MERCILESS - THE AWAKENING (1990)

The classic debut record by the almighty Merciless on a reissue splatter vinyl from 2015 released on Osmose Productions. “strictly limited” whatever that means, please leave a comment if you know exactly how many copies this splatter version have. As everyone knows this was the very first album Euronymous from Mayhem released on his record label Deathlike Silence Production in 1990.

I really like this reissue because they haven’t changed much of the layout from the original Deathlike Silence vinyl release. They excluded the address to their Polish fanclub and added where the bonus songs where recorded and of course removed the D.S.P. logo, ANTI-MOSH 001 and so on. But they kept the crossed over smiley face with the “No Fun, No Core, No Mosh, No Trends” slogan is left intact as is the insert with a good old fashioned collage. Ever since I started listening to Death Metal I have always been fascinated to look at collages and especially the ones from the early 90’s.

I’m 38 years old and it’s very often that I forget just how young the band members were and still they produced such timeless classics that goes for many bands in the Death/Black Metal genres. On this reissue there’s 4 bonus songs Bestial Death, Pure Hate, The Awakening and Nuclear Attack all recorded live in 1990 at a gig in Uppsala with Entombed and Invocator. They sound absolutely amazing and I really wish there was even more live songs from that gig even if the original brilliant 8 songs (27 min) is enough to be satisfied with the album.

Merciless started 1986 in Strängnäs, Sweden about 90 kilometers from Stockholm and they were one of the first Death/Thrash Metal bands from Sweden. Before being signed to Deathlike Silence Productions they released the demo “Behind The Black Door” in 1987 one of the songs from the 4-song demo appears on "The Awakening" a re-recorded version of Bestial Death. Also on that demo they had their original vocalist Kalle "Kåle" Aurenius  who was replaced in 1987 by longtime vocalist Rogga Petersson.

All 4 songs from the “Realm of the Dark” (1989) demo has been re-recorded at one point by Merciless. 3 of them appears on “The Awakening”: Souls of the Dead, Dreadful Fate and one of their best songs ever in my opinion Realm of the Dead. It wasn’t until their 1994 album “Unbound” that they finally re-recorded the 4th demo song Nuclear Attack was although they used to play it live back then. Even if both demos have been reissued on 7" vinyls in 1998 on Iron Fist Productions it would've been nice if they had included any or both of them on this release but I'm still happy with the 4 live songs.

The first Merciless album I bought was “Unbound” that I got sometime in 1994, that might have been the very first No Fashion Records CD that I ever bought, this was a few months before I discovered Dissection and Marduk. I would say that either "Unbound" or “The Awakening” is my favorite record by Merciless. Even if I really like both "The Treasures Within" (1992) and "Merciless" (2002) albums they aren't as good as those two. Highly recommend that you read the very entertaining Swedish book "Blod, Eld, Död - En Svensk Metalhistoria" by Ika Johannesson and Jon Jefferson Klingberg that will be released in English as "Blood, Fire, Death: The Swedish Metal Story" November this year.

They write about when Euronymous, Dead and Necrobutcher from Mayhem went over to Sweden and visited Merciless at the Tuna Studio in Eskilstuna July of 1989 when "The Awakening" was recorded. There's some other Merciless tales in that book like when guitarist Erik Wallin meet Quorthon from Bathory for the first time at a Kiss concert in 1996. Also that bassist Fredrik Karlén and Erik among others from the Swedish metal scene attended the funeral of Per "Dead" Ohlin in April of 1991.

There even more about Mayhem and Merciless first meeting in another book. One that you all probably are aware of "Swedish Death Metal" by Daniel Ekeroth, there Karlén says that he think Euronymous found out about Merciless through Dead listening to their second demo. Ekeroth writes that Merciless was the first extreme Swedish metal band since Bathory to get a record deal and how hard the band worked in the scene by sending out letters, demos and playing gigs around Sweden. In 1989 they played a classic concert at Rockborgen in the town Fagersta together with Sepultura and Sodom a very classic stage for the Swedish Death Metal genre. A gig I really wished to have seen.

