Amebix "Arise!" (1985)

Further exploring suggestions of proto-Black Metal coincidences we arrive at Arise! Amebix's sophomore effort venturing in 80s Heavy Metal. Casting of the shackles noisy Crust Punk tonality, stiff power chord oriented songs march through a metallic demeanor skating into Post-Punk territory for its hooks. Cutting riffs rot under tom pounding drums that lack an articulation fit for metallic aggression. Gruff heathen shouts spew forth, lacking charm, crying over a sea of mediocrity making strides for big theatrics. It falls short as repetitive song writing tends to sell its vision short.

Touches of something medieval, barbaric, even tribal emerge through lyrical suggestions and pounding repetition. Devoid of melody, this idea mostly emanates from front man Rob Miller. His rural presence conjuring similarities to an early Bathory. Songs could swiftly be transformed into grand visions with outbreaks of triumphant lead guitar melody, however they remain confined to the grinding shred and gallop of Heavy Metal rhythm guitar. Although to dated for my taste, it has some curious merits.

Rating: 4/10

Skinny Puppy "Bites" (1985)

 

Prodded along by Spotify's recommendation system, I've finally delved into Industrial roots I'm well aware played a pivotal role in informing the likes of Ministry and Frank Klepacki, In turn influencing Rammstein and Timothy Steven Clarke. These influences alone are not strong enough to muster adoration. Repetition has certainly highlighted its musical sensibilities from abrasion and mechanized aesthetics but this familiarity still lingers on an oddity of curious obscurities, lacking a deeper emotional connection.

Bites' sequence of seventeen songs play like experiments of investigation. Musical elements are stripped, rearranged, emphasis pushed onto the unusual and bizarre in search of chemistry to conjure radical, dystopian emotions. In the context of its time, clearly a bold and luminous stride is undertaken into emerging territories. However the shadows of predecessors strip the unusual alien charms of its magic.

Many tracks are simply structured with brief repetitions of Elctro-Industrial noises. Sparse, softly physical percussion and sensible yet subtle melodies accompany. With obscure Horror samples, snarky unwelcoming vocals and other tidbits, the looping instrumentals are taken on psycho visual trips of inhuman suffering. Its resolutions converge on unsettling emotion, often paranoid and conspiratorial in nature yet oddly mellow in comparisons to other breeds of darkness that have been ventured too.

Riffling over these tracks one by one, its hard to pick distinguished ideas that amount to more than the sum of its parts. The album loads its more conventional songs upfront, melody more apparent. Then delves deeper into a string of unstructured noise experiments before landing on two warmer cuts in an obvious tone shift at the end. These were my favorite tracks, they spoke to a calmness one can mellow out with - a utility if you like. Skinny Puppy has been curious listen, one I will continue with.

Rating: 5/10

Stormtroopers Of Death "Speak English Or Die" (1985)

 

This classic record has been on my radar for years. Having finally plunged in and gotten to know its flavor of chaos, the year of release endows a context of immense appreciation. Before Slayer unleashed the unbridled fury of Reign In Blood, here stands one of the first Crossover Thrash projects encroaching on that timeless intensity. Stormtroopers Of Death is somewhat of a "supergroup" uniting musician from either side. With an intentionally unsavory and controversial, politically incorrect theme, they converge at a furious intersection of Thrash Metal and Hardcore Punk. The result is a wild, uncompromising assault on extreme music of the time. Perhaps Metallica's Kill Em All was the cutting edge before this? Although it may seem tame today, I find myself stilled stunned this was released in 1985!

Boasting big gritty distortion guitars, the fast and choppy slaps of power chord shuffling gets amplified by a fantastic percussive performance. Charlie Benante is a powerhouse of Hardcore groove and Grindcore blasts as his drumming often derails from mosh stomps into loose thumping rattles of chaos. Its an old-school flavor of blast beats so uncommon now yet it sounds utterly fantastic when unleashed. Its the duality with Scott Ian of Anthrax who, for a Thrash guitarist, gets the Hardcore energy just right. The constant shuffling between moshing grooves and unrestrained extremity is fun and fast. The songs blitz through an arsenal of riffs and ideas that simply excels.

The majority of songs clock in around two minutes. A helping of very short stunts chime in too. The six second Anti Procrastination Song a particularly fun one, an idea preceding Napalm Death's Guinness world record holding "You Suffer". All ideas are explored swiftly, rarely lingered on for more than a grasp of whats going on. They tend to roll into one big wash of frenetic aggression as its pummeling charges roll out the punches over and over again across its twenty one tracks. It does end on a bit of a whimper, limping out on a string of jokey seconds long songs that don't land well.

