MAYHEM - Liturgy Of Death

Artist:  Mayhem
Album:  Liturgy Of Death
Year:  2026
Genre:  Black Metal 

 

Well, this is a fucking surprise!  Mayhem has never been my thing.  I’ve given every studio album a fair shot and none of it has ever lit my world on fire.  Nope, not even the severely worshipped De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas holds anything special for me.  When Mayhem released Liturgy Of Death, I did the same thing I’ve done with all the other releases; throw on the first song, listened and waited to dislike the production or the vocals or the songwriting.  Then, go to the second song and repeat the process until I’m done with the record and it’s forever in my rearview mirror.  I’ve never understood their popularity and even though I completely understand their historical significance, I’ve just succumb to the fact they aren’t the black metal band for me.  When I popped on Liturgy Of Death, my typical process with them did not travel the same path it has for the last 30 years.  Even as I write this, I’m not exactly sure what the hell grabbed me and kept my interest.  All I know is that by the time the album was done, I was impressed and went back for more listens.  I even recommended it to a couple friends which has never happened with Mayhem.

 

So, what is it this time?  I’ve given that question some thought and all I can figure is that the album is a combination of improved songwriting and the impressive aesthetic components the band is using.  Liturgy Of Death is an exercise in malevolence, but they are smart enough to vary up their delivery so it’s not one big 2x4 to the back of the skull the entire run of the album.  I will give them props in the experimental department.  Mayhem creates tension and atmosphere without getting lost in the weeds and losing the listener’s interest.  The production is aggressive while throwing in the right amount of ambience to give it distinction.  None of this is entirely new territory for the band, but it feels like everything is finally coming together.  Hellhammer is a very strong drummer. On this album, all his playing feels much more connected to the songs.  I truly believe this is a gigantic reason why I’m relating much more with Liturgy Of Death.  Mayhem’s chaotic nature always seemed too disjointed; parts thrown together and percussion parts that didn’t belong with certain riffs consistently drove me crazy.  I understand that is a personal preference, but it’s always been a huge wall I never got over with them.  The other star of this dark offering is vocalist Attila.  What a unique and unsettling presence he has as he seamlessly flows between vocal stylings that are strange, theatrical and brutal.  His dramatic performance is exactly what this band’s music demands.  I am seriously stunned how much I’m loving this vile slab from Mayhem.  I’ve never looked forward to a Mayhem release, but they now have me on the hook to hear the next one.

Listen to "Weep For Nothing" here.

CRUMBSUCKER - Life Of Dreams

Artist:  Crumbsuckers
Song:  Bullshit Society
Album:  Life Of Dreams
Year:  1986
Genre:  Crossover / Thrash / Hardcore

When hardcore punk and thrash metal decided to put aside their differences and play nicely in the sandbox together, one of my absolute favorite music genres was spawned; Crossover.  Soon after discovering this amalgamation, my collection quickly filled with the likes of C.O.C., The Accused, D.R.I., Cryptic Slaughter, Attitude Adjustment, (mid 80s) Agnostic Front, Excel, S.O.D., No Mercy, Wehrmacht and so many other bands that completely changed my musical outlook.  It even changed my fashion.  Nothing but flipped brims, skate shoes and ratty looking t-shirts from then on!  The band that rose to the top of the mountain of records I amassed was The Crumbsuckers.  I read about The Crumbsuckers in a fanzine that praised them so highly and heavily, it created a “do or die” search for a record that was not very well distributed.  Finally, I located a cassette copy of Life Of Dreams and it skyrocketed beyond the high praise I read.  This record is super; super fast, super mean and super tight.  It’s a perfect combination of hardcore’s aggression and attitude, metal’s technical structure and mechanics, and punk’s social consciousness.  Two-minute atomic bombs in the form of songs fill this album from start to finish.  Chris's voice was like no other out there and he was well schooled in the Kurt Brecht style of only singing every third word or so 'cause the music was zooming by in the blink of an eye.  Other than the first couple Bad Brains releases, I’m not sure I own another record that contains such precise instrumentation that doesn’t overshadow its street-level punk integrity.  Usually one is sacrificed for the other; which is exactly what they did on their less than stellar second record, B.O.M.B.  Doesn’t matter.  Life Of Dreams is such a superior release, there was no need to try to make part two.

Listen to "Bullshit Society" here.

