Vio-Lence Eternal Nightmare Album Review

Vio-Lence - Eternal Nightmare (1988)

Band Members:

Sean Killian - Vocals

Phil Demmel - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Robb Flynn - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Deen Dell - Bass, Backing Vocals

Perry Strickland - Drums

Factoid:

Eternal Nightmare is the debut album by the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Vio-lence. It was released originally in 1988 on MCA Records' Mechanix sublabel. A limited 10" promo single was released, with two tracks 'Eternal Nightmare' and 'Phobophobia'; the release was quite unique, as it came in a sealed plastic cover, containing (fake) vomit.[3] Shortly after, thrash metal innovators Slayer released a single in a similar format, but with fake blood and alternative rock band The Revolting Cocks released a single with fake semen.

The Review:

Dear friends,

- climb in your car or get your bicycle,

- drive to the next record store,

- see a Repka artwork,

- buy the album in a matter of seconds,

- drive home on the shortest way,

- do not say hello to your parents,

- put the vinyl on your turntable immediately and

- start to listen, bang your head and play air guitar.

You guessed it, this is how the eighties worked. One of these albums was the debut of Vio-lence, I picked this one up in '88 based on the cover alone, there was no internet, no streaming, very little radio airplay for this kinda stuff, you pretty much bought stuff based on what it looked like, and the song titles. However back in those days, 9 times out of 10 you would most likely find something to like about an album. But let's move onto the review proper now...

When listening to Vio-Lence's “Eternal Nightmare,” it seems almost as if the band took a giant blender the size of Mount Olympus, packed in as many crazed riffs and shredding solos as it will physically allow, and you, the listener, happened to be dragged in for the ride. While this silly and cheap hyperbole can be applied to a multitude of albums, here it really sticks – because rarely will you hear such a spastic, unabashed riff-fest of a thrash album. Many bands come close, but sometimes they often seem too preoccupied with injecting unnecessary ballads, slow atmospheric parts, catchy vocals, and sing-along choruses into the mix. Unlike some of their more well-known Bay Area thrash compatriots, Vio-Lence never lose sight of what is important.

What should be this album's objective weakness is really its true strength – in that it is really isn't much more but a large pile of riffs; quality riffs that take what came before and build off the next, creating a patchwork of an unrelenting sense of hyperactive chaos and urgency throughout. Although they offer virtually nothing innovative, and do not try to, the band surely does what they do better than most, and their sound is unmistakable. Vio-Lence take the pre-established, gleaming thrash aesthetic of Bay Area bands like Testament and Exodus, inject much more of the raw, hardcore punk influences of the East Coast thrash fair of the likes of Anthrax, Nuclear Assault and Overkill, and slather it with much of the gritty intensity and blinding speed and aggression of Slayer or Dark Angel; though Vio-Lence is arguably as thrashy, heavy, unhinged, riff-dense and interesting as the sum of those bands combined.

Especially for a Bay Area-release, “Eternal Nightmare” stands as a pretty damn heavy album, with much of its heaviness being derived from its pure punk-fueled rage and rather crunchy guitar tone. The album has hit that rare jackpot in which the production seems to fit in that nice valley between unabashed raw authenticity and studio cleanliness, leaning more on the gritty side of things. It can conjure up an aesthetic of what Exodus, Testament, and The Big Four were doing in the mid-late eighties without much of the glitter and polish, though I feel most comparable would be a much heavier version of Anthrax's “Among the Living.” The guitars pack a trebly crunch, though in very few instances I do wish the production were as thick as it is on their follow up album, it would make the more nimble, higher register riffs such as the opening of “Phobophobia” and “Kill on Command” a little more imposing. Dean Dell's bass is perfectly audible and pungent, and drummer Perry Strickland's crazed and gimmick-less bass-snare assault is really fucking loud in the mix, which completely adds to the album's signature sound, and for that I am truly thankful. Some may call it sloppy, I call it amazing. Vocalist Sean Killian's hyper-rapid, punk-injected, syllable-spewing bark fits the music absolutely perfectly, and the lyrics which he re-wrote for the album are especially twisted – some of the lyrics deal with people who are particularly good at what they do, namely themes of sadistic dictators, prolific serial killers, professional government-employed hitmen, and the talents of a gifted coroner on the tracks “Bodies on Bodies,” “Serial Killer,” “Kill on Command,” and “Calling in the Coroner” respectively. None of the songs have sing-along choruses, rather the refrains are often accompanied by hefty gang-shouts by the rest of the band.

