These were the days when Death Metal was still in its infant stages, not many bands were utilizing the blast beat yet, so early Death Metal albums were just really fast Thrash albums without the falsetto vocals. I mention the guitar tone again because it’s so perfectly compressed that it resembles a buzzsaw cutting through bone.

This being a cast off Death, there is a Death cover in the form of Corpse Grinder, the best way to end the album. Top tracks are, obviously, the ones I mentioned and even what I haven’t as there isn’t a dull track on the whole album. From Beyond proved to be Massacre’s best album and they broke up after 1994′s terrible Promise.

This remains one of my top ten Death Metal albums, really a brilliant slab of what Death Metal in the early 90′s was all about.

Well, 2011 sees the band reunited with original vocalist Joey Belladonna and I have to say that Worship Music is the album that the band has been waiting to make. Many said that We’ve come for You All was that album. I don’t think so. This album bristles with some of the heaviest riffs that Anthrax have put down in years.

Starting off with a spiffy Intro, the album kicks off proper with Earth on Hell and quickly makes it known that this is gonna be a helluva ride. Standout tracks would have to be The Devil You Know, Fight ‘em Till You Can’t and Judas Priest. With a pristine production that pulses with sonic violence, Worship Music is a fine return to form and the perfect Christmas gift for the Metal fan in your life.

This is the complete concept album. Really good story, amazing musicianship, and atmosphere out the wazoo. This was Gothic metal married to Gothic horror in the perfect mixture. Telling the story of one young girl, Abigail LaVey who died on the 7th day of July 1777, and the madness that grips the family, it makes for a compelling ride.

In my honest opinion this is the best album Diamond has made. Hands down.Andy LaRoque is an amazing guitarist and his talent is on display as he shreds through standouts: Arrival, The Family Ghost, and the title track. Really though, there’s not a bad track on here. Its a stellar album that’s perfect for the season. Even though its predecessor Fatal Portrait boasted the track Halloween. It was Abigail, however, that provided listeners with a solid horror story in addition to the music. Really great place to start with discovering King Diamond’s work.

Released in 1989, Leave Scars was actually the 3rd album by the band, having already released We have Arrived and the brilliant Darkness Descends album.  With a bass heavy production and featuring some of the heaviest riffs that the Bay Area had to offer Dark Angel cut themselves a crater sized niche in the burgeoning thrash scene. Featuring classics such as the title track, the pummeling No one Answers and their take on Led Zepplin’s Immigrant Song, and personal favorites Worms and The Promise of Agony which goes from a gallop to a sludge riff that goes on for days.

This album caught me at a very influential time in my musical development and introduced my ears to the double bass of Gene Hoglan, with crushing brutality that set the blueprint for modern death metal, this release should be part of any metal fan’s collection.  Highly recommended!

I was really looking forward to this album, and yeah there are some good songs. A personal favorite is Conviction, this is a  double bass driven beast, one of the few that faithfully brings back the early days. Next would be Hang in Agony Until You’re Dead, mostly because of that ridiculous title, but also because it really showcases Asheim’s playing. Much like Legion the album ends on a very abrupt note with How Can You Call Yourself a God?

Of course the production is solid, although I would like to see the heavily trebled guitars go away. I didn’t like them on Serpents of the Light and I like them even less here. But, they show no signs of stopping anytime soon. It would be nice to hear the Hoffman Brothers again. Well, there’s always Legion.

Welcome to the Morbid Reich is a powerhouse of an album, I will say that right off the bat. I will also say, (and may say over the course of more reviews) that this is the album Morbid Angel should’ve made. Vader have been blasting away, waving the flag of quality Polish Death Metal for years, and have shown no signs whatsoever of letting up.

Starting things off is the orchestral beauty of Ultima Thule and then devolving into the maelstrom of the title track, this is really a roller coaster of an album in every sense of the term. At their slowest, Vader sounds like a victorious army rolling through a decimated city, an armored column of devastation. At their fastest, they are like a surgical strike.

Favorite tracks include I am Who Feasts Upon Your Soul, Decapitated Saints, and Black Velvet and Skulls of Steel. Stellar production and suitable brutality make this the perfect way to end a brutal Summer.

I first heard Death through this album in 1987, this being their debut. That was really a great year for metal as many bands were releasing albums that would define their respective careers. Death was certainly no exception. Chuck Shuldiner’s vocals were like gargled glass and his guitar tone cut like a razor blade. Such a punishing album, Scream Bloody Gore had everything going for it and would really serve as the blueprint for countless Death Metal albums to come. Until his death in 2001 from a brain tumor Chuck was (and still is) one of the most respected guitarists in the realm of metal as a whole.

