SLAYER -SEASONS IN THE ABYSS (1990)

On a 180 gram vinyl reissue from 2013 by American Recording.

Cannot tell you enough how much this record has meant to me. Before this Metallica and Megadeth especially their 80's stuff had been my gods of the Thrash Metal scene. Slayer but soon also Kreator and Sepultura showed me another side of this amazing genre.

Starting out with the classic Slayer staple War Ensemble that I had seen and heard on the European Headbanger's Ball show on MTV. Followed by the almost equality amazing Blood Red and Spirit In Black, two of the most underrated Slayer songs ever in my opinion.

Expandable Youth is a great song but the lyrics compared to the serial killer inspired following Dead Skin Mask it's clear which one I played the most on my CD that I bought in the early 90's. Actually this was bought before my two favorite Slayer records ever Hell Awaits (1985) and Reign In Blood (1986).

Hallowed Point wasn't one I played that often when the Seasons In The Abyss CD was purchased but on the following live album Decade Of Aggression (1991) I realized it was indeed a great song.

The next one Skeletons Of Society was a weird one at first. I soon enjoyed not just the opening riff but the entire song. Remember borrowing the CD to a friend at school but that fool did not like that one...

Temptation is probably the weakest song on Seasons In The Abyss still a great one though. Born Of Fire was another one that caught my ears with the live version once again with the Decade Of Aggression album.

And the ending Seasons In the Abyss song... Still almost 30 years later it's still one of the best Slayer has ever recorded in my opinion.

Remember what effect Slayer had on me as a youth. I had grown up listening to Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest and a bunch of others and was a huge fan of every band I liked but with Slayer it became a pure obsession.

They were the band that made me grow my hair long and only wear band t-shirts (even if I did that mostly before that anyway). But the band on the t-shirt became more important.

Admitted before that as a teenager I was a bit spoiled and could afford a couple of CD's every month. Being younger when I discovered Slayer I didn't have that much money so the wait for instance to buy the debut Show No Mercy (1983) felt like an eternity.

However I do believe that one gets a closer "connection" to that album one craved after became that more intense is the best way I can describe it as.

Anyway the Seasons In The Abyss record is an absolute classic and a most have in any collection. Also with the lineup I always associate whenever I think of Slayer:
Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo, Kerry King and Tom Araya.

KREATOR x 3: TERRIBLE CERTAINTY (1987); FLAG OF HATE (1986) & OUT OF THE DARK... INTO THE LIGHT (1988) + a beginners guide

All 3 of them are German first print vinyls on Noise like all my other Kreator LP's. I've written about this before there's a few bands I only want/own first print vinyls from (and usually have it on CD) Kreator being one of those bands in my LP collection.

Terrible Certainty was the 3rd album by Kreator released in 1987 and it’s a brilliant one of course. Even if I might rank it lowest among their 5 first full length albums Kreator ain't your typical boring standard Thrash Metal band their lowest is still very high.

The Flag Of Hate EP was released 3 months before Pleasure To Kill in 1986 and have 3 songs the title track also appears on the debut album Endless Pain (1985). Also one of my favorite Kreator songs Awakening Of The Gods appears on both EP releases a studio version on Flag Of Hate and live on Out of the Dark... Into The Light.

The 5 song 1988 EP Out of the Dark... Into The Light has one new Kreator song Impossible To Cure. Also a cover of the 1981 song Lambs to the Slaughter originally by the British band Raven and 3 live songs Terrible Certainty; Riot of Violence and the already mentioned Awakening of the Gods.

Both of these EP’s are great and worth buying if you’re a Kreator fan.

I've done many Kreator posts so in this one I want to recommend a bunch of songs from my favorite period of the band 1985-1990. You can look at mainly for people that might not be into them as some "beginners guide".

Of course the best way is to start with their debut album Endless Pain (1985) and then continue chronologically album by album. But in these Spotify days it’s easy to get lost on where to begin.