EPIDEMIC - Decameron

Artist:  Epidemic
Album: Decameron
Year:  1992
Genre:  Thrash Metal

San Francisco will forever be monikered the thrash capital of the world.  Anyone would have great difficulty denying this.  Los Angeles had its share of extreme metalheads battling for turf against the Hollywood glam scene.  Although located in the same state, the two cities had their definitive styles.  The bands in San Francisco had a thrash formula that was lightly influenced by punk and hardcore.  Audiences in Los Angeles were vehemently bludgeoned by the most extreme thrash on the planet from bands like Slayer, Dark Angel, Holy Terror, Détente, Viking and Abattoir.  San Francisco bands wanted stage dives and circle pits.  L.A. bands wanted a body count.  At that time, thrashers from the City of Angels had more in common with their European counterparts than their brethren 6 hours to the north.  Which brings me to my longwinded point, San Francisco beasts Epidemic resembled the sounds coming out of Los Angeles, not their hometown.  It wasn’t about “good friendly violent fun” with Epidemic.  It was just about violence.

By the time Epidemic’s debut LP, The Truth Of What Will Be, emerged in 1989, the paradigm for thrash metal was firmly established.  Many, including myself, might even say by the time the 90s hit, the quality in the genre had started to deteriorate and numerous headbangers moved on to new and more intense grounds such as grindcore and death metal, while massive hordes of metal fans went to groove along with Pantera (yuk).  Like much of the Metal Blade catalog in ’89, Epidemic could have easily been another rehash band of what came before them and released music that was languorous and played out.  Nope.  Not a fucking chance with these guys.  Their debut reflected those prior influences and created an impressive outing of feral, bone-breaking thrash.  Yet, even that doesn’t hold up to the sonic malevolence of the sophomore release, Decameron.  Some words to describe Decameron…merciless, unrelenting, savage, repentless (see what I did there?  good god)  This isn’t an album that needs fine details to describe it.  When it’s heavy, they go and play heavier.  When it’s fast, they go and play faster.  There are no “mosh” parts and nothing to make you smile.  The aggression is off the charts and can feel the band turning their instruments into wreckage.  Some describe Epidemic as a death metal band, but that’s just because of their bellicose approach to songwriting and the overall barbarity they display.  This record would make 90% of the death metal bands out there cower in a corner.  Decameron is a master class in how to do an extreme metal record right.  The musical climate of 1992 just wasn’t an optimal time for a record of this nature, so it sadly remains an underground gem still to be discovered by rabid thrash metal fans everywhere.

Listen to "Hate" here.

Flyers From The Past #04

  

  

  

  

  

Video Mix Tape 23

Mix 23

0:00  U.D.I.

1:34  40 Watt Sun

8:31  Danzig

12:54  Attitude Adjustment

13:43  Fastbacks

15:35  Cats In Boots

19:28  Love

21:58  Sex Machine

24:23  OMD

28:02  Carcass

PROPHECY - Legions Of Violence

Artist:  Prophecy

Album: Legions Of Violence

Year:  2008

Genre:  Thrash Metal

The “re-thrash” wave that began around 2000 produced bands that were almost clones of those that came before.  Since some of the original masters changed their ways or were having difficulty reproducing the stellar quality they once maintained, it was kind of cool hearing young, motivated bands do their take on their thrash metal heroes.  Didn’t like the latest offering from DRI?  Check out Municipal Waste or Possuido Pelo Cao.  New Destruction or Sodom boring you?  Listen to Avenger Of Blood or Violator.  Brazil’s Prophecy would like to remind you of how great Testament was on their first two records, as they emulate Testament’s signature big time crunchy riffs, speed to burn rhythms and wonderfully growled thrash vocals.  If you told me this was a new Testament release, I wouldn’t have doubted it for a second. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?  With that said, the new Testament is a pretty damn great record, so you should go buy that too.

Listen to "Empty Life" here.

