Megaforce Records 1984
Don't let that piece of shit cover fool you... Born To Metalize is a completely kick-ass comp featuring four NJ/NY Metal bands, all of which, with HADES being the only exception, should have gone on to bigger and better things. Oddly enough, HADES is the only band that actually did manage some modicum of success, but more on them later. After a cornball intro, THE BEAST get the ball rolling with 3 straight ahead high energy tracks. I love the vocal delivery! Really excellent stuff, and a tough act to follow for Bayonne's SNEAK ATTACK... fortunately they're able to hold their own with a slightly more typical sound for the era replete with screeching vocals, soaring whammy-bar leads, and laughable lyrics ("Sneak Attack" is so homoerotic it's ridiculous!). Simplistic and direct in their approach, TORTURED DOG keep the quality high in spite of tracks filled with the most generic riffs you can imagine... and somehow it's endearing. Thankfully HADES wrap things up quickly with only 2 tracks (all others contribute 3) of overwrought, melodramatic Metal. These guys clearly took themselves way too seriously, and are a bit of a buzz-kill considering the other 3 bands came to party with lunkheaded, good time tunes. Not a bad band, but they are definitely the weakest link on Born To Metalize, and the singer's Paul Di'Anno impersonation is a bit too blatant on "Rogues March". On the whole, highly recommended listening.
DOWNLOAD: BornToMetalize.rar (78.69 MB)
BORN TO METALIZE LP
EASTERN FRONT: LIVE AT RUTHIE'S INN 2LP
Eastern Front/Restless Records 1986
An absolute stone cold classic here! Live At Ruthie's Inn is chock fulla some of Thrash Metal and Hardcore's finest, live and in their nascent prime. The first record is live from the Eastern Front (which I'm assuming was some sorta festival held at Ruthie's in '85) and includes VIOLENCE, LAAZ ROCKIT, DRI, RAW POWER, HEXX, FORBIDDEN EVIL, and a slew of others. The quality is uneven and raw, a fact that only helps to convey the unbridled energy of the era. To further document the Bay Area scene at the time, the second record features cracking demo tracks from DEATH ANGEL, BLIND ILLUSION, SACRILEGE (pre-BC), HEATHEN, RUFFIANS, LEGACY, and a shitload more! I'm not gonna bother breaking down each track as I'm sure it's not necessary... you know that every one of the aforementioned bands rule, and that you oughta download this tout de suite!
DOWNLOAD Pt. 1: LiveAtRuthiesInn-Disc1.rar (79.87 MB)
DOWNLOAD Pt. 2: LiveAtRuthiesInn-Disc2.rar (75.4 MB)
FROM THE MEGAVAULT LP
Megaforce Records 1985
In 1985, when From The Megavault came out, I foolishly had zero interest in the collection of rarities culled from the Megaforce archives, but today, as I'm sure it did then, it stands up as an absolutely top notch comp. The exclusive tracks from OVERKILL, EXCITER, RAVEN, S.O.D., and BLESSED DEATH all make this essential, with tracks from T.T. QUICK, ANTHRAX, and unknowns MEDIEVAL STEEL and IMPERIOUS REX only sweetening the deal. BLUE CHEER's take on the oft covered "Boney Maroney" is the odd-man-out here, with standouts being the Violence And Force-era outtake from EXCITER and the live RAVEN track. Download with confidence.
DOWNLOAD: FromTheMegavault.rar (64.5 MB)
L'AMOUR ROCKS LP
Mercenary Records 1987
L'Amour Rocks features 8 bands who in '87 were all in their infantile demo stages - some would later become fairly well known, while most others were destined for obscurity. This is a surprisingly solid comp, and save for THE BOYS' track there ain't a stinker in the whole bunch. Here's a breakdown:
WRATHCHILD: Not the UK glamsters, but WRATHCHILD AMERICA, before they were forced to tack on the AMERICA. Great double-time Power Metal that reminds me of EXCITER - what ATTILA wished they sounded like.
MATRIARCH: More Power Metal that seemed ripe for Metal Blade's picking... but I don't think these guys did much after this.
JETT BLAKK: Along with WRATHCHILD, JETT BLAKK are the standouts... pretty surprising too, considering their band photo. Straight ahead Thrash with a bit of a Crossover feel - check the full on S.O.D. mosh part in the middle. The guitar player ended up in over-the-top glam act PRETTY BOY FLOYD.