Though not overtly technical or progressive, the guitar-work here is fairly complex – primary songwriter Phil Demmel and relative newcomer Robb Flynn employ a fairly wide array of thrash rhythms and styles, often within the same riff or section, ranging from blunt tremolo patterns to more rhetorical hooks, to complicated, rapid shredded styled fretboard riffing gymnastics. The riffs are so excellently put together that most of them are highly distinct and memorable despite their sheer velocity and relative intricacy. Rather than routinely cycling through strict verse-chorus structures with ad nauseam repetition between a limited number of riffs, some parts undergo compulsory rhythmic and textural variations, rapidly shuffling back and forth between a set of riffs within their vast and unpredictable pallet of material, creating a blurred sense of rushing tension and organized disarray. This is best heard within the 'start, stop, then throw your spine out-of-order' nature of the iconic title track, whose opening material takes the simple introductory power chord progression and gradually transforms it into a battering riff array throughout, as well as the band's hyperintense, gang-shouting-clad flagship song – “Kill on Command.”

“Serial Killer” and “Bodies on Bodies” are the more meat and potatoes thrashers of the album, while the band's sheer lunacy is epitomized within the crack-cocaine-infused madness that is the 220+ BPM “T.D.S. (Take it as you Will),” especially with its frenetic, Darkness Descends-esque trilled opening riff and tremolo-picked riff mongering. While the band will on minute occasion slow down with some more mid-paced, muscular guitar-work, the album still, by-and-large, smacks you around with a crazed array of manic speedball riffage. The more down-tempo tracks include “Calling in the Coroner” (which was penned by Flynn during his tenure in Forbidden), and part of the first half of “Phobophobia;” the former showcasing the most heavy, churning grooves on the album as well as gnarly gang-shouts near the end; the later boasting an epic middle section as well as the most spiraling and memorable performance from Killian's fucking glorious, Timmy from South Park on crack styled vocals.

This one is for fans looking for a beefed-up, hardcore tinged, million-riff mayhem ventured within the leagues of 80's Sepultura or Demolition Hammer, with the animated and fun-loving ethos of Exodus or even Anthrax. “Eternal Nightmare” is pure riff candy – a rollercoaster of shredding guitar genius, and it's really hard to believe that the same guitarists who brought you the chugga-chug bro-core you hear on the albums “Supercharger” and “The Burning Red” were once the skilled thrash craftsmen you see here.

Kill! On Command! Kill! On Command!

Why the hell did the eighties come to an end?

Score: 4.5/5

Anthrax Among the Living Album Review

Anthrax - Among the Living (1987)

Band members:

Joey Belladonna – lead vocals

Dan Spitz – lead guitar, backing vocals

Scott Ian – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Frank Bello – bass, backing vocals

Charlie Benante – drums

Production:

Eddie Kramer — producer, engineer

Chris Rutherford — engineer

Francis McSweeney, Chip Schane — assistant engineers

George Marino — mastering at Sterling Sound, New York

Jon Zazula — executive producer

Factoids:

Among the Living is the third studio album by American thrash metal band, Anthrax. It was released on March 22, 1987 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island, and was certified gold by the RIAA on July 31, 1990.The BBC has described the album as "arguably their big breakthrough", and "often cited by fans as their favorite Anthrax album". Drummer and principal songwriter Charlie Benante has referred to Among the Living as Anthrax's "signature album". The album was dedicated to the late Cliff Burton of Metallica who died in a bus accident six months before its release.

The cover art, by illustrator and painter Don Brautigam, has been the subject of discussion. It was long believed to depict the character Rev. Henry Kane, antagonist from the film Poltergeist II: The Other Side, while others believed it depicted Randall Flagg, the subject of the album's title track and the antagonist from the Stephen King novel The Stand. Drummer Charlie Benante, who conceived the concept for the cover, explained: "It was just about how much evil there is amongst us. I wanted to show just the same type of person on the cover. The same type of people and then, the one person that was sticking out kind of giving you a wave, like a 'hi!'".