VISIONS OF CHANGE - Visions Of Change

Artist:  Visions Of Change
Album:  Visions Of Change
Year:  1988
Genre:  Punk / Hardcore

I don’t know how many reviews like this I’ve written so far, but these are my favorites.  Once again, my never-ending search for bands I missed in the 80s and 90s has come through again!  This time, the Airstrip One compilation on Mystic led me to Visions Of Change.  I’m sitting here kicking myself because these guys should have been in my life much, much sooner.  Before they were VOC, they were called The Depraved, whose records I’ve owned forever.  I guess I didn’t pay close enough attention to what they did after they were done.  That’s a shame because this album rules!  Although they’re from the UK, they sound like an American band that is wearing their Dag Nasty and Verbal Assault influences prominently on their sleeves.  There is not one shred of anything UK influenced on this album, and that’s saying something for a band that was once associated with the incredible Children Of Revolution Record label.  If you told me this was a lost album that Dischord was going to release, I would not have doubted that for a second because this has D.C. style all over it; emotionally charged, guitar driven and melodic.  This is a gem and needs to be sought out by anyone into powerful, melodic hardcore.

Listen to "You Turn Away" here.

Flyers From The Past #03

  

  

  

  

  

Songs You Should Know #41 – Norman Bates And The Showerheads, The Gathering and Hacktivist

Artist: Norman Bates And The Showerheads

Song: Hellminded

Genre: Hardcore Punk

Artist: The Gathering

Song: Liberty Bell

Genre: Heavy Alternative

Artist: Hacktivist

Song: Hyperdialect

Genre: Hardcore / Nu Metal

MODERN ENGLISH - Mesh And Lace

Artist:  Modern English

Album: Mesh And Lace

Year:  1981

Genre:  Post-Punk / New Wave

My god 1981 was forever ago.  I was only 10 at that time and still thought the first eight Kiss releases ruled the world.  Thanks to my older cousins I was also listening to some Boston, Queen, Genesis, Abba and J. Geils too.  It was right about that time I caught the FM radio bug.  The Detroit area had a wide variety of stations which included rock, jazz, classical, country and everything in between.  The hard rock stations introduced me to Zeppelin, Sabbath, Triumph, Deep Purple, Van Halen and so much more.  It was not long after that I started listening to what was considered Top 40 radio.  This, along with the birth of MTV, which I watched anywhere I could until my parents got cable television, opened me up to a new world of music.  Soon, I also knew who Rick Springfield, Pat Benatar, Hall & Oates, Blondie, Air Supply and many other were.  In 1982 and 1983, my horizons were expanded because so called “new wave” artists were staring to get air time on both radio and that previously mentioned TV station which went from playing videos 24 hours a day to only featuring a plethora of horrible shows such as the one that glorified rich, bratty, spoiled 16-year-olds and their birthdays, or the one that tried to get Tila Tequila laid by everybody, and the one that made Ozzy look like a utter doofus, and on and on.  Before MTV went to shit, music was new and exciting as they spun songs by so many cool artists including Prince, Duran Duran, The Police, Tears For Fears, Joan Jett, Soft Cell, The Human League, A Flock Of Seagulls, The Go-Go’s, Men At Work and the band I’m going to be writing about, Modern English.  This is the era of music that is forever embedded in my head. 

In 1982, the song “Melt With You” got heavy rotation on radio and MTV.  Now, as a kid, I loved the song.  Knew it back and forth, but never actually bought their full length record.  One, I was still in hard rock / metal mode which was my primary focus.  Two, I recorded it onto a cassette off the radio so I could listen to it whenever I wanted.  Did anyone else have tapes made from the radio that had the DJ talking either at the beginning or end of the song?  Ah, the memories.  It wasn’t until I was older that I dove back into the full length catalogue of releases by a lot of 80s bands.  Some were wonderful like Tears For Fears, Prince, Duran Duran and A Flock Of Seagulls.  Some just ended up being one hit wonders to me like Big Country, Real Life, Berlin and Dead Or Alive.  Not only do I believe the first two Modern English albums to be pinnacle representations of 80s music, I also believe them to be stellar examples of the new wave that was hitting the mainstream, with their debut, Mesh And Lace, being a prime example of the ingenuity happening in what would soon be titled "alternative" music.

