...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Klasyka niemieckiego Thrash/Death metalu.
'Misanthropy' to EP, która ukazała się w 1987 roku. Tutaj wznowienie z 2 dodatkowymi utworami z demo 1986.
Mastering: Patrick W. Engel (Temple Of Disharmony).



If you have kept a keen eye on what is going on in German thrash these days, you cannot have missed the comeback of Protector, legendary thrash/death outfit from Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. Formed in 1986, Protector lived through several line-up changes and phases of more or less activity, until they finally called it a day in 2003. That could have been the end of it, but if you scroll down a bit in the list of High Roller releases, you find Protector’s “Reanimated Homunculus” from 2013 – it was this album that marked the return of a band which today still is widely regarded as one of the most underrated outfits from the prolific German thrash/death scene of the Eighties. In 2011, Protector's old and new vocalist Martin Missy decided to reanimate Protector with the help of his all-Swedish crew, who had won their spurs playing in “Martin Missy and the Protectors” since 2006. The original plan had been to stay a cover band and not to use the name Protector anymore – but constant dripping wears away the stone, so Missy eventually gave in to the fans’ craving to see the real Protector playing live again. Now as Protector are back on the scene for good, it only makes sense to re-issue their back catalgoue, starting with this little thorny gem:
In 1987, Protector released their debut EP “Misanthropy”, after having scored a deal with the then still quite young label Atom H. Martin Missy remembers that this was a bit of luck for the young band: “It was our first release on vinyl, and we released it about one year after the band had been formed. We were really lucky to find a record company that quickly. Today, this is usually not that easy for an unknown band.”
Before “Misanthropy”, Protector had brought out their demo which already showed a lot of what this band was up to: uncompromising thrash metal, raw and fast, and with a strong feel of evil blackness. “Misanthropy” as the band's first official release laid the base for their reputation as “Germany’s most brutal band”, as some people called them. Protector? Really? A thrash metal band from Wolfsburg, some far out place in Lower Saxony? What about the German Big Four of Thrash? It’s true, Protector never rose to the same heights of fame as Kreator, Sodom and the likes, but back in the days, Protector made a name for themselves by playing not only fierce and sharp thrash metal, but always being extremely harsh, brutal and very very evil. “Misanthropy” is a perfect testimony for this: In its six-tracks-brevity, Protector’s debut-EP is a fierce, violent attack on the listener, giving you six razor sharp cuts and leaving you behind, crushed and bleeding.

“Misanthropy” was recorded in the summer of 1987 at the White Lines Studio in Braunschweig, where the band had already recorded their two-track demo the year before. It was during this time that Protector established their first more or less stable line up. Martin remembers how he first got into the band: “In the summer of 1987, the band consisted of Michael Hasse (drums), Hansi Müller (guitar), Ede Belichmeier (bass) and myself on vocals. Michael and Hansi had formed the band in 1986 together with Michael Schnabel (bass). The biggest change was on the vocal position. Michael had recorded the vocals on the demo, but in the beginning of 1987, the band started to look for a guy who would focus on the vocals only. I don't know exactly why they decided to do so, but my guess is that Michael wanted to concentrate on the drums.”

The songwriting process for all releases with Martin Missy on vocals usually worked more or less after the same pattern: “Hansi, Michael and Ede put together the songs, and I wrote the lyrics afterwards. We wrote the six songs for the EP in the first months of 1987.” These six songs were the first steps in the realm of professional recording, and they were conceived in a very special way. Missy explains how this worked, and goes a bit into detail on how the sound of “Misanthropy” was created: “We only had recorded one demo before the EP. The style and the sound of the demo were extreme black/thrash metal. On “Misanthropy”, the sound and the songs were also raw, but they leant more towards thrash than black metal. My lyrics also weren't as satanic as they had been on the demo. Regarding the sound: I remember that we took some albums into the studio, so that the guys from White Line, who hadn't recorded any metal before Protector, could get an idea of what we wanted it to sound like. I'm not sure, but I think those records were Slayer’s “Reign in Blood”, Possessed’s “Seven Churches” and Exodus' “Bonded by Blood”. In the end, our EP sounded like none of these albums, but on the other hand it got a quite unique sound.” It definitely has, and isn’t it better to sound unique than to simply copy another band’s sound?

The reactions to “Misanthropy” were mixed: “We got a lot of positive resonance from the fans (by letters back then!) and the underground magazines. The bigger magazines were a little more sceptical about our brutal and aggressive style and sound.” Anyway: “Misanthropy” made people aware of this four-piece who lived close to the then still intact German Wall, far away from the Ruhr-Area, the famous heart of Teutonic thrash, so Protector made their first real footprint in the world of Metal: “We got ourselves a little bit known in the underground-scene. And it opened some doors for us so we could book concerts with Tankard and Messiah, among others.”

As Martin Missy is famous for his extreme vocal performance, which always bordered on the verge of death metal growls and thus added a lot to Protector’s unique evilness, it is all the more interesting to hear Missy’s special memories about the vocal recordings for “Misanthropy”: “I remember standing in the recording booth and talking to my band mates and the engineer between two takes. All of a sudden I saw through the window how everybody started to laugh in the mixing room. So I asked them what was so funny, which only made them laugh harder. After a while I realized that the engineer had manipulated my voice to make it sound like Mickey Mouse when it came through the speakers in the mixing room.

I also remember another incident, which was not as funny. When I started to record the vocals I suddenly realized that my voice didn't sound as brutal and dark as it had done on the rehearsal room-recordings we had recorded on cassette. Those recordings were done on a little cassette player, all the other instruments were superloud and I was singing over a box for a bass, so it was natural that the voice sounded totally evil on those old cassettes. Now in the studio, it was a completely different thing. Here everybody could hear my “real voice”, and it sounded fragile and weak. I remember the horror in our drummer's eyes as I started to sing, or better “squeak” in the recording-booth. Fortunately my voice changed after I had screamed for about half an hour. And the result (including some effects) was quite evil.”

For the High Roller re-release, nothing will be changed about the sound, which makes total sense given that “Misanthropy” is so very great just as it is: “The recording has been taken from a mint condition “Misanthropy”-EP. We had to do that because the original recording tapes don't exist anymore. I don't think that Patrick W. Engel from Temple of Disharmony, who does the mastering, has changed anything on the sound.”
That is right, the sound stays untouched, but the High Roller version of “Misanthropy” comes with a very special feature. Martin tells us what that will be: “To make the whole release as complete as possible, High Roller will also include the demo from 1986, which I think is a great thing to do. That way the fans can hear what Protector sounded like before the EP was recorded.”

Protector never got any more aggressive, sharp and shattering than on „Misanthropy”. Their following releases were no less evil, but more influenced by early death metal and with a gradually more doomy touch. Up to this day, “Misanthropy” still is Martin's favourite of all Protector releases: “Yes, it is still my favourite Protector recording. Partly because it was my first time in the studio, and partly because I really like the songs and the sound of the EP. We still play all of them live at our gigs with Protector today. And the layout for the front cover was drawn by me. I had hoped that the artist who painted our cover would make it look cooler and more powerful, but in the end it turned out almost exactly as my sketch, only in colour.”

Ulrike Schmitz


Hailing from Germany, Protector entered a bit late in the German thrash metal scene. Contrary to their country mates of Sodom, Destruction and Kreator, Protector started off only by 1986 and these other bands already had some albums and material out. However, despite being late, Protector had so much potential and they showed it with this EP. After releasing a two tracks demo in 1986, called "Protector of Death", drummer Michael Hasse decided to quit doing vocals and the band then decided to get a new "proper" singer. Martin Missy rejoined the band and became to be the last member of Protector of that era today. He brought a less evil, but more aggressive voice and tone to the band, and many different vocal styles that we can see in the first few Protector records. Their first official effort as a 4 man piece was the Misanthropy EP and was released in 1987, at a time that most German bands began to experiment other things then evil and maleficent thrash. The mini-album still succeeded in gaining attention because of its difference of what was going on at this time.

Despite many people thinking that the cover is cheap, Protector has never been a band with great album covers at all. At first, I wasn't that motivated to give the band a listen. Mainly because they felt so apart from the 80s German thrash scene. But I was terribly wrong in every way, Protector followed the roots of early Kreator, Sodom and especially on this record. Though, the band has developed their own style through the years after, evolving into a more death metal approach. Misanthropy is their more "thrashy" record and the best one if you ask me, this album is a pure German thrash attack, and among the most brutal releases from a thrash band of that time. The album features 6 tracks and have a running time of nearly 23 minutes, most songs also have an average length time of 3-4 minutes, a typical basic thrash record you might say ... But it is really not, the songwriting on this album is pretty damn cool and original, even at this point in 1987.

