Anthrax is back for another try, and this time they are supposed to be angry, not the happy bunch of guys who did “I’m the Man.” Yeah. Joey’s vocals are a problem and always have been. He tries to sing too slow for the song or he simply can not sound convincing. Only rarely do his vocals work for the song. I think Joey wants Anthrax to turn into Whitesnake or something like that, I think he would be more comfortable singing that shit. Perhaps it’s time to look for a different vocalist. Having said that, let me attack the actual songs. They, for the most part, just don’t grab me. I only found “Discharge” and “Got the Time” to be real moshers, although I also liked the instrumental “Intro to Reality.” Of these three songs one is a cover and one has no lyrics. Maybe this album would have been better off as a 12-inch single. I don’t know what happened to Anthrax over the years, but I guess they never did have an album in which all the tracks were good. This album is nowhere near as powerful as was needed at this point, but the potential remains.

{I was happy for this band when I heard that they finally wised up and got rid of Joey Belladonna, replacing him with former Armored Saint frontman John Bush, on their impressive Sound of White Noise album. However, their flirt with greatness wouldn’t last, as they recruited former-and-still-at-heart Glam Rocker “Douchbag” Darrell from Pantrea to “help” with their very next release, and so made me give up on them (again). Some bands are just destined to fester, I guess.}

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

This album features new vocalist Coburn Pharr (ex-Omen), who replaced Randy Rampage. His vocal style shows some promise, but unfortunately, he doesn’t always deliver. Occasionally Coburn sings in an aggressive, fierce manner, which is how he should. Sometimes he sounds a lot like Steve Grimmett (ex. Grim Reaper & Onslaught), which isn’t really so bad, it’s just kind of annoying, knowing what he can do. Musically, Annihilator has always been interesting and often down right intense. The lyrics are especially stupid in one song, “Kraf Dinner,” but other than that, they are mostly acceptable. Some of the songs are very aggressive and heavy, while others are simply strange, like the title track (the weakest one on the album). I think that this LP would have been better suited as a five song EP, including the following songs: “Road to Ruin,” “Imperiled Eyes,” “Phantasmagoria,” “Reduced to Ash,” and “I Am in Command.” As far as second releases go, Never, Neverland is not bad, but it could have been a Hell of a lot better.

{It has always pissed me off when bands change their style to fit with what’s popular at the moment. I’ve been told Annihilator did exactly that, and currently sport a NWOHSCPM [New Wave of Homosexual So-Called Power Metal, which would eventually become known as Nu-Metal. -Editor] sound. But I wouldn’t know myself, since after this album I more or less gave up on them anyway.}

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

About the first minute of the first song, “So Perfect,” has a strange production defect, at least on my copy. But after that, the rest of the song is very brutal Thrash. As are the other two songs, “Fit of Madness” and “Decayed World.” This demo has a color cover that depicts (I believe) a tube (from an amp) exploding at the edge of a graveyard. Weird. I have heard more original demos and demos that were more memorable, but Beyond the Decay is above average and worth a listen.

This five song Deathrash demo has a number of strong points: First, Abe’s vocals are interesting and you can understand the lyrics, yet they are still somewhat heavy. Second, the music sounds pretty mean and it’s fast. However, the production isn’t the best and although it’s not really that bad, it is enough to detract somewhat. Also, while the songs sound good and are heavy when you are actually listening to them, they are not very memorable. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like this band. I just think they could be better. And with a little fine tuning and some more money to blow on recording, they will be a major force. I have the feeling that Aftermath A.D. is probably better represented live, but you should still check this out.

On this demo, the band uses 6 backing vocalists, which help greatly. Most of the vox are done in a choppy Death style. The music is a rough and heavy Thrash. This six-song demo shows a lot of innovation, especially considering that it was recorded in April of 1990. Had I reviewed this then, I would probably given Resting in Your Grave a markedly higher rating. I hope to hear more current works by Abominog. If they continued to grow, they would be excellent.

Noisecore, Blurrcore: Meat Shits. These guys (and girl) are perverted as you can get. The songs (if you would dare to use that term) are just little bits of Death noise with some funny lines from various movies (porno and regular) thrown in for fun. This tape contains 134 “songs.” They are mostly the same, with only the soundbites having any difference. Meat Shits suck, there has never been any doubt, but I like it. What can I say? Favorite titles include: “Fuck Off Cunt,” “Use Three Fingers,” “Elvis Danzig” and “Satan’s Buttplug.” This is supposed to be funny, so sit back and have a good laugh on the Shits.

