Only two songs, but both are excellent. Good production and a lot of energy. ‘Nuff said.

This is heavy Thrash with melodic vocals, somewhat like Forbidden. The songs remind me a little of Overkill, but not enough to be upset about. To be honest, I like Jason’s vox, he adds something to the music. All the songs are memorable and heavy at the same time. That’s a hell of a combination. The last song, “Inside Outro,” is a bass instrumental and is really cool. This is the first thing I’ve ever heard from D.A.M., I plan to find out a lot more about them. You should too.

This demo is one of the best I’ve heard. Produced by Scott Burns, this tape comes across loud and clear. The three songs are great all the way around. From the powerful vocals to the technical drum beats. Cynic is like Death meets Watchtower. I feel this is a demo everyone should possess.

Cyclone Temple is a talented bunch. Greg Fulton (a founding member of Znowhite) has assembled an impressive band that reminds me of Testament or Xentrix. That is to say: powerful vocals (courtesy of Brian Troch) that are actually sung, coupled with heavy, fast music. I was also impressed by the fact that the songs are memorable, yet intense. This is a winning combination. This album contains nine songs, all written by Fulton. The three that are essential to life are: “Sister,” “Born to Lose” and the best song on the LP “Words Are Just Words.” The last song, “Silence So Loud,” is slightly below the high standard set by the rest of the album, but it’s still more than acceptable. This is an extremely commendable first album and I think Cyclone Temple will be around for a long time. I Hate… Therefore I Am is recommended.

{Poor Greg Fulton could never get an even break. After many line-up changes and a couple more releases, CT finally broke up. As far as I know, Greg is now in a new band, but I’ve not heard from him for years.}

[Notes in {curly brackets} are from the Metal Curse 1 - 4 Collected Edition (1999)]

With this release Grindcore Records expands beyond the Death Metal genre. Crowbar reminds me a little of Black Sabbath. This is the other kind of Doom (along with bands like Solitude Aeturnus, Non-Fiction, St. Vitus and others) as opposed to the Paradise Lost, Cathedral kind. What I’m trying to say, is that the vocals are more in the “old style” -they are actually sung (but for this style, they are raw, as raw as those of dead horse at least). The music, however, is heavy, real heavy. As I’m sure you could expect, it’s also usually slow. This is an interesting release, but the vocals sorta of wear on me.

Very cool, and somewhat Deathy, Thrash. Scott’s vocals are raw, but understandable. And the music is brutal and complex, while also being memorable. The lyrics are printed and are interesting enough to read, rather than just follow along with. My favorite of the these 4 songs is the last one, “Crack of Doom,” which shifts from light speed to emotionally melodic and back again. Also interesting are the facts that Cross Fade thanks both “Satan and God,” and that the song “Free Death” was inspired by Nietzsche. If you don’t know who that is- find out! Then order this demo.

This is the new release from these Punk-Thrashers. And it’s pretty good, for this kind of music. It starts off with a slow, grinding sound, then breaks off with some acoustic guitars, which is really cool. It gets speedy in some places, but not too speedy. The vocals are raw, but understandable and they have a Punk influence in them. I sense an influence by the Misfits here. I like this album mainly because of the guitar sound, which is very cool, and the heavy drums. I don’t usually care for this kind of music, but it is good. So pick it up if you like Punk-Thrash.

Heavy, thick production and catchy riffs make this Death Metal onslaught fairly memorable. Eric’s vox are an obvious plus, as they are very raw, and the lyrics are understandable upon repeated listens. A better recording and production is really all this band needs.

You will die, Satan shall munch on your entrails… Hey! If I can pull you away from Death Metal for a moment? I’d like to tell you about some progressive thinking dudes named Coroner. Sort of a Metalized version of Rush, this three man outfit recently released their follow-up to last year’s No More Color LP. Coroner are adapting a Techno-Thrash attitude similar to Voivod. I think they even named this album after a Voivod song off of Dimension Hatross called “Psychic Vacuum.” Almost the same as “Mental Vortex,” huh? Anyway, Coroner have wisely looked to what many see as the future of Metal. Not that this doesn’t Thrash, just listen to “Divine Step,” or “Sirens” to get a taste of how hard these guys toast. Or to the cover of The Beatles “I Want You / She’s so Heavy,” for a sample of their versatility. Overall the musicianship is top notch. What’s great about this group is that they are heavy and Thrashy, but they also play in a melodic style at times to keep things interesting.

This demo contains four songs of above average Death Metal. The production is there and the songs are all okay, but something is missing. Nothing reaches out and kills you. And this is in the recording, not the band. I have seen Contagion live and I was very impressed. Somehow quite a bit was lost in the translation to the studio. I would assume that the problem is money, or lack thereof. However, the tape actually sounds pretty good, but compared to them live, it’s a bit of a disappointment.