LETHAL AGGRESSION: Now for some real Crossover. Apparently these guys are still at it... that's dedication!
ATTACKER: These guys had already been on, and been dropped by (presumably), Metal Blade by the time L'Amour Rocks was released. Impressive! Great track though.
HALLOWEEN: Snapped this record up cuz of HALLOWEEN, but unfortunately this track pales in comparison to the stuff on their phenomenal Don't Metal With Evil debut of 3 years earlier. Still cool though.
MEANSTREAK: I always thought MEANSTREAK were more of a Thrash band, but "Lost Stranger" is straightforward Metal with a kinda generic Rock feel... not spectacular, but a totally decent offering.
THE BOYS: The most commercially viable band on L'Amour Rocks, and also the most boring and predictable.
DOWNLOAD: LamourRocks.rar (52.07 MB)
METAL WARRIOR LP
Metalother Records 1987
It never ceases to amaze me when I find out what year records like this were released. In 1987, all the bands on METAL WARRIOR were still mired in the muck of the NWOBHM while groundbreaking records like Killing Technology, Master Of Puppets, Reign In Blood, and Into The Pandemonium were being released. This doesn't mean that METAL WARRIOR is a bad record, quite the contrary, it just means that the world seemed to be passing these guys by. Certainly not an issue for those who longed for the glory days of the NWOBHM. 6 bands make up this mini comp in: DEUCE (UK), CRISIS (USA), FIRST OFFENCE (UK), TROJAN (Ireland), NOT FRAGILE (Germany), and EZYMEAT (Ireland). I dunno if I'd wanna hear entire full-lengths by each of these bands, but on a comp there's no time to get bored, and so this record is a damn good listen.
DOWNLOAD: MetalWarrior.rar (55.42 MB)
NEW YORK METAL-84 LP
Rockcity Records 1984
If this record is an accurate representation of Metal in New York City circa 1984, then I'm glad I grew up in Canada, cuz this is some seriously second rate shit. WARHEAD and CITIES start things off, and both offer decent HALLOWEEN-ish Metal, but then it's all downhill. TAKASHI are dreadfully bad, sounding very similar to KISS at their dullest and most pedestrian (picture "Getaway" played by even worse musicians). Unforunately there's two VIRGIN STEELE tracks to suffer through. The first is an almost 4 minute guitar wank-a-thon followed by their naff theme song. TEAZER are every bit as bad as their name suggests. One of this record's few highlights comes from BLACKLACE, who's brand of metallic barroom Rock is entertaining and just plain fun. The demo version of OVERKILL's "Feel The Fire" is painfully long, terribly dull, and sloppy. I've already completely forgotten DEATHSLAYER, but album closers FRIGID BICH are surprisingly good, in spite of the stupid name and stupider misspelling of it. It would be wrong of me to not comment on the cover shot... yes, that's a dude in a diaper. What in the fuck!?!?! Nothing says New York Metal like a soiled diaper.
DOWNLOAD: NewYorkMetal84.rar (78.14 MB)
TUNES FOR FUCKER Vol. 2 LP
Tunes For Fucker Records 2007
Like a lot of people outside of Japan, and particularly in North America, my only exposure to Japanese Hardcore was through compilations. Meaning I was familiar with all the same bands you probably were (G.I.S.M., LIP CREAM, KURO, THE STALIN, etc.). Through mp3 blogs, and SYPHILITIC VAGINAS, I recently discovered the greatness of ZOUO, so when I saw TUNES FOR FUCKER Vol. 2 I had to grab it. Along with ZOUO's "The Final Agony" 7", TFF2 contains a TRANQUILIZER flexi, a MANBIKI CHOCOLATE 8", and G-SPOT's "Radical & Shout" 7". I really know nothing about any of these bands, but ZOUO sound very similar to G.I.S.M. (especially the vocals), and judging by the song titles have a Satanic lyrical direction. The 6 TRANQUILIZER tracks are blazingly fast walls of sheer distortion (lots of info re: TRANQUILIZER here). G-SPOT are kinda crappy Punk Rock that doesn't do much for me, but MANBIKI CHOCOLATE are killer, and easily my favourite of the 4 bands on TFF2. I'm gonna assume that all of these records are extremely rare, making TUNES FOR FUCKER Vol. 2 a pretty cool package.
