First day flashback number two

Corrosion of conformity-Animosity

Several years before Pepper Keenan arrived and drug this band into stoner rock mediocrity they were actually at the top of the crossover heap. Crossover? For those who were not into the music at the time, this was a rather brief movement in the mid/late 80's where bands combined punk (usually hardcore) with metal (usually thrash). COC's debut "Eye for an eye" was a brief and noisy effort with only a few hints of what the band might be capable of. However by 1985 the band was down to a trio with bass player Mike Dean picking up the vocal duties. I think many people have different views on which line-up and album is COC's best. For me it's definitely this line-up and this album. Dean spews forth those throat searing lines and pounds ferociously as hit bass while Reed Mullin hammers at the drums while changing the beat at a moments notice. I still have no idea why this band ever thought they needed a second guitarist. The proof I need for that thought is how Woody Weatherman just flies through lighting fast riffs giving each song it's own personality. This is just an incredible album from a band who were at the top of their game at this point.

First day flashback number one

Lizzy Borden-Love you to pieces

This 1985 release was the band's first LP and the follow-up to their 1984 EP "Give 'em the axe". As good as "Give 'em the axe' was they definitely grew a great deal on this album. The music was more complex and layered plus Lizzy's vocals got more of a workout as a well. Along with band's like WASP and Detroit's Halloween, Lizzy Borden were one of those bands who had a glam image but the sound was more metal than glam. The distinctive vocals, horror type lyrics and the whole image help set these guys apart. On top of that they could really play and just rip it up plus they knew how to mix heavy with melodic. I think around 86-87 hard rock and metal changed some and being metal began to change as thrash became more popular. Also being hard rock or glam suddenly became more focused on ballads and trying to score a radio hit. The bands that were in between those styles like Lizzy and WASP got kind of lost, ignored or they forced to change their approach. Kind of sad because between 1984 and 1986 this band was really putting out some prime material. However they may have the last laugh to some extent as their material still holds well today and they knocked out a killer album last year.

First Day Flashback

I had already heard and enjoyed WASP's self-titled debut by the time their sophomore effort "The Last Command" was released in the fall of 1985. This one got some attention both good and bad as it came right on the heels of the whole PMRC uproar. WASP had already getting flack for their "Animal(F*ck like a beast)" single from the year before and here they were putting out an album where one song had "sex" as part of the title. Oh, my goodness what a bunch of heathens. Anyways I remember hearing this album shortly after it was released and I liked it, but still liked the debut more because I thought it was heavier. Now I actually prefer this album to the debut because the writing was a little more involved, everything was a little tighter and the songs were a bit more varied in pace. I still listen to this regularly and I think it's of WASP's best albums and one of the best metal albums of 1985. I still have memories of from the winter of 85/86 listening to this on my tiny tape player in my room and staring at the cover thinking Blackie Lawless was some kind of madman.

First Day Flashback

Abattoir-The only safe place
1986



Abattoir formed in LA back in 1978 and released their debut "Vicious Attack" on Combat records in 1985. They went several line-up changes including members John Cyriis and Juan Garcia leaving to form Agent Steel. Their sophomore release was "The only safe place" and even though it came out just a year after their debut 3/5 of the band's line-up had changed. "The only safe place" is a decent example of early thrash although it also borders on early American Style power meta as well considering it's not far from say Metal Church as far as the pace goes. I bought this on vinyl back in 1986 and always took to it well enough. It's not a landmark album at all and it's easy to see why it got lost in the same year as "Reign in blood" and "Master of puppets". Yet it's still a slab of solid metal with a duel guitar attack and powerful enough vocals. The production has that slight fuzz that I think actually helps this style of music carry a bit of thicker presence of sorts. The first seven tracks are all good, but then the last three is where the band explodes and just burst out with some of their best material. The band folded a few months after this release, however they reformed in the late 1990's and played on a few tribute albums. There is still a version of the band who are hoping to get everything together and finish a comeback album that has been talked about for several years.



http://www.myspace.com/abattoirla

First day flashback: Heathen-Breaking the silence

Heathen-Breaking the silence


Time for First Day Flashback where on the first day of each month I'll do a short write on an album from the 80's that I liked. By 1987 the Bay area speed metal scene had broken loose in a big way and labels were scrambling to grab bands in the hopes of landing the next Metallica or whoever. Heathen had formed in 1986, put together a six song demo the same year and the following year they had their debut out on Combat. I remember seeing the video for their cover of Sweet's "Set me free" on the Headbanger's Ball that summer. I bought "Breaking the silence" on cassette not long after that. Overall it's that tight riffed chugging sound reminiscent of other Bay area bands like Exodus. Although Heathen had maybe a little more build-up to some of their songs and a bit more flourish as well. Century Media put this out on CD back in 1999 and this version includes a ninth track called Heathen plus four demo versions of songs on the album. It's not quite as heavy or edgy as I remember it being some 21 years ago. It's still solid enough to enjoy and "Pray for death" and "Goblins blade" are still my favorite tracks. In 1987 if it was speed metal then I was interested, it was just the style I loved back then. A version of Heathen is still plugging away today.
www.myspace.com/heathenmetal