Being signed to Deathlike Silence Productions was probably not the best start for Merciless because Euronymous didn’t have the finance to properly distribute or to promote this excellent album. He had told them about doing a Eastern Europe tour but that never happened. Had they been signed to Earache or Nuclear Blast in 1990 my believe is that the Merciless saga would've been a more successful one. But then again they’ve produced 4 great records and one cannot dispute the fact how important "The Awakening" was to the Swedish scene because this was the first Death Metal album to be released from my country just before "Dark Recollections" by Carnage and "Left Hand Path" by Entombed. In 1992 Merciless released the follow-up "The Treasures Within" on Active Records but more about that one in another post. For now if you don't own a copy of "The Awakening" stop reading and head for the record store or buy it online.

This flyer for "The Awakening" is from the "Swedish Death Metal" book by Daniel Ekeroth:

Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik - Hugsjá (2018)

Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik’s newly released “Hugsjá” album on a double silver vinyl limited to 250 copies exclusively sold at the European Bynorse webstore in a beautiful designed gatefold release. The US exclusive release was 250 copies on a blue vinyl.

Ever since I witnessed the world premiere of Hugsjá at Grieghallen in Bergen on May the 31th, almost a year ago, I’ve been so extremely excited for this album. To see an entire live performance without being familiar with any of the material beforehand is always hard to take in the whole show as supposed to Skuggsjá that I know inside out.

Already after a few listens to the Hugsjá album I can say that it’s my favorite record of 2018 thus far. If you’ve read my Abigor post you know this year have many amazing releases (and hopefully upcoming Marduk & Immortal).

Do note that I’m a huge fan of everything that Einar Selvik has ever released but even if you don’t like his other band Wardruna you should give Hugsjá a chance because it sounds different from his other music. Part of that is the contributions from Ivar Bjørnson that plays guitar and “electronics” while Selvik except for singing plays instruments like taglharpa, Kravik-lyre, goat-horn, flute and percussion.

On the Skuggsjá album Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved) appeared on the songs with a more Black Metal approach to them, something that’s not present on the Hugsjá record. I would describe the music as traditional folk music with elements of progressive music done in a Norse way.

The Norwegian lyrics are beautiful and I’m very grateful I can read them being Swedish, they’re translated to English but it doesn’t connect as strong in my mind to read those I prefer reading the original language. I'm not saying you have to be Scandinavian to enjoy it but I do believe it connects more to our roots then again I really enjoy Irish Folk Music. It’s to early to say if I like it better then Skuggsjá but so far I really really like it. Even if it’s my album of the year it might not be for everyone, but believe me you don’t want to miss out on the brilliance this album offer. Beautiful timeless Norse songs and lyrics from my northern realms.

Update May 10th
With some time gone now since its release: I've got to say this is really an amazing album and it grows on me with each listen. It might be the best Einar Selvik have done since the Wardruna debut "Gap Var Ginnunga" from 2009. Me saying that says just how amazing this album really is, because the 2 other albums in the so called "Runaljod trilogy":  "Yggdrasil" (2013) and "Ragnarok" (2016) is almost as brilliant as "Gap Var Ginnunga". I would put “Hugsjá” above Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik’s previous album "Skuggsjá - A Piece for Mind & Mirror" and that one I do love a whole lot. But time will tell if it's will remain as high.

Etched compass on the D-side, kind of hard to see on picture (I'm in need of a better camera on my phone...) 

MY TOP-9 DEATH METAL RELEASES OF ALL TIME

Herr Death Metal?! My 9 favorite records ever in this magnificent genre. It’s hard to rank albums, ok the top-5 was "easy", but after that it got more difficult. An important note is that I don’t consider bands like Dissection or Unanimated as pure Death Metal otherwise the list would look different.

This list might be a bit obvious, without surprises, obscure records and bands. But it’s my taste bands I grew up listening to and that does reflect the list. I didn’t listen to Autopsy, Repulsion, Possessed etc. back in the early 90’s. Enough excuses and on with it!