DOWNLOAD: TunesForFuckerVol2.rar (77.45 MB)
HYMNS OF THE DEAD Vol. 1 Cassette
Mould In Hell Records 1989
Some pretty serious shit here! I'll assume we're all familiar with, and know how amazing, NIHILIST, GRAVE, DISMEMBER, and even MERCILESS were/are... so I don't need to say much about them right? That leaves 7 lesser known Swedish Thrash/Death Metal bands who've contributed to this cassette comp of demo tracks. OBSCURITY deliver a real mid-paced pounder that calls to mind BATHORY's slower moments with killer pitched vocals. HYSTERIAH lean more towards technical Thrash with a palpable ARTILLERY "Terror Squad" influence. LEPROSY fucking slay! Excellent vocals, great guitar harmonies... one of the best tracks, if not the best, on HOTDV1. TREBLINKA's simplistic Death Metal shows little or no similarity to their later incarnation as TIAMAT. MACRODEX's "Rest In Pieces" flipflops between TESTAMENT style Thrash and full-on Death Metal, while ATROCITY stick to straight up Thrash. Finally KENTIK BROSK are the Swedish equivalent of AUTOPSY... 'cept for the stoopid country bit in the middle of their track. This is mandatory listening for while yer flipping through your Swedish Death Metal coffee table book.
DOWNLOAD: HymnsOfTheDeadVol1.rar (88.14 MB)
MOOSE MOLTEN METAL Vol. 1 LP
Capitol Records 1985
The guys in DARKTHRONE were totally right when they wrote that "Canadian Metal" song for their last record... it does rule. And even though I doubt they referenced any of the bands on this comp, they rule none the less. DAGGER start things off with a commercial party anthem, and D.D.T. follow it up with the best track on MMMV1, the pounding "Let The Screw...". I'd never heard of D.D.T. before this comp, but their self-released EP is at the top of my want list now. SADWINDER deliver straight up Metal with soaring Geoff Tate-ish vox, while FIST are simplistic Rock/Metal that's slightly reminiscent of Belgian MOTORHEAD wannabes KILLER... maybe that's just cuz their contribution is called "Killer" though. WITCHKILLER's track sounds like "Rhythm Nation" off the top with cheesy keyboard orchestra hits, but develops into a bit of a "United" style anthem. "Got To Be Cruel" by STORMBRINGER starts off slow but winds up being a damn good track with a memorable chorus and cool gang vocal bits. GALLEON have a bit of the NWOBHM in their sound, and the blatant IRON MAIDEN harmony guitar parts don't hurt. The tracks by HEAVENKNOX and TZAR are probably the weakest on MMMV1, the former having little to make it standout and the latter being generic knuckleheaded Rock... but thet can't help it cuz they were "Born To Rock". The last track comes from CREEPY FAMILY, and is definitely the weirdest of the bunch. They look a bit like DEATH SS or RIPPER and incorporate some spooky keyboard parts to add to the horror vibe. It's a bit cheesy, bit I totally love this track. Unlike most comps featuring unsigned bands, the production quality on MMMV1 is top notch.
DOWNLOAD: MooseMoltenMetalVol1.rar (67.29 MB)
MIR-STUTTGART HEAVY METAL SAMPLER LP
Elite Special Records 1984
This comp features 5 second rate... wait, make that 1 second rate and 4 third rate German Metal bands from the early 80s. Never heard of any of 'em, and I kinda wish there wasn't yet another band called OVERKILL... and THUNDER too, for that matter. Right, here's a band-by-band break down of 5 bands we could all do without:
THUNDER: Typically Germanic ACCEPT styled Metal with a vocalist who doesn't get it. Lyrics that make you wanna bury your head in embarrassment.
OVERKILL: Best band on the comp by far! "Killers In The Dawn" is a great NWOBHM-ish romp, and "Heavy Metal Forces" is decent too.
BEAST OF PREY: Simplistic and hamfisted - like an unfunny BAD NEWS... 'cept this drummer makes Spider Webb sound like Neil Peart.
VENGEANCE: More poorly executed and amateurish Metal with a NWOBHM bent.
