DARK ORBIX’S CLASSIC METAL ALBUM REVIEWS

  VENOM/AT WAR WITH SATAN/1983 NEAT RECORDS  
    Hey all…..The Dark Orb here with a another review. Today I review a very epic album. An album that defines the true meaning of  black metal.  Since their debut album “Welcome To Hell” was released (1981/Neat Records), Venom has been in my top favorties list  since high school.  This Newcastle England based trio has been aptly named “The Kings Of Black Metal” for their blatant disregard for christianity and all that is holy and pure(nothing about christianity is pure really or holy for that matter).  With the second album titled “Black Metal” (many debates have been discussed on this topic about the authenticity of the genre being based on this album title), Venom continued to offend and  arouse at the same time. While religious groups wanted their music banned,Venom’s  fan base continued to grow and the cries of Jesus freaks fell on deaf ears. Enter 1983, metal was on the rise and  the music got more dark and brutal.  With the release of “At War With Satan”, Cronos and Co. have acquired icon status and honorable mention among the metal elite.  The opening title track is an enduring 20 minutes covering an entire album or cassette side (if you downloaded this and got a 5 minute song, you got ganked son), and was also based on the novel “Paradise Lost” by John Milton depicting the casting out of Lucifer and his angels and the revenge they take on the heavens.  Side two opens with the blistering “Rip Ride” ( an honorable mention), that takes the listener on just that,  one of the fastest tracks for you speed heads out there. Following up is “Genocide”, a rather dismal look at extinction before there was a count down to it,  “Cry Wolf ”  is the ultimate guide to lycanthropic living before Twilight came along and fucked it up for everybody.  Since I’m halfway through the tracklist I might as well continue on. Continuing this onslaught is “Stand Up And Be Counted”  a nice little ditty telling their bloody legions to come forth and wreak havoc. “Women, Leather, And Hell” well that doesnt need much explanation does it?  Ending this album is the track affectionately called “AAAAaaaarrrghhh” so you can guess what thats about.  In 2002 “At War” was given a major makeover and re-release which included  8 more tracks from different releases some of which never hit the states until now.  On that note I would have to say that this album is most definitely a must have, if for nothing else than the extra tracks and the FULL title track. So to all black metal fans who need a classic fix, look no further. 9.5/10

 

Side A
No.	Title	Length
1.	“At War with Satan”	19:57

Side B
No.	Title	Length
2.	“Rip Ride”	3:09
3.	“Genocide”	2:59
4.	“Cry Wolf”	4:19
5.	“Stand Up (And Be Counted)”	3:32
6.	“Women, Leather and Hell”	3:21
7.	“Aaaaaarrghh”	2:25

Bonus tracks in 2002 re-release by Castle Music/Sanctuary Records Group
No.	Title	Length
8.	“At War With Satan (TV Adverts)”	1:04
9.	“Warhead”	3:40
10.	“Lady Lust”	2.48
11.	“The Seven Gates of Hell”	5:28
12.	“Manitou”	4:42
13.	“Woman”	2:56
14.	“Dead of the Night”	4:09
15.	“Manitou (Abbey Road uncut mix)”

Dark Orbix’s Classic Album Reviews: Hellhammer/Apocalyptic Raids/1984 Noise Records

What it do, metal fam!!! Dark Orbix back at you once again with yet another classic metal album review.  Today I take you into the realm of all that is brutal.  Although there were a lot of metal bands that surfaced in the early to mid eighties, very few compared to the  raw power that was known as Hellhammer.  Formed in 1982,  this  line up  would be later known as Celtic Frost with the exception of the original drummer.  Making up this beast of a machine is Thom Warrior on guitar and vocals,  Martin Ain on bass,  and Bruce Day on drums.  Considered as the blueprint of all that is death metal,  and being the influence and inspiration of countless bands for the last 20+ years,  Hellhammer has been acknowledged as one of those legendary bands that unfortunately did not get the full exposure they truly deserved.

Apocalyptic Raids is a must have for anyone wanting to explore the history of death metal’s early years,  and it delivers in aces from start to finish.  Since being re-released,  three more songs have been added making this even more of an essential album for your metal collection.  An honorable mention is the song “Triumph Of Death” .  From the feedback soaked intro, you know you are about to embark on a journey of impending doom.  Include in the mix Warrior’s vividly descriptive lyrics of being buried alive, and eaten by worms as your flesh decays and air slowly seeps away, you will find yourself gasping for air…and loving it….  “Massacra” is another honorable mention being the fastest track on the album (this is before the induction of blast beats in metal so shut up and learn some history). All in all, this album is what doom and death is all about in all of it’s gory glory. Find it and enjoy the brutality. 9/10

Dark Orbix’s Classic Metal Album Reviews: Dark Angel-Leave Scars/1989 Combat Records

