Lucifer's Hammer-Beyond the Omens

Shadow Kingdom Records
2016

Serving as the follow-up to the highly-acclaimed "Night Sacrifice", "Beyond The Omens" is the first full-length album from Santiago's Lucifer's Hammer. With a grand total of eight songs and a run-time that just breaks the 40 minute mark, "Beyond The Omens" is also one of 2016's BEST heavy metal releases! This Chilean' metal band's long-overdue debut album is EVERYTHING that there was to love about the gem that was 2013's "Night Sacrifice" only with better musicianship and songwriting as well as a slightly more polished feel. It's a mind-boggling mystery, but somehow the guys in Lucifer's Hammer took what was already a killer sound (and a damn fantastic style of true heavy metal!) and they made it a dozen times more lethal! And that my friends is no easy task. Not in the least! With "Night Sacrifice" I found a true heavy metal band that took it's cues from not only the "N.W.O.B.H.M. scene, but cult U.S. metal bands like Salem's Wych, Graven Image, Sinister Angel, Griffin, Warchylde, Heathen's Rage and DarkStarr!". That wicked band was young and hungry and the two members of the band (vocalist/guitarist Hades and drummer Titan) made it their mission in life to resurrect the golden greats of classic heavy metal and the N.W.O.B.H.M. movement and then pump as much fury and energy into the whole process as humanly possible. Here it is some three years later and that same strong and passionate band has really come into their own on their full-length debut. Having originally released "Night Sacrifice" in the same year in which they formed it's only naturally that this group would have grown as far as musicianship and songwriting is concerned. But the strange thing is Lucifer's Hammer almost sounds like a band that has magically been reborn. Yes, Lucifer's Hammer has grown from a two-piece band into something a bit more well-rounded and fierce. On the f**king spectacular "Beyond the Omens" lead guitars were expertly handled by one Hypnos (Sebastian Inzunza). But given that admission, "Beyond the Omens" is very much the work of one heavy metal band that lost it's extra weight and got leaner despite the added muscle! It's a case of subtraction by addition. Not that it actually matters in the end. What matters most is what an album like this one means for metal fans both young and old. In "Beyond the Omens" the metal community has another flashing sign that good old fashioned heavy metal is alive and well. This time-honored style of metal isn't going anywhere anytime soon thanks to bands like Lucifer's Hammer. And that's a good thing. Scratch that. It's a GREAT thing! A really GREAT thing!! But then again so is this album!!!

Breeze Least-Breeze Least

Shadow Kingdom Records
2016

Blood-red rare(!) eighties/neoclassical heavy metal from Japan. That's about all there is to this recently-released (digital-download only) re-issue from the wonderful folks over at Shadow king Records. Where it is exactly that they dug this mysterious gem up from I'll never know, but here's the scoop all the same. Preceded by a 1985 three-track demo, "Breeze Least" was the atmospheric debut from this obscure Japanese metal band that has (appropriately-enough) been described as a cross between Merciful Fate's "Melissa" and Yngwie Malmsteen's "Rise Force". With a run-time that clocks in at over 48 minutes in length(!) the 7-track "Breeze Least" was originally put out on 12" vinyl in 1986 (and as an independent release to boot!), but somewhere along the way this cult band lost the master tapes. That's a real shame, but at least we can all enjoy the band's self-titled release in digital format. For those of you who might be interested in the track listing (because you know why not?) I've posted it below. To that end I've also put in a one time grading system. It's easy enough to understand. One * symbol is decent, two * symbols means good, three *'s means it's great and then four * symbols translates to "Hot damn! That's some smoking awesome shit there!".  
 

1. Breeze Least ***
2. Must be Crush **
3. Dolphin Tradition *
4. Damnation ****
5. Gate Tower ***
6. Caprice No. 9 - Dread to Death ***
7. Not the Hold**



As a side note, "Breeze Least" also contains elements of epic and speed metal as well as slight
nods of appreciate towards the likes of (early) Van Halen and mid-late seventies Kiss.