So the songs, just pick one, any one and you’ll instantly hear the sound that influenced many. Starting off with Infernal Death the album rears up with fangs of steel, it slows down a fraction for Zombie Ritual and Denial of Life but then hits the throttle again. I guess if I had to pick a favorite song on this album it would be Evil Dead, that intro is to literally die for. But, in all honesty, I love the whole album, I would say its really the perfect starting point for anyone looking to learn about the roots of Death Metal. Scream Bloody Gore is a classic in every sense of the word. In terms of musicianship and quality of production it is second to none, standing the test of time alongside the prominent releases of that decade.

Check it out, and check out their entire catalog of music, you will not be disappointed.

I can’t really say that I liked the releases that followed The Ultra-Violence. Which was a problem with many of the Thrash acts to come out of the Bay Area and the thrash genre in the 80′s, their first album would be absolutely mind blowing and then would come the sophomore release and WTF? They would have used the good ideas on the first album. Such was the case with Death Angel.

The Ultra-Violence showcased a young band just frothing to show off what they could do, and what better way to start off with than “Thrashers”? Rob Cavestany proved that he could suitably shred like a motherfucker. “Voracious Souls” has always been my favorite track of side one (yeah, I bought it on cassette), I had seen the video on a public access metal show and had to have it. “Kill as One” sounded very Testament at the time and still has that feeling, shouted gang vocals and fat-ass riffing with a killer solo.

Side two started off with the title track, a scathing thrash takeoff on Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. Helped out by a rather raw production, The Ultra-Violence is a brillant piece of Thrash history. Maybe I should start reviewing old albums more often, its kinda fun to think about the nuances of what made an album great. For me its the guitar work on display. This came out at the height of the Thrash movement when every band was a new experiment in speed and brutality. I really feel fortunate to have been enjoying the music for the first time.

So if you, or someone you love, is looking for an introduction to prime 80′s Thrash, throw this album on for them and let them experience it for themselves. Highly recommended!

The first time I even heard the term ‘Pirate Metal’ I thought it was a joke, like how the hell could that work? Well I realize now how wrong-headed I was.So how’s the album? Didn’t you see the first word in this review? I can’t stop listening to it, every time I do I picture barnacle encrusted warships shooting massive amounts of artillery at each other, the air ringing with the sound of clashing swords and the screams of dying men.

Things get started off right proper with the blastbeat title track containing the memorable chorus,”You put your faith in Odin and Thor/ we put ours in cannons and whores! “  The crystal clear production means that every note, every snare hit and keyboard shot reach out and punch you in the face with epic ferocity.

While the whole album kicks a serious amount of ass, there are of course, stand out tracks that I have to mention. Title track of course, Buckfast Powersmash thrashes about like a shark on a hook, Shipwrecked has such a sick riff it needs Pepto, and Death Throes of the Terror Squid  boasting blastbeats and black metal vocals, its the perfect end track (unless you get the limited edition that has I’m a Cider Drinker and You Are a Pirate).

I really hope they continue to put out albums, lol. On the song Scraping the Barrel they reference Running Wild, a Pirate themed German thrash band from the 80′s, but even if they called it a day tomorrow this would serve as a fine swansong album. Highly recommended.

Well…

This album fucking sucks. Yeah Heretic wasn’t exactly stellar, but at least it was better than this piece of shit. I feel so letdown that I’m almost angry at them for allowing this to be made. What we have here is 11 tracks, 3 of which could’ve been om Dominate, 2 on a fucking Genitorturers album (which Vincent joined after he left the band following Dominate). ‘To Extreme’ is fucking techno. Yeah, you read that right. Techno. On a Morbid Angel album. Then they try to redeem themselves with ‘Existo Vulgore’ and then its a mid tempo rumbler and back to shit again. What I think I’m going to do is delete the shit songs and keep the couple good ones and just consider this an EP.

In keeping with their alphabet theme for album titles I hope the next one is called JUST KIDDING!

I guess I’ll talk about the production. Its good, everything stands out pretty well. Tim Yeung is a good replacement for Pete Sandoval, when he isn’t being replaced by a fucking drum machine. This isn’t a Lady Gaga record. Even Trey’s solos are half assed, like he wasn’t totally on board but needed a pay check. Maybe I’m being too harsh and it’ll grow on me, but I seriously doubt it. This isn’t at all what I had hoped Morbid Angel to do in 2011. They are so much better than the sum of this album.

So, I don’t recommend it. No sir, not at all. Get the new Alestorm instead. I’ll have a review of that up soon.