The most interesting thing on the album are the weird guitar riffs that we can notice on tracks such as "Agoraphobia", "The Mercenary" or "Holocaust". The song structures are not just some ordinary thrash that we see by hundreds, it's really unique and I personally never heard anything like this before Protector, which is a really cool thing to discover. Even at their debut release, the band managed to impress with its great musicianship, they brought a more technical aspect than Kreator and Sodom on their debut. But for an album of 80s extreme metal, Protector opted for a more cleaner and polished sound for that release. I can also tell that the production quality is top-notch for this kind of record, all the instruments are perfectly mixed and heard easily. The drums are absolutely insane, Michael Hasse was probably one of the greatest drummers of the German scene, his performance on the album and even the other Protector material is outstanding. There's a lot of variations on this EP though, each songs have a different unique structure and kind of riffs, making the listener a better motivation to give the album a full listen, rather than hearing one song and getting tired of it already, one thing for sure is this EP can give a plenty amount of headbanging moments.

Speaking of originality, Protector wasn't just special musically, but the lyrics content of Misanthropy is also different from what other bands of Germany were doing at their beginnings. While most bands were more focused into the occult and satanic concept, Protector was less oriented to those themes. The song "Kain and Abel" has the most interesting lyrics, especially because of its story-line base. Dealing mainly with subjects of death and destruction, mental issues and hatred against humans are also a part of the topics with the self-titled song "Misanthropy" and "Agoraphobia". The catchiness of all these songs is really impressive, it only took me a few listen to fully appreciate the whole EP.

I must say that since the time I got into Protector, I consider this mini-album as an essential piece of German thrash. There's absolutely no weak song either, they all have moments that a headbanger need to satisfy his lust of violence and brutality. Useless to tell how much I recommend such a good album to everyone who digs 80s violent thrash.

DesecratorJ



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Misanthropy 04:00
2. Holy Inquisition 03:23
3. Agoraphobia 04:14
4. The Mercenary 03:41
5. Kain And Abel 04:12
6. Holocaust 03:46

Bonus Tracks:
7. Protector Of Death (Original Demo 1986) 04:07
8. Apocalyptic Revolution (Original Demo 1986) 03:17



..::OBSADA::..

Martin Missy - Vocals
Hansi Müller - Guitars
Ede Belichmeier - Bass
Michael Hasse (R.I.P. 1994) - Drums



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaIDqHykLAQ



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Klasyka niemieckiego Thrash/Death metalu.
'Misanthropy' to EP, która ukazała się w 1987 roku. Tutaj wznowienie z 2 dodatkowymi utworami z demo 1986.
Mastering: Patrick W. Engel (Temple Of Disharmony).



If you have kept a keen eye on what is going on in German thrash these days, you cannot have missed the comeback of Protector, legendary thrash/death outfit from Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. Formed in 1986, Protector lived through several line-up changes and phases of more or less activity, until they finally called it a day in 2003. That could have been the end of it, but if you scroll down a bit in the list of High Roller releases, you find Protector’s “Reanimated Homunculus” from 2013 – it was this album that marked the return of a band which today still is widely regarded as one of the most underrated outfits from the prolific German thrash/death scene of the Eighties. In 2011, Protector's old and new vocalist Martin Missy decided to reanimate Protector with the help of his all-Swedish crew, who had won their spurs playing in “Martin Missy and the Protectors” since 2006. The original plan had been to stay a cover band and not to use the name Protector anymore – but constant dripping wears away the stone, so Missy eventually gave in to the fans’ craving to see the real Protector playing live again. Now as Protector are back on the scene for good, it only makes sense to re-issue their back catalgoue, starting with this little thorny gem:
In 1987, Protector released their debut EP “Misanthropy”, after having scored a deal with the then still quite young label Atom H. Martin Missy remembers that this was a bit of luck for the young band: “It was our first release on vinyl, and we released it about one year after the band had been formed. We were really lucky to find a record company that quickly. Today, this is usually not that easy for an unknown band.”
Before “Misanthropy”, Protector had brought out their demo which already showed a lot of what this band was up to: uncompromising thrash metal, raw and fast, and with a strong feel of evil blackness. “Misanthropy” as the band's first official release laid the base for their reputation as “Germany’s most brutal band”, as some people called them. Protector? Really? A thrash metal band from Wolfsburg, some far out place in Lower Saxony? What about the German Big Four of Thrash? It’s true, Protector never rose to the same heights of fame as Kreator, Sodom and the likes, but back in the days, Protector made a name for themselves by playing not only fierce and sharp thrash metal, but always being extremely harsh, brutal and very very evil. “Misanthropy” is a perfect testimony for this: In its six-tracks-brevity, Protector’s debut-EP is a fierce, violent attack on the listener, giving you six razor sharp cuts and leaving you behind, crushed and bleeding.

“Misanthropy” was recorded in the summer of 1987 at the White Lines Studio in Braunschweig, where the band had already recorded their two-track demo the year before. It was during this time that Protector established their first more or less stable line up. Martin remembers how he first got into the band: “In the summer of 1987, the band consisted of Michael Hasse (drums), Hansi Müller (guitar), Ede Belichmeier (bass) and myself on vocals. Michael and Hansi had formed the band in 1986 together with Michael Schnabel (bass). The biggest change was on the vocal position. Michael had recorded the vocals on the demo, but in the beginning of 1987, the band started to look for a guy who would focus on the vocals only. I don't know exactly why they decided to do so, but my guess is that Michael wanted to concentrate on the drums.”

The songwriting process for all releases with Martin Missy on vocals usually worked more or less after the same pattern: “Hansi, Michael and Ede put together the songs, and I wrote the lyrics afterwards. We wrote the six songs for the EP in the first months of 1987.” These six songs were the first steps in the realm of professional recording, and they were conceived in a very special way. Missy explains how this worked, and goes a bit into detail on how the sound of “Misanthropy” was created: “We only had recorded one demo before the EP. The style and the sound of the demo were extreme black/thrash metal. On “Misanthropy”, the sound and the songs were also raw, but they leant more towards thrash than black metal. My lyrics also weren't as satanic as they had been on the demo. Regarding the sound: I remember that we took some albums into the studio, so that the guys from White Line, who hadn't recorded any metal before Protector, could get an idea of what we wanted it to sound like. I'm not sure, but I think those records were Slayer’s “Reign in Blood”, Possessed’s “Seven Churches” and Exodus' “Bonded by Blood”. In the end, our EP sounded like none of these albums, but on the other hand it got a quite unique sound.” It definitely has, and isn’t it better to sound unique than to simply copy another band’s sound?

The reactions to “Misanthropy” were mixed: “We got a lot of positive resonance from the fans (by letters back then!) and the underground magazines. The bigger magazines were a little more sceptical about our brutal and aggressive style and sound.” Anyway: “Misanthropy” made people aware of this four-piece who lived close to the then still intact German Wall, far away from the Ruhr-Area, the famous heart of Teutonic thrash, so Protector made their first real footprint in the world of Metal: “We got ourselves a little bit known in the underground-scene. And it opened some doors for us so we could book concerts with Tankard and Messiah, among others.”

As Martin Missy is famous for his extreme vocal performance, which always bordered on the verge of death metal growls and thus added a lot to Protector’s unique evilness, it is all the more interesting to hear Missy’s special memories about the vocal recordings for “Misanthropy”: “I remember standing in the recording booth and talking to my band mates and the engineer between two takes. All of a sudden I saw through the window how everybody started to laugh in the mixing room. So I asked them what was so funny, which only made them laugh harder. After a while I realized that the engineer had manipulated my voice to make it sound like Mickey Mouse when it came through the speakers in the mixing room.

I also remember another incident, which was not as funny. When I started to record the vocals I suddenly realized that my voice didn't sound as brutal and dark as it had done on the rehearsal room-recordings we had recorded on cassette. Those recordings were done on a little cassette player, all the other instruments were superloud and I was singing over a box for a bass, so it was natural that the voice sounded totally evil on those old cassettes. Now in the studio, it was a completely different thing. Here everybody could hear my “real voice”, and it sounded fragile and weak. I remember the horror in our drummer's eyes as I started to sing, or better “squeak” in the recording-booth. Fortunately my voice changed after I had screamed for about half an hour. And the result (including some effects) was quite evil.”

For the High Roller re-release, nothing will be changed about the sound, which makes total sense given that “Misanthropy” is so very great just as it is: “The recording has been taken from a mint condition “Misanthropy”-EP. We had to do that because the original recording tapes don't exist anymore. I don't think that Patrick W. Engel from Temple of Disharmony, who does the mastering, has changed anything on the sound.”
That is right, the sound stays untouched, but the High Roller version of “Misanthropy” comes with a very special feature. Martin tells us what that will be: “To make the whole release as complete as possible, High Roller will also include the demo from 1986, which I think is a great thing to do. That way the fans can hear what Protector sounded like before the EP was recorded.”