The Review:

"Disease! Disease! Spreading the disease!" The opening lines of Anthrax' third studio full length record aren't only a reference to the vivid predecessor, they also indicate the addicting strength of this thrash metal milestone. On its third output, the band has finally found its very own style. The East Coast quintet has moved away from its original New Wave of British Heavy Metal sound, several classic rock influences and even most of their hardcore punk touch inspirations. "Among the Living" is the band's rawest, fastest and angriest release and it defines the thrash metal genre better than any other album has ever done.

Over the next fifty minutes of playtime, Anthrax is offering nine pitiless tracks filled with fast riffs and unchained guitar solos, angrily pumping bass guitar licks, ferocious yet versatile high-speed drumming and breathless yet powerful vocals that are emotionally over the top but manage to remain catchy and melodic as they are constantly supported by energizing and angry gang shouts. The lyrics vary between angry yet intelligent social criticism and unchained fun anthems inspired by popular culture. The more serious lyrics are related to contemporary issues back in the days such as the outrageous fate of Native Americans, an ongoing Cold War despite a desire for peace and unity from younger generations and a warning that the horrors of war shouldn't be downplayed, forgotten or neglected. The more carefree texts feature ironic statements about complicated interpersonal relationships, unbound lust for life or are simply inspired by fictitious characters from different art media such as Judge Dredd, Randall Flagg or Reverend Henry Kane. Lyrically, this release is an incredibly authentic time document from the mid-eighties but I can still relate to most of the texts three decades later due to their timeless and youthful spirit.

This mixture of mature and juvenile lyrics would become a trademark for the band that was also a guiding line for the next three studio albums. Even though the band found its own musical style on this release, the quintet opted for less urgent variations of that style on the next three records. Anthrax have never been that poignant again as on "Among the Living". Some of their other albums might be more courageous, diversified or intellectual but this release is probably their best due to its emotions, energy and honesty. In my opinion, this is one of the best thrash metal albums of all time.

Apart of one or two less intense minutes in "A.D.I. / Horror of It All" that sounds alien to this release due to its calmer and sluggish approach and an almost epic length of nearly eight minutes, every track on here is an instant hit and still relevant over thirty years later. Just like a disease, this album makes you sing along, raise your fists in the air and get crazy in a mosh pit. If you want to see what this kind of music can do to an adrenalized crowd, go watch the first thirty minutes of the incredible live release "Chile on Hell" where the band plays the five opening tracks of this milestone in a row more than thirty one years later. From the first epic and melodic seconds of the atmospheric, pace-shifting and pitiless opener "Among the Living" to the angry message against media creation of plastic people in the album closer "Imitation of Life" that ends this milestone with heavy and low bass play, brutal mid-tempo riffs and some dystopian distortion, the intensity of this album is indeed spreading like a disease. If you like metal music, no matter what genre might be your favourite, this is an absolutely essential record to add to your collection or to quote singer Joey Belladonna: "Among the living - follow me or die!"

Score: 5/5

Metal History...Vengeance Rising

Vengeance Rising is a thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California in the United States. The band formed in 1985 as Sacrifice but changed their name to Vengeance the same year, until 1987. The band was formed by Doug Thieme and Roger Dale Martin. They would hire Larry Farkas soon after. The band is known for their amazing albums, as well as the controversy that followed in 1992 when Roger Martinez became an "Atheistic Satanist".

History:

This band's history has been said to be the most bizarre in metal history, I would call that a small overstatement but it is a history filled with very weird occurrences and confusing situations...so here you go, the history of Vengeance Rising.

In 1985, the band began as Sacrifice, with the lineup of Doug Thieme (Guitars) and Roger Dale Martin (Bass). The band would then hire Drummer Steve Bertram. However, Bertram did not last in the band long and would be replaced by Michael "Mike" Betts of Neon Cross. The band's name would change their name to Vengeance, due to the already preexisting death metal band Sacrifice.

