The Body – No One Deserves Happiness
I first learned of The Body when they released All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood in 2010, I was intrigued but not convinced. This has changed with the release of No One Deserves Happiness. I read this article: 5 Electronic Albums That Taught the Body How to Make Noise-Metal. I took a listen. And one more. And I was hooked. It dawned on me how conservative metal, punk and grindcore has become. If you stray from the formula, you’re scorned and ridiculed. But for fuck’s sake. There is no evil in bringing studio musicians, guest singers and studio wizardry into the creation of your music. Even if you are doing extreme metal/noise. It’s a common belief among metalheads, grindfreaks and punks that they are progressive and open minded, but it is nothing more than a (false) self image.
Now go, have a listen, and let The Body blow your mind!!
https://www.discogs.com/The-Body-No-One-Deserves-Happiness/release/8260496
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
Oh how I love this lp. It came out when I was 9 years old, and I had no clue… But when I got turned to on to heavy metal in 1984, Iron Maiden was the very first band I openly admitted to liking (I secretly liked Destruction earlier, but only accepted myself as being a heavy freak after listen to Iron Maiden’s Flash of the Blade from Powerslave in late ’84).
Much debate has gone on through the years about who is the better singer for Iron Maiden – Paul Di’Anno or Bruce Dickinson, I personally have no grudge against either.
I hope you’ll enjoy this, as much as I do.
http://www.discogs.com/Iron-Maiden-Iron-Maiden/release/6191359
Venom – Black Metal
Venom and I have travelled this strange existence together for the last many years. My old chum Kenneth has Welcome To Hell as picture disc and it was often played and enjoyed. Then in 1986 I went to Sweden for a week, there I met a Swedish metal head (whose name is lost in time), and he had At War With Satan, which he thought was too extreme for his tastes, so he gave it to me. Kenneth and I were blown away, especially by the title track. At some point Kenneth also bought Possessed, an album that ranks high on my inner album top 100. I even got my dear old English teacher to help translating the lyrics to Powerdrive into Danish.
What I like about Venom, is their roughness and punky sound. Their influence on what was to come is impossible to overstate.
I had the good fortune to see them live in Copenhagen in 2007 with Swedish Niflheim. We were about 50 die hard Venomites there, and even if the review from devilution.dk is luke warm, I personally had a blast.
My copy of Black Metal is a reissue with a bonus lp of Radio One sessions and 12″ versions. Nice things here too.
Bathory – Bathory
Look! Batlord!
This lp is so innocent and simple. No one knew how this would change the path of many a youngster, not least in Norway. No need to delve into that tragedy again.
Bathory was always a favorite of mine, I heard the songs on Scandinavian Metal Attack vol. I and II first. It was harsh stuff back in 1984. Now as a seasoned veteran, I enjoy the roughness and naïvety of the early Bathory, as well as the pompous viking stuff of later albums.
Tribulation – The Children Of The Night
I first learned of Tribulation after reading a review of their 2008 album The Horror. I bough it, and loved it. The thrashy death metal on that lp is fresh and invigorating. Listening to The Horror while writing this review, I am surprised to find that I can recognize many details in it, that reminds me of The Children Of The Night. But still, The Horror is quite straight forward.
The Children of The Night is anything but straight forward. Laddies and gentlemen. We might have the beginning of the future of metal here.
There, I said it!!
The Children Of The Night is a fantastic lp. I have listened to it quite a lot since its release, and haven’t really begun to fathom its depths yet. But smack my arse and call me Charlie! This is some good music, that transcends genres and rules. I taste Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Morbid Angel, Entombed, Ulver and so many other influences. I’ll be surprised if this lp oesn’t end up on top of many a Best of 2015-list.
Did I mention that it is a double vinyl with music on three sides, and a cool etching on side 4?
I might return with a better review – maybe even a track by track – later. For now, I’ll just engulf my self in the musical bliss that is The Children Of The Night!
http://www.discogs.com/Tribulation-The-Children-Of-The-Night/release/6909072
Angel Witch – Doctor Phibes
Let me tell you this. I love Angel Witch.
I heard them first from my good friend Kenneth. I remember him taping their 1980 album Angel Witch for me sometime 20-odd years ago. That led me to this lp which includes said lp as well as their Loser single. Go get some NWOBHM!!
http://www.discogs.com/Angel-Witch-Doctor-Phibes/release/1479980
Ghost – Opus Eponymous & Infestissumam
I have taken a long time to get to writing about my love for Ghost. But now I’m ripe.
Ghost is a Swedish heavy metal band. Little is known about the true identities of the members, who guise as Nameless Ghouls (instruments) and Papa Emiritus II (vocals).
They have released two albums, and this entry is about them both.
Opus Eponymous is their first lp. It deals heavily with satanic and carnal matters. The music is incredibly groovy. I read about Ghost when this was released, and gave the record a spin on Spotify. But I wasn’t in the mood for it, and dismissed it as wannabe Mercyful Fate. Then their second lp Infestissumem came out, and I stumbled upon a nifty yellow vinyl edition one day and had some change in my pocket. So I bought it, and was blown away. To be honest, I have always loved music with a satanic edge. I am not a satanist, but as you can see on this blog, I often listen to satanic music. And when I hear mainstream-ish music with satanic messages, I’m sold.
I have also always had a soft spot for bands in disguises, I have loved KISS since Unmasked came out in 1980. So apart from the sexy satanism and the groovy 1970’s heavy rock, the fact that the members are anonymous really makes me happy.
Acoording to my last.fm stats, I’ve listened to Ghost 317 times, and that’s only the digital plays… Baby – Daddy’s HOOKED.
My last.fm: http://www.last.fm/user/Sortebob
Opus Eponymous: http://www.discogs.com/Ghost-Opvs-Eponymovs/release/3818761
Infestissumem: http://www.discogs.com/Ghost-Infestissumam/release/4613550
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