A bit off-topic but the kids/youth of today are so spoiled with listening too all these albums basically for free. Okay Spotify takes a small fee. But believe me it wasn’t so bad to save money in order to afford an album you really wanted. You actually learned to appreciate music much more that way. Trust me!

Like I wrote these are songs from the 5 albums and the 2 EP's from 1985-1990, not that the band hasn't recorded amazing songs and albums after that. There's plenty of them and way too many to mention those in this post. But just like with Slayer if I was to recommend songs or albums by them I would choose songs from their 5 first albums. Much due to those being the ones I grew up on listening to when I discovered Thrash Metal in the early 90's.

In order of release. Other then that the songs aren't in any particular order, but I added some extra ones from my original Instagram post over @herr_black_metal due to text limitations there. Those songs are marked with *:

Endless Pain (1985)

Endless Pain
Tormentor

Total Death
Storm of the Beast*
Living In Fear*

Flag Of Hate (1986)

Awakening of the Gods

Flag of Hate

Pleasure To Kill (1986)

Pleasure To Kill

Under The Guillotine

Command of the Blade

Riot of Violence

Ripping Corpse*

The Pestilence*

Terrible Certainty (1987)

Storming With Menace

Terrible Certainty

Toxic Trace

Storming With Menace*

Behind The Mirror*

Out of the Dark... Into the Light (1988)

Impossible To Cure*

Awakening of the Gods (live)*

Extreme Aggression (1989)

Betrayer

Extreme Aggression

Some Pain Will Last

Love Us Or Hate Us*

Don’t Trust*

Bringer of Torture*

Coma Of Souls (1990)

People of the Lie

Agents of Brutality

When The Sun Burns Red

Coma of Souls

Terror Zone

World Beyond*

Twisted Urges*

Kreator is the best German band of all time in my opinion. In the whole Thrash Metal scene I would also put them very high, I think only that Slayer from 1983 to 1990 have done better or equally amazing albums.

Sure bands like Sodom, Destruction, Sepultura, Metallica, Testament, Megadeth, Exodus, Dark Angel etc etc... have recorded some amazing albums but looking at their entire careers Kreator and Slayer stand out in my ears.

ENDLESS PAIN (1985) & EXTREME AGGRESSION (1989) by KREATOR

The two classic Kreator albums are both the German first print vinyls on Noise International. Why am I showing them together? Well I already posted my two favorite albums by Kreator. Number 1.) "Coma Of Souls" (1990) and number 2.) "Pleasure To Kill" (1986) and cannot chose which one of  "Endless Pain" or "Extreme Aggression" is my 3rd favorite by the best band ever from the excellent German Thrash Metal scene.

The debut “Endless Pain” have many classic songs like Tormentor; Flag Of Hate; Total Death and the title track Endless Pain but all songs are excellent of course because we’re talking about Kreator here. Btw. just got to love the fact my copy has a previous owners name written on the front. I have your LP Bianca... (even if it's not so easy to see).

“Extreme Aggression” was their fourth full length album and it have great songs throughout sure there’s outstanding ones like Betrayer; Some Pain Will Last and my favorite one the title track Extreme Aggression. Other songs like No Reason To Exist; Bringer Of Torture; Fatal Energy are also worth mentioning like the rest of the songs on the album. Like I wrote I’m not going to pick which one is better then the other because they have their own individual charm.

On their debut “Endless Pain” you can hear the hunger and passion Kreator had and on “Extreme Aggression” they’ve developed so much more and are better musicians. My final word on them is get both! Also amazing is that their 3rd album “Terrible Certainty” (1987) isn’t far behind these two but more about that and their 2 EP’s "Flag Of Hate" (1986) and "Out of the Dark... into the Light" (1988) in an upcoming post.

Last I want to tell that I kind of geeked out a bit in my last Kreator post of “Coma Of Souls”(1990) when Mille Petrozza himself liked my post on Instagram (and yes it’s his official personal account). It’s not the first time that musicians liked my posts or other peoples posts for that matter.

