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


..::OPIS::..

Underground Thrash Metal classic finally available again! Wargasm’s “Why Play Around?” is a criminally overlooked Thrash Metal masterpiece, now remastered and reissued again! Originally unleashed in 1988, this cult classic rips with razor sharp riffing, frenetic solos and vitriolic energy that easily rivals the Big 4! From the neck snapping opener “Wasteland” to the molten assault of “Revenge” and the epic nine minute title track “Wargasm,” the Spillberg brothers (Rich & Barry) and Bob Mayo crafted a record that’s ferocious, technical and ahead of its time. No filler. No compromise. Just pure, unfiltered Thrash Metal!



In 1988, many thrash bands were already making a name for themselves. The genre had reached it's peak, with many classics coming out that year. In Boston, Massachusetts however, one band was about to dominate and unleash a monster of a thrash album. That band was Wargasm, who started out as Maniac and released a demo titled "Rainbows, Kittens, Flowers & Puppies". They changed their name to Wargasm shortly after and signed to Profile Records, releasing their debut "Why Play Around?" not too long after. Let's talk about this classic...

The record starts off with the amazing "Wasteland", which contains some incredible riffs from Rich Spillberg. Spillberg is one of the most underrated thrash guitarists out there, he is an absolute MONSTER of a guitar player! His solo on this track is just the beginning. Bob Mayo is a excellent bass player and vocalist, his bass is a little hard to hear unfortunately though. His vocals are great, but I always seem to get the image of Kermit the Frog singing the lyrics because he sounds so much like him LOL! Rich's brother Barry Spillberg handles drum duties. He is an excellent drummer, and does a great job of keeping time. His drumming fits the music perfectly, there's no complaints here.

"Revenge" is easily one of the best thrash songs ever, with an instantly memorable riff from Rich. The lyrics here are awesome too, "He's on a rampage, on the run, more hellbent then you've ever seen. Trying to tell him that he's got no right is like putting out fire with gasoline!" One word to describe that line: BADASS! Rich's solo is easily one of my favorites of all time, I'm 100% serious. The solo is purely wargasmic (pun intended), and it could go on for hours upon hours and it still wouldn't be enough! Overall, this track is a highlight!

"Bullets and Blades" is another killer thrasher with some very intricate fret board work by Rich. Mayo's vocals here are among the best on the album too. "Undead" opens with the sound effects of zombies with a creepy guitar intro before BOOM and a riff comes out of nowhere, it scared the living shit out of me upon first listen haha. In the middle song, Rich does some sick guitar harmonics. The closing is great and a perfect ending to a killer song. "Merritt's Girlfriend" is just a transitional track, nothing special here.

"Sudden Death" is bound to make you headbang into oblivion with it's heavy chugging riff in the intro. The solo sounds very Kirk Hammett inspired, this track is underrated. "Wargasm" is an epic 9 minute riff fest with lyrics talking about war and nuclear missles, this is undoubtedly another highlight. "Le Coucou" is actually a baroque piece written by French composer Louis-Claude Daquin in the 1700's. Being a huge fan of classical music, I absolutely love this. Mayo's bass gets it's chance to shine here which is nice and Rich does a fantastic job of converting the music to guitar. Overall, it's a enjoyable piece. The record closes with the furious thrasher "Humanoid", which contains a riff in the middle of the song which reminds me of Stormtroopers of Death. It is a great way to close out a masterpiece of a thrash album.

If you crave old school thrash and are hungry for underrated classics, then this is a MUST LISTEN! Rich's guitar work is state-of-the-art, Bob Mayo is a one of a kind vocalist, and Barry is a wonderful drummer. I recommend this for fans of Testament, Xentrix, Forced Entry and Anthrax.

ThrashFanatic


The unanimous winners of the “best not very known thrash metal album of all times” award, Wargasm’s “Why Play Around” remains one of the twenty greatest works of thrash in metal history. Believe it or not, I only found about its existence in January, 2005 (yes, I know…) when a friend of mine gave me the CD as a present for my birthday; true story. Why it had been hiding from me so steadfastly all this time is subject to further investigation. Anyway, we got acquainted, better late than never, and have been best of buddies ever since. I listen to it once every 2/3 weeks just for the pure pleasure of it, especially when I feel like moshing around the house to oblivion. It’s a sheer mystery why this talented trio from Boston, Massachusetts, never received a place on the front row… They had the requisite pre-history when the guys changed their name twice, from Overkill (no, not those ones) to Maniac, and from Maniac to Wargasm; they started very early in 1982 with all the other pioneers; they released their debut in the best year for metal… And yet, they couldn’t quite rise aboveground the way other debutantes that same year (Vio-Lence, Toxik, Realm, Forbidden) did. The other acts’ cassettes were lying around the studios, and later in the shops whereas those of The Wargasms were nowhere to be found. Was there something wrong with the band name? Or do I detect another global conspiracy here…