Mesh And Lace, the third full length release for the groundbreaking 4AD label, is both beautiful and brutish.  It's an experiment as much as it is a collection of songs.  Modern English were young, raw and willing to take risks.  Although a melodic nature persists throughout the album, a sense of angst seeps through the imperfect, emotionally charged performances; taking large cues from Joy Division on how to catch the listener's attention and remain coarse.  Hints of proto-industrial elements lurk on the record in the form of keyboard interludes, instrumental noise and samples that connect many of the songs in an effort to give the album some continuity and flow which, for the era, was rather cutting-edge.  As much as the record was riding that new wave crest, the band solidified itself directly into the annals post-punk history.  At this stage, Modern English had more in common with the sonic rumblings of Bauhaus, Killing Joke, Joy Division, Wire, Christian Death, and The Chameleons (yes, they were later, but you get the idea); and they were easily as good as their contemporaries.   Mesh And Lace is driven and moody. A touch outside the smooth “Melt With You” exterior they displayed on their follow up LP After The Snow; which, by the way, is another wonderful record that leans much more toward their new wave sensibilities, yet keeps a very independent feeling of creativity throughout the album.  Remember, 4AD was not a major label, so “Melt With You” was actually an independent single that became huge and now is seen as a prime representation of “80s” music.  And, although I listen to their debut much more consistently, you cannot go wrong with either of these records by this highly innovative band.

Listen to "A Viable Commercial" here.

CRUSADES - The Sun Is Down And The Night Is Riding In

Artist:  Crusades
Album:  The Sun Is Down And The Night Is Riding In
Year:  2011
Genre:  Punk

I owe listening to this band to a dear friend of mine.  Crusades play a style of punk rock that I will fall all over every single fucking time; raw, driving, brash instrumentation with hook filled vocals and a darker lyrical theme.  The last record that hit me like this was AFI's The Art Of Drowning.  Different style, but same effectiveness.  I wouldn't label the singing as poppy, but it's almost guaranteed you'll be humming along after the first few listens.  Crusades changes the tempos just enough that when you need that burst of high energy, they give it to you, but they also know when to hit the brakes and take it down a bit.  This makes for a varied and interesting listen.  The other positive is that the production is punk rock!  No overproduced "Fat Wreck" tones here.  It sounds like a bunch of guys plugged in, cranked the gain and went for it.  Buzzsaw guitars, loud drums, gritty vocals....just like it should be.  Highly recommended.

I have a dear friend to thank for introducing me to this band.  Crusades play the kind of punk rock that that I will fall all over every single fucking time: raw, driving, brash instrumentation with infectious vocal hooks and lyrical themes that don't exactly rain down sunshine.  The last record that grabbed me this hard was The Art of Drowning by AFI. The stylings are a bit different but both have the same impact.  I wouldn't call the vocals poppy, yet after a few listens you'll almost certainly find yourself humming along.  Crusades changes the tempos just enough that when you need that burst of high energy, they give it to you, but they also know when to hit the brakes and take it down a bit making for a varied and interesting listen.  The other positive is that the production is punk rock!  No overproduced "Fat Wreck" tones here.  It sounds like a bunch of guys plugged in, cranked the gain and went for it.  Buzzsaw guitars, loud drums, gritty vocals....just like it should be.  Highly recommended.

Listen to "Sacraments" here.

Flyers From The Past #02

  

  

  

      

Video Mix Tape 22

Mix 22

0:00  Helloween

4:14  Alphaville

8:12  Cavalcade

12:43  The Models

16:32  Farside

18:26  The God Machine

23:08  Zeke

24:13  Alice In Chains

28:17  Voodoo Church

31:27  Atrophy

DEMON SYSTEM 13 - Aborted Teen Generation

Artist:  Demon System 13

Album:  Aborted Teen Generation

Year:  1998

Genre:  Thrash / Hardcore / Punk

Demon System 13, or for you more rad people, DS-13, were a hardcore punk band from the incredible land of Sweden.  First, let’s address that name.  I don’t know what it means at all but it’s so fucking cool.  DS-13 played ultra-frenzied hardcore, bordering on all-out thrashcore, they blaze and slice through songs like nobody’s business, hitting the listener with their dislike of authority, cops, and society in mere seconds.  That’s not a false statement; three songs on this release are literally under 10 seconds long.  DS-13 did everything right on this 7” and I have to say it is a favored listen amongst their formidable catalog.  I never got to see the band live, but the production gives me a sense of what it would be like.  I love releases like this.  Short songs require a short review.  I'm going to take the next 9 minutes and 38 seconds and go listen to the 13 songs on Aborted Teen Generation.  You should too.

Listen to "Fukk The Cops" here.