Protector never got any more aggressive, sharp and shattering than on „Misanthropy”. Their following releases were no less evil, but more influenced by early death metal and with a gradually more doomy touch. Up to this day, “Misanthropy” still is Martin's favourite of all Protector releases: “Yes, it is still my favourite Protector recording. Partly because it was my first time in the studio, and partly because I really like the songs and the sound of the EP. We still play all of them live at our gigs with Protector today. And the layout for the front cover was drawn by me. I had hoped that the artist who painted our cover would make it look cooler and more powerful, but in the end it turned out almost exactly as my sketch, only in colour.”

Ulrike Schmitz


Hailing from Germany, Protector entered a bit late in the German thrash metal scene. Contrary to their country mates of Sodom, Destruction and Kreator, Protector started off only by 1986 and these other bands already had some albums and material out. However, despite being late, Protector had so much potential and they showed it with this EP. After releasing a two tracks demo in 1986, called "Protector of Death", drummer Michael Hasse decided to quit doing vocals and the band then decided to get a new "proper" singer. Martin Missy rejoined the band and became to be the last member of Protector of that era today. He brought a less evil, but more aggressive voice and tone to the band, and many different vocal styles that we can see in the first few Protector records. Their first official effort as a 4 man piece was the Misanthropy EP and was released in 1987, at a time that most German bands began to experiment other things then evil and maleficent thrash. The mini-album still succeeded in gaining attention because of its difference of what was going on at this time.

Despite many people thinking that the cover is cheap, Protector has never been a band with great album covers at all. At first, I wasn't that motivated to give the band a listen. Mainly because they felt so apart from the 80s German thrash scene. But I was terribly wrong in every way, Protector followed the roots of early Kreator, Sodom and especially on this record. Though, the band has developed their own style through the years after, evolving into a more death metal approach. Misanthropy is their more "thrashy" record and the best one if you ask me, this album is a pure German thrash attack, and among the most brutal releases from a thrash band of that time. The album features 6 tracks and have a running time of nearly 23 minutes, most songs also have an average length time of 3-4 minutes, a typical basic thrash record you might say ... But it is really not, the songwriting on this album is pretty damn cool and original, even at this point in 1987.

The most interesting thing on the album are the weird guitar riffs that we can notice on tracks such as "Agoraphobia", "The Mercenary" or "Holocaust". The song structures are not just some ordinary thrash that we see by hundreds, it's really unique and I personally never heard anything like this before Protector, which is a really cool thing to discover. Even at their debut release, the band managed to impress with its great musicianship, they brought a more technical aspect than Kreator and Sodom on their debut. But for an album of 80s extreme metal, Protector opted for a more cleaner and polished sound for that release. I can also tell that the production quality is top-notch for this kind of record, all the instruments are perfectly mixed and heard easily. The drums are absolutely insane, Michael Hasse was probably one of the greatest drummers of the German scene, his performance on the album and even the other Protector material is outstanding. There's a lot of variations on this EP though, each songs have a different unique structure and kind of riffs, making the listener a better motivation to give the album a full listen, rather than hearing one song and getting tired of it already, one thing for sure is this EP can give a plenty amount of headbanging moments.

Speaking of originality, Protector wasn't just special musically, but the lyrics content of Misanthropy is also different from what other bands of Germany were doing at their beginnings. While most bands were more focused into the occult and satanic concept, Protector was less oriented to those themes. The song "Kain and Abel" has the most interesting lyrics, especially because of its story-line base. Dealing mainly with subjects of death and destruction, mental issues and hatred against humans are also a part of the topics with the self-titled song "Misanthropy" and "Agoraphobia". The catchiness of all these songs is really impressive, it only took me a few listen to fully appreciate the whole EP.

I must say that since the time I got into Protector, I consider this mini-album as an essential piece of German thrash. There's absolutely no weak song either, they all have moments that a headbanger need to satisfy his lust of violence and brutality. Useless to tell how much I recommend such a good album to everyone who digs 80s violent thrash.

DesecratorJ



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Misanthropy 04:00
2. Holy Inquisition 03:23
3. Agoraphobia 04:14
4. The Mercenary 03:41
5. Kain And Abel 04:12
6. Holocaust 03:46

Bonus Tracks:
7. Protector Of Death (Original Demo 1986) 04:07
8. Apocalyptic Revolution (Original Demo 1986) 03:17



..::OBSADA::..

Martin Missy - Vocals
Hansi Müller - Guitars
Ede Belichmeier - Bass
Michael Hasse (R.I.P. 1994) - Drums



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaIDqHykLAQ



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Tsunami wrogości i przemyślanej, intymnie zdefiniowanej brutalności!
Mordercza otchłań kreatywnego antagonizmu, rytmicznie paraliżująca i dźwiękowo porywająca destrukcja!



Norwegian quartet Hellish Outcast are by now some very experienced musicians, having played together in this particular project for the past fifteen years. In that time, they have released a grand total of four physical discs: One Demo, one EP and two full-length albums. The newest of these is entitled Stay of Execution and is a very Thrash-inspired Death Metal album, divided into eleven individual tracks. All of these are built up around the same musical frame (muddy, persistent growls supported by consistent and powerful drums as well as distorted and catchy guitars and bas), and a conscious effort has obviously been made to connect one track to the others in order to create one whole, full album. This is most evident on Stay of Execution through the very fluid transitions between the tracks – Sure, they are still clearly great musical pieces in their own right and they are easily distinguishable from one another, yet it still makes sense to listen to the album from ”Partition of Lust” (the first track) chronologically towards ”The Wait” (the last), since they are coupled to one another just enough for them to fade into one another (more or less – not entirely). Overall, the eleven tracks serve to prove that Norway are more than capable of producing other types of metal bands than Black Metal (although I do not want to admit it; but, I digress) and producing it well. Sure, they might not have been able to break through into wide-spread fame, but after having listened to Stay of Execution a couple of times, I am sure that it is just a matter of time. Either that or I have been incredibly unlucky in my choice of concerts and festivals and somehow missed them every single time. Below you will find the track ”Torment”, which I will recommend any Thrash/Death Metal fans out there to listen to, as it gives a glimpse of what Hellish Outcast is capable of.

Metal Revolution



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Partition Of Lust
2. I Can No Longer See The Sun
3. Heresiarch
4. Hunter Supreme
5. Gods Of Fear
6. Leave
7. Machines
8. Stay Of Execution
9. Morbid Attraction
10. Torment
11. The Wait



..::OBSADA::..

Martin Legreid - Guitars, Vocals
Thebon - Vocals
Mads Lilletvedt - Drums
Max Morbid - Bass




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz4v9xDB46U



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Tsunami wrogości i przemyślanej, intymnie zdefiniowanej brutalności!
Mordercza otchłań kreatywnego antagonizmu, rytmicznie paraliżująca i dźwiękowo porywająca destrukcja!



Norwegian quartet Hellish Outcast are by now some very experienced musicians, having played together in this particular project for the past fifteen years. In that time, they have released a grand total of four physical discs: One Demo, one EP and two full-length albums. The newest of these is entitled Stay of Execution and is a very Thrash-inspired Death Metal album, divided into eleven individual tracks. All of these are built up around the same musical frame (muddy, persistent growls supported by consistent and powerful drums as well as distorted and catchy guitars and bas), and a conscious effort has obviously been made to connect one track to the others in order to create one whole, full album. This is most evident on Stay of Execution through the very fluid transitions between the tracks – Sure, they are still clearly great musical pieces in their own right and they are easily distinguishable from one another, yet it still makes sense to listen to the album from ”Partition of Lust” (the first track) chronologically towards ”The Wait” (the last), since they are coupled to one another just enough for them to fade into one another (more or less – not entirely). Overall, the eleven tracks serve to prove that Norway are more than capable of producing other types of metal bands than Black Metal (although I do not want to admit it; but, I digress) and producing it well. Sure, they might not have been able to break through into wide-spread fame, but after having listened to Stay of Execution a couple of times, I am sure that it is just a matter of time. Either that or I have been incredibly unlucky in my choice of concerts and festivals and somehow missed them every single time. Below you will find the track ”Torment”, which I will recommend any Thrash/Death Metal fans out there to listen to, as it gives a glimpse of what Hellish Outcast is capable of.

Metal Revolution



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Partition Of Lust
2. I Can No Longer See The Sun
3. Heresiarch
4. Hunter Supreme
5. Gods Of Fear
6. Leave
7. Machines
8. Stay Of Execution
9. Morbid Attraction
10. Torment
11. The Wait



..::OBSADA::..