Often abbreviated to S.O.D, I realized the song Pussywhipped was mistaken for System Of A Down back in the file sharing days of Napster, a common issue with the service. It brought quite the smile to hear an oldie from my school days. I always thought it was an early band demo or something along those lines. Its also one of the albums best songs with razor fast riffs switching into big bouncing grooves as the drums batter down hard with snare rolls. I'm left with no illusions about how significant this record is in the landscape of extreme music. I reckon it will only ever grow on me with time. If id discovered this in my youth, I'd probably be worshiping it till this day!

Rating: 8/10

Cocteau Twins "Echoes In A Shallow Bay" (1985)

 
Echoes In A Shallow Bay is the second half of what could of been a fourth album for the Scottish trio. Tiny Dynamite has the favorable pick of songs, with three of these four tracks offering subdued darkly obscurities that indulge but don't shine. Its a familiar take on their Ethereal sound with the opening Great Spangled Fritillary lingering on dense, elongated guitar noise that shivers through the cold, spacious setting, a tone somewhat adjacent to much of whats heard on Lycia's classic Cold.

The following Melonella and Pale Clouded White usher in stiff chord cycling pianos that get enveloped when swells of guitar noise arise. The moods are gloomy, of dusk and come with a little magic in its build ups. Again, Fraiser just doesn't find the charm, she is subdued but in this reserved performance she gels with the nightly atmosphere.

Eggs And Their Shells has a subtle pivot, a warm uplift arises from its simple melody and the angular insertions that compliment it. Fraiser takes her voice to a delicate, airy height, a carefree delight. Its a slightly disjointed song but its differences create the best out of the subdued sound and that seems to be the key word on this record. If looking for something Ethereal with less immediacy, then this is it.

Rating: 4/10

Cocteau Twins "Tiny Dynamine" (1985)

 
This four track record, named Tiny Dynamine, is the first of a double EP release by the Cocteau Twins. Essentially, it could of been the groups forth album but due to internal dissatisfaction, it was cut in half and released quietly through the shorter format. A reoccurring theme in these songs that failed to make the cut, is Fraiser, who often fails to find the magic that makes it to the likes of Treasure or Sunburst And Snowblind. This time however there are sparks and notably no failed endeavors.

What stands apart is Guthrie's compositions. The luscious and lavish reveb soaked acoustics are elevated in fidelity and tone, starting to unpick the lock on this magic. Instrumental piece Ribbed And Veined goes to a whole new realm as its chemistry with the soft and airy synths pinned beneath slip into a nightly indulgence. In this moment I can barely tell both the aesthetic and melody apart from Autumn's Grey Solace. Perhaps it is this era that is their biggest inspiration.

It and the opening song are worthy of much attention. The remaining two are foggy tracks, where the punching power of crisp instruments is muted in their unresolved focus. On both it seems as if clarity never lands on any set instrument or voice. The result is moody atmospheres that pass by without a hook or lure to bring one into the music and set it alight. With another four songs to get too, it does already seem pretty clear why this double release decision was made.

Rating: 4/10

Cocteau Twins "Aikea-Guinea" (1985)

 

 

Its another EP from the Cocteau Twins but this time the four songs are of notable intrigue! Perhaps it is the title track and lead single that is the least impressive! Its temperament is rather adjacent to Treasure, with brightly polished bass lines plucking at a steady pace and a drum machine dressed up to be more convincing, the swells of emotional sound from Guthrie's noisy guitar and airy synths are peaked by the melodies of sparkling bells yet it is Frasier who doesn't find the charm. Her vocals toy with the wordless dynamic, drifting up to circle the high ranges but miss the mark.

With a similar temperament on the following Kookaburra, it is Guthrie's shrill guitar grinding, dissipating into atmospheric swoons over the warm piano chords and keen bass lines that sell the magic. Quisquose pivots to a strong piano led march, brought to life by luscious acoustic guitars painting a darkly mood. Its the instrumentation that shapes up to be the endearing quality of these songs, the compositions generally repetitive and shifting between complimenting arrangements back and forth.

It seems to be a reoccurring theme that Fraiser's normally enthralling performances just don't land on these EPs. The final and bwat song is the short Rocco, an instrumental it would be hard to picture a voice in. The textural mystery of Guthrie's guitar noises get pinned by these bold, upfront base notes marching hard. The interchange between the two provides tension and then relief for the magic. The song doesn't progress anywhere much from its main idea but the chemistry is its charm. This is definitely a better set of b-sides. As always they lack that finishing touch.

