Drop Dead are back with their third demo. They are down to a three piece now and have never sounded better! Musically they are very tight, and accomplished. Lyrically they are apparently trying to show that Death Metal (if they don’t mind the term) can have a positive message. Although they are, in certain cases, rather preachy. Still, it’s interesting to hear someone even try this. Kevin Mabry’s vocals are what really grabs your attention. They are not super raw, but they are no where near smooth. It sounds like he might be using a delay or a flanger in some places. The effect is very strange, but fitting with the music. This eight song tape has a full color cover and band picture, as well as lyrics and a thanks list. Don’t pass this up!

This is a concept album about a place similar to the one seen in Quiet Riot’s “The Wild and the Young” video. Several of the references to this world remind me of things I have heard about Brazil, where the band hails from. I’m not sure what’s fact and what’s fiction, but the place sounds like Hell. Musically Dorsal Atlantica is tight, bassy and fast. The vocals, however, often times sound like they are on another song. It definitely needs work in that area. Some short bursts of guitar impress me. The drums and bass do a fine job. The next release by Dorsal Atlantica will be a contender if they fix the mesh between the vocals and the instruments.

Dissident Aggressor is a California band that has been described as Power Metal. I would shy away from that term in regards to this band, I would say they are in Megadeth’s league. I also heard that the singer sounds like Hetfield. He sounds like everyone, including James. The first tune, “Thrill Can Kill,” starts a little slow but picks up. I love the lyrics, and the guitars are excellent. Track 2, “Derelict,” sounds vocally like Mike Muir, but does not detract. The third tune contains voices which I am always impressed with on a demo. Song 4, entitled “The Hill,” is musically fast but vocally slow. The vocals sound like the vocals on Sentinel Beast’s song “Mourir.” The song “Bugs” literally made my skin crawl. Once the music starts it flies, fast. This is about the only song that repeats the title innumerable times, yet impresses me with it. “Blessing in Disguise” is cool. The final song, “Second Coming,” breaks, and snaps my neck. Over all I feel this is a strong album. Dissident Aggressor is a band who is serious about the music and it shows in their work. Whoever writes the lyrics is a power source. Additionally, the music couldn’t get much tighter; I wouldn’t expect this much from a demo.

{At the time of this demo’s release, DA were being hyped as the second coming of Metallica, but to my knowledge they never did anything beyond this. Which is too bad, really, because even after all these years, “Blessing in Disguise” still comes to mind every once in a while.}

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

[Please note that the reviews in Metal Curse #1 and #2 did not have numerical ratings.]

This re-release of their classic first album also contains all the Disharmonic Orchestra tracks from their split LP with Pungent Stench. Well over an hour of classic Death/Grind with the innovative touches for which Disharmonic are famous. Mandatory.

This LP is unbelievable. It’s the best Destruction album ever. The songs are fast and heavy, and also very memorable. Everyone works together very well, the guitars are impressive as are the drums and bass. The vocals are powerful without being especially raw. It’s almost a new style. I think this is what Steve Souza (Exodus) wants his vocals to sound like (don’t bitch, Zetro is a good singer when he wants to be). Cracked Brain contains eight new songs and one cover, “My Sharona.” Don’t say anything about their choice of songs to cover until you hear it. It’s cool. The rest of the songs are out of this world, with my personal favorite being “Time Must End.” This is one of the best albums of the year, and I’m glad Destruction did it. The lyrics are interesting and make you think - they’re not the real gory kind of stuff. I highly recommend Cracked Brain, it’s what you always hoped Destruction would someday be.