Martin Legreid - Guitars, Vocals
Thebon - Vocals
Mads Lilletvedt - Drums
Max Morbid - Bass




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz4v9xDB46U



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Żywioł, wściekłość i nieokiełznana agresja!


“Urm the Mad” was Protector’s sophomore album, recorded in the summer of 1989, again at the Phönix Studio in Bochum, where the four-piece from Wolfsburg had already recorded their killer full-length debut “Golem”. Still keeping the Golem-line up complete (though with some difficulties), Protector at that time consisted of Michael Hasse on drums, Hansi Müller on guitar, Ede Belichmeier on bass and Martin Missy on vocals, who had been in and out of the band and thus came a bit under stress once back in the game: “I had been out between march and early summer, so I wrote the lyrics to all the songs in a very short period of time.” That should not be the only change concerning the vocal position: “Urm the Mad” was to become the last album before the split in 2003 that features Martin Missy; he should be replaced by Olly Wiebel in December 1989. With this personal change still lying ahead of the band, the completion of “Urm the Mad” was decently celebrated: “I remember that a couple of friends from Wolfsburg came down to the studio in Bochum, and we had a big party after the recordings were all done.”

Protector did not change too much about their style – genre-defining early thrash/death – but one of the most notable things about “Urm the Mad” was the sound, as Martin remembers: “The album has a very special sound. It's hard for me to describe it, though, because I don’t know that much about the technical side of recording.” So what is it about the sound then? “Urm the Mad” is famous for its heavy, noisy, dirty sound, for its raw production that makes the music all the more evil and menacing, with guitars in the front and Martin’s unmistakeable vocals lying on the riffs like poisonous mould. “Urm the Mad” is thrash metal walking the sinister path of death – or, into death metal. Some say that this album is closer to Celtic Frost’s “To Mega Therion” than to standard 80’s thrash metal. Protector’s special blend of thrash and death metal has always set them apart from their compatriots and even inspired German metal tabloid Rock Hard to declare Protector to be “Germany’s hardest band” – and this in 1989, the year both Kreator’s “Extreme Aggression” and Sodom’s “Agent Orange” were released! To a big part this was due to the decision against playing even faster and even more technical than on the previous outputs “Misanthropy” and “Golem” – on “Urm the Mad” Protector still play mainly fast and energetic thrash, but the overall feel of the album is that of creeping, lurking evil – crawling along on frequently slowed down, heavy riffs and Martin Missy’s sick death-like growls which seem to come straight from the charnel house. “Urm the Mad” does not sport that “positive” aggression usually found in 80’s thrash; on the contrary, the album is grim, dark and desperate, but nonetheless brutal and extreme. Again, Protector’s contribution to the then-proliferating Teutonic thrash was mainly recognized within the underground scene, and the band’s expectations for “Urm the Mad” were not really met, as Martin recalls: “Protector had earlier that year mounted their first proper tour (with Wehrmacht) and played in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans in Katowice / Poland. The hopes where quite high that this record could be our big breakthrough; unfortunately it wasn't, but I think it definitely further established our name in the underground scene.” The “official” metal press played its own part in keeping Protector a bit below the radar: “We got pretty much the same response as we got for ‘Golem’: Good, positive feedback from our fans and ‘ok’-reviews from the bigger metal magazines.”

In the end, Martin Missy reveals the story behind the eponymous entity “Urm the Mad”: “I got the idea for the song ‘Urm the Mad’ while we were recording ‘Golem’ one year earlier. We were living in an apartment above the studio, and someone had stored a lot of magazines there. Among them I found a batch of Heavy Metal comics, some of them including a comic about Urm (“Urm le fou”, by Philippe Druillet). I liked the story so much that I decided to write some lyrics about it.”

Ulrike Schmitz



For whatever reason I don't tend to hear the name "Protector" mentioned all that often when people discuss early extreme metal (no, there's not a "proto-extreme" in this case; you're either in or you're out). However, I do think they are notably extreme enough to make the cut along with, say, other German luminaries such as Kreator, Destruction and Sodom (yes, those three once again). Perhaps it's worth noting that while those limelight-hogging trio largely gave up the extremity to their sound after their early records (with Sodom being the possible exception with their brief flirtation with death thrash on the Tapping the Vein album), Protector got a considerably harder-edge over time. Or, at least from what I've heard, they got heavier between their full-length debut, Golem, and this the ripping Urn the Mad.

What is present on this record is notably less typically thrashy than what came before; a frequent use of slower tempos, even murkier production and truly sick vocals from Martin Missy (who, despite having a name that makes him sound like a bit-part character in a sub-par King Diamond album, is a fucking excellent vocalist). So, I guess what I find interesting about Protector, then, is that instead of following a thrashier path on this record they lumbered towards some odd primordial death-like sound. It's still a thrash record, sure, but it feels notably darker, grimmer and generally lacks that "push people around in the mosh pit" vibe that is associated with late-80s thrash. If pressed, I'd certainly say that this is closer to Celtic Frost's To Mega Therion than whatever your own personal standard of "typical late-80s" thrash metal might be. So, that basically leaves us with a thrash record that will appeal to people who don't necessarily like Exodus or Metallica.

Missy's sepulchural vocals are perhaps the most deathy aspect to this record. I can't honestly say that I've heard a thrash vocalist sound so convincingly extreme as he does here. Just listen to the title-track - he's positively menancing! Urn... THE MAD! See, this is thrash metal for fans of Slowly We Rot. Okay, so maybe you're not impressed by convincing death/thrash in 1989? Considering that this was a year after Malleus Maleficarum and a handful of other death metal full-lengths (although, notably ones that are still very much thrash-flecked in tone), perhaps this is not such an impressive feat. Hell, I should probably note that the band aren't afraid to use blast-beats with the closer being a fifty-second grind-influenced piece. Nonetheless, Urn the Mad has a ripping vitality to it and certainly stands to be more than a mere historical footnote; it's very memorable but I wouldn't necessarily call it an obviously catchy record. The riffs themselves aren't particularly "hooky" and it doesn't have any catchy tracks like 'Space Cake' or 'Golem', and yet the combination of Missy's schizophrenic vocals - which do literally "leap out" at the listener at times - and Hansi Müller's rather austere riffing make for something that strangely atmospheric, if you can ever use such an adjective when describing thrash.

Basically, this is thrash metal that functions so well very as death metal that you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for its younger, even uglier brother. It has all the grey-skyed oppressive heaviness you could ask for and with Martin Missy's absolutely vile vocals it's an even more (un)attractive package. You can pick this up through the compilation Ominous Message of Brutality (a more fitting title you possibly couldn't find) and I strongly recommend doing so.

Acrobat



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Capitascism 5:42
2. Sliced, Hacked And Grinded 3:43
3. Nothing Has Changed 4:25
4. The Most Repugnant Antagonist Of Life 3:40
5. Quasimodo 3:44
6. Urm The Mad 3:41
7. Decadence 3:52
8. Atrocities 4:11
9. Molotow Cocktail 0:46

Bonus Tracks:
10. Kain And Abel (live) 4:07
11. Omnipresent Aggression (live) 3:45
12. The Mercenary (live) 3:18
13. Apocalyptic revelations (live) 3:26


Recorded August 1989 at Phoenix Studios, Bochum.

Tracks 10-13 are not credited on the back cover but only on compact disc.
Live bonus tracks recorded in Braunschweig, Germany on May 1st 1989.
Vocals on live tracks by Oliver Wiebel



..::OBSADA::..

Ede Belichmeier - Bass
Hansi Müller - Guitars
Michael Hasse (R.I.P. 1994) - Drums
Martin Missy - Vocals, Lyrics




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xSIGvLlBf0



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Żywioł, wściekłość i nieokiełznana agresja!


“Urm the Mad” was Protector’s sophomore album, recorded in the summer of 1989, again at the Phönix Studio in Bochum, where the four-piece from Wolfsburg had already recorded their killer full-length debut “Golem”. Still keeping the Golem-line up complete (though with some difficulties), Protector at that time consisted of Michael Hasse on drums, Hansi Müller on guitar, Ede Belichmeier on bass and Martin Missy on vocals, who had been in and out of the band and thus came a bit under stress once back in the game: “I had been out between march and early summer, so I wrote the lyrics to all the songs in a very short period of time.” That should not be the only change concerning the vocal position: “Urm the Mad” was to become the last album before the split in 2003 that features Martin Missy; he should be replaced by Olly Wiebel in December 1989. With this personal change still lying ahead of the band, the completion of “Urm the Mad” was decently celebrated: “I remember that a couple of friends from Wolfsburg came down to the studio in Bochum, and we had a big party after the recordings were all done.”

