Bal-Sagoth - Starfire Burning Upon The Ice-Veiled Throne Of Ultima Thule (1996)

 

 Bal-Sagoth was created in the UK in 1989 by Byron Roberts (vocals) but wasn't formed until he met the brothers Chris (guitar) and Johnny (keyboard, drums) Maudling in 1993. Shortly after Jason Porter (bass) and Vincent Crabtree (keyboard) were recruited. In December same year they recorded their first and only demo tape which resulted in a deal with Cacophonous Records. In 1994 they entered Academy Studios and recorded their first full-length album, “A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria", which wasn't released until 1995. Before it was released Vincent Crabtree left the band and was replaced by Leon Forrest. Same year the also played their first gig at the Dublin Castle Festival.

In 1996 they returned to the studio to record their second album, "Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule" and shortly after the release Jason Porter was forced to leave the band and Alistair Maclatchy was the one who replaced him. More tours followed and in 1998 the third album, "Battle Magic", was released. Before the release Leon Forrest had left the band and Johhny had switched to keyboards instead of drums. Dave Mackintosh (drums) was then brought into the band and Alistair Maclatchy was replaced by Mark Greenwell.

In 1999 they were signed to Nuclear Blast where they released the fourth album, "The Power Cosmic", same year. "Atlantis Ascendant" followed in 2001 and was followed by various tours. In 2004 David Mackintosh left in order to focus on his other band called Dragonforce.

 

 

 

 

 

 Tracklist:

 

1. Black Dragons Soar Above the Mountain of Shadows (Prologue)     03:05       Instrumental
2. To Dethrone the Witch-Queen of Mytos K'unn (The Legend of the Battle of Blackhelm Vale)     06:45
3. As the Vortex Illumines the Crystalline Walls of Kor-Avul-Thaa     06:35
4. Starfire Burning upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule     07:23
5. Journey to the Isle of Mists (Over the Moonless Depths of Night-Dark Seas)     01:11
6. The Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon of the Hyperborean Empire     06:03
7. And Lo, When the Imperium Marches Against Gul-Kothoth, Then Dark Sorceries Shall Enshroud the Citadel of the Obsidian Crown     06:28
8. Summoning the Guardians of the Astral Gate     06:09
9. In the Raven-Haunted Forests of Darkenhold, Where Shadows Reign and the Hues of Sunlight Never Dance     06:29
10. At the Altar of the Dreaming Gods (Epilogue)     02:29       Instrumental

52:37

 

Lineup:

• Byron Roberts : Vocals, Lyrics
• Jonny Maudling : Drums, Keyboards, Songwriting
• Chris Maudling : Guitars, Bass, Songwriting.

Label: Cacophonous Records – NIHIL 18CD

 Produced by Mags and Bal-Sagoth.

 Recorded at Academy Studios, Yorkshire, England, August 1996.

 The Interactive CD-ROM Track contains application with informations about label, signed bands, ordering information, catalogue and merchandise. 

 Cover art rendered: Petagno.

 Original Bal-Sagoth logo design: Byron Roberts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nailbomb - Point Blank (1994)

 

 Nailbomb was a side project of Max Cavalera and Alex Newport that consequently split up after their only live gig at the Dynamo festival in 1995, where the album Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide was recorded.

Although Max Cavalera is originally from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and Alex Newport from Wolverhampton, England, they both resided in Phoenix, Arizona while Nailbomb was active.

In April 2017, Max announced that he planned to play the entire Point Blank album with his band Soulfly later in 2017. Alex Newport could not to take part in these performances, with Max citing his busy schedule as the reason.

 

 

 

 

 -Tracklist:

Side A

1. Wasting Away     03:06
2. Vai Toma no Cú     04:47
3. 24 Hour Bullshit     03:54
4. Guerrillas            04:26
5. Blind and Lost     01:54
6. Sum of Your Achievements     02:42
7. Cockroaches     05:10

Side B

8. For Fuck's Sake     05:44
9. World of Shit     04:13
10. Exploitation (Doom cover)     02:28
11. Religious Cancer     05:09
12. Shit Piñata     01:09
13. Sick Life    17:51
  

01:02:33

 

-Lineup:

• Max Cavalera : Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Samples.
• Alex Newport : Vocals, Bass, Samples, Guitars.

 

 

 

 

Label: Roadrunner Records. RR 9055-4

 "Wasting Away" has been used in the 1995 film To Die For and was available for free download on Roadrunner's website. A video was also made for the song.
"Vai Toma no Cú" is a Brazilian Portuguese insult phrase that can be roughly translated as "go get fucked in the ass" (or simply "fuck you"), although correct spelling should be "vai tomar no cu".