Condemned is an amazingly well produced debut, and the songs are surprisingly heavy and complex. However, their singer, Scott Jeffreys, simply doesn’t belong in the band. He reminds me of the guy from Toxik (RIP), but ten times less restrained and professional. Ignoring the singing, if you can, the other members are all excellent musicians. Crunchy guitars backed by an astounding rhythm section. I’m especially impressed by drummer Stephen Shelton. Check out the title track for a sample of his thundering, Doomy backbeat. Anybody have a mixer to eliminate vocals? Without vocals this would get an 8.5 rating…

Slow Death. Slow, heavy, Death. This 3 piece band more than makes up for their lack of speed with heaviness. Mike’s vocals are also heavy and raw. It’s almost impossible to understand the lyrics, but I’ll bet they’re mean. The production is really good and this is a professional looking package. Musically, I am reminded of Autopsy or a slower Exmortis. Second Life is impressive from the intro before the first song all the way to the very end. Everything here fits together well and this is definitely worth checking out.

Did you expect Lee Dorian’s new band to sound exactly like Napalm Death? Wrong! This stuff is slow, kids. I’m talking Doom, with a capital “D.” One word of warning: if you listen to this straight through, you will probably go insane. Take it a few tracks at a time. Now, don’t get me wrong, in no way am I knocking this disc, but holy shit, Batman! This stuff is slow! I like it! My favorites are “Ebony Tears” and “Soul Sacrifice.” Napalm Death it ain’t, and a new wave of music it is.

These four songs are instantly deadly. Raw, powerful Death Metal vocals, and memorable, ominous music. This comes off sounding sorta Black Metal, but I don’t know what the band would have to say about that (the liner notes do say, “Give your prayer to Satan”). I guess I’ll have to send them an interview. Anyway, don’t miss out on this.

Shit, these guys blew me away! I love this demo. The singer is awesome. He sounds like the dude from Deviated Instinct. All the songs are good, but the best is “Consumed by Rot.” One song is even an instrumental. The production isn’t that great, but this is still one of the best.

This band combines elements of such legendary bands as the Misfits (and Danzig, too), Billy Idol, and occasionally Dead Kennedys. Musically, CoS is really interesting, although rather difficult to describe. Sometimes bordering on Thrash, sometimes more like early Punk, and sometimes more like straight ahead Rock. Vocally, I’m reminded of Glenn Danzig, but that’s not quite all there is to it. The vocals are more aggressive when necessary, but always fit exactly with the music. And that is one of this band’s greatest assets- they are extremely tight. It all fits together perfectly. Another asset is that all 13 songs stick with you. And finally, this band radiates an awesome amount of energy. I would bet that the Carnival is god live. Anyway, this LP is a bit different than their first LP, Go Tell Mother, it’s more polished, but not overdone. I really like this and I think anyone with an open mind will too. Favorite tracks: “Bad News Travels Fast” and “Naked Again.”

The vocals remind me of Pungent Stench, but the music is mostly Thrashier than that (or maybe speedier). Anyway, this is pretty cool.

This is the second release from this New York Death Metal band. If you thought Eaten Back to Life was psychotic, then get this: The band has matured nicely, finally finding its niche. This band is one of the sickest you will find. Weaving vocals of sheer gore, with music of a brutal intensity, and Chris Barnes’ vocals and lyric writing; they have become a well-oiled killing machine. Vocals range from bestial to demonic. With backing vocals from Glen Benton, “Vomit the Soul” is one of the better tracks, along with “Covered with Sores,” “Gutted” and the title track. Try reading the lyrics when you listen to the tape. The vocals are too fast too keep up with. Overall, I think Butchered at Birth is a vast improvement from their last effort. —News flash. The original artwork for this LP has been banned! The new cover is all white, with no artwork at all! A coupon is enclosed so you can order the real art, but this is total bullshit! What ever happened to the “Land of the free?” Tipper Gore must die!—

As with all Relapse 7-inches, this has excellent sound quality. Candiru crush their way through one track on each side. Their style of Industrial is fairly Death Metal influenced, but retains a clear identity. Harsh, raw, and very heavy, this shows much promise.

After their first awesome release, I had no doubt this one would be even greater with James Murphy on guitar, but I was wrong. This album is a great disappointment to me. It is basic Death Metal, not worthy of James’ talents. But I’ll give it one thing: the tunes are catchy. John Walker still has a great voice, but not great enough to save this album. Favorite song: “Hung, Drawn and Quartered.”