Protector did not change too much about their style – genre-defining early thrash/death – but one of the most notable things about “Urm the Mad” was the sound, as Martin remembers: “The album has a very special sound. It's hard for me to describe it, though, because I don’t know that much about the technical side of recording.” So what is it about the sound then? “Urm the Mad” is famous for its heavy, noisy, dirty sound, for its raw production that makes the music all the more evil and menacing, with guitars in the front and Martin’s unmistakeable vocals lying on the riffs like poisonous mould. “Urm the Mad” is thrash metal walking the sinister path of death – or, into death metal. Some say that this album is closer to Celtic Frost’s “To Mega Therion” than to standard 80’s thrash metal. Protector’s special blend of thrash and death metal has always set them apart from their compatriots and even inspired German metal tabloid Rock Hard to declare Protector to be “Germany’s hardest band” – and this in 1989, the year both Kreator’s “Extreme Aggression” and Sodom’s “Agent Orange” were released! To a big part this was due to the decision against playing even faster and even more technical than on the previous outputs “Misanthropy” and “Golem” – on “Urm the Mad” Protector still play mainly fast and energetic thrash, but the overall feel of the album is that of creeping, lurking evil – crawling along on frequently slowed down, heavy riffs and Martin Missy’s sick death-like growls which seem to come straight from the charnel house. “Urm the Mad” does not sport that “positive” aggression usually found in 80’s thrash; on the contrary, the album is grim, dark and desperate, but nonetheless brutal and extreme. Again, Protector’s contribution to the then-proliferating Teutonic thrash was mainly recognized within the underground scene, and the band’s expectations for “Urm the Mad” were not really met, as Martin recalls: “Protector had earlier that year mounted their first proper tour (with Wehrmacht) and played in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans in Katowice / Poland. The hopes where quite high that this record could be our big breakthrough; unfortunately it wasn't, but I think it definitely further established our name in the underground scene.” The “official” metal press played its own part in keeping Protector a bit below the radar: “We got pretty much the same response as we got for ‘Golem’: Good, positive feedback from our fans and ‘ok’-reviews from the bigger metal magazines.”

In the end, Martin Missy reveals the story behind the eponymous entity “Urm the Mad”: “I got the idea for the song ‘Urm the Mad’ while we were recording ‘Golem’ one year earlier. We were living in an apartment above the studio, and someone had stored a lot of magazines there. Among them I found a batch of Heavy Metal comics, some of them including a comic about Urm (“Urm le fou”, by Philippe Druillet). I liked the story so much that I decided to write some lyrics about it.”

Ulrike Schmitz



For whatever reason I don't tend to hear the name "Protector" mentioned all that often when people discuss early extreme metal (no, there's not a "proto-extreme" in this case; you're either in or you're out). However, I do think they are notably extreme enough to make the cut along with, say, other German luminaries such as Kreator, Destruction and Sodom (yes, those three once again). Perhaps it's worth noting that while those limelight-hogging trio largely gave up the extremity to their sound after their early records (with Sodom being the possible exception with their brief flirtation with death thrash on the Tapping the Vein album), Protector got a considerably harder-edge over time. Or, at least from what I've heard, they got heavier between their full-length debut, Golem, and this the ripping Urn the Mad.

What is present on this record is notably less typically thrashy than what came before; a frequent use of slower tempos, even murkier production and truly sick vocals from Martin Missy (who, despite having a name that makes him sound like a bit-part character in a sub-par King Diamond album, is a fucking excellent vocalist). So, I guess what I find interesting about Protector, then, is that instead of following a thrashier path on this record they lumbered towards some odd primordial death-like sound. It's still a thrash record, sure, but it feels notably darker, grimmer and generally lacks that "push people around in the mosh pit" vibe that is associated with late-80s thrash. If pressed, I'd certainly say that this is closer to Celtic Frost's To Mega Therion than whatever your own personal standard of "typical late-80s" thrash metal might be. So, that basically leaves us with a thrash record that will appeal to people who don't necessarily like Exodus or Metallica.

Missy's sepulchural vocals are perhaps the most deathy aspect to this record. I can't honestly say that I've heard a thrash vocalist sound so convincingly extreme as he does here. Just listen to the title-track - he's positively menancing! Urn... THE MAD! See, this is thrash metal for fans of Slowly We Rot. Okay, so maybe you're not impressed by convincing death/thrash in 1989? Considering that this was a year after Malleus Maleficarum and a handful of other death metal full-lengths (although, notably ones that are still very much thrash-flecked in tone), perhaps this is not such an impressive feat. Hell, I should probably note that the band aren't afraid to use blast-beats with the closer being a fifty-second grind-influenced piece. Nonetheless, Urn the Mad has a ripping vitality to it and certainly stands to be more than a mere historical footnote; it's very memorable but I wouldn't necessarily call it an obviously catchy record. The riffs themselves aren't particularly "hooky" and it doesn't have any catchy tracks like 'Space Cake' or 'Golem', and yet the combination of Missy's schizophrenic vocals - which do literally "leap out" at the listener at times - and Hansi Müller's rather austere riffing make for something that strangely atmospheric, if you can ever use such an adjective when describing thrash.

Basically, this is thrash metal that functions so well very as death metal that you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for its younger, even uglier brother. It has all the grey-skyed oppressive heaviness you could ask for and with Martin Missy's absolutely vile vocals it's an even more (un)attractive package. You can pick this up through the compilation Ominous Message of Brutality (a more fitting title you possibly couldn't find) and I strongly recommend doing so.

Acrobat



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Capitascism 5:42
2. Sliced, Hacked And Grinded 3:43
3. Nothing Has Changed 4:25
4. The Most Repugnant Antagonist Of Life 3:40
5. Quasimodo 3:44
6. Urm The Mad 3:41
7. Decadence 3:52
8. Atrocities 4:11
9. Molotow Cocktail 0:46

Bonus Tracks:
10. Kain And Abel (live) 4:07
11. Omnipresent Aggression (live) 3:45
12. The Mercenary (live) 3:18
13. Apocalyptic revelations (live) 3:26


Recorded August 1989 at Phoenix Studios, Bochum.

Tracks 10-13 are not credited on the back cover but only on compact disc.
Live bonus tracks recorded in Braunschweig, Germany on May 1st 1989.
Vocals on live tracks by Oliver Wiebel



..::OBSADA::..

Ede Belichmeier - Bass
Hansi Müller - Guitars
Michael Hasse (R.I.P. 1994) - Drums
Martin Missy - Vocals, Lyrics




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xSIGvLlBf0



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Obcowanie z tym debiutem jest jak strzał prosto w ryja zakończony deptaniem jaj po upadku na podłogę!!!



'Summoned to Rise features some of the fastest, catchiest, darkest, meanest, smartest, most intricate thrash fucking metal to come down the pike in years. No letup. No duds. Just a fiery, eponymous opening volley. (...)' - Decibel Magazine

'Insane old school riffs for all your moshing needs, Jeff Hanneman style squealing solos (which made the hair on my arm stand up at points), brutal vocal deliveries that at times walk the line of really solid Death Metal vocals, and a ton of intense outstanding drumming throughout. Everything works on this album, from lyrical content, to the tone of the music, and of course that break neck pace the vast majority of the record offers.' - Hellbound.ca

'‘Summoned to Rise’ is a an all out assault that takes no prisoners! Fast songs, brutal thrash and death metal riffage and blast beats…..What more could you ask for?' - Metal Nexus



When is it appropriate to employ the term ‘supergroup’? Could it be in the instance of new Floridian act Create A Kill? Featuring members of Malevolent Creation, Gruesome and Solstice – this unstoppable supergroup was always gonna make an impact based on the line-up alone. However, little were our ears prepared for the onslaught that was to come on debut album Summoned To Rise. Not just in terms of pure fury, but also the sheer quality. The overall sound of Create A Kill is a perfect mesh of the previously-mentioned three bands, but with an unhealthy dose of Demolition Hammer injected into the death/thrash assault. This is raw, blistering, violent, nasty shit. And boy, do I love it!

Not only do these Floridians exhume pure malice, they do it in a way that’s weirdly accessible and…dare I say it…catchy! Hell, if the chorus to “Premeditated” hasn’t got you hooked after one playthrough, there’s something wrong with your brain. These memorable hooks provide moments of clarity amid the sheer maelstrom of this album. Riffs cut like razors, solos insanely channel their inner Kerry King, blast-beats pound at your brain – and the whole affair is wrapped in a chaotic vibe that just about keeps in control. The way everything sounds like it’s teetering on the edge of composure is exciting and irresistible. The varied vocal attack contributes to this massively. Although I’m unsure exactly which vocal style is performed by who, the combination of vile high shrieks, powerful low growls and Schuldiner-esque mids creates a real death/thrash party atmosphere.