Recorded & engineered at Chaton Studios, Scottsdale, Arizona & Theresa's Catholic Bedroom, Phoenix, Arizona.
Mastered at Future Disc, Hollywood, California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bolt Thrower - ...For Victory (1994)

 

 ...For Victory is the fifth album by British death metal band Bolt Thrower. It was recorded at Sawmill studios in August 1994, released 24 November 1994 and produced by Colin Richardson and Bolt Thrower. A limited edition contains a live CD titled Live War.

The song "...For Victory" contains a quote from Laurence Binyon poem, known as the Ode of Remembrance.

This would be the last release with Andrew Whale on drums.

 

 

 

 

 -Tracklist:

 1. War     01:16       instrumental
2. Remembrance     03:43
3. When Glory Beckons     03:59
4. ...for Victory     04:50
5. Graven Image     04:00
6. Lest We Forget     04:37
7. Silent Demise     03:55
8. Forever Fallen     03:47
9. Tank (Mk.I)     04:15
10. Armageddon Bound     05:13

39:35

 

-Lineup:

• Karl Willetts : Vocals
• Gavin Ward : Guitars
• Baz Thomson : Guitars
• Jo Bench : Bass
• Andrew Whale : Drums.

 

 

 

 Label: Earache MOSH120CD

 The cover photo shows marching British infantrymen during the Falkland conflict between Great Britain and Argentina in 1982.

 

 

 

 

Venom - At War with Satan (1984) [Reissue] (2005)

 

 At War with Satan is the third album by the British heavy metal band Venom, released in April 1984. It is a concept album that tells the story of a war between Heaven and Hell which the latter side wins. It was touted as Venom's crossover into mainstream music, but failed to do so. Shortly after it went on sale, the HMV record chain withdrew the album from its shelves because of its anti-Christian content.

The inspiration for writing a track filling out an entire side of the record, according to Venom's bass guitarist and vocalist Cronos, came from Rush's 2112 album. "At War with Satan" is centred on a character named Abaddon (which is also the alias of Tony Bray, Venom's drummer), who is the guardian to the gates of Hell. Cronos started writing, in his school days, a story about "how Hell revolts and takes over the heavens and throws God into Hell", a story later fleshed out as "At War with Satan". The title track's imagery and storyline largely evokes the Book of Revelation and John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost (1667–1674), filtered through a postmodern horror movie and pulp aesthetic. The catchy opening riff of the title track derives from the song "Teaser" by Tommy Bolin (1975).

With side A taken by the epic title track, side B offers the "three-minute scorchers" for which the band is best known. The metal journalist Malcolm Dome said that songs such as "Cry Wolf" showed how much Venom had matured in their songwriting without losing their edge. According to the AllMusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia, the album's last track, "Aaaaaarrghh", is "possibly the funniest song ever recorded".

At War with Satan's packaging resembled the leatherbound sleeve of a bookcover. A hundred-page The Book of Armageddon with the entire story of At War with Satan was supposed to be published alongside the album, but it never happened. The Swiss independent distributor Disctrade tried to interest Venom in H. R. Giger's painting Satan I (1977) to no avail. It later became the cover art of Celtic Frost's second album, To Mega Therion (1985).

By the time At War with Satan went on sale, Venom had reached a crossroads in their career. Critics felt that their third album should have propelled them into the heavy metal mainstream, something which failed to materialize. Venom were also being threatened by thrash metal upstarts such as Metallica, who two months before At War with Satan's release were the opening act for Venom's Seven Dates of Hell tour (Roughly a year later Venom also took Slayer and Exodus on their North American Combat Tour). This was Metallica's first European tour, which included concerts in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Aardschok Festival in the Netherlands.

The record was well received by major music magazines. "Proof positive that Venom are the best heavy metal band in the world", said Melody Maker's Neil Jeffries of the album. "It will definitely go down in Heavy Metal history as the ultimate headbang," claimed a Sounds reviewer of the title track. At War with Satan's entry on the "Where to Start with" section of the Kerrang! site says that this was the "last truly great record the Geordie three would make". Some criticism, though, was directed toward the album's production values, viewed as subpar.