DIVINE VICTIM: It's generally accepted that ANTHRAX are to blame for the Rap/Metal crossover, but that's a dishonour that should be bestowed upon DIVINE VICTIM. Only difference between what ANTHRAX did and DIVINE VICTIM's "Metal Rap" is that you laugh with DIVINE VICTIM... not at 'em. Oh yeah, their real songs are shitty and one's a New Wave/Metal hybrid... yikes!
Most of these half-assed bands eventually released full-lengths, and at least one of 'em is still active, too bad OVERKILL (the only somewhat enjoyable band here) isn't one of 'em.
DOWNLOAD: MIR-StuttgartHeavyMetalSampler.rar (73.13 MB)
METAL MELTDOWN Vol. 2 LP
Ever Rat Records 1987
This comp features 12 songs by 12 Washington bands... and there's good reason why you've never heard of most of 'em. Here we go, in order from worst to best:
12. VADASY JADE - These guys are fucking awful. Woefully bad lyrics and vocals, and the drummer is shit too.
11. KIL D'KOR - Maybe the wimpiest production of all time, and the religious lyrics suck hard. A terrible way to start off the album!
10. DEHUMANIZERS - The track is called "Renegade Smurf"... 'nuff said.
This is where it gets tough, cuz most of these bands are utterly mediocre:
9. POETS CROWN - Seriously... POETS CROWN?
8. ATTAX - Forgettable.
7. PASSION TOY - Another awful band name - who in their right mind would name their band PASSION TOY? It's a clear indicator of how crap they are.
6. RUFF JUSTICE - Decent but unremarkable straight-up Metal. At times the vocals remind me of the guy from HEATHEN.
5. SHOW & TELL - This song is funny to me cuz it's so dumb, I kinda like it though. It's called "Computer Dates" and at first I thought whoah, were these guys way ahead of their time? Writing songs about Lavalife in the mid-80's, but it's actually about androids or something.
4. JINXX - Great guitar playing, strong vocals, and a fairly aggressive track. The keyboards don't even bug me.
3. COVEN - Generic thrash, but definitely the heaviest riffs on the record... too bad about the shitty direct guitar sound.
2. SHOCK TREATMENT - Great song and performances all around. Memorable track that's kinda metalpunk - it was a toss up between them and D.C. LACROIX for best contribution to this record.
1. D.C. LACROIX - Along with COVEN, the only band I'd previously heard of. Best production job (not saying much), and hands down the best song. Very cool - I wanna hear their full-lengths.
I assume that when bands are featured on compilations, they use their best tracks... I'd hate to hear the rejects from the first 8 bands in the list - a truly scary thought. For the most part, this album is an exercise in terrible production. I get that these are prolly demos, but come on! do they have to sound so weak? It makes it next to impossible to enjoy when you can't get over how crappy something sounds. Definitely some rare stuff here, but rare don't make it good.
DOWNLOAD: Metal Meltdown Vol. 2.rar (77.75 MB)
HOLLAND HEAVY METAL Vol. 1 LP
Headbang Records 1982
I picked up this little curiosity on my last trip to Ric's Collectibles. It features 2 Dutch bands recorded live in Brouwershoeck... which I'm assuming is somewhere in the Netherlands. First up is SAD IRON who deliver 5 tracks of simplistic MOTORHEAD influenced NWOBHM style Metal. They remind me a lot of their Belgian neighbours ACID - basic, no frills pre-thrash, that's punkish in it's simplicity. "Get Out, Get Off" has a kinda WITCHFINDER GENERAL vibe... it's not particularly doomy, but the the vocals have a Zeeb Parkes quality to 'em, and the band's just as sloppy. Side 2 contains 5 tracks by a band called SEDUCER, and to call them Metal is to stretch the definition. They're more of a bluesy hard rock outfit, with southern rock leanings. Since I don't know anything about southern rock, I can't make a direct comparison, but it sounds like the kinda shit you'd hear on classic rock radio... MOLLY HATCHET maybe. Compared to SAD IRON, SEDUCER come across as a more professional and polished band, but their style of generic hard rock isn't really my thing. They also benefit from a fuller sound cuz they have 2 guitar players. Amateurish as they may be, I prefer the SAD IRON tracks here, and am intrigued enough to search out their 2 full lengths.
DOWNLOAD: Holland Heavy Metal Vol 1.rar (80.73 MB)