But you got to understand I’ve listened to Kreator since I was 12 years old and one of my favorite Thrash Metal bands of all time. To me it’s as cool if Trey Azagthoth or Kerry King would’ve liked any of my posts.

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:

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.

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.

More German Thrash Metal excellence!

This time with Destruction both classic albums “Infernal Overkill”(1985) on a transparent orange LP that comes with 2 posters the LP for “Eternal Devastation”(1986) is on a blood red transparent with a poster. Both reissued last year on High Roller Records I'm not sure how many copies was printed of these ones they're also in all sorts of different color variants if anyone knows the print numbers please drop a comment. Destruction started in 1982 these were the bands 2 first full length albums. Schmier (vocals and bass) and Mike (guitars) are the only original members remaining during their career drummers have come and gone over the years but on these 2 records Tommy Sandmann pounds the skins. 

Their first releases was the classic cult demo “Bestial Invasion of Hell”(1984) and the EP “Sentence of Death”(1984) then they were followed by “Infernal Overkill” and “Eternal Devastation” all originally released on the awesome German record label Steamhammer. Destruction stayed with them until 1990 and released besides those already mentioned in the post the EP "Madbutcher"(1986), "Release From Agony"(1987), the live album "Live Without Sense"(1989) and "Cracked Brain"(1990). I never actually listened to Destruction when I was in my "Death/Thrash Metal phase 1991-94” before I got completely lost in Black Metal for a few years but Destruction would be mentioned as an inspiration by many Death and Black bands in interviews. First time I ever heard a Destruction song wasn't until 1996 and it was actually a cover when Marduk did Total Desaster on their EP "Glorification". In 2000 when Schmier had rejoined the band after being fired in 1989 I was much more musically open minded and they released the good album “All Hell Breaks Loose”(2000) on Nuclear Blast. I was 20 years at the time and had a job so I could afford to spend much money CD’s (I didn’t like MP3 back then).

“Eternal Devastation” is in my opinion the best Destruction album it also have according to me their best song Curse The Gods. The German Thrash scene have their own version of the big 4 or "The Big Teutonic 4" Destruction is one of the bands the other ones are Kreator, Sodom and Tankard (I never liked them but then again I never given their early albums a chance). I would definitely put Tankard dead last in that group of bands then Destruction and Sodom are closer but Sodom I rank slightly higher and the best German Thrash band ever Kreator is my number 1 for sure. But if you’re interested in this excellent scene (preferably 1984-1990) these Destruction 2 albums are essential to have in the collection.

Kreator - Coma Of Souls (1990)

“Coma Of Souls” by Kreator the first press vinyl on Noise International. Still remember seeing the classic artwork when I was 10 years old in 1990 on the back of one of my sisters Okej magazines in the mailorder section and thinking it looked more cool then the Iron Maiden albums. 

I have all her old magazines now and if you’re Swedish and old enough to remember those I hope you get for some nostalgia with Slayer, Testament, Kreator, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Iron Maiden and even a Venom VHS etc. Most are cool records but there's also some trash there like Warrant, MC Hammer, George Michael... 

Recently wrote I’m in a German Thrash Metal phase at the time with bands like Sodom, Destruction and my favorite of them Kreator. Although all of the 5 first Kreator albums are excellent this is my absolute favorite record of theirs. People Of The Lie was the first ever song I heard by them and “Coma Of Souls” was the first CD by Kreator I bought back in the day. People Of The Lie wasn’t the only promo video from the album they also made videos to: Coma Of Souls; World Beyond; Terror Zone and Twisted Urges. 5 videos from 1 Thrash album. Amazing!

Metallica was the first Thrash Metal band I started listen to some years after “... And Justice For All”(1988) had been released but before "Metallica"(1991) then Megadeth both thanks to a friend who were really into those bands. Then when Slayer came and changed my view on extreme Metal forever. 

Kreator was the 5th Thrash Metal band I started listen to and just like Sepultura they felt very unique being a German band also the excellent vocals by Mille Petrozza made them different in a good way. “Coma Of Souls” was released 1,5 years after their previous “Extreme Aggression”(1989) album and has one of my favorite cover artwork of all time it looks so fucking Metal with their demon mascot Violent Mind. 