Number1. Covenant (1993) by Morbid Angel

Back when I saw God Of Emptiness on Headbanger's Ball I didn't know that "Covenant" would be my all time favorite Death Metal album. I actually didn't buy it on its release date I borrowed a friends copy and put on a cassette-tape but that lasted maybe a few days and I got a copy for myself it had completely blown me away. The song God Of Emptiness that I thought were the best Morbid Angel song ever became my least favorite song on the album (except for the instrumental but amazing Nar Mattaru). Next time when you listen to it notice the perfect structure of the songs it's opening fast song Rapture going into Pain Divine to World Of Shit (The Promised Land) with a slower pace then Vengeance Is Mine and Lion's Den one of their most underrated songs ever. I would also say that Blood on My Hands is very underrated, it's not often I prefer a re-recorded song but the "Covenant" version of Angel of Disease is better then the one appering on "Abominations of Desolation" (1991). Sworn To Black is one of the 5 best songs on the album, Nar Mattaru lets one bread awhile before the epic finale God Of Emptiness. Brilliant, excellent, amazing  and all other words don't even come close to describe this work of finest art one of the best Metal albums across all genres. 

Number 2. Like An Everflowing Stream (1991) by Dismember

The very first Death Metal album I ever laid my eyes on was this first print LP on Nuclear Blast of "Like An Everflowing Stream" that used to belong to my older sister in 1991. She eventually gave it to me in 1994 but the 11 year old boy I was back in 1991 was very astonished just by their image drenched in blood on 2 of the band pictures and Richard Cabeza/Daemon's with that very HUGE upside down crucifix mesmerized me. The album grew on me with time and it soon became a favorite even if I haven't always put it as high but with more perspective I realized that this's better then "Left Hand Path" around 1993. The songs are all amazing the opening Override Of The Overture is the perfect opener that goes into Soon To Be Dead, Bleed For Me, And So Is Life then Dismembered that is one of their best songs. I wrote about Skin Her Alive and Dismember for an English assignment in school but that teacher in 1994 was rather open minded haha... Read "Left Hand Path" later about another teacher that wasn't as openminded haha... The ending song In Death's Sleep is another one of my favorites on the record even if it's hard to choose favorites among 8 songs in 31 minutes of pure Death Metal perfection.

Number 3. Altars of Madness (1989) by Morbid Angel

One of the first songs in the genre I remember seeing on VHS that my sister had recorded from Headbanger's Ball in late 1991 was Immortal Rites it was probably the first Death Metal song I ever heard. It was so amazing I thought after a few listenings that it actually took back then before I understood the music. It was so far from the Thrash Metal stuff I was into, but still a continuation of that genre just more in your face, intense and filthier I mean in a good way of course. Anyway this was the second Death Metal album I ever got and a it's a timeless classic I can listen to this one back to back from start to finish for hours still to this day.

Number 4. Left Hand Path (1990) by Entombed

The first ever Death Metal CD that I bought in the summer of 1992 was this classic debut album by Entombed. I've to admit that while I loved so many Death Metal songs from Headbanger's Ball a whole album was another thing. At first I didn't get it at all except for the title track I had watched and listened to many times and even recorded the sound from the TV onto a cassette-tape, very ghetto like but it worked. Anyway it was around this time I had started to notice other bands on that MTV show like Slayer, Sepultura and Kreator. Their albums was so much easier for me to understand and once I got to "Hell Awaits" on CD it finally all made sense it was like a click in the brain this sounds familiar I thought. Even if "Left Hand Path" doesn't sound anything like "Hell Awaits" it was an eyeopening moment. My sister had "Clandestine" on CD and for many years I preferred that one but ever since 1999 when I snapped out of my "all must be Black Metal" period I liked "Left Hand Path" so much more. I mean just listen to it. And yeah my teacher story... Well in 1992 I bought my first Death Metal t-shirt the very same as this cover and of course wore it to school with pride. The teacher I had in "mellanstadiet" as it was known as in Sweden for kids in grades 4 to 6 (10-13 year old) was a real dickhead and one day after a class he wanted me to stay and talk to this shithead of a person. He asked about the t-shirt and if it was the new terrible (death) Heavy Metal music he heard about and me of course proud as fuck over this shirt explained it to the worst teacher I ever had in my life. He didn't ban me from wearing it, but his tone was definitely not accepting either way nothing happened about it he was probably some christian motherfucker or something... I heard many twisted and weird things about him... Anyway "Left Hand Path" get it if you haven't!  