Lewd Preacher-The Raw Age

Karthago Records
2014

Just one of two recently-released CDs plucked from the expansive catalog of Karthago Records, with the other one being Adrian's lone/cult 1987 LP, "One Step Into The Unknown" (review coming shortly on that one as well), "The Raw Age" is a compilation CD from Marburg, Hesse-based Lewd Preacher. Released as part of the label's Heavy Metal Demo Classics, "The Raw Age" is a collection of Lewd Preacher's two late-nineteen ninety something demos combined in an Exclusive CD Edition that is numbered (limited to only 500 copies), coming with a certificate of authenticity. My copy is number 96 of 500 which means that there are still plenty of copies of "The Raw Age" yet to be acquired by fans and collectors alike. That observation comes across as both surprising (once you've heard this heavy metal/speed metal band for yourself you'll understand why) and encouraging (for those who read this review and hopefully are inspired to pick up this gem!) depending upon whether you've had a chance to hear this cult German metal act for yourself or not! Bio-wise it all might sound like a familiar story when it comes to this short-lived cult collective with the (likely) eyebrow raising name. It's 1985 and teenagers from two separate though equal (as in they both played hard rock) Marburg school bands (Cassiopeia featuring vocalist Tammo Holzhausen & guitarist Christoph Kirsch Stein and Confuse Productions featuring bass guitarist Frank Becker, keyboardist Wolfgang Cloos and drummer Marc Laukel) join forces and (inspired by the N.W.O.B.H.M. and U.S. metal movements and the evolving German and American speed and thrash metal scene) decide that it's about time that they two go forth and spread a little heavy metal mayhem of their own. In doing so Lewd Preacher gave heavy metal fanatics something new and bold to throw their horns at! And it's all been gloriously assembled here in this excellent, well-deserved and (thankfully) digitally remastered offering! And what an offering it is! Especially for those who worship at the almighty alter of dark and mysterious German heavy metal! Lewd Preacher first came into their own with the releases of the 1988 demo tape "The Master Socks the Fuse". Stacked with the tracks "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "Wings of Evil", "Knights of Unknown Destiny" and "A Cry in the Night" this eighties' cassette demo should have shook the scene at the time! Of these four tracks it's all for one and one for all (aka: there's no dubs to be found among the bunch as these musicians seeming gave a 100% of their effort into putting out a cult metal classic! ) and if forced to pick one demo over another I'd reluctantly choose this one. And I do say reluctantly as both demos have a crap-load of goodies going for them! The only slight difference being the overall catchy nature of  "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "Wings of Evil" and "Knights of Unknown Destiny" on demo number one. That said it's probably best that we expand upon Lewd Preacher's sound right? Or at least try to relay what it is about Lewd Preacher that really makes them kick. Seeing as heavy metal/speed metal is kind of a generic description and all!