Hey!!  What up people…Its your friendly neighborhood darkness with another classic review.  Today I talk about quite possibly one of the most innovative thrash metal albums that has ever graced my ears.  I know Isay that about a lot of music,  but I have to give special credit to this band.  Formed in the early to mid 80′s, Dark Angel has been at the forefront of the West Coast metal scene with their unmatched style of speed, dexterity, and aggression that made them hard to overlook.   Ever since their  debut on “Metal Massacre 4“,  they were on their way to being acknowledged as top exponents of their genre.   After two album releases (We Have Arrived/Azra/Metalstorm/1985,  Darkness Descends/Combat/1986),  Dark Angel wreaked havoc across the globe leaving chaos and rabid fans in their wake.  Enter 1989, the band resurfaces from a three year hiatus and releases their third and most powerful album to date, Leave Scars.  Absolute metal mastery is on full display with this release.  New vocalist Ron Rinehart, guitarists Eric Meyer and Jim Durkin, bassist Mike Gonzalez, and drummer Gene Hoglan form the line up of this album.  From the jump,  the album sends the listener on an adrenaline induced ride with no stops and no signs of slowing until either you cant take anymore or it ends. Vividly written lyrics, tempo/time change ups, and overall well engineered production makes this an essential addition to any thrash metal collection.  I usually have some suggested listening, but the entire album is top notch, except maybe for the cover of The Immigrant Song which is questionable at best.  Other than that, this is one album that you must own if you like it fast and brutal.

9/10

Dark Orbix’s Classic Metal Album Review

CORONER

NO MORE COLOR/ 1989 Noise Records

If you took King Crimson, gene spliced with an amoeba of Megadeth and the DNA of jazz fusion,  your final result would be this band.

The third album from Sweden’s Coroner is a true text-book example of what technical metal is all about.  The insane guitar work courtesy of  Tommy T. Baron, complimented by the bass/vocalist work of Ron Royce, and filled out with the drumming of Marquis Marky makes them a band to seek out for any collector of progressive metal from back in the day.  This album exhibits an absolute display of musicianship not seen in metal at the time.  With new production by Pete Hinton and Coroner,  it’s  the best work I have heard from this band. One of my favorite tracks is the opening song “Die By My Hand”,  starting from a drum and bass line fade- in to absolute frenetic fret board shredding with psychotic lyrics about possessive love leading into a crime of passion, they let you know from the outset what’s up.  From beginning to end this well crafted album was produced by one the best in the scene, which gives this  a deserved acknowledgment as one of the greatest albums of it’s genre.  Another song of mention is the off timed “D.O.A” which i think is a total precursor to what is now known as mathcore with it’s constant time changes and intricate instrumentation. “The Last Entertainment” rounds off this album offering up a rather dismal and darkened view of controlled media exploitation. From the “twilight zone” stringed intro to the final lingering words, this song will leave you pondering.  While this is what would be considered an acquired taste,  fans of more well known bands should be able to appreciate the musicality that this band presents.8.5 /10

Track listing

1. “Die by My Hand” – 3:46
2. “No Need to Be Human” – 4:30
3. “Read My Scars” – 4:32
4. “D.O.A.” – 4:19
5. “Mistress of Deception” – 4:58
6. “Tunnel of Pain” – 4:29
7. “Why it Hurts” – 3:48
8. “Last Entertainment” – 3:

Dark Orbix presents: Classic Metal Album Reviews

SLAYER- SOUTH OF HEAVEN/ 1988 Def American Records

Being a fan since their debut album, Slayer has always impressed me with what a band can do with speed and technique. From Show No Mercy to Reigning Blood(my second favorite album from them), they never cease to raise the bar on bringing the musical pain. Blistering riffs from guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, the full frontal assault drums of Dave Lombardo, and the vividly morbid songwriting of  bassist/vocalist  Tom Araya has made Slayer a force to be reckoned with in the metal scene. While Reigning Blood made history(being the first metal album to be signed to Def Jam under the production of Rick Rubin who also produced quite a few Beastie Boys albums), Slayer was hard pressed to top their latest beast.

1988, Rick Rubin split from Def Jam to form Def American and signed Slayer to its new roster of artists.  Being notorious for fast aggressive music,  Slayer decided to flip the script with their next release.   July 5, 1988,  South Of Heaven was released and Slayer changed the face of metal once again.  Instead of the usual break-neck pace the band is known for,  this marks the first album to slow the tempo and utilize undistorted instruments and and toned down vocals.  It also released to mixed reviews due to the drastic musical change and evolution of the band as a whole.  Critics and fans alike were not sure of this new sound coming from the now crowned kings of thrash metal, but their opinions and views were soon changed after listening in its entirety.  This album shows a more mature Slayer, if you will, still as brutal as any other album they released except for the speed.  The title track opens with brooding guitar lines and builds into a slow,  grinding fever pitch with Araya’s lyrics painting a picture of an apocalyptic earth on it’s way to oblivion. Ending on a swell of guitar feedback  and into the next track, the band rips through each song with the utmost voracity.  Some of the most notable songs from the release is Mandatory Suicide, a reality charged song on the atrocities of war, as well as Spill The Blood, a tale of vampire “love” which also ends the 36 minutes of mind numbing music these guys have cranked out for years.  Although alot of people were thrown for a loop with this album, it still went platinum and is one the greatest classic albums of all time.

9 out of 10

TRACK LISTING

1.	“South of Heaven”
2.	“Silent Scream”
3.	“Live Undead”
4.	“Behind the Crooked Cross”
5.	“Mandatory Suicide”
6.	“Ghosts of War”
7.	“Read Between the Lies”
8.	“Cleanse the Soul”
9.	“Dissident Aggressor” (Judas Priest cover)
10.	“Spill the Blood”