Number 5. Blessed Are The Sick (1991) by Morbid Angel

If I'm right this was probably the 4th or 5th album I got in the genre. Had listened and seen the brilliant title track on VHS so many times before but the album took awhile to fully appreciate. I liked except for the one just mentioned Fall from Grace and Day of Suffering but after a few listenings I was convinced of its brilliance and Morbid Angel became my favorite Death Metal band at least for awhile. Even if "Covenant" is my favorite of all time this album still to this day grows on me with every listening even after so many years I find something new that I hadn't noticed before the same goes for the next one...

Number 6. Tales From The Thousand Lakes (1994) by Amorphis

This might be the oddball choice on the list many would probably go for something more extreme. But this is more then just another Death Metal album they've so many different influences and approaches on this record from Death to Doom to Progressive to Folk Music and so on. It was so different from all other records I owned at the time and like I wrote earlier this is another one I find out new stuff and passages on with each listen a very rewarding record. Except for the butcher of The Doors - Light My Fire on the digipack that's not included on this picture disc from 1995. The best album from the great Metal country of Finland ever and "Elegy" (1996) is also almost as brilliant but like I didn't include any Dissection or Unanimated albums I think that their "Elegy" album isn't pure Death Metal. Anyway this is about the great record you're seeing on the picture get it if you haven't!

Number 7. Leprosy (1988) by Death

Chuck Schuldiner (1967-2001) was one of the best guitarists in the Death Metal scene ever, he was also one hell of a songwriter. Death was one of the first 5 bands I ever heard in the genre. I still remember seeing the promo video for the song Lack of Comprehension the first time when I was 11 years old in 1991/92. Whenever I hear the intro to that song I get goosebumps, then when the band is on stage and Chuck starts singing it’s pure brilliance. Still one of my favorite Death songs of all time. Although Death isn’t my favorite band in the genre they actually never released a bad album and "Symbolic" almost made it onto this list and "Human" is also in high in the ranks. But "Leprosy" is just a bit more better and have an amazing 38 minutes of pure Death Metal greatness.

Number 8. Deicide (1990) by Deicide

33 min 13 seconds songs like Lunatic of God's Creation, Sacrificial Suicide, Dead by Dawn, Deicide, Oblivious to Evil, Crucifixation and the rest. Masterpiece, enough said.

Number 9. Indecent And Obscene (1993) by Dismember

The hardest choice on the list and it's a shame At The Gates didn't make it to the top-9. Many probably think that Morbid Angel is my favorite Death Metal band? But it's actually Dismember sure "Massive Killing Capacity" was a wasted opportunity but back to "Indecent and Obscene". It's a very nostalgic album for me like all the other ones on the list but this one brings back so many memories from when I was 13-15 years old. I held it in such high regard, also sometimes I even preferred it over "Like An Everflowing Stream" back in 1993-94 it have 9 songs all brilliant also very different from their debut and the "Pieces" (1992) EP. Most known for the Dreaming In Red song they made a video for but there's so much more on this masterpiece Skinfather, Reborn In Blasphemy, Fleshless, Sorrowfilled, Case # Obscene etc. It might not have been as inspirational like "Slaughter of the Soul" (that spawned some awful copycat/ripoff bands...) but today on the 21th of April I choose "Indecent And Obscene" as the 9th best Death Metal album of all time! 

Don’t think anyone was forgotten because I made this list some months ago as a “celebration” to 900 followers. The choice between “Deicide” or “Leprosy” was hard but the number 9 was definitely my toughest choice. It was delayed due to me being so indecisive of the 9th one, another day it could be “Slaughter of the Soul” by At The Gates. Sure I could done a top-10 but the 9 symbolizes 900 and it fucks up the square design.