The title track's merits divided critics. In the opinion of About.com's Chad Bowar, "At War with Satan" is at the same time "highly ambitious" and "bloated", but the song was "so over-the-top and so dramatic that it somehow worked" and made the album "an overlooked metal gem".The Allmusic review's tone was harsher: this concept piece was an "ill-advised anomaly", much of it "decidedly crap".

The rise of metal's popularity in the 1980s was paralleled by the political power gained by conservative organisations such as the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). The Christian campaign against the "offensive" content of rock music carried out by certain political groups in America eventually crossed over to the United Kingdom. Venom became one of its early victims: HMV stopped selling At War with Satan in fear of legal action because of Britain's obscenity laws. The PMRC later included the title track of Venom's following album Possessed in their "Filthy Fifteen" list.

 

 

 641013

 

 

 

 

 -Tracklist:

 Side A

1. At War with Satan     19:56

Side B

2. Rip Ride     03:08
3. Genocide     02:58
4. Cry Wolf     04:19
5. Stand Up (and Be Counted)     03:31
6. Women, Leather and Hell     03:21
7. Aaaaaarrghh     02:24

39:37

 

-Lineup:

 ⛧Cronos : Vocals, Bass
 ⛧Abaddon : Drums
 ⛧Mantas : Guitars.

 

Label: Earmark.

Recorded at Impulse Studios, UK.

Mastered at Utopia Studios, London, UK.

 Production & cover design by Venom.

 

 

 

 

Benediction - The Dreams You Dread (1995)

 

 The Birmingham-based death metal band Benediction were formed in February 1989 by Paul Adams (bass), Peter Rew (guitar), Darren Brookes (guitar), and Mark "Barney" Greenway (vocals). With the demo "The Dreams You Dread", released in the same year, they drew the interest of Nuclear Blast Records, resulting in a record deal. Their first album, Subconscious Terror, was released in 1990, followed by the departure of Barney, who joined Napalm Death. The debut was received well and a new singer, Dave Ingram, was found soon. In an extensive touring schedule 1991 saw the band toured with Bolt Thrower and Nocturnus.

Their second album, "The Grand Leveller", attracted international acclaim. Having already completed one European tour with Massacra during the year between the recording and the mixing of the album, the band now took to the road again with Dismember. After that tour Paul Adams departed. The band was back in studio in December 1991 with Darren playing bass and guitar on a new EP, "Dark Is The Season", which included a cover of the old Anvil stalwart "Forged In Fire", and January 1992 saw the band back in Europe again with Asphyx and Bolt Thrower.

Later that year they found their new bassist, Frank Healy, at that time the guitarist of Cerebral Fix and formerly of Napalm Death. Healy joined as a full-time member just as left to play in Israel. According to an interview in the metallian.com encyclopedia the band had been involved in an altercation and fist fight with label-mates Dismember in Denmark. The band were arguing over tour arrangements.

In 1993, Benediction released their third album, "Transcend The Rubicon". The album's release was followed by the extensive "World Violation" tour with Cemetery and Atheist throughout Europe, USA, Canada, and again Israel. After that tour, Ian Treacy left the band because of personal differences. After "The Grotesque / Ashen Epitaph" EP, which featured two brand new songs and three live tracks Neil Hutton, Treacy was replaced by Neil Hutton, who was initiated on the eleven dates of the Nuclear Blast New Year Festivals, which took place in January 1995, for performances on German, Dutch, Austrian, Swiss, and Czech stages. Meanwhile the band had already put the finishing touches to their fourth full-length album, The Dreams You Dread.

Benediction formed a close relationship with Death, touring extensively with them at Chuck Schuldiner's request.

Their next album, "Grind Bastard", was launched with a tour, now including the former Eastern Block. A deal with TCI, a touring agency in New York, led to yet more touring, including another European tour with Death. This tour coincided with the departure of singer Dave Ingram and the introduction of new singer Dave Hunt (also the singer in Mistress and Anaal Nathrakh).

Their 8th studio album was released through Nuclear Blast in October 2001, titled "Organised Chaos", it was again produced by Andy Sneap, and was followed by more live appearances throughout Europe, highlighted by 2002's tour with Bolt Thrower and an appearance at the Gods Of Metal festival in Milan, Italy - sharing a bill with the likes of Motörhead, W.A.S.P., Megadeth, and Judas Priest.

In 2008 they released "Killing Music", recorded at Robannas Recording Studio Birmingham and mixed at Necrodeath Studio Birmingham.