The band was known for its fascination with violent themes, as reflected lyrically in their first two albums. Their first two albums, before the split into Die Happy, are considered their best. Their debut Human Sacrifice was called "the most radical Christian album ever released" by HM Magazine editor Doug Van Pelt. Their penchant for violence extended to the stage, and the band would graphically portray the crucifixion of Christ at their shows. Extreme graphics also appeared in the cover art of the band's albums. Both Human Sacrifice and Once Dead were censored by Christian bookstores at least partially because of their violent graphical content. Copies of their third release. Destruction Comes, had a censorship sticker covering the male figure, dubbed "Raegoul", exposing half of his body without skin...but I am getting a bit ahead of myself here.

After the name change, in 1986, the band hired Sharon to perform vocals. The band, now consisting on Sharon, Thieme, Betts, and Martin would perform for an additional year until they changed their name to Vengeance Rising, also hiring Larry Farkas on Lead Guitars (ex-Deliverance), Glen Mancaruso on Drums, and Glenn Rogers on Rhythm Guitars (Deliverance). Mancaruso agreed to perform drums temporarily until they were able to find and hire a new drummer. Soon thereafter, they would hire Roger Martinez on Vocals and everything fell into place.

Two weeks later, Rogers would depart from the band, after writing several songs structures.

The band, with the new lineup, signed to Intense Records. The band then recorded and released their debut album, Human Sacrifice. The band toured on the album with the lineup. The same year, the band would release a demo titled Vengeance. In 1989, the band was featured on a split album, featuring Sacred Warrior, Deliverance, Bloodgood, Shout and David Zaffiro. The album was released through Frontline Records.

In 1990, the band released their sophomore album, titled Once Dead. A review of Once Dead in CCM found that the cover of that albums depiction of "resurrection from spiritual death" was "grisly". Musically, the album showed an influence of speed metal, with thrash arrangements on some songs, like the cover of Deep Purple's Space Truckin', and "Out of the Will", which reminded one reviewer of One Bad Pig. While the vocals often sounded "like someone gargling with razor blades", the lyrics were found to be "very Bible based," and matched with the scriptural references from which they were drawn. However the band members began to feel a disconnect with Martinez, as he would not tour with the band in the van. After the Once Dead Tour, the members met with Martinez and arranged a way for him to keep control of all debts that the band had, with Martinez agreeing to the terms. The band members would, however, later on be accused by Martinez of thievery and leaving him to handle all of the band's debts. These claims were not true.

In 1991, Martinez hired Lead Guitarist Derek Sean (ex-Mortification) and Drummer Chris Hyde (ex-Deliverance, ex-Holy Soldier) to perform on the new upcoming album, titled Destruction Comes. The album is generally considered to be a failing album, as the first two albums were considered the best. However some fans appreciate it more than others. The album also featured additional guitars and bass by Jimmy P. Brown II (Deliverance), Victor Macias (Tourniquet) and Jaime Mitchel (Scaterd Few).

After the album was released, Hyde and Sean departed from the band. Martinez only hired Johnny Vasquez officially for drums, while the rest of the musical section he filled with live musicians. Martinez and Vasquez recorded their newest album, Released Upon the Earth. The live band, consisting of Guitarists George Ochoa (Deliverance, ex-Recon) and Daniel Cordova (Shades of Crimson) as well as Michael "Mike" Wagel on Bass. After the album released, the band split up. The band released a compilation album titled Anthology.

Roger Martinez had previously been a part of the Pentecostal Foursquare Church and was baptized there. He eventually joined a church near Hollywood, where he became a pastor. However, by the release of Released Upon the Earth, he had left his pastor position to perform music full-time. While there, he began looking into faith healing, which found to be a fraud. In the mid 1990s, Martinez departed from the Christian faith, telling HM Magazine he was a committed atheist in 1997. There was some speculation that he was never a Christian and he just put on a performance. According to friends of Martinez, Scott Waters (Ultimatum) and Steve Rowe (Mortification), Martinez began to record music that counteracted his Christian career. Martinez then began making death threats towards individuals he claimed "stabbed him in the back", including Steve Rowe, whose band, Mortification, Martinez assisted in getting a record contract.

At this point, he began working on a non-Christian album under the name Vengeance Rising, however, with much luck the venture never saw the light of day and Martinez disappeared for a brief time. The band at the time had several musicians formerly of the Christian metal scene, who had lost their faith.