First thing first. And that would be speed metal and thrash. Bands like Metallica and Megadeth (maybe even the dark appeal of Slayer?) come to the forefront, but that's merely a thin coating upon which Lewd Preacher was able to paint their own portrait. Past that Lewd Preacher (complete line-up featured below) was obviously influenced by the German metal scene in the eighties as they were smack dab in the midst of it! Listen closely and you can pick up on the likes of Gravestone, Stormwitch, Cutty Sark, Iron Angel, S.D.I., Grave Digger, The Hand Of Doom, Living Death, Scanner and Wallop. Oh, and dare we say Bloody Climax? How about Black Fate? Yes, those two cult outfits can be heard knocking around in this band's delightfully devious music meaning there's that much more to love about a band like this one! Quite the list right? The thing is there is so much more about this German band and their music. I'd also suggest that Lewd Preacher's music derives as much from  French acts like ADX, Blaspheme, High Power, Voie De Fait, Demon Eyes, Der Kaiser, H-Bomb, Killers, Satan Jokers, Sortilege, Vulcain and Warning. And then there is the whole N.W.O.B.H.M. influences like Satan, Hell, Demon, Cloven Hoof, Dark Star, Holocaust, Incubus, Rankelson, Shiva and Bleak House as well as anything/everything from solo Ozzy to Merciful Fate! To that mix we add in some Iron Maiden and a little Judas Priest and (trust me here as it works!) some Hawkwind and Uriah Heap! Now we're talking! Or are we? For the wicked thing about Lewd Preacher is how there's all of these different elements going on (fuzzy bass, kitsch keyboards, classic rock guitars and raw, almost-punk at times, vocal lines) within a band that is distinctly heavy. And that's just on the band's first demo! We're looking at a band that might just have been ahead of the times (weird keyboard effects over-top of thrash-worthy heavy metal?) and, judging by their own words in the CDs included interview, it might just have been that fact that proved to be their downfall!  Here was a band that was every bit progressive in nature and with all of these different musicians giving their own input and drawing upon their own tastes it's likely that it all proved to be too volatile! Thankfully they provided the word with two demos and (from the sounds of it) are once more active! But anyway, back to this release (one which features a total run-time of 59:48 and comes with a detailed booklet, colored tray and numbered certificate with hologram!) and on demo number two (1989's "The Fuse Strikes Back") Stefan Boßhammer came on board as vocalist with the result taking the form of  such creative numbers as "Hands From Me", "Borderline", "Sands of Secrets" and "The Other Side". And while I might just prefer the band's first demo, 1989's "The Fuse Strikes Back" has some killer moments all it's own! Can you say epic metal anyone?
Try "Sands of Secrets" which runs over 11 minutes long! This well-crafted number has such a remarkable flow to it that not once do you ever get the temptation to hit next on the CD! That says A LOT about Lewd Preacher and their talents as well as their ability to work so many different genres into one track! Meanwhile both "Hands From Me" and "Borderline" have slowly grown on me (I've listed to this album now about seven times since I pulled it out of my mailbox last week!) and album closer "The Other Side" wraps up what is without a shadow of a doubt one of those most unexpected surprises of the year! The body of this whole CD is remarkable as collective all eight tracks offer interesting twists and turns. Keyboard passages seemingly take their inspiration from 80's horror films like "Hellraiser" and "A Nightmare On Elm Street" as much as progressive rock bands of the seventies while the guitar solos often times switch from heavy rock to speed/thrash in the flash of an eye! Lewd Preacher simply had the right musicians in place for heavy metal like this to work. It's true that the catchy nature of  tracks like "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and "Knight Of Unknown Destiny" make it seem as if Lewd Preacher should have provided the metal community of the late eighties with one more great act. And yet there's something about this release the feels dangerous as if Lewd Preacher were really meant to be a well-hidden secret after all. One that was kept from prying eyes for a reason. God knows if any of that makes sense, but then again anything having to do with logic gets kicked right out of the front door when you find yourself rocking out to a band that merges heavy metal/thrash with odd things like 70's fuzz, keyboards which are arranged as if they are almost Calypso-like (credit the skills of Wolfgang Cloos throughout "The Raw Age"!) and classic rock guitar parts that sound as if they could have been torn right from the front pages of Rolling Stones Magazine circa the early eighties! In other words this is about the sweetest underground German metal band that I've EVER had the pleasure of reviewing and I wish that I could personal give EVERYONE who digs super creative heavy metal a sealed copy of this wonderful discovery!   Lewd Preacher's line up on these two demos was: Vocals (The Master Socks the Fuse) - Tammo Holzhause Vocals (The Fuse Strikes Back) - Stefan Boßhammer Guitars - Christoph Kirschstein Guitars - Matthias Koch-Schirrmeister Keyboards - Wolfgang Cloos Bass - Frank Becker Drums - Marc Laukel

