Satan's Satyrs - Wild Beyond Belief

#FOR FANS OF: Heavy doom

Lace up your boots, fuel up your hog, and blow your mind because you are in for one hell of a wild ride! In 'Wild Beyond Belief' we have a debut from a band that is destined to be a cult, or a gang at least. I must say, it took me quite a while to actually get a hold of a copy of this release, but man is this some addictive stuff. From the moment I heard the band name, saw the sixties biker movie inspired artwork, and took one look at Claythanas in his teal Blue Cheer tee (I have the same one); I could just tell that this was a band made for people just like me. What Claythanas manages to conjure on this gnarly disc is quire the eclectic platter, with the heaviness of metal, the buzzing energy of punk, and the fuzzed out howl of sixties biker rock. It’s a sound that is hard to pin down at first, especially if one is not well versed in sixties music and movie culture, as seen with the other reviewer here. While quite earnest in his attempt, he seemed pretty out of his element. But for anybody that has really delved deep into the history of heaviness, this album is one of the rarest treats of all. While the term punk rock was already in use by the mid sixties, it would be a few more years before anybody called a band heavy metal. However there were already several bands using taking sixties punk/beat rock formula into newer, more ear shattering realms. Bands like Blue Cheer, The MC5, the Stooges, and Davie Allan and the Arrows (to name but a few) were creating music that would be hailed years later as the true foundations for the metal and punk movements that were still years off. And that point is exactly where this album picks up, taking a prototype sixties punk/metal formula and updating it further with elements of the eighties underground sound. The actual sound of the album is quite strange at first, an ultra low, bass heavy mix completely devoid of treble, and clearly meant to blow your system. The muffled tone and constant tape hiss does give it even more of a vintage appeal however, but I feel like most will be thrown off by the mix at first. The bass is also the dominant instrument, carving out thick punky grooves with a tone that mixes Dickie Peterson with Cronos, for a destructive effect. The guitars are a little lower in the mix, but are a total wash of fuzz and wah, not really chuggy but like a punk tone with sixties classic rock influence, and the leads played are in intermingling of those styles. The drumming isn’t really anything special, mostly just propelling the songs, but at least he bashes it out with true force and rockin’ sensibility. Clay’s vocals are pure howling, drenched reverb and soaked in booze and drugs; imagine the aforementioned Cronos trying to track vocals for Fun House by the Stooges! His voice isn’t really impressive but he sings and shouts with pure lust for what hes doing, with plenty of rock star “Oh Yeahs’ and “Alrights.” When all these elements combine, the effect is pure, nitro burning guitar heaven for a music fan like me, but some metal heads may have a problem with just how pervasive the punk influence is on this record. The majority of the songs are fueled by simple punked up rock beats, so the frequent use of similar tempos may irritate some. However, it could be said that most metal bands have a certain tempo that they ride more than most, and here that beat falls right between punked out thrash, and sub-sonic doom. Also the general picking pattern is punky strumming technique quite similar to that of a band like the Misfits (personal favorite). Certain riffs, such as the melodic chorus to “Carnival of Souls have the Fits stamped all over them, so again, metal heads may not like the general riffing style. Riffing like this though was just as common with fuzzy hard rock as it was with punk back in the day though, and there is certainly no shortage of heaviness anywhere on the record. “Bellydancer’s Delight” may have the heaviest riff on the album, with a stomping doomy verse that could have fit a Hellahmmer or Celtic Frost record. But when you hear that creepy organ signaling the Arrows’s esque rave up that is about to conclude the song, the songs shifts into a gear that has more in common with the Yardbirds than Bathory. The album’s awesome title track closes the disk in fine fashion, summing up and bringing out all the elements that make this such a unique record, and with that super retro organ sound, this song just can’t lose, but it also helps that it features some of their best up-tempo riffing, wich leads directly into a guitar freakout worthy of the Velvets, or Vincebus Eruptum. If anything I have written sounds interesting that I highly advise that you seek out this record, because I simple cannot state just how unique of a record it truly is. With all the retro stoner and doom bands going around, it’s great to hear a band that truly understands the harsh sounds of yesteryear enough to actually turn them into something completely true to itself. If you wanna know what Midnight would sound like if they were a sixties biker gang, this may be the closest thing. However, like I said, if you are not well versed in fuzzy acid rock, and if you haven’t seen the Wild Angels, the Devil’s Angels, or Angels From Hell, you may not know what you are getting into. Better yet, if you don’t know Blue Cheer, the Stooges, or Davie Allan and the Arrows, you better do some serious homework! (Nick Ryder)

