Episode 42 – Legion of Horribles (right click to download)

The cruelest acts can rarely be put into words. They must be left to the realms of imagination. That’s where fear comes from too. No physical manifestation of horror can ever and will ever top our ability to create empires of the gruesome. Those who say fact trumps fiction, i.e. imagination, have never really tried hard enough. After all, the kingdoms of metaphysics are far less restrictive.

Today’s episode is an attempt to spark your creativity. We made it like a drug. To hook you is the entire point. And once you’re addicted there’s no escaping it. No morals to resort to, no time to go back, no place to hide. Your mind becomes your hell; your ideas, Satan himself.

Make the best of them.

Click for show notes and a complete tracklist.

Episode 42 – Legion of Horribles

First, there’s the rush. If you are one to enjoy cool vocals and 80s demo sound there’s nothing in Megace for you not to like. Very harsh this one is, while still retaining some pretty or grandiose moments. There’s one bit there that very much sounds like “In My Darkest Hour” actually. Also, that’s one weird cover. Cool raspy female vocals, great intensity and all around 80s thrash/speed Riff-O-Rama. What more can you ask for?

If you answered Morbid Angel’s pristine mid-80s demo sound, then yeah. You’re right! “Abominations of Desolation” is just about perfect. Up until “Altars of Madness” these guys pretty much championed the underground – and rightly so. If what made you tick was just plain maniacal metal, Morbid Angel was the band to follow. A long time has passed and music has had a lot of twists and turns, but “Abominations” still feels to one of us the closest we as a species will ever be able to achieve in terms of making music that resembles being in hell.

For a band with such a thin output in term of releases, One Tail, One Head have achieved quite the cult status in the underground scene and are still active playing live. Old school black metal from Norway played in 2009: not quite the sensation, but it’s good and raw enough to earn a slot in one of our episodes.

Birth Ritual from Japan keeps this episode’s level of depravity really scary. “Witching Metal” from their 2009 demo has two things we love: the venomous chorus (“ui-tchng métál! ui-tchng métál!”), and the sweet guitar solo coming out of nowhere like a rainbow in a pigsty. Truth be told, Birth Ritual would later on produce more catchy stuff. They put out their debut full-length release this year that we haven’t yet paid attention to.

We got in touch with Disorder from the United States thanks to the “At the Foot of Brutality” compilation from 1989. Only demo acts from the USA Mid-West were included, but the split was actually released by Mexican label Avanzada Metálica. Anyway, that’s all well and good, but what matters here is that Disorder was an awesome and unfortunately very short lived power metal band with a lot of love for King Diamond. Their music is actually quite thrashy and evil sounding, making their sole 1989 demo a treasure to behold and preserve. 100% recommended.

Time and time again we’ve talked about the merits of the South American sounds from the 80s. We’ve even dedicated an entire episode to them already. But we’ve learned that there’s always one more band to share. The 80s were phenomenal like that. Reencarnación, like Parabellum (another almighty, also from the Medellín, Antioquia scene), was quite admired by Euronymous. You can see why: the Venom, Sodom, Bathory, Hellhammer influences were all there. Plus that chaotic South American trademarked ambience. It’s lovely, really.

But we’re just clearing our throats here. The real fun is about to start.

It’s amazing how much incredible metal was produced in the mid-80s. One fine example is Birmingham’s female-fronted Sacrilege. “A Violation of Something Sacred” belongs to their 1985 album, the thrashy-crusty “Behind the Realms of Madness” (nice cover art). Beyond the fact of having a great female vocalist in Lynda “Tam” Simpson, we really appreciate how hard they hit the skins. Wow!

Talking about great drumming, Test’s man with the sticks is one of the best we’ve seen in recent times. We’ve seen him play live for two bands SIMULTANEOUSLY (each band playing their own song for their own amp) and far from being gimmicky, it worked as a nice demonstration of Test’s experimentalist vein. These mostly unknown guys from São Paulo, Brazil, can do it all – grind, crust, black, thrash, death in a heartbeat, and do it well – took the tradition of the sound system and play guerrilla gigs everywhere and anywhere they can: alleys, ticket lines, art galleries, pizza parlors, street parties… just check their webpage.

Before we go for yet another round of Darkthrone, here’s another nice gem. It’s considered hardcore punk, but we would call this a metal obscurity too. We’re talking about Tranquilizer’s self-titled single from 86 or 87. Gives us plenty of 84 Bathory and White Hell vibes.

It’s never easy to follow up on one fiend of a song from Darkthrone, so we’ll just have to go all-in with a pair of kings. You already know these two, if only for previous SATAN MADE ME DO IT episodes. First come “Pay to Die” from Death Strike’s tremendous “Fuckin’ Death” demo, followed by another of our personal favorites, Obliteration, with “Sepulchral Rites”. Cant’ wait for their next album. Sometimes you have to give it a little bit of thought about what hand to play next, sometimes it just pops up on your mind. In this case there was no hesitation at all. It feels like a match made in hell. Enjoy it!

— Tracklist

1. Exigency | Megace (GER) | The Sign of the Ape [Demo], 1988 http://www.megace.de/
2. The Gate / Lord of All Fevers | Morbid Angel (USA) | Abominations of Desolation, 1991 https://www.facebook.com/officialmorbidangelpage
3. One Tail, One Head | One Tail, One Head (NOR) | One Tail, One Head [EP], 2011 http://onetailonehead.bandcamp.com/
4. Witching Metal | Birth Ritual (JAP) | Witching Metal [demo], 2009 http://www.discogs.com/Birth-Ritual-Witching-Metal-/master/399706
5. Warmonger | Disorder (GER) | At the Foot of Brutality [Split], 1989 http://www.discogs.com/artist/1902433-Disorder-9
6. Reencarnación (888 Metal) | Reencarnación (COL) | Reencarnación, 1988 https://www.facebook.com/reencarnacion.medellin
7. A Violation of Something Sacred | Sacrilege (UK) | Behind the Realms of Madness, 1985 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacrilege-Official/503256849820198
8. Du Horror | Test (BRA) | Arabe Macabre, 2012 http://www.testdeath.com.br/index.html
9. Myth | Tranquilizer (JAP) | Tranquilizer [Single], 1986-1987 http://www.discogs.com/artist/1954610-Tranquilizer-2
10. Witch Ghetto | Darkthrone (NOR) | Dark Thrones and Black Flags, 2008 https://www.facebook.com/Darkthrone-101075189934422/
11. Pay to Die | Death Strike (USA) | Fuckin’ Death [demo], 1985 https://www.facebook.com/Death-Strike-167679447659/
12. Sepulchral Rites | Obliteration (NOR) | Black Death Horizon, 2013 http://obliteration.bandcamp.com/