had at least a bajillion different members...Steve Sylvester on vocals and Paul Chain on guitar being two of the more notable ones.  This is a 7" called Evil Metal and it's highly regarded by Death SS fans.  It's also from 1983, and I guess I have a weird and accidental '83 obsession, because it seems like everything I'm putting on here is from that year.  There's also a bonus song from some compilation I threw in the folder for you.  Enjoy this strange and melodramatic metal music.

Evil Metal 

Descolada

Some more ancient Asheville stuff for ya'll.  Descolada was the first local band I ever saw (I think) and they were a very powerful thing to witness, especially to my young, not-yet-totally-corrupted ears/brain.  Their music has been compared to a lot of disparate bands, like Godspeed, Neurosis, Swans and the ilk, but even though the members listen to those aforementioned bands, Descolada was more concise, and existed in a more urgent realm than most post-rock/noise/metal/whatever bands.  They could cover all types of dynamic range and sonic structures, but didn't take 10 minutes a song to do so!  They were a four piece, of drums, bass, guitar and violin, with minimal vocals punching through every now and again...and by minimal I mean there aren't many vocal parts, there was nothing minimal about the vocals themselves.  The drummer, Tony, would scream his damn lungs out without the aid of a microphone, and you could still easily hear them over the (very loud) amplifiers.  I wonder if he ever straight up passed out on the drum stool.  The people in this band (on this recording) all still live here and play in quality bands such as Soft Opening, Judas Horse, Skullthunder, US Christmas and more, but we all think it's about damn time Descolada just reformed and crushed our heads once again.  This is their one and only album.

Talk Perty

here's some videos...you can spot me in the first one, as well as the record shelf with the NOTHING sticker that now lives in my room.

STRESS

Huge thanks to Robert of Terminal Escape and Aesop of Cosmic Hearse for sharing this record with me.  Jesus, I've listened to it so many times, it's one of my favorite records to listen to cookin the line at work, and some person always comes up to the counter and asks what's playing....This is STRESS!  Brazil's "first(?)" heavy metal band.  Their self-titled debut came out in 1982 and it is a raucous, loose, all over the place, fun as all hell, old school heavy metal record.  Their sound is wild, maybe a little too wild, maybe a little drunken even?  Regardless of how fucked up they were when they made these recordings, you can tell they put their all into it, and it is a powerful experience on the other end.  Don't think SLAYER, think SABBATH, BLUE CHEER, URIAH HEEP and all the heavy bands that take you to slightly psychedelic heights, but with an aggressive, almost speed-metal approach.  I REALLY LOVE THIS ALBUM and if you like metal at all, I don't know why you wouldn't as well.

Brazil, 1982