It beats me why there aren’t at least twenty or so reviews written about this opus so far… To continue, what one can’t deny is the fact that there was a lot of playing around the metal field in the late-80s’, and some of the greatest works of the movement were produced back then. Wargasm’s debut stands proud as one of the milestones of American thrash metal. Actually, one would find it hard to cite a better, genuinely compulsive roller-coaster than the one reviewed here. Using the only Maniac demo as a base for this endeavour, the band waste no time joining the fray with the smashing speed/thrashing opener “Wasteland”, an infectious cut, a perennial hymn which also introduces the vocalist Bob Mayo’s effective semi-clean/semi-declamatory, mid-ranged vocals. It also paves the path for the coming of “Revenge”, one of the ten finest thrash metal numbers ever, with the most spontaneous, moshing introductory riff composed, a perennial feast for the fans of all generations who will be jumping around like demented throughout these 7-min of mandatory thrash metal history.

“Bullets & Blades” is the little brother of “Revenge” with impetuous galloping riffs racing each other this “race” topped by a great memorable chorus and followed by an excellent more technical twist near the end. More aggressive thrashing comes with “Undead” the riff “storm” instigated lasting for 6.5-min. Time for a rest with the short balladic instrumental “Merritt’s Girlfriend” before “Sudden Death” comes cutting with the sharpest, steelest riffs around which change into something more stylish and technical later and vice versa until a fast-paced “skirmish” finishes off this eventful “dialogue”. “Wargasm” unleashes a hard galloping “assault” for a start, but the delivery becomes choppier and more intricate later turning this composition into a 9-min cavalcade of elaborate, nearly progressive thrashing which amazingly pulls it off without the use of any lead sections, a riff-driven bliss second to none with a stupendous atmospheric, doomy ending. Another very well deserved break for the band with Mayo displaying his skills on the bass on the nice all-instrumental piece “Le Cou Cou”, the others bracing themselves for their final performance on the closing “Humanoid”, a raging thrasher with all the claims to be the most brutal cut here well justified, the guys moshing out with reckless abandon interrupting their fast-paced exploits for a more officiant slower interlude.

Three Bostonians are responsible for some of the most treasured 45-min of classic thrash; incredible, but a fact! Ranking right up there with the feat of their compatriots during the early days of the War of Independence (remember “The Boston Tea Party”). Well, this trio may not find their place in the annals of American music history the way other less significant and less proficient ones did. In cases like this one can’t stop wondering about the illogical phenomenon which the metal world is: how does it select those to be placed on the road to fortune and glory, and how does it select the ones who would be solely remembered by a few initiated fans? It boggles the mind, but I guess in this random, lottery-like “logic” lies its charm as well. Wargasm were not one of the lucky acts to be at the right place, at the right time; they didn’t have the requisite connections within the music business “jungle”. So they had to satisfy their ambition by “merely” becoming the finest thrash metal export of Massachusetts, recognition that stands up to this day. An achievement attained with their very first full-length…

Saying that, I by no means want to invalidate the band’s subsequent output. It’s just that when an act begins a career with such a strong first effort, what follows would invariably be compared to its mighty predecessor. The band were probably aware of what a great album they had created, and may have decided to wait for it to gain inertia and top the charts. For reasons already well explained, that never happened and the guys found themselves one day, in the mid-90’s under entirely different regulations established on the scene. “Ugly” environment by all means which was reflected in the album-title of their sophomore release which contained some well-constructed metal, as a matter of fact, nothing “ugly” music-wise, a pretty listenable combination between the old and the modern sound with a couple of tracks nearly reaching the intensity of the debut. The guys were still playing around, but in a less inspired fashion, a gradually expanding lethargic state that became way more tangible on their swansong two years later, aptly titled “Suicide Notes”, the band signing off without putting up much of a fight with these unimpressive, rehashed post-thrash “notes”.

The guys reformed three times in the new millennium, in 2004, 2008, and 2014, consequently splitting-up the same number of times. Their last reformation spell so far was the most productive one with a compilation, a live album, a re-release of the Maniac demo, and an EP the latter featuring a brand new track (“Suicide Squad”) and a Tank cover (“Power of the Hunter”). A Grand Slam was a very possible occurrence with a full-length hopefully looming on the horizon… but no: the band decided to stop playing around for the umpteenth time. Well, “Four Times a Charm”, I’ve heard people say, so the next reunion should bring their wargasmic contribution to thrash metal’s second golden period.

bayern



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Wasteland 03:57
2. Revenge 07:01
3. Bullets and Blades 03:49
4. Undead 06:27
5. Merritt's Girlfriend 00:43
6. Sudden Death 04:59
7. Wargasm 09:13
8. Le Cou Cou 02:20
9. Humanoid 04:49



..::OBSADA::..

Bob Mayo - Bass, Vocals
Barry Spillberg - Drums
Rich Spillberg - Guitars



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n4DydYOixo


SEED 15:00-22:00.
POLECAM!!!