The Chameleons

This is another album I usually listen to in the fall. I have no idea why this band isn't more well known. The Chameleons were a post-punk outfit from the UK in the '80s and this was their first LP. There is a somber and melancholy tone throughout the music in these songs that is only bolstered by the singing of Mark Burgess who is hands down one of my favorite lyricists and singers. Be advised that the music is not just your standard post-punk fare. These songs are haunting and will stay with you for days, even weeks. In the mid '90s I had seen a L.A. punk wearing a huge back patch for this very album and it caught my eye so I sought it out. I remember the first time I listened to this album. I turned it on expecting to hear some fast UK punk and when I didn't I turned it off abruptly. I later heard them mentioned in the same sentence as Joy Division which caused me to go back and revisit the album as JD are one of my top 3 favorite bands. Luckily for me they didn't sound like them either... The Chameleons are much, much different and stand firmly on their own merits. The song 'Second Skin' is almost deserving of its own post. Coupled with the rest of the brilliance on this album, this one's a no brainer.

Script of the Bridge

Merciless

This one comes just in time for Halloween and October. Merciless were from Sweden and played a relentless brand of black thrash with snarling, raspy vocals reminiscent of some sort of tortured werewolf. The guitars on this album spit venom and coincide perfectly with the frantic pace of the drumming. By the time you reach the end of this record be sure to check in the mirror for any long hairs, sharp teeth or yellow about the eyes. This record has a mean bite.

The Awakening

Fifth Angel

Fifth Angel dropped one of the best U.S. power metal albums ever in 1986. This self-titled debut was instrumental in putting Seattle heavy metal on the map. This is perfectly executed musicianship and I can't say enough about the lead guitar work here. It's really remarkable and never, ever gets dull. These guys rely heavily on the melody and that's a good thing trust me! I've mentioned these guys on the blog before and here is their first album in all its glory. If this is wrong, I don't ever want to be right.

Business as Usual

EPMD are from New York. If you've always wondered what the fuck those letters stand for it's: Erick and Parrish Making Dollars. To me it stands for more than that. EPMD were rap music's best kept secret imho and they put bucket hats on the map back in 1986. The group blazed their own path alongside contemporaries like Tribe, De La and Public Enemy without sounding like any of them. The slang they coined over the course of their early career is astounding and Erick's lisp only added to the charm they displayed on each of the first 3 records. I can't help but smile when listening to this album and I definitely feel it's their strongest effort. If you don't like this all I have are 3 words for you: Get the Bozack!

EPMD

Adrian

No, those aren't giant cucumber slices noob. They are spider eggs and you'd better steer clear before you catch a fatal dose of the white death delivered in a speed metal cocktail headed straight to your nervous system. Adrian hailed from Germany and dropped this particular jewel in 1987. Something about this reminds me of Crom's Steel for an Age - I think it's the singer's delivery. This is a great companion piece to that album now that I think about it although the production on One Step Into the Uncertain is clearly better. The songwriting here is superb and the tracks never get dull at all even on the 6+ minute ones. The dual lead guitars create some memorable melodies and this is a perfect example of classy '80s Euro metal.

Get Some

Demo Hammer

Demolition Hammer were from New York and released this thrashing monster in 1992. The first two songs on this album are like blunt force trauma to the head and really serve as the killing shots. The rest of this album consists of the band dragging your carcass through a gauntlet of hell's fiercest minions literally stomping you into a bloody pulp with their warhorses. You're so far gone at that point that it doesn't even really matter though.

EoV