Even back in 1993-94 I probably wrote the exact same list on some occasion. Something I did on lined paper books at school or write setlists to Morbid Angel, Dismember, Slayer etc. a fun activity I thought back then. The bands with most albums was most fun because I could do one after each release and remember in 1992-94 many bands had only released 2 albums (problably got those setlist lying around somewhere).

On some lists at one point in the 90’s Unleashed or Obituary was probably included but now only one of all their albums made it into a top-30. Actually did my top 10-18 and 19-27 but with a little more loosely with the numbers I might post it someday.

SODOM - OBSESSED BY CRUELTY (1986)

Here is the German first print vinyl on Steamhammer sadly my copy is missing the lyrics insert.

This was their second release after the debut mini-LP In The Sign Of Evil (1985). Both these releases are brilliant and if one is to compare Sodom in 1986 with the other German Thrash Metal bands like Kreator or Destruction I think Sodom had a more Black/Speed Metal sound back then.

The Obsessed By Cruelty album and Sodom certainly had an influence on the second wave of Black Metal bands from Norway and Sweden.

Euronymous of Mayhem used to mention them in very high regard in interviews and just take the song called Deathlike Silence is on the Obsessed By Cruelty album.

The band started 1981 in the West German town Gelsenkirchen by Angel Ripper (bass/ later vocals), Aggressor (vocals/guitar) and Bloody Monster (drums) but was shortly replaced with Witch Hunter. Sodom were influenced by bands like Venom & Motörhead.


Sodom had released two demos before being signed to a record label. Witching Metal (1982) and Victims of Death (1984).

Later Aggressor was replaced by Grave Violator (1984-85) on guitar who was replaced by Destructor (1985-86) replaced by Ahäthoor (1986) replaced by Frank Blackfire (1987-89) that returned to the band in 2018. During the 90's Sodom used a bunch of different guitar players too many to list...

Actually the Obsessed By Cruelty album was recorded twice. The North American release on Metal Blade Records is is the first rejected Berlin recording that was “accidentally used” somehow.

That recording was also used when they first released the compilation CD In The Sign Of Evil
/ Obsessed By Cruelty in 1988. All very confusing...

The one I got the Steamhammer vinyl release is the second recording in Studio Hilpoltstein with the exclusive song After The Deluge that doesn't appear on the Metal Blade release.

When it was reissued on vinyl in 2016 both the US and German versions appears on the 2 x LP.

On their following albums Sodom left the satanic lyrics & titles for a more war themed approach. They released many more great ones but more about those records in another post.

Obsessed By Cruelly in any edition is a must have if you’re into early Black/Speed Metal of the finest sort.

Hypocrisy - Osculum Obscenum (1993)

Originally released on Nuclear Blast on the 12th of October in 1993 here on a double LP reissue on the Greek label Floga Records from 2012. The second vinyl contains the 5-songs from the EP “Inferior Devoties” (1994) and 4 demo songs from the US exclusive released “Pleasure Of Molestation” (1993) MCD. This vinyl is limited to 250 copies and they also misspelled Hypocrisy as “Hypocricy” on the spine. I have always thought "Osculum Obscenum" is one of the most underrated albums in the whole Death Metal genre and my favorite Hypocrisy record ever. It was also the very first Hypocrisy album I bought on CD back in 1993 or early 94. Masse Broberg or Emperor Magus Caligula as he was known as in Dark Funeral was at the time vocalist in Hypocrisy (he also designed their logo) and his performance is superb just

listen to songs like Necronomicon, Pleasure Of Molestation, Infant Sacrifices, Inferior Devoties or the title track Osculum Obscenum. That’s the sole reason that I even discovered Hypocrisy was with the promo video for Pleasure Of Molestation being shown on Headbanger’s Ball. I had liked the songs Left To Rot and Impotent God when I saw their promo videos from their debut album “Penetralia” (1992) but they weren't as good as Pleasure Of Molestation and I got really interested to hear the whole album and listened to it at my local record store and bought it straight away.