{I’ve taken a fuck of a lot of crap about this review. Everyone who reads it tells me that they like the earlier albums better. And after all this time, I’d agree with that. It’s certainly not the first time I’ve changed my mind, or been proven wrong by the passage of time, but I must wonder if the legions of Destruction’s fans who love to give me a hard time about saying that Cracked Brain is Destruction’s best album, ever even heard Sentence of Death back in late 1990, when I wrote this review… And while this LP maybe has not stood the test of time as well as some, I still think it’s hard to beat.}

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

Okay, here we have a thanks list, lyrics and an interesting black and white cover. Musically and vocally I am reminded of Wehrmacht. Sometimes the singer, Steve Lazinski, growls in a Death Metal-like manner. Interesting. However, none of the songs really stand out. And none are very memorable. Don’t get me wrong: while the tape is playing and you are listening to the tunes, they are at the very least decent, it’s just that when at is all over, the songs don’t really stick in your mind.
[This band changed its name to Cancerous Factor. -Editor]

This album is musically very impressive. The production is excellent and the songs are all powerful, technical, heavy and memorable. The only problem I could even foresee, is the vocalist, Andreas Henschel, is a bit smooth for this heavy Thrash. He reminds me of Russ Anderson (Forbidden). I guess Despair is roughly comparable to Forbidden in more than just vocals. This LP is really good and I don’t have a problem with the vox, but I think some people probably will.

This is yet another Morrisound production. ‘Nuff said on that. Demolition Hammer is not exactly a Death Metal band, The vox of Steve Reynolds see to that. I don’t mean anything bad by that, Steve’s vox are cool raw Thrashcore. All eight songs are what Thrash should be: Fast, well performed, rough yet understandable vox, well produced, heavy guitar sound, thunderous drums, and cool bass. It’s all there. Tortured Existence is, so far, one of the finest releases of ‘91 [actually released toward the end of 1990 -Editor]. This LP is highly recommended.

This is the debut from Deicide, and it’s sure to cause some trouble from the PMRC. The lyrics are as Satanic as any I’ve ever heard. Try not to let that bother you, though. Musically this is a fast band, very fast, yet still Death Metal heavy. That’s a good combination. The vocals are something like Carnivore: deep screams. The only real problem this album suffers from is the back-up vocals. Sometimes they cause the vocals to become “muddy” or just plain fucked up. I think that Glen can handle things vocally and that he doesn’t need any help. I understand that the band wanted the music to sound frightening, and thought the weird back-up vocals would do the trick. Sometimes they do, but not usually. If you can disregard the lyrics and the back-up growls, this album is great. The words detract from the songs, because the concept of singing about Satan has been done to fucking death. I wonder if they actually believe all this “I killed Jesus” stuff they sing about. If they don’t, they sure put on a convincing act.

{Eventually becoming one of the world’s biggest Death Metal bands, Deicide have never wavered in their intensity, and are even more deadly now than ever.}

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

This starts out with a sappy, sampled plea to listen to this tape. It gets way better after that. Sounding like the bastard child of S.O.D. and Sick of It All, Decrepit Uth are really fierce. All 13 songs are intense Hardcore. The production is good, as is the recording. If you like Hardcore, then this is for you.

This is Death’s third LP. It is different from their earlier work in only two ways: a new member (James Murphy, on guitar. Who has since left to join Obituary), and more importantly Chuck’s singing is more understandable! He has not lost the Death-rattle style, he has not done a Tom Araya (Slayer) and tried to actually sing. You can just understand him a bit better now, that’s all!
It’s not the fastest album in the world, but Death has always been known for power not speed, and Spiritual Healing is the most powerful, tightest, heaviest album to come from Death yet. Everything is as close to perfect is it can be, and none of the rawness of the classic Death sound has been lost. The guitar work is intricate, and effective. This is the best album of the year (so far). This is the one you have been waiting for! If you don’t own Spiritual Healing yet, fucking buy it!
This is it, this is Death!

{Through many line-up changes, Chuck has managed to keep Death alive, and at the time of this writing, they have recently released a new album, The Sound of Perseverance. Too bad they’re still “cry-baby momma’s boys,” but I have enjoyed the majority of their music. Looking back, it is pretty hard to believe that I claimed that this album was their heaviest…}

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

[Please note that the reviews in Metal Curse #1 and #2 did not have numerical ratings.]

