...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI...

..::OPIS::..

Greatly done, Gordy… you nailed it most handsomely on this second temptation… I’m pretty certain the angels in Heaven, where you are right now, are humming these tunes wherever they may roam/fly… R.I.P.

Yes, you nailed it so well that I simply didn’t want to listen to anything else for some time… and I wasn’t even the most ardent speed metal fan out there at the time. Yes, this cassette this friend of mine gave me some time in 1987 changed a lot of things for me; and it surely helped that on side B there was another great speedy fare, Living Death’s “Metal Revolution”. In other words, the revolution in my consciousness was stirred by two super-infectious hyper-active recordings released in the mid-80's, both focusing on the entertainment factor exclusively, and very little else.

But yeas, the late Gord Kirchin made such a big step forward on this instalment, compared to the enthusiastically sloppy job he did on the debut, that he literally elevated the Canadian speed/thrash metal movement to a newer loftier pedestal alongside his colleagues from Razor. A major reason for this inordinate elevation was his decision to finally have a full-fledged team to support his visions. On the debut he was in league with just one musician, the final result frequently clinging on the naively shaky side with some not very convincing compositional decisions.

No such moments here, ladies and gentlemen. And it can’t be any other way with “The Incubus” sweeping you away unceremoniously, stealing your soul with its unbridled energy, Kirchin sitcking to a pretty effective attached semi-clean singing delivery, also trying to imitate the sinister wails of the incubus at some point. A truly ravishing beginning which finds its match in every subsequent cut, “Metal Death Racer” the ultimate speed metal racer, a wild mosher that throws everyone into the pit, “The Fire God” and “Chaos” pouring more vigour into the sizzling furnace, the latter also boasting a catchy chorus and a boosting galloping section. The horses remain saddled for the supreme “The Lord of Abominations”, the impetuous galloper which captures the audience with another memorable chorus, the heavy stomping rhythms at the start of “Flowers of Evil” boding morose doomy pensiveness, only that such elaborate phrases don't exist in the vocabulary of the Piledriver, and the man keeps raging with another standout speedy tune. He turns into an exalted executioner on the closing “The Executioner”, a more complex piece with another macabre steam-roller intro… the next-in-line misleader as this is a moshing speed/thrashing fury at its barely bridled, the pummelling lasting for a bit longer this time, but by no means expect mathematical complexity to challenge your brain cells along the way… no one needs those, especially when the end is near and, needless to add, the executioner’s here.

And not only but he also took Kirchin away, the man losing his battle with lung cancer two months ago, the metal industry having to carry on without him, to everyone’s utter chagrin. However, he left this grand statement of intent, a most shiny piece of metal that remains his finest achievement, less than-half-an-hour of pure unadulterated speed/thrashing mayhem, his actual contribution to the metal inquisition, nothing ugly here, unless you call ugly one of the true landmarks of the metal roster. It by all means was a noble deed that he felt sorry for the jobless dogs in his hometown in the late-80’s and founded Dogs with Jobs, a less exciting but still worthy power/speed/thrash proposition. His new millennium resurrection stint saw him more exalted but decidedly more “handsome”, with just flashes of genuine speed/thrashing “ugliness” trying to remind of old glories… nope, some things are simply meant to not be beautified, but to stay as they’ve been intended, peerless and essential, even some 35 years down the line…

rest in peace, brother.

bayern

..::TRACK-LIST::..

CD 1 - Original Version:
1. The Incubus 3:57
2. Metal Death Racer 3:26
3. The Fire God 3:45
4. Chaos 3:57
5. The Warning 0:53
6. Lord Of Abominations 3:12
7. Flowers Of Evil 4:31
8. The Executioner 5:00

CD 2:
The Brutally Hideous Version
1. The Incubus 4:07
2. Metal Death Racer 3:34
3. The Fire God 3:56
4. Chaos 3:54
5. The Warning 1:03
6. Lord Of Abominations 3:18
7. Flowers Of Evil 4:44
8. The Executioner 5:12

The Monstrously Vile Version
9. The Incubus 3:59
10. Metal Death Racer 3:34
11. The Fire God 3:45
12. Chaos 3:55
13. The Warning 0:51
14. Lord Of Abominations 3:19
15. Flowers Of Evil 4:36
16. The Executioner 5:10

..::OBSADA::..

Mike Paccione - Bass
Robert Espizito - Drums
Edward Pursino - Guitars
Pile Driver (R.I.P. 2022) - Vocals