The sound on this their second record is still very North American Death Metal inspired but with some Black Metal hints. Take their best song ever Necronomicon it sounds more evil and nasty then many Black Metal bands. The cover of the classic Venom song Black Metal I liked when I first got the record, but the original is about a 100 times better, Hypocrisy placed it as song number 5 and it breaks the flow of the record I think. It should’ve been placed last or saved for an EP or reissue bonus or something. Sadly Masse Broberg left Hypocrisy in 1993 and for the 1994 EP “Inferior Devoties” Peter Tägtgren took over vocal duties they re-recorded the Inferior Devoties song and also God Is A Lie (from their debut “Penetralia”). They also made a promo video for that version of Inferior Devoties and actually the back sleeve on this vinyl release is the front cover art of the Inferior Devoties EP.

I think Peter is a competent vocalist and the EP is good I got it on release day but it has another cover that only the original band can do justice... Black Magic by Slayer is another typical EP filler material cover. It also appears on the compilation "Slatanic Slaughter (A Tribute To Slayer)" (1995) where Dissection does a great cover of Anti Christ other bands like Merciless, At The Gates, Enslaved, Seance, Edge Of Sanity etc. appears on the first one because Black Sun Records made a Slatanic Slaughter II the next year.

Anyway when Hypocrisy released their follow-up “The Fourth Dimension” in 1994 just 12 months after "Osculum Obscenum" I really liked it but that one hasn’t aged that well in my opinion. Nowadays I only like the title track, Apocalypse and the digipack exclusive song The Abyss (actually one of my favorite Hypocrisy songs) after that I lost interest for the band even if they’ve made some good songs after “The Fourth Dimension”. But back to the matter at hand "Osculum Obscenum" is definitely a hidden gem in the Death Metal genre and a must have album in my opinion if you like your Metal to sound extreme.

Abigor - Höllenzwang - Chronicles Of Perdition (2018)

The delayed new Abigor vinyl on Avantgarde Music is finally out. Well I’ve had it for a week now and been playing it nonstop ever since. It's been available on streaming apps and CD since January but I wanted to wait for this record to give a real verdict on it even if I've listened to ir on Spotify a handful of times.

Kind of regret the top-9 Abigor releases I posted some time ago because this is the best Abigor record I’ve heard since their glory days in the 90’s and my favorite album of 2018 thus far (but I expect the new Hugsjá & Marduk albums will dethrone it). Of course it might be a little to early to have a real perspective on “Höllenzwang” in such a short period of time. But right now I would’ve placed it at number 8 in their discography which might sound low but Abigor isn’t just any other band. So far in 2018 there’s been some amazing albums by Judas Priest, Necrophobic, The Crown and MANY more (I’m also very excited for the upcoming new Immortal album) my 2nd favorite of 2018 so far also has Abigor connections “With Doom We Come” by Summoning with vocalist Silenius.

Who has returned to Abigor at least as a session member as he were on their previous full length studio album “Leytmotif Lucifer” (2014) and it’s great to hear him with Abigor once again. The opening song All Hail Darkness And Evil sets the tone and from that it’s pure fucking Abigor awesomeness. One minor gripe I have with this and only vinyl release is the lyrics insert with promo pics for t-shirt and records on the back it’s printed on some very cheap flimsy A4 paper. Because it's like the paper I use for my printer at home something more sturdy would’ve been better.

But it’s a beautifully designed cover and the back sleeve looks great don’t miss Tony “It” Särkkä and the old Deathlike Silence Productions slogan “No Fun, No Core, No Mosh, No Trends” with the "anti-picture" of Anton LaVey back there.

You don’t need to be familiar with any of the old Abigor albums to enjoy this record so I really hope they’ll gain some new fans with this album. I’ve written this many times at least over at Instagram but if Abigor had been from Norway or Sweden and played live they would’ve been among the top-20 biggest bands in the Black Metal scene during the 90’s. Det är sant det!

My first Heavy Metal experience

“Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” (1988) by Iron Maiden was released on this day 30 years ago. 2018 also marks the 30th anniversary of me listening to Metal and this was the first album I ever got. Here on a UK first print LP and my first personal Heavy Metal cassette I ever owned.