The production quality is absolutely spot on, bringing back that raw, authentic early ’90s spirit. The cut-throat guitar tone is both grisly and fun, but the snappy bass/snare mix is utterly gorgeous. This is what Demolition Hammer’s Tortured Existence should have sounded like! Summoned To Rise is the definition of ‘all killer, no filler’. Every single cut delivers the madness at a blistering pace with not a second wasted. Even the mid-tempo segments are loaded with impact, such as the opening riffs to “Cold Blooded” and “Reap The Whirlwind”, or the verses in “Gauntlet Of Pain”. In fact, my favourite moments are the slower ilk which hit you like a fucking steamroller (see “Decimated” – what a sledgehammer of a track!). Structurally, this album flows beautifully – mixing the faster and slower sections, though never losing a single ounce of barbarism.

As previously stated, there are memorable hooks and standout moments abound on this album. These guys have a penchant for writing catchy death/thrash metal that doesn’t compromise the style or cheapen the brand. “Crave The Blade”, “Premeditated” and the hammering “Show Of Force” are all great examples of how this sub-genre can be accessible for newcomers whilst pleasing the elitists. However, the jewel in this record’s crown is the bonus track – dedicated to late Malevolent Creation frontman Bret Hoffman – “Flesh, Blood & Stone”. When Matt Harvey bellows out ‘FLESH AND GOLD AND BLOOD AND STEEL AND FUCKING STONE!!’, you know Bret himself would have been majorly proud of this LP. Create A Kill should be proud of this effort. Really proud. I cannot pinpoint any specific aspect that weakens it. Summoned To Rise is simply an incredible slice of no-holds-barred death/thrash metal that will have any fan of the genre headbanging like it’s 1989.

Larry6990



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Create A Kill 02:58
2. Cold Blooded 03:14
3. Crave the Blade 03:39
4. Decimate 04:57
5. Premeditated 03:18
6. Gauntlet of Pain 03:42
7. Praise the Beast 03:12
8. Reap the Whirlwind 04:27
9. The Sow is Mine 04:13
10. Show of Force 03:29



..::OBSADA::..

Gus Rios (Gruesome/Malevolent Creation) - Guitars/Bass/Drums
Alex Marquez (Solstice/Resurrection) - Vocals/Drums
Dirk Verbueren (Megadeth/Soilwork) - Drums
Tobias Gustafsson (Cut Up/Vomitory) - Drums
Matt Harvey (Exhumed) - Vocals
Daniel Gonzalez (Possessed) - Guitars




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J6HXUtz_XA



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Obcowanie z tym debiutem jest jak strzał prosto w ryja zakończony deptaniem jaj po upadku na podłogę!!!



'Summoned to Rise features some of the fastest, catchiest, darkest, meanest, smartest, most intricate thrash fucking metal to come down the pike in years. No letup. No duds. Just a fiery, eponymous opening volley. (...)' - Decibel Magazine

'Insane old school riffs for all your moshing needs, Jeff Hanneman style squealing solos (which made the hair on my arm stand up at points), brutal vocal deliveries that at times walk the line of really solid Death Metal vocals, and a ton of intense outstanding drumming throughout. Everything works on this album, from lyrical content, to the tone of the music, and of course that break neck pace the vast majority of the record offers.' - Hellbound.ca

'‘Summoned to Rise’ is a an all out assault that takes no prisoners! Fast songs, brutal thrash and death metal riffage and blast beats…..What more could you ask for?' - Metal Nexus



When is it appropriate to employ the term ‘supergroup’? Could it be in the instance of new Floridian act Create A Kill? Featuring members of Malevolent Creation, Gruesome and Solstice – this unstoppable supergroup was always gonna make an impact based on the line-up alone. However, little were our ears prepared for the onslaught that was to come on debut album Summoned To Rise. Not just in terms of pure fury, but also the sheer quality. The overall sound of Create A Kill is a perfect mesh of the previously-mentioned three bands, but with an unhealthy dose of Demolition Hammer injected into the death/thrash assault. This is raw, blistering, violent, nasty shit. And boy, do I love it!

Not only do these Floridians exhume pure malice, they do it in a way that’s weirdly accessible and…dare I say it…catchy! Hell, if the chorus to “Premeditated” hasn’t got you hooked after one playthrough, there’s something wrong with your brain. These memorable hooks provide moments of clarity amid the sheer maelstrom of this album. Riffs cut like razors, solos insanely channel their inner Kerry King, blast-beats pound at your brain – and the whole affair is wrapped in a chaotic vibe that just about keeps in control. The way everything sounds like it’s teetering on the edge of composure is exciting and irresistible. The varied vocal attack contributes to this massively. Although I’m unsure exactly which vocal style is performed by who, the combination of vile high shrieks, powerful low growls and Schuldiner-esque mids creates a real death/thrash party atmosphere.

The production quality is absolutely spot on, bringing back that raw, authentic early ’90s spirit. The cut-throat guitar tone is both grisly and fun, but the snappy bass/snare mix is utterly gorgeous. This is what Demolition Hammer’s Tortured Existence should have sounded like! Summoned To Rise is the definition of ‘all killer, no filler’. Every single cut delivers the madness at a blistering pace with not a second wasted. Even the mid-tempo segments are loaded with impact, such as the opening riffs to “Cold Blooded” and “Reap The Whirlwind”, or the verses in “Gauntlet Of Pain”. In fact, my favourite moments are the slower ilk which hit you like a fucking steamroller (see “Decimated” – what a sledgehammer of a track!). Structurally, this album flows beautifully – mixing the faster and slower sections, though never losing a single ounce of barbarism.

As previously stated, there are memorable hooks and standout moments abound on this album. These guys have a penchant for writing catchy death/thrash metal that doesn’t compromise the style or cheapen the brand. “Crave The Blade”, “Premeditated” and the hammering “Show Of Force” are all great examples of how this sub-genre can be accessible for newcomers whilst pleasing the elitists. However, the jewel in this record’s crown is the bonus track – dedicated to late Malevolent Creation frontman Bret Hoffman – “Flesh, Blood & Stone”. When Matt Harvey bellows out ‘FLESH AND GOLD AND BLOOD AND STEEL AND FUCKING STONE!!’, you know Bret himself would have been majorly proud of this LP. Create A Kill should be proud of this effort. Really proud. I cannot pinpoint any specific aspect that weakens it. Summoned To Rise is simply an incredible slice of no-holds-barred death/thrash metal that will have any fan of the genre headbanging like it’s 1989.

Larry6990



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Create A Kill 02:58
2. Cold Blooded 03:14
3. Crave the Blade 03:39
4. Decimate 04:57
5. Premeditated 03:18
6. Gauntlet of Pain 03:42
7. Praise the Beast 03:12
8. Reap the Whirlwind 04:27
9. The Sow is Mine 04:13
10. Show of Force 03:29



..::OBSADA::..

Gus Rios (Gruesome/Malevolent Creation) - Guitars/Bass/Drums
Alex Marquez (Solstice/Resurrection) - Vocals/Drums
Dirk Verbueren (Megadeth/Soilwork) - Drums
Tobias Gustafsson (Cut Up/Vomitory) - Drums
Matt Harvey (Exhumed) - Vocals
Daniel Gonzalez (Possessed) - Guitars




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J6HXUtz_XA



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

...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

Reedycja drugiego dużego albumu HELLIAS z 1993 roku, old schoolowe granie w stylu SLAYER, KREATOR, ASSASSIN, VENDETTA, NECRONOMICON, OVERKILL i innych Thrash’owych formacji z lat 80-tych!




Po przesłuchaniu kilku mniej lub bardziej rozczarowujących (z dwoma wyjątkami) nowości wracam do odgrzewania klasyków. Thrashing Madness Productions dba bez ustanku, by w tej materii coś się działo i co rusz proponuje nowe/stare materiały. Dziś zasiadłem do płyty, której nagrania rozpoczęto w majówkę 1993 roku w Gamma Studio w Krakowie. Mowa o płycie Blind Destiny zespołu Hellias.

