Pain

Thrash love songs? Leave it to Germany. The singer has a distinct raspy style and the riffs on here are awesome. Not everyone's cup of tea I'm sure but fuck 'em.

Insanity

.Nema

.Nema hailed from Detroit circa late '90s and laid down these blistering tracks over the course of a few different releases. What we have left is an epitaph of an extremely underrated band that culled from a myriad of different influences without really sounding like any of them. It's sometimes black metal, sometimes hardcore, sometimes anarcho-punk and sometimes crust and although the production is a bit muddied I really wouldn't have it any other way. The song writing is top notch and the overall vibe on this album is just dark as fuck.

.Nema

Skepticism

Skepticism's Stormcrowfleet is the perfect companion piece to the Thergothon album I posted earlier on this blog. Both bands hail from the mighty Finland and offer different takes on the funeral doom genre. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that funeral doom begins and ends with these albums. There...I said it. Get this now.

Doom

Big Bud

Here we have a GREAT drum n' bass record. I don't spin a lot of this stuff but this record in particular was a nightly ritual for me in the summer of 1999. Don't let the genre scare you off though. Listening to this is a hypnotic, mellow affair and definitely worth the time of the casual dnb listener. This one's on the more ambient side of things which is one of the main reasons I think it works so well.

Infinity + Infinity

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

Thergothon

Finland. Funeral. Doom.

Here

Asmodeus

This is a very cool album and the first release by this band coming in 1992. Asmodeus lay down some serious progressive thrash on this one. If you are a fan of Czech music you can't pass this up. I love the use of other instruments they incorporate here and it really feels as if they wanted an element of traditional Czech music to shine through, which it does and does quite well. Don't get it twisted though, when the thrash hits it hits hard. They make the one mistake of doing a Czech thrashterpiece of Jingle Bells but thank god it comes on the last track. The rest of the album makes this completely forgivable. Hope you dig it...

Download

Not Fragile

Not Fragile is a German speed metal band who wrote some really catchy songs in the late '80s. This release was recorded in 1989 but didn't see the light of day until 1992 when it was released in Japan but they included extra tracks from a different release. I'm presenting these files as it was meant to be heard on the original album (11 tracks total). If you like speed metal don't hesitate to grab this one. The lyrics are of the 'high plains wielding a sword while trying not to die in a fire-fight on a horse' variety. The pace is pretty non-stop on this and even when the bust into their chessiest song 'Welcome You the Crowd' they still manage to sound sincere. Anyways without further ado...

One Way to Glory

Cianide

Cianide is one of America's best kept underground secrets. When I first heard these guys I would have put money on them being from Europe somewhere but they're from my hometown of Chicago and here they put on a well executed display of death/doom that really just beats the listener's head in. This is chock full of win. There are some great mid-paced riffs in here and Cianide speeds it up at just the right moments. The lead guitarist Scott Carroll really throws into some unique work over the double bass here and this is by far my favorite Cianide release.

A Descent Into Hell

Vacant Grave

Here you have another Missouri thrash act who released this full length LP in 1990. Vacant Grave are a zombie thrasher's wetdream. They play pretty straightforward thrash with harsh vocals, gang vocals and even guttural vocals in certain parts. The production on this is not the best but they play well enough to make you forgive them for it. I don't feel like writing anything else. One look at the artwork and you can decide if this is for you or not.

Life or Death

Negazione

If you are a fan of hardcore and you haven't heard this record prepare to be blown away. If you have heard this then I suggest you listen to it again. Negazione were instrumental in putting Italian hardcore on the map. This is hands down one of my favorite albums and imo it helped set the blueprint for most '90s hardcore bands. This LP pretty much defines the genre and was released in 1986. Enjoy it.

Lo Spirito Continua

Breathless

Breathless hailed from Belgium and after releasing this album in 1985 you can bet your ass they scored their share of local trim and downed their share of local beers. Well...one can only hope. They sure didn't garner any international attention for this effort. What you have here is a classic case of barroom speed metal with moustache rock sensibility. Can you dig it man? The vocalist is a tad too much at time and does his best low-rent King Diamond impersonation but somehow it all works in the end. Certain songs are better than others but as a whole this album is pretty cool. I haven't seen this one up too many places.

Breathless

Subterraneo

This is another one of Spain's hidden gems. Subterraneo were around in the mid '80s and pulled influences from the NWOBHM scene though imo they have a little post-punk sound mixed throughout especially in the slower passages. The guitar work on this is really memorable, catchy stuff and I find myself humming these tunes a lot. The singer does a great job and doesn't go overboard at all. The lyrics are in Spanish if that matters to you. Anyway here it is - heavy metal from Spain done the right way. I could play this one every day and not get tired of it. Hope you get a chance to DL and enjoy.

Toledo

Dragon

Sorry for not posting in a while. I've really let life get in the way of this blog haha. I've been having problems with what to post lately and having the feeling that nothing is really worthy of your time. Which is silly but there you have it. Sometimes I get in a musical rut. Let me start this off by saying this album is DEFINITELY worth your time. Dragon were from Poland and they play a great brand of Eastern Bloc thrash. The lyrics are in their native tongue and if you are a true music lover this won't matter to you one bit. They play with conviction and always seem to change things up enough to keep it interesting. That's a big understatement but whatever... This is one of my favorite albums and at times it rides the line of power-thrash, leaning heavily on the thrash side and not too technical for its own good. The mix on this is perfect and you can decipher all of the instruments. Both drums and guitars sound warm and great. Sprinkle in a few acoustic passages and throaty screams and your recipe is success.

Horda Goga

Riot

There aren't enough superlatives to describe the way I feel about this album. This is the best power/speed metal album ever created. Riot have been around since the '70s with differing lineups but in my opinion this is their definitive release. The guitar solos on this album rival the best Iron Maiden solos. The vocalist is almost as good as Halford. It has relentless pace, the production is stellar and the song-writing is top notch. If there was a genre called Reebok Core these guys would be the poster children. These songs are so good they will infect your everyday life. How can you deny that cover art, huh?

Thundersteel