Manta Ray- Visions Of Towering Alchemy

Divebomb Records
2013

For this entry into Divebomb Record's "Bootcamp Series" we must step inside the WABAC machine and return to another time period. While it might not seem as if it was all that long ago, as we're only talking about 20+ years having passed, the fact is so much has changed (from our day to day lives to the world in which we now we come home) that it might have been a 100 years ago! Long before the internet made us all slaves to technology, and the best albums (usually only to be found on cassette tape and vinyl mind you!) could still be had by going to your local Mom and Pop store down the street, a young band named Manta Ray released their one, and unfortunate as it would prove to be, only release in "Visions Of Towering Alchemy". The exact time (1990) and place (Dallas, Texas) are recorded in the pages of history (or Heavy Metal History that is), but what has been previously laid to paper in regards to this young band is woefully inadequate! The band Manta Ray, which had formed one year earlier and was lead by guitarist/vocalist (and recent Hollywood Musicians Institute' graduate) Lance Harvill, issued this (originally) four-track EP that, despite being less then twenty minutes in length, told the world everything that they needed to know about the band's long-term potential. Unfortunately for every good album that came out that year (Death's "Spiritual Healing", Annihilator's "Never, Neverland", Judas Priest's "Painkiller", Prong's "Beg To Differ", King's X's "Faith Hope Love", Mother Love Bone's "Apple" and Social Distortion's "Social Distortion") there were more then enough train-wreck releases from likes of  Poison, Warrant, Slaughter, Don Dokken, Firehouse and Dread Zeppelin (God, remember them?) to derail the hopes of any up-and-coming band. And of course lost in the shuffle of a dying heavy metal scene was this young Dallas act. At the time this should have been just the starting point for a promising career. While the Lance Harvill might not ring any bells now there was some serious talent waiting in the wings as far as Lance's cohorts. Standing beside Lance was guitarist Mike Morgan (ex-Hell Church, ex-Seventh Gate) and two gentlemen who would go on to have quite the successful careers (bassist David Harbour and drummer John Luke Hebert). While both of these individuals would go on to play with Chastain, Leather and King Diamond (!) it would be David, whose exceptional bass playing was obvious from the very start of his career, who really took after Manta Ray's far too brief existence! Not only did this talented bassist find himself with Chastain, Leather and King Diamond (and not to mention the ambient act Equimanthorn), but he was also involved with solo projects from the likes of David T. Chastain and Michael Harris. All of which is fine and dandy I hear you saying, but what about this particular band and the re-released "Visions Of Towering"? I'm glad you asked as "Visions Of Towering Alchemy", which was originally laid to tape at Dallas Sound Lab Studios (Pantera and Rigor Mortis), showcases a young band that had so much to offer a scene that was in desperate need of earnest heavy metal like this. Early Queensrÿche would be one good starting point as far as references are concerned. Anything from the "Queensrÿche" EP up to "Rage for Order" would be in order. But, "Visions Of Towering Alchemy", having now been expanded to a six-track EP thanks to the inclusion of two bonus cuts in "Guilty" and "On My Own" (both from the 1991 demo "Die Hard"), would likely be a welcomed addition to those who count Sanctuary's "Refuge Denied" and Dio's "Lock Up the Wolves" as part of their personal heavy metal collection. Along with a little maybe a little Crimson Glory ("Transcendence"-era), Lethal (their "Programmed" album), Fates Warning (only up to their "No Exit" album though) and Mainiax & Ray Gunn (two cult 80's metal bands who sadly only released one release apiece like Manta Ray!) and there you have it! Six (slightly) prog-leaning heavy metal/power metal tracks of exceptional quality. That is what this particular "Bootcamp Series" release from Tribunal Records' offshoot label, Divebomb Records, has to offer. Here's the thing though (and this is one thing that I really like about Divebomb releases). You don't just have to take my word for it. Nope. You can actually listening to samples of this cult re-release at the link below! How sweet is that! Just be forewarned though of one tiny little detail. As with the other release in the "Bootcamp Series" this one is limited to just  500 copies! So, you know the drill then right? You snooze, you lose! It's as simple as that folks! Personally I'd suggest that you not miss out on this one, but that's just me! Still, at a mere $7.00 this one seems like a real no-brainer my friends. I'm just saying....