Flyers From The Past #01

Top 100 Albums To Live With The Rest Of My Life

Coming up with stupid things to stress myself out with is easy.  Almost a month ago, I was talking music with a dear friend and the amount of physical media we both own entered the conversation.  When we finished, I got an idea in my head: What if I could only own 100 records the rest of my life?  To put my dilemma into perspective, at this current time, it would take me approximate 9.7 years to listen to all my records if I listened to one record every day.  No CDs.  No cassettes.  Just vinyl.  Then I began to think to myself about the ridiculousness of that amount of albums and time.  Could I just live with 100 records the rest of my life and what would they be?  I told the concept to my friend and he happily told me to fuck off with that in the nicest way possible.  Looking back, I should have told myself to fuck off because I've been working on and intensely struggling with this for a month now.  Even though I'm still questioning a few things that didn't make the cut, what I finally figured out is that I will never EVER be completely happy with this final list,  This is as close as I'm going to get.  Without further ado, my top 100 albums to live with the rest of my life.

7 Seconds - New Wind

7 Seconds - Soulforce Revolution

7 Seconds - The Crew

A Flock Of Seagulls - A Flock Of Seagulls

The Accused - More Fun Than An Open Casket Funeral

Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

All - Breaking Things

Anacrusis - Screams And Whispers

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

Bad Brains - I Against I

Bad Religion - Against The Grain

Bad Religion - No Control

Bad Religion - Suffer

Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

Boston - Boston

Brutal Truth - Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Measures

Candlemass - Nightfall

Christian Death - Only Theatre Of Pain

The Clash - London Calling

Cock Sparrer - Shock Troops

Coroner - No More Color

Corrosion Of Conformity - Blind

Cro-Mags - Age Of Quarrel

Crumbsuckers - Life Of Dreams

The Cult - Electric

The Cure - Faith

Cynic - Focus

Dag Nasty - Can I Say

Danzig - Danzig

Death - Scream Bloody Gore

Def Leppard - High N' Dry

Depeche Mode - Violator

Descendents - Milo Goes To College

Détente - Recognize No Authority

D.I. - Horse Bites Dog Cries

Die Kreuzen - Die Kruezen

Doughboys - Home Again

D.R.I. - Dealing With It

Exodus - Bonded By Blood

Faith No More - Introduce Yourself

Faith No More - King For A Day Fool For A Lifetime

Faith No More - The Real Thing

Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian

Fear Of God - Within The Veil

Feisty Cadavers - Dead Giveaway

Feisty Cadavers - Dying Art

Goo Goo Dolls - Hold Me Up

Good Riddance - For God And Country

Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today

Green Day - Kerplunk

Guns 'N Wankers - For Dancing And Listening

Halloween - Don't Metal With Evil

Heathen - Breaking The Silence

Holy Terror - Mind Wars

Husker Du - Warehouse: Songs And Stories

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent

Kiss - Alive 2

Leatherface - Mush

Megadeth - Peace Sells But Who's Buying

Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath

Metal Church - Metal Church

Metallica - Kill 'Em All

Metallica - Master Of Puppets

Metallica - Ride The Lightning

Ministry - The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste

Misfits - Misfits

Misfits - Walk Among Us

Naked Raygun - Understand

Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

Nirvana - Nevermind

Norman Bates And The Showerheads - N.B.S.H.

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman

Pegboy - Strong Reaction

Pet Shop Boys - Please

Poison Idea - Feel The Darkness

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime

Quicksand  - Slip

Ramones - Mania

Rise Against - The Sufferer And The Witness

Rush - Moving Pictures

Screeching Weasel - My Brain Hurts

Seduce - Seduce

Sepultura - Beneath The Remains

Shock Therapy - Shock Therapy

Sisters Of Mercy - Floodland

Skinny Puppy - Too Dark Park

Slayer - Reign In Blood

Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster

S.O.D. - Speak English Or Die

Soul Asylum - Hang Time

Switchblade Symphony - Serpentine Gallery

Terrorizer - World Downfall

Testament - The Legacy

Verbal Assault - Trial

Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes

W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.

Wild Dogs - Reign Of Terror

Znowhite - Act Of God

Songs You Should Know #40 – No Fun At All, Recipients Of Death and Chainz

Artist: No Fun At All

Song: Vision

Genre: Hardcore Punk

Artist: Recipients Of Death

Song: Raping Death

Genre: Thrash Metal

Artist: Chainz

Song: MGK DISS (The Real Rap Devil)

Genre: Rap