Blind Destiny to drugi pełny album tej kapeli. Wszystkie te matexy posiadają już status kvltowy i nad tym raczej nie ma co dużo dywagować. Thrash/heavy metalowa załoga wystartowała w końcówce lat 80., załapując się na ostatki thrashowej manii i dając od siebie nową jakość na naszej scenie. Opisywany album wydany został w 1993 roku, czyli już w czasie, gdy wszyscy kierowali swój wzrok w kierunku „nowego” szaleństwa w postaci death metalu, i zapewne nie dostał tyle miłości, ile powinien. Dziś różnorodność gatunkowa jest czymś normalnym, kiedyś mody uderzały mocniej, zgniatając tych, którzy za nimi nie nadążali. Nie zmienia to absolutnie faktu, że Hellias nagrał album potężny, który ze srebrnego krążka brzmi po prostu zajebiście. Zawodowy thrash metal ubarwiony kilkoma zwolnieniami kipi witalnością, jadem i pięknym, staroszkolnym podejściem do tematu. Riffy – mieszanka wpływów sceny Bay Area z naszym polskim, tradycyjnym gniewem – proponują bardzo rytmiczne i agresywne rozwiązania, co w połączeniu z dobrymi partiami sekcji rytmicznej momentalnie zmusza do podrygiwania w ich takt. Słychać tu inspiracje muzyką Testament, Metalliki (okresu Ride the Lightning), Coronera czy naszego Kata (pewnie dlatego, że Kat także silnie wzorował się na starym Testamencie).

Materiał jest bardzo urozmaicony. Rozpoczynają go utwory szybsze, przechodzą w bardziej miarowe, a następnie w coś na kształt nawet balladowy. Zabiegi te dają płytę bogatą i pozbawioną monotonii. Wokalista Piotr Foreman Forys atakuje słuchacza swoim gniewnym krzykiem, ale na nim się nie zamyka, modulując głos na wiele sposobów i próbując nawet śpiewać, co dodaje całości dodatkowego kolorytu, a że płyta do najkrótszych nie należy, to zabieg ten uważam za jak najbardziej wskazany.

Jako bonus wytwórnia dołożyła cztery utwory w wersji live nagrane podczas Live Invasion Tour w 1990 roku w Chełmku. Utwory brzmią zaskakująco dobrze, nie ranią uszu sprzężeniami czy innymi „kwiatkami”, których by można się spodziewać po ówczesnych próbach recordingu koncertów, kiedy najnormalniej brakowało przyzwoitego sprzętu.

Blind Destiny to wyżyny polskiego thrashu. Gdy pominąć Kata, Dragon czy Wilczego Pająka nie pozostaje zbyt wiele kapel, które w tej materii mogą przychodzić do głowy, i uważam Hellias za band im równy. Sprawność muzyczna i dobre pomysły idą tu w parze z archaicznym soundem, który może burzyć budynki swą bezpośrednią mocą. Stanowczo polecam.

Brzeźnicki


Z kolejnym wznowieniem wyskoczyło Thrashing Madness Productions – tym razem sąsiadów z ich własnego podwórka, czyli Hellias. W sumie to już niewiele z katalogu tego zespołu zostało do wznowienia, ale póki co zajmijmy się reedycją „Blind Destiny”.

Thrash metal w 1993 roku wchodził już w fazę schyłkową, u nas też już nie wywoływał takich emocji o ile kojarzę, poza oczywiście najbardziej rozpoznawalnymi nazwami. Hellias natomiast trzymał się tego stylu, jedynie modyfikując go jeśli weźmiemy pod uwagę ich wcześniejsze materiały. „Closed in Fate Coffin” było jeszcze bowiem materiałem dość surowym i… lekko czerstwym?

„Blind Destiny” szło zdecydowanie dalej w thrash metalowe inspiracje i starała się mieć oko na to, co aktualnie się dzieje. Przynajmniej takie odnoszę wrażenie słuchając ich drugiego albumu – z jednej strony słychać tutaj echa Megadeth z „Countdown to Extinction”, z drugiej zespół z ciekawością łypie okiem na rodzący się nurt kombinowanego metalu. Daje to efekt taki, że z jednej strony ten krążek jest dość techniczny, z drugiej sporo tutaj groove’u, ale też zwolnień, niemal balladowych fragmentów lub atmosferycznych podchodów. Dostajemy więc płytę złożoną i dość ciekawą. O ile ktoś lubi tego typu granie – ja w thrash metalu jednakże szukam czegoś innego i stwierdzam, że ten album ma mocne, dobre momenty, ale ma też mielizny nudy.

Na dokładkę wrzucono cztery numerów z koncertu z 1989 roku. Zaskakująco, brzmi nieźle i pokazuje dobrze ówczesną kondycję Hellias – surowość i pasję, tak zespołu jak i publiki. Oczywiście, jak to w przypadku wznowień – dostajemy też stare zdjęcia kapeli, tym razem bez wywiadów i reprodukcji plakatów. Niemniej jednak wydanie, jak to zwykle, wygląda bardzo dobrze.

Więc co, do wydania zostało jeszcze tylko „Fakty” i można zamykać temat wznowień Hellias?

Oracle


Not exactly the definitive veterans on the Polish metal scene, this outfit hit the spotlight when their brand of dark brooding retro thrash was swiftly becoming obsolete. Under the circumstances, few were those who lent an ear to their debut “Closed in the Fate Coffin” when it came out in 1991. A real pity especially when said debut was a pretty cool mixture of intense blitzkrieg pieces and slower atmospheric excursions, an effective compendium with echoes of the Brits Deathwish and the Canadians Sacrifice.

Two years later the guys are back, and they mean old school business once again. However, the more laid-back atmospherics have taken the upper hand with the label “gothic thrash” now emerging as a pretty legitimate one, the final result coming close to Fear of God’s “Beyond the Veil”, only not as compellingly and coherently structured. But misleaders first, the title "Descent from the Cross", the opener, a sure-handed headbanger emitting loads of energy. The setting abruptly changes with the atmospheric semi-technical wonder "Written to Loss", the highlight here, a sure qualifier for the mentioned Fear of God magnum opus. So far so not so bad, but the lads’ gothic heart cries out for bigger expression, and before you know it you’re exposed to two dark poignant ballads (“The Rain”, “Depths”) which at least see the mean semi-declamatory vocalist acquire a surprisingly effective clean lyrical timbre. A profound change of scenery with these two, the guys try to recapture some thrashing ground with the intense mosher "Stones for the Man (The Last Leaves)" and the more controlled mid-paced shredder "Silence in My Brain", but the band’s hard-core fans would hardly be sold for this dynamic oasis. And they would be right to doubt their idols who march on with a couple of samey, somewhat monotonous gothic semi-thrashers the rude awakening arriving in the form of "No Devotion", another hyper-active proposition. This last one would have been a dignified epitaph, but the band ruin the finale by throwing in the bad groovy joke "Rap-Sody Drink", an absolutely unnecessary deviation having nothing to do whatsoever with the instilled dark officiant clout.

But even without this last awful filler, this effort leaves something to be desired. The distribution of the faster-paced material could have been done more adroitly; the middle is entirely occupied by the mentioned rowdy gothicers which pass by as one not very optimistic whole without creating too much drama. As those follow in quick succession, it’s hard for the fan to distinguish any more prominent features among them thus semi-ignoring their dark impact, waiting for the next-in-line more aggressive outburst. The thing is that said outbursts are sparingly offered, we’re talking an hour-long opus mind you, and don’t seem to have the desired rousing effect. It may have been even better if they were excluded thus leaving the gothic-ornated material to gel better and to form a more coherent dark saga.

Still, even in its more or less contrasting blend-shape, this effort has its moments; the atmosphere is here, the darkness is here, the pessimism is here… and it’s really intriguing to hear how the otherwise rough sinister singer turns to a more attached goth on those balladic moments. The guys were not looking for creating culminations here as the thrashy outtakes are by no means such; at the same time, one can’t take this recording as a genuinely transitional one as this is retro stuff through and through, no groove, no grunge, no aggro… and, truth be told, the atmospheric developments time and again were already present on the first instalment. There are no drastic innovations introduced; it’s just that the gothic/thrash symbiosis sounds a bit disparate, like the dark mellower side demands more space, but the more aggressive one resists with anything it has, trying to exercise authority whenever it has the opportunity.

Alas, neither fate nor destiny could stop the guys from falling into the groovy traps which occurred on “Fakty...”, the third charm, a tepid unimaginative post-thrash affair which closed the first chapter from their career in a seriously downbeat fashion. The reunion stint "A.D. Darkness" 13 years later was way more like it, a potent gothic/thrash/post-thrash conglomerate which took the best of the three styles for the production of a thrilling diverse ride. A really promising new beginning that was followed by a compilation album (“Twenty Fifth Year in the Abyss”) before the band defied destiny again by adding one more cardinal sin to the widely spread seven, with “Eight Cardinal Sins”. Not drastically different from the comeback saga, it offered a similar cocktail the guys sounding confident and by no means stale; there’s no doubt that the next fortune-telling exam is theirs for the taking/passing.