Since this album their career have had both highs and also many lows. But “Coma Of Souls” is definitely in my top-5 Thrash Metal albums of all time maybe even top-3. An absolute must have record in the collection for anyone who enjoy their Metal to be extreme!

Sepultura - Beneath The Remains (1989)

I've been listening to this Sepultura vinyl reissue from 2007 constantly recently. Even if “Arise”(1991) was the first Sepultura album I bought on CD back in the day I consider “Beneath The Remains” my favorite of record by them.

After I discovered Slayer music became more then just being a Metal guy (or a kid) grew my hair long and wanted the music to be more extreme, faster and harder. I had recorded the Arise video from Headbanger’s Ball and it got better and better with each view so I decided to listen to the album at one of my local record stores. It was so satisfying to discovered another brilliant Thrash Metal band. That they were from Brazil and the vocals of Max Cavalera just added to them being unique.

It didn’t take long before I bought “Beneath The Remains” on CD and a copy of the live VHS of “Under Siege live in Barcelona”(1992). This album was their first being released on a bigger label R/C Records an associated company to Roadrunner before that the band was signed to the Brazilian label Cogumelo Produções. The album was recorded with the then rather unexperienced producer Scott Burns (Death, Deicide, Obituary etc.) in Rio De Janeiro but it was mixed in Morrisound Recording.

Even if their previous releases “Bestial Devastation"; “Morbid Visions” and “Schizophrenia” are great it was this album that gave them a bigger name in the Thrash Metal scene. They made a video for the song Inner Self and also got to do their first concerts and tour outside of Brazil.

The cover artwork could’ve been something other but Roadrunner gave it to Obituary to use on “Cause of Death”(1990) instead but in my opinion the artwork used for “Beneath The Remains” is much better looking. This album is definitely among my favorite Thrash Metal records of all time.

Kreator - Pleasure To Kill (1986)

”Pleasure To Kill” (1986) by Kreator the first press vinyl on the classic Noise Records. A royal gift from Adde of Tyrant Wrath thanks again man! I known him for almost 25 years he’s a great and generous friend definitely check out his amazing band! I’ve been in a German Thrash Metal phase lately listening to Destruction, Sodom and my favorite Kreator.

First song by them I ever heard was People Of The Lie from “Coma of Souls”(1990) my sister recorded Headbanger’s Ball on VHS when I was 11 years old. It’s still my favorite Kreator song but Under The Guillotine; Riot Of Violence & Pleasure To Kill from this one are almost as amazing. “Pleasure To Kill” is probably my 2nd favorite Kreator album ever. I love that it says “Manufactured in West Germany” on the vinyl it makes me think back to the 80’s with the Cold War, Chernobyl, MTV, 8-bit NES and the assassination of Swedish prime minister Olof Palme.

The band started in 1982 and was first called Metal Militia then Tyrant but soon changed it to Tormentor. Members Mille Petrozza (guitar/vocals), Ventor (drums/vocals) & Rob (bass) changed the name to Kreator in 1984. “Pleasure To Kill” was their 2nd album and it was the last record when vocals was shared by Mille (5) and Ventor (3). I liked that Mille took over all vocals duties because he has one of the best vocals in the scene. Before this one they had released their debut “Endless Pain”(1985) and the EP “Flag Of Hate”(1986).

It’s cool to see other Noise releases on the insert like Celtic Frost, 2 first Running Wild when they were great, Warrant (Germany not the Cherry Pie dorks), Helloween when they were ok etc. The first 5 Kreator albums are classic essentials that everyone should own!

Jon Nödtveidt article on Slayer from April of 1994

I've translated another Jon Nödtveidt from Dissection text he wrote for Metal Zone this article is about Slayer. Please check out my Instagram @herr_black_metal and also other interviews and articles I translated from Swedish to English by Jon Nödtveidt. Enjoy!