Rating: 4/10

Bathory "The Return......" (1985)

The Return...... Of Darkness And Evil, as its full title goes, is a fitting title for Bathory's sophomore record. I always remembered this as the "smelly" one. Listening to it again over fifteen years later a much more nuanced and interesting opinion is formed. Quorthorn makes a keen stride to embellish a more sinister tone, many abrasive ideas that would eventually become hallmarks in Black Metal. The strike of demonic gongs, deep command roars steeped in reverberations, shrill howls furthering ugly throaty textures and plenty of shadow echos to wrap them up in.

Despite issuing some key ideas for the scene to come, its all fractionally mismatched with the guitar tone that still has a warmer Heavy Metal charm about it, even with the low fidelity. These ideas that aim to dive deeper into the "evil" theme are currently pungent in inception. The whole thing is somewhat akin to early Graveland records. Its fair to say bar one or two songs the music is lacking a magnetism that came before it.

Perhaps in attempt to embrace the dark and foul, performances from the band become fair at best and seem intentionally sloppy in moments of lost synchronicity or attempted "edge". Tempos stutter, and drums loose there groove. It rarely aids the music or its intended theme, that needs to come from good songwriting and Quorthorn's riffs are baked stale for half of the record.

In the latter half of the album a darker guitar tone grinds power chords effectively and in two songs lays a much foundation for the evolution of the genre. Its guitar solos still seem lost in the Heavy Metal cliche tho, breaking the mood. These moments and the intro of dark scenic ambience give the record some needed merit because despite being early, raw and influential, its embryonic experimentation is ugly, not in the aesthetic and rewarding sense but that of a mostly haphazard record.

Favorite Tracks: The Rite Of Darkness, Reap Of Evil

Rating: 6/10

Arcadia "So Red The Rose" (1985)

"So Red The Rose" is a one off 80s Synthpop record, an off shoot of Duran Duran. With the band on a short hiatus the group split in two to focus on other projects and three of the five, including singer Simon LeBon, put together this record together which could arguably be my first Duran Duran record as I am quite unfamiliar with their music, however very aware of their success and acclaim. Synthpop itself isn't a genre I'm particularly fond of however Depeche Mode's "Black Celebration" really won me over. It has an appealing framework but often the direction isn't my forte.

With Arcadia the opposite might just be so. I found myself in tune with the spirit of the record and its direction however the arrangements of bright, crisp and upfront instruments tend to get on the excessive side at times. It is apparent now that the "space", between instruments, in the music is probably due to being so fond of Metal and a constant onslaught of sound that the burst and chop nature of the instruments becomes a delicate balance. Simple drum beats, mild temperate baselines, soft backdrop synth lines and LeBon's romanticized vocals are the consistent element. Around them dance jovial synth stabs, momentary flange guitars chords and various layers of mildly percussive sounds as well as swarms of noisy synth effects that burst out and frazzle quickly. These arrangements revolve around straight forward time signatures with a decent sense of groove but its a few instrumental choices that don't line up for me. Vivacious and bold, these instruments have to much oomph for what should be a calmer spirit in comparison to LeBon's voice. Especially the stabs, they border what might be described as "cheesy". Although a little wild and over enthusiastic the songs have spirit, inspiration and a great sense of melody within a shorter, catchy context.

At this point the record is doing just enough but after a couple of interludes the final three tracks really pick up with the aforementioned niggles removed entirely. They follow the tone of LeBon and build slower atmospheres around him with no dramatic synth noises or abrasive stabs, Its the part I'm most fond of. It wasn't something I noticed, but the record also features David Gilmore of Pink Floyd, Sting & Herbie Hancock on various tracks. I really enjoyed this record for a while but it has tired a little. Ive seen Synthpop as a hit or miss for me but here we find something hung in the balance, that definitely leans into the light.

Favorite Songs: The Promise, El Diablo, Lady Ice

Rating: 6/10

Killing Joke "Night Time" (1985)

Its the fifth record of our beloved Killing Joke, the niche Post-Punk, Industrial Rock band of the 80s and an expected return to form considering it produced two of their best songs. Following a duo of unfavorable records its great to hear the group back on track but this time in a new and refined direction. "Night Time" tones down the aggression and Industrial accent, dialing down the loud, smothering distortion guitars in favor of a more spacious sound that still retains distinctive qualities of the identity they created for themselves but with a more accessible sensibility.

Singer Jaz Coleman may be the one exception, shifting his style to a significantly softer, resonate delivery, melodic and bolder. He still retains his voice, but in moments sound like other singers of the era. Behind him the lightly distorted guitars emphasize on strung out chords plucked into atmospheric reverbs. They often drop out for quiet and thin synths to eerily drone in the distance. For the most part the drums and bass chime with one another, rhythmically clattering away through short jolting grooves that pound away, repeating over and over.