(Trash King Productions - 2012)
Score: 95

https://www.facebook.com/satanssatyrs

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Mind Control

#FOR FANS OF: Psych Rock/Doom

I’m surprised that I haven’t seen too many reviews on more well published sites either. This was surprising to me, given the endless praise and hype given to the band’s second album 'Bloodlust'. If I am being frank, that album single handedly restored my faith in today’s heavy music scene. Having drifted off the path of brutality for a few years, I was instead plying myself with heaps of albums from the sixties and seventies, usually in the heavy going proto metal/punk variety, but also huge splashes of psychedelic (which often went hand in hand with those styles). I was blown away upon hearing this band for the first time; their fusion of doom with classic and psychedelic sounds was seamless, and when coupled with the Uncle’s strange vocals and the band’s mysterious horror and drug laced image (or lack thereof), 'Bloodlust' simply took on a life of its own. Anyway, by the time the band was grabbing a lot of attention, 'Mind Control' wasn’t too far off. As a firm acolyte, I was both excited for more material, and also fearful that the band simply would not be able to re-create the magic of their sophomore album. For this listener, 'Mind Control' stands strong on it’s own as a well crafted and creative album, but not without a few minor tweaks to the formula. The biggest difference here is that the Uncle is backed by a different set of Deadbeats, including an additional guitarist/vocalist in Yotam Rubinger, who has much to do with the record’s sound as a whole. Uncle Acid’s signature trait would have to be his otherworldly vocals, which were double tracked on 'Bloodlust' to great effect. Here however, the extra vocals are handled by Yotam, whose voice and pitch is slightly lower and more “normal” sounding than the Uncle’s crazed vocals. So that’s a big change right there, as the vocals tone isn't always reminiscent of the previous album, and that may make mean a big difference for fans who want more of the same. For me it works fine, and I like that they are not trying to rely on the vocals as a gimmick. Like the previous album, this one also follows a certain concept, but this time the very British natured and Hammer horror styled lyrics are replaced with a tale more in the late sixties biker gang/exploitation mould. I would even go out on a limb here and say that this could have something to do with the change in sound overall, with this record sounding a bit more American in tone and style, as opposed to the obvious English nods on 'Bloodlust'. Don’t worry though; the recording is still raw and the songs are still packed with heavy riffs and endless hooks, they are just a tad less sloppy this time. “Mind Crawler” employs some Stooges style chiming keys, the rhythm of which will just cement the song into your brain. “Evil Love” is a driving up tempo rocker, with heavy hints of Maiden, but Acid’s vocals and weird phrasing push the song into stranger territories than Maiden have voyaged to. “Death Valley Blues” has a certain playful Beatles-esque sound, but comes across just downright creepy as it evolves. One of the stranger experiments comes in the form of “Follow the Leader”, a genuine stab at total hippie raga rock, complete with tambourines, droning fuzz guitar, and what to me sounds like slide guitar imitating a sitar, though it could be the real thing. Surprisingly it turns out to be extremely well done, and as a fan of certain records with that sound, to me it comes off as pretty authentic, and could have turned up on a Chocolate Watchband album. “Valley of the Doll’s makes more references to sixties American culture in addition to having one of the bands downright best main riffs, a crushing monster of a doom riff with an almost upbeat melodic twist, which is later accompanied by a particularly warm, and emotive solo. Honestly there are a lot of great moments on this album, too many to try and list anyway. Part of the fun about this band is the sense of mystery they carry, so I’ll leave the rest up to you. If, however you still need some convincing, just know that this, like 'Bloodlust', is another great set of songs with nary a weak moment to be found. 'Mind Control' didn't seem to get quite the reception as the former album, but I am an American, and the band still haven’t been over here yet, so maybe I’m just not seeing it. In any case, they are still one of the best bands around today, and hopefully we can look forward to more tastefully morbid sounds from these whacked out Brits. (Nick Ryder)