Bayer



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Blind Destiny (Intro) 1:02
2. Descent From The Cross 4:13
3. Written To Loss 4:39
4. King Of Revenge 3:59
5. The Rain 6:02
6. Depths 5:36
7. Stones For The Man (The Last Leaves) 4:26
8. Silence In My Brain 3:55
9. Golgotha 3:48
10. Disguise Of Torment 5:14
11. Let's Talk About Killing 3:50
12. Sentence Of... 4:45
13. No Devotion 4:23
14. Rap-sody Drink 2:56
15. Blind Destiny (Outro) 1:09

Bonus Tracks (Live '89)
16. Zamknięty W Trumnie Losu 1:31
17. Requiem Dla Grzesznika 4:07
18. Empty Cry 4:39
19. Król Umarłych Dusz 5:21



..::OBSADA::..

Vocals - Piotr Foreman Foryś
Guitar - Marek Galon Galary (tracks: 16 to 19), Paweł Goolary Góralczyk (tracks: 1 to 15), Piotr Lopez Czerski (tracks: 1 to 15)
Keyboards - Grzesiek Pulchny (tracks: 16 to 19)
Bass - Darek Darecki Łopata (tracks: 1 to 15), Rafał Dykta Mazur (tracks: 16 to 19)
Drums - Wojtek Wojna Wojnowski




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA88SESipSM



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..::OPIS::..

Reedycja debiutanckiego krążka Devastator z 2005 roku wzbogacona o nową oprawę graficzna oraz dwa bonusy, w sumie blisko 80 minut black/thrash metalu w stylu wczesnej Sepultury połączonej z Destroyer 666 i niemieckimi thrash metalowymi formacjami z lat 80-tych.



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. The End 10:26
2. The Call To War 13:13
3. Battle Of Hate 6:31
4. Armageddon 9:15
5. Doom Of The Gods (Ragnarok) 11:45
6. Dead And Destroyed 9:31
7. Unholy Thrash Assault 12:04
8. Deny The Cross / Onslaught Of Angels (Bonus Track) 6:42


Tracks 1 to 7 recorded June 2004 at Mercury Studio in 20 hours.

Track 8 (Bonus Track) recorded Fall 2006 at Typhon Studio.
Originally appeared on the Devastator / Ampütator split Tape released in 2008 on Maltkross Productions.



..::OBSADA::..

Pest - Drums
Adrian - Guitars
Wulfnoth - Vocals
Lazdemon - Bass




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws0Nkv51ihw



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..::OPIS::..

"Handle With Care" to trzecia płyta amerykańskich mistrzów crossover-thrash, która nie wprowadziła znaczących zmian do muzyki wykonywanej przez Nuclear Assault. Jak się potem miało okazać, była to także ostatnia płyta tak ciepło przyjęta zarówno przez krytyków, jak i fanów. Nie zmienia to faktu, że na albumie zawarty został porządny kawał wysokiej klasy metalowej łupaniny.

"Handle With Care" to ostra jazda od początku do końca, utrzymana w całości (no może oprócz kilku fragmentów ostatniego utworu, ale o tym później) w szybkich tempach. Melodii nie znajdziemy tutaj zbyt wiele. Jedyne takie fragmenty to początek "Inherited Hell" czy kilka refrenów. Nie jest to oczywiście przebojowość znana z bardziej klasycznych odmian ciężkiej muzyki, ale wystarcza aby zapamiętać poszczególne utwory i je nawet zanucić. Poza tym pojawia się tutaj wiele smaczków i przerywników, takich jak "Funky Noise" czy ultra-szybki, częściowo blastowany i ledwo półminutowy "Mother's Day". Mamy także samplowane wypowiedzi w "Torture Tactics". Jednak wszystko to, co opisałem, to jedynie dodatki. Skupmy się na rdzeniu Nuclear Assault. Są to przede wszystkim piekielnie ostre riffy Anthony'ego Bramante i Johna Connolly'ego podparte szybką perkusją Glenna Evansa oraz cudownie bulgoczącym basem Dana Lilkera. Nad tym wszystkim góruje skrzecząco-krzyczany wokal wspomnianego Connolly'ego. Nieco ponad pół godziny w tym towarzystwie mija nadzwyczaj szybko, a po zakończeniu pozostaje niedosyt. Najpiękniejsza w tego rodzaju płytach jest ich prostota - panowie prą do przodu, nie bawią się w jakieś skomplikowane struktury i mają duży dystans do swojej twórczości. Jedynie wieńczący całość "Trail Of Tears" nieco wyróżnia się w tym gronie, gdyż między thrashowe fragmenty zgrabnie wpleciono melodyjne zwolnienia. Brzmi to naprawdę dobrze, a co najważniejsze - nadal brzmi to jak Nuclear Assault.

"Handle With Care" to płyta w swoim gatunku znakomita, crossover-thrash najwyższej klasy. Każdy fan tego gatunku zna ją pewnie na pamięć, a reszcie polecam - doskonały przykład na to, jak można tworzyć luzacką muzykę na najwyższym poziomie.

s7mon


Starting off by saying ‘Survive’ is considered by many to be their best (or at least most aggressive) album but ‘Handle with Care’ is definitely my personal favourite. It’s possible this might have been caused by ‘Handle…’ being my first Nuclear Assault album. I’ve always had difficulties trying to decide whether ‘Handle…’ or ‘Survive’ was the superior album. Ah well, they both are the core of Nuclear Assault quality.

‘Emergency’ has got to be one of their lyrically fastest thrashers ever (not counting their short grindy tunes) and a logical follow up to the earlier ‘Equal Rights’ on Survive. It’s hard to keep up with John Connelly’s words on the verses here. And over all there are plenty of speedy thrashers here, more than enough to keep any Nuclear Assault fan happy. ‘New Song’ is as powerful as it is catchy. Which goes for ‘Search and Seizure’ and ‘F#’ as well. Also a lot of hails go to ‘Trail Of Tears’. These angry thrashers managed to write a more than decent thrash metal power ballad.

But the award best song actually does NOT go to any of the fast songs. ‘Critical Mass’ which remains to this day one of the most powerful midtempo thrashers from the eighties together with their classic ‘Brainwashed’ from ‘Survive’. Even the distorted bass sound of Danny Lilker makes sense here! Superb environmentally correct lyrics by Connelly which are really catchy. The way the song progresses from the last line of the chorus (‘Bring on the acid rain’) into the second verse (‘Slightly insane, the type of greed ’) including slide on the guitar is just perfect and you can not help but bang your head to this mighty song.

Whether the songs are really fast, syncopated or pretty mid paced, they’re all remarkably catchy here and the band manages to incorporate slightly more melody compared to the previous albums without losing momentum or aggression. No song (not counting short noisy eruptions) can be considered bad or filler. The worst moments on ‘Handle With Care’ are ‘good’ at least.

Since the days of ‘Hang The Pope’ and ‘My America’ the short funny songs have become more and more grindcore instead of crossover. ‘Mother’s Day’ is quite a nice grinder (better than ‘Got Another Quarter’ and ‘PSA’ were on Survive), and it doesn’t take too long to feel out of place here. ‘Funky Noise’ however, being a short funky tune (d’oh) was rather obsolete. Also worth mentioning in the funny-department is the Nazi-sample from the classic 1980 movie ‘Blues Brothers’ at the end of ‘Torture Tactics’.

The production is dirty but never too much. Less transparent than earlier works with distorted bass guitar mixed in more prominently, making this album sound heavier and at times somewhat sloppier. Not that it’s really sloppy of course but it never gets too clean or tight. Therefore the album just breaths the thrash metal atmosphere. As a whole the album manages to combine the speed metal melodies (especially vocal lines on choruses) of ‘Game Over’ with the full on thrash assault of ‘Survive’ and therefore remains the purest and most crystallised Nuclear Assault release. And bloody brilliant as well.

morbert



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. New Song 2:59
2. Critical Mass 3:19
3. Inherited Hell 3:30
4. Surgery 2:44
5. Emergency 3:20
6. Funky Noise 0:50
7. F# (Wake Up) 2:58
8. When Freedom Dies 2:33
9. Search & Seizure 4:11
10. Torture Tactics 2:22
11. Mothers' Day 0:32
12. Trail Of Tears 5:44

Live At The Hammersmith Odeon April 10th, 1989
13. Intro / The New Song 3:11
14. Critical Mass 3:11
15. Torture Tactics 2:07
16. Trail Of Tears 3:57
17. Mothers' Day 0:59
18. Funky Noise 0:50



..::OBSADA::..

John Connelly - guitar, lead vocals
Anthony Bramante - lead guitar
Dan Lilker - bass
Glenn Evans - drums

Additional musicians:
Barry Stern, Mo Alonso, Ron Holzner - backing vocals



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJONWCOoQJ8



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