{After releasing numerous demos and 7-inch EPs, the Meat Shits finally recorded a full-length album for Moribund Records, entitled Ecstasy of Death. At least two more albums of new material, and an album’s worth of cover songs were recorded after Ecstasy…’s release, but thanks to some problems with ‘Shits main man Robert Deathrage, that material has (at the time of this writing) never been released. Mr. Deathrage has also disappeared from the Underground…}

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

Ghost Story hails from Atlanta. The band is comprised of Chris Baker (lead guitar), Chris Cauble (bass), Devin Denuyl (drums) and Rob Thompson (vocals/ guitar). This demo is a little dated, it was released in 1989, and their new one should be ready about now. Anyway this band is extremely talented. Chris Cauble’s bass style reminds me of Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), that is to say: he fucking rules! No shit, Seeds of Destruction is excellent. Musically this band sounds like Iron Maiden (skill), Slayer (intensity), Nuclear Assault (vocals, style) and early Metallica (vocals, conviction). This combination of sounds is very interesting. The first song, the title track, has a cool bass solo, but I think my favorite is the last track, “The Enemy Within.” This four song demo is a must-have. Like I said, the new demo will be out any second now, so ask about it too!

{I really had high hopes for this band, but they could just never get a break. After just one more demo (which if I recall correctly, was delayed for a very long time before its release, and didn’t quite live up to the extremely high standard of this one anyway), Ghost Story broke up. Chris Cauble then joined his brother (who was then in the band Catacomb - at a time when I knew of at least three active bands worldwide using that name), and formed a new band called Monster. They released one demo, and disappeared. Hopefully I’ve not heard the last of the Cauble brothers.}

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

This demo has only two songs, both of which show a lot of talent and creativity. The vocals are a small problem, but they grow on you. Fatal Sin has a real mastery of going from slow acoustical parts to fast slam parts. I only wish that there were more songs on this tape. The better of the two is the second, “Intense Distress.” The other song, “Fatal Sin,” is just slightly less great. The production is excellent, for a demo. This tape’s only real fault is that it only contains two songs.

Exmortis is brutal, fucking fast Death Metal. This is one of the best demos that I have ever received. The band is composed of Brian Werking (lead guitars/ vocals), Ted Hartz (lead guitars), Chris Wiser (bass), Lee Coates (drums) and the new god of cover art: Drew Elliot. Not only are all four songs completely incredible, but the artwork is the best I think I have ever seen! Now, about their sound: imagine Rigor Mortis type of lowness, Death style vocals, Wehrmacht speed and the heaviness of Hell itself. That is almost the Exmortis sound. I forgot the insanely cool intro and outro parts, they are somewhat long, but big fucking deal. This band is on its way and you should be there for the ride. Write to them and order the tape and what ever else you can. Exmortis is the future. If you pass this up, I hope you die slowly.

{Here we have another in a long list of long stories. Exmortis continued on after this, lead by Brain Werking. However, eventually Chris Wiser would split and take the Exmortis name with him. There was a point in time where there were two separate bands, one with Brian and the other with Chris, both claiming to be the “real” Exmortis. And perhaps even more strange is that now no one uses the name. As far as I know, Brian quit to live the family life, and at least some of the members of Chris’ Exmortis went on to other bands.}

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

This 7-song demo is very professional looking and sounding. It has a two color cover, a thanks list and all the lyrics. And it was recorded at Morrisound. That should say a lot. I mean, you don’t blow $85 an hour to record a demo if you suck. And Elysium certainly doesn’t suck. Far from it. In fact, they’re really good. I’m sort of reminded of Kreator, musically speaking. As for the vocalist, Terry, is concerned; sometimes he sounds like a slightly less heavy Mille, but mostly he sounds a lot like the vocalist from Sacred Reich. These dudes throw in some slow stuff and have plenty of fast, heavy stuff too. Very interesting, very professional and definitely recommended.

Another Indiana band, this time from Indianapolis. This is their second demo, and is a big improvement over the first. The songs (“Legions of Shame,” “Humanity’s Fate,” “Cryptic Burial,” “Silent War,” “Signs of the Coming,” and “Massacre in Session”) are all very strong, with no weak spots! While not all the songs are played at the speed of light, they are all heavy; really heavy. Since the recording of this demo, Drop Dead have had a line-up change: Kevin now plays guitar and sings too, Kris still plays the drums, and new member Dave is on bass guitar. They are working on songs for a new demo, to be released “sometime soon.” Inspired by Death (the band) and other Death Metal bands, Drop Dead has the potential to be the front of the Death Metal scene. They are sure to get signed soon, so don’t miss out on this, or you will be sorry.

{After one more demo, Our Forgotten Destiny, this band seemed to disappear. Some time later I heard that they were releasing a 7-inch through A.R.T. Records. If I remember correctly, that 7-inch consisted of some already recorded demo tracks (although from what demo, I’m not sure). It likely didn’t do very well for them, as A.R.T. was only a memory not too much later. I’m always a little sad to see bands I like give up. Where are you now, Drop Dead? Also worth noting is that there is a currently active Hardcore/Crust band using the name Drop Dead, and as far as I know, they’ve got nothing to do with this, the original DD.}

[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 remixed CD version of DoP’s first album, and it sounds great. I am a little curious as to what the original mix was like, but this one is just fine. I suppose this is more Thrashy than Ominous Prophecy, however that’s okay with me. Technical, heavy, speedy, and memorable. Even the vocals are good. Check this out.