(Rise Above Records - 2013)
Score: 95

http://acidcoven.com/

Afterbirth - Foeticidal Embryo Harvestation

#FOR FANS OF: Brutal Death

The latest in Pathos Productions series of obscure re-releases put the spotlight on one of New York’s most legendary suppliers of brutal music. Afterbirth were indeed one of the most influential bands within that hallowed scene, and despite a short life span and only two official demo releases, (one being a certified classic) their name is still known amongst purveyors of NYDM, slam death, or just high quality death metal. I had been quite eager to get a hold of this release for some time, and after several delays, it finally arrived to a healthy dose of praise from it’s devotees, who numbered seemingly higher than I expected, given this band’s serious underground credentials. This compilation, titled 'Foeticidal Embryo Harvestation' (that's a mouthful) gathers those two tape releases, along with unreleased live material, and with twelve songs at about 48 minutes, there is certainly no shortage of material. The disc open with said classic release, the band’s 1994 demo, 'Psychopathic Embrotomy', and it is honestly one of the most devastating and prophetic releases you could listen to from this genre. While New York was already known for putting out some of the most punishing bands around, Afterbirth were simply on another level. The songs on display seem to have more in common with what labels like Unique Leader would focus on in the mid-2000’s than what was coming out in the early nineties. The bands approach features the heaviest, grooving slams anybody was playing at this point in time, along with technical stop and start time shifts, brutal blasts, popping slap bass, and the most guttural, gurgled vocals around. Seriously though, this was a few years before the unholy belching of Devourment, and while Internal Bleeding had already been bringing the groove into their sound, they claim to have been influenced by Afterbirth. For how brutal their songs are however, their songs are full of hooks and catchy riffs more memorable than is commonly the case with this kind of music. “Aborted Christ” is a perfect example, with one of their best riffs, a snaky and nearly melodic gallop that erupts perfectly from a churning mosh section. Unfortunately, the rest of the material just isn’t up to the standard that is set by the first four tracks, at least in my opinion. Of the three songs from their 1993 rehearsal demo, two are done better with re-recordings on the studio demo, and although “Rebirth” is an excellent track on its own, these songs are let down by the tapes crude recording quality. It’s not like this tape is unlistenable, but it has that murky sound that was so typical of rehearsal demos, which doesn’t hold up well when a band has this much low end. The live tracks aren't captured particularly well either, which is a shame as three out of the four are different songs from the demos, with “Fleshwound” deserving special mention for being the band’s most atmospheric track. Anybody familiar with these kind of underground demo compilations should know what to expect, so it shouldn’t be much of a shock for those who listen to this kind of stuff, but it is kind of a let down after the high quality of the opening tracks. All of this offensive noise is contained in one of the coolest digipaks I’ve seen from a brutal death band, eschewing the genre’s standard dull color palette for a purple and slime green painted visual assault which sticks out like a sore thumb among assorted death metal albums. Highly recommended to people who want to experience the true roots of slam death, just know that those first four tracks are what you’ll mostly be listening to. Death metal fans should at least sample Afterbirth, if only for the vocals, which along with Demilich, are unlike anything the world was ready for at the time. (Nick Ryder)

(Pathos Productions - 2013)
Score: 85

https://www.facebook.com/AfterbirthNYDeathMetal