My story isn’t unique when I was 8 years in 1988 I made a new friend at school. Me and him were “usual kids” and played the 8-bit Nintendo, watched Schwarzenegger and horror movies. We also used to rummage through his 2 older brothers rooms for Heavy Metal records which we weren’t supposed to do (think it was because of the Rambo and stiletto knifes there something we also was very fascinated by) but the little bastards we were did this anyway. Remember listening to bands like Judas Priest, W.A.S.P., Dio and others but the one band we liked by far the most was Iron Maiden. Some of the songs we used to listening to was Phantom Of The Opera; The Number Of The Beast; Run To The Hills; 2 Minuets To Midnight etc. Just looking at all of the Iron Maiden artwork amazed me. That year in 1988 my mother let me pick any cassette-tape I wanted one day when we where in the city. Took the one I thought had the coolest and most badass cover artwork and it was a great choice and played that tape nonstop.

Even still to this day whenever I hear the intro to Moonchild I get goosebumps. “Piece of Mind”; “The Number of the Beast” or “Powerslave” probably have more iconic songs and "Iron Maiden" and “Killers” with Paul Di'Anno are simply brilliant albums also. But if I only could listen to one Iron Maiden for the rest of my life I would choose “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” without a doubt it has a very special place in my cold Metal heart. I know this album was considered to be a bit controversial because the band use keyboards and it didn’t sell as well in North America because “it’s to European sounding”. But who the hell cares when an album is so brilliant as this one!

The unique and brilliant album

"Heart Of The Ages" (1995) by Into The Woods... the original digipack on Misanthropy Records.

Remember seeing this CD at one of my local record stores literally for ages I had listened to it there on maybe 3 occasions but it wasn’t until around 1997 that I finally bought it. Believe me this album is meant to be experienced at home on a stereo it's a much more suitable environment then in a record store. You already probably know this is a brilliant album and how different and unique it was especially at the time of its release in April 1995 from the other bands in the Norwegian Black Metal scene. Hard to describe the music because it has got so many different elements to it and I recommend to experience it for yourself rather then read this post. The band Into The Woods... started in 1991 with members from Green Carnation released their great demo “Isle Of Men” (1993) that’s more traditional Norwegian Black Metal it was rereleased on the CD “A Return To The Isle Of Men” (1996) by Hammerheart Records with 2 bonus tracks. The original 5 song 40 min long demo was later released on LP by the great Kyrck Productions in 2006.

If you like “Heart Of The Ages” I recommend the followup album “Omnio” (1997) and also the “Strange in Stereo” (1999) album. In 2000 the band decided to split up, they recorded what was supposed to be the final live performance in their hometown of Kristiansand on the 29th of December in 2000. They certainly put a lot of effort into it, 20 songs in a approx 2.5 hour show and it was released in 2003 as “Live at the Caledonien Hall” on CD.

However the band returned in 2014 but without their original guitarist Oddvar Moi (1974-2013) who had died in a cardiac arrest and in 2016 they released the “Pure” album. If you’re unfamiliar with the band I suggest you start with “Heart of the Ages” definitely a timeless excellent album that still 23 years after its release feels as relevant as it was in the 90’s, get lost into your mind (or the woods) while listening to this one.

My 2 favorite...

...albums are number 1. "The IVth Crusade" (1992) and 2nd favorite is "...For Victory" (1994) both on silver Full Dynamic Range vinyls limited to 500 copies each that Earache reissued last year.

Many argue which one is their best some say that it's "Realm Of Chaos" (1989) the bands second full length studio album or its follow-up "War Master" (1991). Seldom some would mention the debut "In Battle There Is No Law!" (1988) when the band had a more kind of Grindcore sound (a genre I never got into although I like some early Carcass songs).


Either way no one is wrong the albums between 1989 to 1994 are pure Death Metal at its finest even if I wouldn't have any of them in my top-10 Death Metal albums. In a top-20? Hell fucking YES!!

Coventry, England is where Bolt Thrower started their career in 1986. Before their debut in they released 5 demos and one EP "The Peel Session" (1988). One year after their debut they signed with Earache and released their first album on that classic Death Metal record company.