In 2004, the founding members, Thieme and Martin, alongside Farkas and Mancaruso reformed the band with Ultimatum vocalist Scott Waters to play a reunion show at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California. However, since the band gave Martinez the rights to the debts, he claimed that he owned the name of the band as well. He threatened to sue the band so the concert could not happen. The band changed their name to Once Dead, so they could play the show. The band became it's own project, rather than continued on the Vengeance name and legacy.

In 2017, the band, with the help of Roxx Records, re-released Human Sacrifice on vinyl for it's 30th anniversary. On August 9, 2017, it was reported that Vengeance Rising would reunite at the So Cal Metal Fest 2, with the original lineup of Thieme, Martin, Farkas and Macarsuo, with Jim Settle of Hand of Fire performing vocals for the show. The band performed the show with no incident. The band is currently signed to unspecified label and is working on new music. Despite being known as Vengeance Rising, the band is changing their name to something else. The band returned to the moniker of Once Dead, with the change of Roger Sampson of Precious Death on Drums.

All in all a turbulent history and a really bizarre story as well. However with all its ups and downs one really can't deny the impact this band made on metal music as a whole. I know musicians in all types of metal bands, from traditional, to thrash, to death, to black, even the most guttural of grind bands who have sited at least the debut album as an influence. It was an amazing band who's legacy goes far beyond the controversies and the conflicts, and exists as a beacon of metal mastery that all interested bands can aspire to.

Crimson Glory Transcendence Album Review

Crimson Glory - Transcendence (1988)

Members:

Midnight - lead vocals

Jon Drenning - lead guitar

Ben Jackson - rhythm guitar

Jeff Lords - bass guitar

Dana Burnell - drums

Factoids:

Transcendence is the second studio album by Florida heavy metal group Crimson Glory, released in 1988 via Roadracer Records (now Roadrunner Records) in Europe and MCA Records in United States. It is considered by many to be their finest work. It was recorded at Morrisound Studios.

The artwork was made by Japanese artist Takashi Terada for the Japanese poster art for the 1985 science fiction film Lifeforce, the artwork was also used on an issue of the popular science magazine OMNI.

The Review:

Ah the sequel album if you will. Just like movies, they can be tricky. Sky high expectations (only to come crashing down) are the main reason for people saying that they can’t hold a candle to the original movie or debut album (which would happen with Crimson Glory’s later albums, but we're not here to talk about that now. But having said all that let me assure you that they absolutely meet all expectations and in some instances I dare say they surpass them. One hell of an iconic heavy metal release right up there with all the Maiden and Priest classics. Think of this album as the debut on steroids as far as sheer intensity and power is concerned, though both albums are pretty much cut from the same cloth. Of course both the debut and Transcendence are classics and I’m sure that no one with a pair of functional ears would even try and argue with that. The cover art is bizarrely questionable but let’s not get into that for the time being.

These guys sure as hell realize the importance of a killer opening track and honestly what better choice can there be other than the fist-pumping epic “Lady Of Winter”. The way he screeches “LAAAAADYYY OF WINTAAAAAAR, TUUUURNING TO RAAAAIN!!” plus the catchy-as-hell opening guitar lick of the song itself makes it an instant winner right from the very first listen itself. It has to be noted that this stuff is addictive. Yeah don’t worry, I’m still talking about the song here folks. If you're looking for the more straight-up heavy metal cuts on this album, "Where Dragons Rule" (with an amazing catchy chorus riff), "Red Sharks" (with some super-awesome high pitched vocals) plus the killer riffage of "Eternal World" will suit you just fine not to mention prime cuts like "In Dark Places" (ignore the slightly cheesy lyrics) and "Masque Of The Red Death" have a mid-paced/doomier and more varied twist on the usual template of heavy metal that really makes these guys stand out from the pack. Plus the epic title track has an almost oriental intro with the clean picking and acoustic rhythms. Very interesting indeed and one heck of a grower after the first couple of listens. The riffs are pure gold with sublime lead harmonies, reminiscent of what makes the genre of heavy metal so amazing. Just like Queensryche and Judas Priest, these guys can also rip it on the ballads with absolute class and finesse without sounding cheesy or overbearing in the least. Kindly listen to "Painted Skies" and "Lonely" (A sublime melancholic touch with an inferno of a solo to boot) to see what I'm talking about. The latter ballad actually reminds me of Queensryche's epic "I Don't Believe In Love"(ironically released the same year). The thing that really set this band apart from other bands was their obviously endless talent and of that talent their singer Midnight (John Patrick McDonald), a vocalist who was so gifted and poetically esoteric that it made his vocal phrasing seem  effortless and emotionally charged, he was the anchor of this bands very unique sound. Sadly with Priest, Maiden and Queensryche mainly leading the charge in the 80s, these guys seem to have fallen through the cracks, which is a bit of a shame really, because in later years as this album has been discovered, it has really influenced a whole legion of power metal bands all over the world trying to capture that lighting again.