It works! And with better clarity from the production, the nosier moments don't cloud the listener. There is room to breathe and the bass's tone keeps it right in the front of the record, grooving away with a thick, vibrant tone. Song structures are nothing to marvel and if it wasn't for the two spectacular tracks there isn't to much going on. Its a record of moody vibes that sets its timbre and rolls with it through a soundtrack of cold concrete and rainy days. It elevates itself to inspired heights with "Love Like Blood" and the albums closer breaks to what feels like a different record altogether. With a different aesthetic, hard hitting drum pedal, "Eighties" ends on an upbeat note with a party, sing along track to pump your fist to.

Favorite Songs: Love Like Blood, Eighties

Rating: 7/10

Hüsker Dü "New Day Rising" (1985)

 This record peaked my interest when reading through several "Top 500" album lists. I'd never heard of this American Hardcore group before but given my interest in the genre I gave it a try. I'll be blunt, this record was not for me, the reason behind its high praise and acclaim alludes me and I'm left with a record that I've given months too and every time I give it a spin, I full into a lull, failing to engage. You can't expect to like everything and that always feel like a loss to me, a missed experience.

The record opens with its striking guitar sound, a thin, flat, buzzed out distortion tone tinging with an inharmonious quality floods the air. Its an uncomfortable vibration piercing through solid baselines and a tight powerful drum sound. On occasion it finds a moment with some well constructed riffs but for the most part falls flat on indulgence, its comparable to primitive Black Metal distortion, but not as appealing for me. To make things worse the vocals screech and yell off key, a rawness I'd usually go for but in this instance it made for sore ears. Voice cracks and miss hit notes are littered through the record, its got passion but I can't vibe with it.

The records production is pretty rough and varied too, many songs sound like they are from different sessions and some serve the record much better than the opener. The albums second song is a mighty fine track, showing off the bands ability to write catchy pop songs, unfortunately the aesthetics and performances strip many of the tracks of what is inherently good song writing, great choruses and sing along hooks, although this could only be said for a handful of tracks in the opening half. As the record drones on the musical ideas get less and less interesting and the guitar tone gets tiring.

Favorite Song: Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill

Rating: 3/10

Dead Kennedys "Frankenchrist" (1985)

The Dead Kennedys are a legendary American Hardcore Punk group from California who developed a large underground following in the 80s. They had a short lived life-span, forming in 78 and disbanding a year after this record having become disillusioned with their own music scene that no longer represented what they stood for. They were involved in a few controversies but time has served them well, their music and legacy often held in high regard. I was introduced to them around eight years ago and I knew one day It with click with me, and that's what happened! Listening to Black Flags "Damaged" got me in the mood for more Hardcore Punk and I picked out this record having recently learned about the HR Giger artwork controversy that took the band to court following Frankenchrist's release. I can't believe its taken me so long, but now I adore this band.

This record really sucked me in, Its got a lot of energy and quickly I found myself running and working out to it, making the most of the exuberant, youthful energy the music and lyrics filled me with. It didn't take long understand their sound, there are some very distinctive accents that flavor the Hardcore Punk sound. Slower tempos and guitars leads with a western flick vibe make there mark on the songs flirting with tinges of Surf Rock and Psychedelia in between its aggressive and angry Punk core. The creativity flows freely through a track listing of distinct songs with variety in plentiful amounts. Its either riffs, vocal hooks, guitar leads or Biafras politically and socially charged lyrics, each track has a distinct quality and from start to end the group roll out brilliant ideas one after another, even extending to interesting song structures.

The records production does a lot for it. The guitar leads have a raw and hazy tone that comes to life in a recording that fills the space with a big hall feel, creating a ton of atmosphere. The drums and vocals feel more contained and muted in comparison, but its a rocking chemistry and the bass is gorgeous, deep and tonal, rattling and pounding away, often leading the march and throughout the album its very audible, its texture contributing a thick backbone under the spacious guitars. Even some Mexican horns crop up in "MTV Get Of the Air" record, alongside the western guitars they fit right in. The following track "At My Job" drops the guitars for a big synthetic saw wave lead emphasizing the horror show circus vibe of the track. Again, it fits right in.

Whatever the Dead Kennedys set out to do its done with style and substance and the record is littered with inventive approaches, especially front man Jello Biafra who's charged and thought provoking lyrics come wrapped in a variety of deliveries that range from driving sing along hooks to moody theatric play acting. Everything about this record was a delight and I still can't get enough of it.

Favorite Tracks: This Could Be Anywhere, Chicken Farm, MTV Get Off The Air, At My Job, Stars And Stripes Of Corruption
Rating: 8/10