Back in the early 90’s when I first started getting into the Death Metal scene this was a band I would always hear about but never bought any of their CD’s until many years later. Remember seeing the video for the song Cenotaph from the “War Master" album that my older sister had recorded to VHS from European Headbanger’s Ball. Also myself recording the excellent the title track from “The IVth Crusade”. It’s really strange I didn’t buy any of their records because Bolt Thrower are such an amazing Death Metal band. But then again I was more into the North American & Swedish scene back then except for Carcass.

The band toured extensively during 1993-94 for "The IVth Crusade" after its release in October of 1992 in 1993 the band did something like 51 gigs. An European tour with Vader and Grave called 'World Crusade Tour' in 1993 also an Australian tour with Armoured Angel and in 1994 an North American tour with fellow British Death Metal act Benediction.


"...For Victory" was released in November of 1994 and they only toured in Europe for that record if I'm correct. The 'No guts, No Glory' tour in 1995 with Cemetary and Brutality the average setlist would have 8 songs from the new one, 4 songs of “The IVth Crusade” and 2 songs from the “War Master" album. Second 1996 tour in Europe was called 'Fuck Price Politics' for this one they had Sentenced, Power of Expression and Varukers with them.

It would take the band 4 years release their album "Mercenary" in November of 1998. A long time one can think in the 90's when many Death Metal bands had their most productive time even if Bolt Thrower had made 5 records in a 6 year period. I think that the Death Metal genre had already peaked and since 1995 there haven't been any records by any band that can top the classics like "Altars Of Madness", "Left Hand Path", "Deicide", "Covenant", Leprosy", "Like An Everflowing Stream" and so on. The band released 2 more albums after the "Mercenary" record which was the last to be released on Earache Records they signed with Metal Blade Records and their last record became "Those Once Loyal" in 2005.

As you probably know they split up in 2016 exactly one year on the date that their drummer Martin Kearns (1977-2015) passed away. Of the longtime members Gavin Ward (guitar), Barry Thompson (guitar), Jo Bench (bass) only vocalist Karl Willetts is still active in the music industry as far as I know. He’s currently vocalist in the Death Metal band Memoriam with the former Bolt Thrower drummer Andrew Whale (1986-94) that started in 2016 and have released two albums. If you haven’t heard Bolt Thrower any of the 4 first albums on Earache is a great start.

Dedicated to Martin Kearns (1977-2015)

SEPULTURA - ARISE (1991)

First print vinyl of the brilliant "Arise" record by Sepultura on Roadrunner Records. This was the first album by Sepultura that I bought on CD back in day thanks to the promo video for the title track being shown on Headbanger’s Ball still think it’s one of their best songs. They made another video for the also amazing song Dead Embryonic Cells. “Arise” certainly made an impact and since they had signed with Roadrunner for their previous album “Beneath The Remains”(1989) they became a real name in the scene.

After “Arise” Sepultura released “Chaos A.D.” in 1993 at the time I enjoyed it even if it’s very different from their previous albums. With time in my opinion it’s not as good as I thought back then but still got some good songs on it. I would compare “Chaos A.D.” with “Metallica”(1991) and “Countdown To Extinction”(1992) by Megadeth good albums but when I think about Sepultura, Megadeth and Metallica those albums don’t come to mind.

I think about their glorious Thrash Metal albums (you all know which ones). Records I can listen to many times in a year without getting fed up with while “Chaos A.D”; “Countdown To Extinction” and “Metallica” I will only listen to maybe 2 times a year. When Sepultura released “Roots”(1996) and I heard those awful songs with that crap “Korn/Nu Metal sound” on Headbanger’s Ball I just gave up on the band.

Call me stubborn if you will but I haven’t been interested in anything Sepultura or the Cavalera brothers have done ever since (if you have some suggestions for great Sepultura songs after that leave a comment). Anyway even if I prefer “Beneath The Remains”(1989) the “Arise” album is still a top-10 Thrash Metal masterpiece that everyone into this marvelous scene should have a copy of in their collection.