If you read the last sentence of the previous stanza properly, you clearly need to remedy the situation and get this album if you haven't already. A heavy metal classic with amazing diversity and absolutely mandatory for every fan of metal across the board. It's just as simple as that.

Score: 5/5

Tourniquet Stop the Bleeding Album Review

Tourniquet - Stop the Bleeding (1990)

Members:

Ted Kirkpatrick – drums, bass

Guy Ritter – vocals

Gary Lenaire – guitars, vocals, bass

Mark Lewis – lead guitars

Factoid:

Stop the Bleeding is Christian metal band Tourniquet's debut album, released originally in 1990 on Intense Records and remastered/re-released independently in 2001 on Pathogenic Records. The re-release includes new artwork, an expanded booklet, and several bonus tracks including demos and live versions featuring then-lead vocalist Luke Easter.

The Review:

After 2+ decades of delivering punishing metal to rabid fans, Tourniquet's first release, Stop the Bleeding, is often dismissed as merely being a spring board for their later efforts. It' uniqueness is commonly overlooked, and is implied by some as being a bit outdated. Though it is quite true that a lot has changed in metal since 1990 (not all for the better), this is still an album that offers more sonic intricacies than most - past and present. It is also bone crushingly heavy!

The band recorded Stop the Bleeding at Mixing Lab A & B studio in Garden Grove, California. The band's line-up consisted of Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter, and Gary Lenaire. Session musician Mark Lewis played nearly half of the album's lead guitar solos.

Prior to the album's recording, during an "Artists vs. Label" softball game, a label executive accidentally ran over drummer Ted Kirkpatrick's foot (his main kick foot) while rounding second base, requiring Kirkpatrick to record the album under a great deal of pain. The band faced other recording obstacles as well, such a power failure that forced the producer to mix the songs over again.

Musically, the album was said to be "unlike anything else on the market at the time" and incorporates classical music to 1980s-inspired speed and thrash metal riffs. Guy Ritter's vocals on the album, which he said were inspired by glam metal vocalists, shift between low-baritone and high-falsetto vocals, although they were performed higher on the demo versions.

A common grievance though is the shrilling falsettos of Guy Ritter. This style of singing was more commonplace during this era and comparisons were usually made between him and King Diamond. For some, this may depreciate the originality. But set against the blistering background, these vocals create a musical ambience akin to no one else. His unrelenting shrieks on "Ready or Not," for example, resemble the howls of a frail yet hideous creature crawling out of a tomb.

Though there was no official bassist (they were essentially a trio), the work that was laid down in this respect is crunchy and more than functional. The bass work on "Harlot Widow and the Virgin Bride" is particularly prevalent and works well in this fashion. The guitar work is pristine and hints at the technical progressions that will emerge on later albums. Needless to say the drumming is extraordinary as Ted Kirkpatrick introduced his signature beats. One can literally be transfixed into the drum work alone.

This album shines ten metallic gems that don't let up. Highlights are the melodic "Test for Leprosy" containing one the coolest bridges ever, the epic "Tears of Korah" that successfully conjures the setting of the subject matter, "Arc of Suffering" which delivers merciless riffs along side lyrics about the mistreatment of animals, and the infectious whirlwind that is "Swarming Spirits."

In conclusion, Stop the Bleeding is worth any metal fan's time - be it to reminisce or to ponder Tourniquet's timeless musical innovations.

Score: 5/5