http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/manta-ray-visions-of-towering-alchemy

D.D.T.-Let The Screw...Anthology

No Remorse Records
2013

This 2CD anthology from Canada's cult heavy metal act D.D.T. was released over the summer mere days after my 40th birthday.  How it escaped my radar then I'll probably never know, but seeing as the band's original 1984 EP, "Let The Screw...Turn You On!" has been on my wish list for years now I really dropped the ball as far as keeping an ear out for this 2013 compilation. For most people D.D.T. is either an insecticide or a wrestling move (I'm talking about you Jake "The Snake" Roberts!), but for more then a few of heavy metal's faithful (incl. hardcore collectors!) this five-piece band was something else all together. Formed in Magog, Quebec in December of 1979 the band was spearheaded by three brothers in the form of vocalist François "Frank" Tougas, bassist/vocalist Pierre "Pete" Tougas and lead/rhythm guitarist Paul "Moko" Tougas. Early on the band mixed in original compositions with cover versions of songs from Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and even the likes of Eric Clapton and The Police! With over 70 cover songs available for set lists and an ever-expanding and maturing sound that seemed inspired by not only Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, but bands like Mötley Crüe, Ratt and AC/DC this Canadian band seemed poised for success. After two early recordings (1983's "Violence" Demo and 1984's "Scarecrow" Rehearsal Tape) the band recorded the "Let The Screw..." EP in the Spring of 1984. Strictly limited to only 1,000 vinyl copies, it would go on to become a highly sought after collector's item and ended up being bootlegged by Revenge Of True Metal Records (Greece) in 1993. That split CD "Outstanding Metal Gems Vol. 05" not only features D.D.T.'s EP, but Madd Hatter's lone 1984 self-titled album as well as the self-titled 1984 EP from Dark Knight. Thankfully this double disc collection will now give this band there proper due and allow D.D.T. to profit from their own music!  Besides the sleazy take on Judas Priest which is the EP's cool title cut (incidentally the track "Let The Screw..." also appeared on 1985's "Moose Molten Metal Volume 1" compilation which was, at one point, actually available on iTunes!), the band's 1984 EP features the raw (80's Judas Priest meets early Mötley Crüe) "Bitches" as well as the (eighties heavy metal done right) cuts "Metal On Ashes", "Wasted" and "Where Were You?". While the title cut is probably the best of the bunch on the EP (especially as it is one of the better eighties metal songs out there!) the whole 5-track is just great. It  pretty much (spot-on) defines eighties heavy metal and is an absolute killer recording even after  all these years! François "Frank" Tougas has a bit of a Rob Halford vibe going for him while the music, which yes, is prime Judas Priest gone dirty rock and roll worship, is just a stone cold chill! Besides Judas Priest and Iron Maiden (aka: eighties heavy metal in a nutshell!) this was a band that could have been seen as a combination of all things loud and proud from that same time period. Bands like AC/DC, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Dio, Black Sabbath, solo Ozzy Osbourne and even Motörhead all walk in and out of this excellent 1984 EP and this collection would be a worthwhile addition for any heavy metal fan just for those 5 tracks! No Remorse Records though has pulled out all the stops with this anthology though so besides the inclusion of the "Let the Screw..." EP you get various demo recordings and 5 live tracks! The only downside is that the anthology stops at the "Sons Of Freedom" demo from 1989. It would have been cool to have the two other demos (which may or may not technical be D.D.T) included, but it is what it is and this 2CD set is still extremely impressive all around! The anthology comes with a nice booklet featuring extended liner notes with complete recording information provided by D.D.T.'s own Pierre "Pete" Tougas. Besides that there are plenty of photos and even an interesting interview with the band! All of which makes for a fun read while you sit back and enjoy this cult Canadian heavy metal band do there thing! For those who are interested I've provided the actual track listing for this 2CD set after this article and I would definitely encourage fans of real hard rock/heavy metal and eighties metal to check this group out. You can find clips featuring their 1984 EP on YouTube and this CD can usually be found for under $20.00 including shipping!