 

 

Nuclear Blast – NB 120-4, Nuclear Blast – 27361 68734

 

-Tracklist:

A1. Down On Whores (Leave Them All For Dead)    5:23
A2. Certified...?    2:30
A3. Soulstream    4:13
A4. Where Flies Are Born    4:41
A5. Answer To Me    4:38
B1. Griefgiver    4:59
B2. Denial    5:29
B3. Negative Growth    3:41
B4. Path Of The Serpent    3:32
B5. Saneless Theory    4:12
B6. The Dreams You Dread    2:13

 

 -Line-up:

• Dave Ingram : Vocals
• Frank Healy : Bass
• Darren Brookes : Guitars
• Neil Hutton : Drums
• Peter Rew : Guitars.

 

 

 Label: Nuclear Blast

Recorded at Rhythm Studios, 2/95.

Produced by Benediction, Markus Staiger, Paul Johnston.

Co-produced by Benediction.

 Cover by David Palsar.

 

 

 

Spearhead - Deathless Steel Command (2005) CASS [2006]

 

"Take one part early Sepultura with a tinge of Possessed and two parts of acerbic, war-lusting black metal (Sadistik Exekution, Deströyer 666, Marduk circa 'Panzer Division Marduk'), add a pinch of cannon-fodder, stir well and allow this smoldering concoction to settle. What you'll get is the metal warmongery that is Spearhead.
Mind you though, although at an explicit level Spearhead have no regard for your hearing health whatsoever, there is standout quality here. 

Compositions are not tiring and swiftly pass one after the other, due to catchy ideas that hit the spot and the tight percussion that follows both mid-tempo deluges and relentless blasting with ease. Adhering to old-school paradigms, proper solos (proper- guitar soloing, not flaunting six-string wankery) and slower doom-esque parts are artfully placed within songs to ensure the smooth flow of the album's dynamics. Production is raw and rough around the edges, and at times the snare sounds like the drummer's banging a cooking pot, but overall it fits the bill quite well.

And so, after a long array of self-styled monikers which dub themselves as "war metal", Spearhead pound forth with conviction, rudely taking their place among the genre's higher ranks. To people of a specifically acquired taste, this death-inspired cocktail of tempo changes and clattering riffage that Spearhead manage to churn will definitely find a suitable acceptance."

 

 

 

 -Tracklist:

A1. Ornamentum  (instrumental)  1:01
A2. Operation Overlord    3:03
A3. Violated Purity    2:52
A4. Deathless Steel Command    2:50
A5. Stormbearer    2:42
B1. The Glorious Dead    5:14
B2. Destroying The Law Of Jahweh    3:44
B3. Dominion    4:23
B4. Nuclear Imperator    3:19
B5. Aftermath    2:29

 

 -Line-up:

⛧Barghest : Bass, Vocals (lead)
⛧Hemah : Guitars (rhythm)
⛧Vortigern : Drums
⛧Nephilim : Guitars (lead).

 

 

 

 Label: Tour de Garde.

 Limited to 500 copies.

Some copies have the tracks as they are here, while others have all of the tracks on one side.

"Recorded over various days in June 2005 at Warlord Studios, Kent."

 "Deathless Steel Command" is more Black Metal influenced in sound and does not represent Spearhead's direction taken after this album.

 

 

 

 

Napalm Death + Immolation + Macabre ┼ Sala Capitol, Santiago de Compostela 14.11.2010

 

 

 

 

Setlist

01. Downbeat Clique
02. Hung
03. Continuing War on Stupidity
04. Next On The List
05. When All Is Said And Done
06. If The Truth Be Known
07. Lucid Fairytale
08. Social Sterility
09. On The Brink Of Extinction
10. Mentally Murdered
11. The World Keeps Turning
12. Pride Assassin
13. Conform (Siege cover)
14. Politicians (Raw Power cover)
15. Greed Killing
16. Scum
17. Control
18. M.A.D.
19. You Suffer
20. Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys cover)

Bises:
21. Suffer The Children
22. Instinct Of Survival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formed in 1985, Macabre’s lineup has remained the same since day one:
vocalist/guitarist Corporate Death (Lance Lencioni),
bassist/vocalist Nefarious (Charles Lescewicz),
and drummer Dennis the Menace (Dennis Ritchie).
That’s a rarity for any band, let alone a band in a genre where peers with similar longevity
may not feature even one original member.

Many credit Macabre as being one of the first bands to play a style of music which would influence death metal. They weren't really a death metal band themselves, however their lyrical content & grindcore sound furthered what would become death metal.

Macabre has been known to refer to their style of music as "murder metal".

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