This album is almost four years old, but has just recently been released here in the States. A two-man project featuring Mick (Scorn, ex-Napalm Death) Harris on drums and vox and Mitch (Napalm Death, ex-Righteous Pigs) Harris (no relation) on everything else, this sounds pretty heavy and there is some extra-cool drum work on here. Musically very fast and Grindy, this turned out very well for as many problems as Mick and Mitch had to suffer to get it recorded and mixed (see liner notes). Very cool for what it is: a Death/Grind project band.

Deceased is composed of Les Snyder (bass), Doug Sather (guitar), Mark Adams (guitar) and King Fowley (drums and vocals). King doesn’t let his singing get in the way of his drumming, which he excels at. All of the songs on the tape are cool, the only problem is it’s sometimes hard to tell where one song ends and the next one starts. This is NOT because all the songs sound the same, but instead because so much is happening in each song: tempo changes galore and breaks of varying lengths as well as tons of different riffs. Perhaps it would be helpful to put a bit more space between the songs. Also the quality of the recording left something to be desired, but this is a demo. Vocally King seems to combine a Death Metal raw growl and a sort of Hardcoreish kind of yell, and it’s cool as Hell. Musically Deceased reminds me of Slayer, Vio-Lence and Nuclear Assault all combined into one. Deceased shows a lot of promise.

{I’d like to think that everyone reading these unhallowed pages knows what has happened to Deceased. To make it short, they were signed by the then small label Relapse, and have had a very impressive series of releases, most notably 1997’s near perfect Fearless Undead Machines. Deceased main man King Fowley also went on to play with the bands Doomstone and October 31, as well as running With Your Teeth Records, Old Metal Records, and publishing the zine Stay True, Stay Ugly, Stay Underground.}

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

This is an above average Thrash demo. All four songs remind me a lot of early Metallica and early Megadeth. The vocals sound similar too. Damage shows a lot of energy and all the songs sound good. I have no real complaint about the music or vocals. This is good, solid, basic Thrash.

My only complaint here is that the songs are a bit too long, they tend to lose something because they are carried out for so long. I will say that they are never boring. I even like the vocals. I guess Cardinal Sin is Thrash, or something pretty close to it. I don’t care if they want to call themselves Chamber Music, I like ‘em. The cover is interesting, and lyrics are included. The demo has five songs, the last of which, “Death of Pee Wee Herman,” is pretty strange and uses audio from Mr. Herman himself. Then they kill him. Inspiring.

Cool intro. Musically, I would describe this band by taking a quote from Lawnmower Deth: “Punk As Fuck.” This is excellent stuff. The production is bad, the songs are pretty basic, the lyrics are offensive, and the artwork was done by a serial killer. Now, understand, I like the lyrics and the cover, but I guess I can understand how some people could find them offensive. So to those people I say “Fuck you!” The production flaws and the simplicity of the songs are, for once, very important to the sound. Punk is not about being an awesome guitarist or recording at Morrisound. This is it. This is the real shit. If you can deal with this much reality, then check this out. Bloody Mess & The Skabs have an album out too, so when you ask about this, check for that also. And remember, you were warned. Favorite song: “Cigarette on the Clit.”

The sound is terrible and the music is generally not very interesting, although sometimes it tries to be Thrashy. The almost spoken vocals might be okay if the mix wasn’t so weird.

Aftermath’s sound has matured some since their first demo, 1987’s Killing the Future. Still heavier than Hell, but with a sharp edge, Words… reminds me of Reign in Blood era Slayer meets Suicidal Tendencies meets Wehrmacht. The demo has four songs: “Words That Echo Fear,” “A Temptation to Overthrow,” “Being” and “Experience.” Each song stands out in its own way, and is different from the others. It’s easy to tell that a lot of time was spent writing these songs. Do not miss out on this demo! Aftermath is going places, and this is your chance to hear them now, before everyone in the world is wearing an Aftermath T-shirt.

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

Malicious Onslaught is simply not for me. They sound like they are doing a million things at once, in other words: they sound sloppy. Ted Hanauer’s vocals are annoying. The songs are too long, but might hold my interest if they were shorter. Much shorter. Perhaps it’s just the recording quality, but I don’t think so. The songs are non-memorable and easily forgotten. This band does have a somewhat different sound. I’ve heard worse, but I liked it better.

{MO would improve with every release, and eventually put out a pair of pretty good Black/Death Metal albums (Rebellious Mayhem and Brutal Gore).}

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