Deadly Blessing are: Tony Sgro (guitar), Tony Umba (guitar), Larry Betson (vocals), Dan Pettolina (drums) and Mark Vincent (bass). This band is very intricate, yet tight. They seem very polished as well. This may be due to the fact that they have been together since 1985 without a lineup change. Larry is extremely talented, being able to hold a note (not a scream) for an extended period of time. This is not a Death Metal band and the vocals reflect that. However they are generally speedy and at times instrumentally raw. To describe them, you could say… mix Queensryche and Flotsam and Jetsam, but that isn’t exactly right. You have to hear them for yourself.

Impressive, diverse and sinister. The double bass, especially during the “down” part of the cover “Rock Lobster” is murderous. From the first second of the first song, “Turn,” I knew this was it. Self-described as “Horsecore,” this band and this demo show exactly what you can accomplish. Dead Horse are now signed to Big Chief Records, so order this damn fast.

First of all, this is Dark Angel’s second live recording from their Leave Scars LP (the first being on Ultimate Revenge 2), so I don’t see why it was found to be necessary to record this. Anyway, the sound quality is about as good as a live recording can get. Those Westwood One guys know their stuff. The CD contains some extra songs, including a cover of Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You,” which is a cool tune and a break from the relative “sameness” of the other songs. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Dark Angel, it’s just that this album doesn’t capture the energy of their live show. It seems to be missing something, I’m not sure exactly what. Live recordings rarely capture the “feel” of a band.
By the way, the package is very interesting, reminds me of Rigor Mortis’s Freaks, and you also get a “free” sticker. Big fucking deal!
If Dark Angel is one of your favorites, then pick this one up; on CD if you have a player (for the extra songs). [Imagine the days before everyone even had CD players -if you dare! -Editor] If you just want to find out what Dark Angel sounds like, I would suggest getting The Ultimate Revenge 2 video or soundtrack instead.

{Dark Angel was certainly an inspirational band, although this live album wasn’t exactly their crowning achievement. But perhaps even more inspirational than the band is their drummer, Gene Hoglan, who emerged as one of the very top Metal drummers. His deadly skin beating has been featured in such bands as Death, Testament, Strapping Young Lad, and Old Man’s Child, and has influenced legions of drummers worldwide.}

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

[Please note that the reviews in Metal Curse #1 and #2 did not have numerical ratings.]

This is the second LP from Danzig, and is no huge departure from the first. One thing that everyone seems to have missed is that this is a concept album: the songs collectively tell a story, at least I think so. I think it’s about someone that is sent to Hell and fights his way back out to say good-bye to his wife or lover, and then is sent back to Hell. Listen to the LP with this in mind and see if you can get all the songs to fit in with the concept. I have an explanation of how I think each one fits, but space prohibits a lengthy interpretation here. I would like to hear what you have to think about this, so send me a letter! [Oh! Back before the days of email and text messages! -Editor] Anyway, most of the songs are what you would expect from Danzig, but there is one that is strictly Blues: “I’m the One.” A ballad, and I mean a real ballad, numbnuts: “Blood and Tears.” And a couple of more experimental tracks: “777” and “Girl.” This LP tries to do a little too much sometimes, combining Blues and Metal along with Glenn’s Punk roots into an original sound. This is a damn fine LP, but it could have been more focused.

{The funny thing about this album is that it was released before Danzig got more well known with their video for “Mother.” But that’s a song from their first album… Weird, huh? And now only Mr. Danzig is left out of his formerly all-star line up, and the Misfits are back together without him. More weirdness. And to top it all off, the latest (although already pretty old by the time of this writing) Danzig album [Blackacidevil -Editor] is a complete departure towards Industrial, I guess you’d call it. I followed Danzig’s career all the way up to this most recent abortion of an album, but it seems that the evil Elvis may have finally lost his dog gone mind.}

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

The guys in Cynic, Paul Masvidal (guitar/ vocals), Jason Gobel (guitar), Tony Choy (bass) and Sean Reinert (drums), are all talented enough. The lyrics are well thought out and are interesting even without any music to back them up. These guys are extremely good at what they do: the drums are fast, there is cool bass shit and the guitars are crunchy and heavy and the solos are also great. Vocally Paul sounds similar to Chuck from Death. Unfortunately something stops the songs from being more memorable. The three tracks are all good, but just shy of excellent. It’s cool to see that Cynic spends so much time on their lyrics and I’m glad that they include them with the tape. Well worth checking into.

{After releasing maybe two more demos, this highly technical band was signed to Roadrunner, and released the somewhat under-appreciated album Focus in 1993, which was something of a departure from their earlier Death Metal style. Also, Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert (along with Steve DiGiorgio, on loan from Sadus) later played with Death on their Human album and tour, which was more than a little weird since Tony Choy was playing bass for Death’s opening act on that tour: Pestilence.}

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

With 8 songs on a 7-inch and socially conscious lyrics, can you guess the style? Let me spell it out for you: G.R.I.N.D. In much the same vein as early Napalm Death, these guys write short, fast bursts of energy. Occasionally taking a break and going a bit slower only widens their range. And where have I heard “Scum” before?

Cerebral Fix. Interesting name. This bunch plays something between Death and Thrash. Their vocalist, Simon Forrest, is not really raw enough for his vocals to be considered Death Metal, nor do his vocals sound like Thrash. That is, the vocals are kind of screamed and growled. Not a bad idea, but it’s just not done too well. The music, however, is heavy enough. Sometimes they pull off a really good tune, such as “Forgotten Genocide.” For the most part, this album is pretty average, with nothing really standing out, except the aforementioned track. It does have it’s moments, but they are fleeting, and a few really cool lines or riffs can’t make an entire LP.

{Not much to report here. CF had at least one more album after this, and then disappeared for awhile. I believe that they may have somewhat recently released a new LP, but that’s unconfirmed…}

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

Catacomb consists of: Andy Cauble (guitar), Kerry Keith (vocals), Tim Killough (bass), John Marlow (drums). They are a rather interesting band. Although this is not the best recording (it was done on a four track) or mix, you can still tell that these are good songs. Catacomb is neither extremely heavy or exceptionally fast, but they have something going for them that a lot of other bands seem to be missing: the songs are catchy. All four songs are easy to get into. My personal favorite is “T.H.S.”. Catacomb reminds me somewhat of early Suicidal Tendencies. They have the will and determination and are good with their respective instruments. All they need is your support and a larger budget. And yes, this demo is free, you just pay for the postage. So what do you have to lose, ya freaks? They also have very cool stickers!!

{As mentioned elsewhere, in the comments for the Ghost Story review, this band didn’t last long after this release, and Andy Cauble teamed up with his brother, Chris, to form the band Monster, which released one demo and then disappeared.}

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

These guys occasionally remind me a little of the Misfits. Sometimes it’s more like Billy Idol, but way more raw. Sometimes even a little like Gang Green. Some of the songs are brilliant, such as “Swan Dive” and “Babe Truth.” Both of which were recorded in 1990, along with only 3 other songs. The remaining 5 songs were recorded in 1988. The CD version contains 3 bonus live tracks, which aren’t nearly as exciting as the rest of the LP. I liked all of the studio tracks, and I think the only problem this band might face is the fact that this style sounds, to some, a bit dated. Personally, I like it. But I like a lot of shit. Carnival of Shame is difficult to classify as exactly one kind of music; the song “Christine” could easily go somewhere as a single, but that will never happen. I guess I would hate to see a thirteen-year-old trendy girl with a CoS T-shirt.