CD 1 features:
1.	Let The Screw...
2.	Bitches
3.	Metal on Ashes
4.	Wasted
5.	Where Were You?
6.	The Encounter
7.	Back in the Street
8.	Violence
9.	Children of War
10.	The Whip
11.	Scarecrow
12.	Cheap Thrills
13.	All the Way
14.	Bitches (live)
15.	Get Ready (live)
16.	I Don't Wanna Be Like You (live)
17.	The Number (live)
18.	Violence (live)
CD 2 features:
1.	In the Name of God
2.	The Number
3.	Loose Brains
4.	Rocks Don't Rust
5.	Rumors of War
6.	Burning
7.	White Lies
8.	Fist
9.	Rock n Roll Dreams
10.	Under the Moonlight
11.	Victims
12.	Wall Street Rats
13.	Against All Odds
14.	No Fool
15.	Going Down
16.	Sons of Freedom
17.	River of Love
18.	Sleeping with the Dog

The Mezmerist-The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty

Shadow Kingdom Records
2013

Before we take a look at "The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty", which was originally released in 1985, please indulge me as I share with you a pet peeve that I have. Well, it's just one of many pet peeves that I have, but we're talking music right now so let's stick to that. When it comes to re-issues (like this one from L.A.'s The Mezmerist) I've been critical in the past as to what some labels consider "cult albums" and/or "cult bands". While now is neither the time nor the place to start naming names or highlighting what I would consider to be questionable record labels (let's just say that when it comes to some of these labels, and their re-issues, their idea of what is considered to be a "cult" release and my idea of what makes for a "cult" release usually vary by quite a bit!) let's just say that I cannot be the only poor sucker to have been roped in by some clever marketing with descriptions (we've all been had by the "recommended if you like band X, band Y and band Z) that prove to be far from the truth. When it comes to digging up old cult records though Shadow Kingdom Records seems to have a fairly solid track record. Let's mark this one down as a plus for the label. And that's a plus added on to the end of the letter A for something more akin to A+! Yes, this one is a real winner and the very thing needed to keep you and I from getting far too cynical about all these so-called "cult" re-issues. "Psychedelic Heavy Metal" is how the promo describes this somewhat mysterious US metal band. Lead by vocalist/guitarist Tommy Mezmercardo, who was the only common thread between this releases collection of two EPs (one officially released and the other one looks as if it was unearthed for this re-issue), the band's original release of  "The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty" was in 1985. According to the Metal Archives it was actually recorded "partly in 1982 and partly in 1983", before seeing release later on in 1985. That would make sense as the bonus EP, which we'll look at in a bit, looks as if it was recorded sometime in 1985. First things first though so let's get back to the original release of the 4-track EP "The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty". As it was limited to just 500 copies, which was a really short run for a LP like this, it naturally went on (years later) to fetch high prices on eBay. Today is a new day though and thanks to Shadow Kingdom Records a whole new generation of heavy metal fans and collectors will finally be able to get their hands on "The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty". Now, while Shadow Kingdom Records isn't to far off with the "Psychedelic Heavy Metal" description I'd prefer to tag this one as "Psychedelic Heavy Doom Metal". When it comes right down to though The Mezmerist, or at least Thomas Mezmercardo, this was a group that experimented with lots of different sounds and textures. The first four tracks though, which made up the original "The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty", are pretty close to the mark ("Psychedelic Heavy Doom Metal") while it's actually on the last three bonus cuts (which come from recordings done in 1985) where we see Thomas Mezmercardo relaxing the rules a little bit and adding new ideas into his music. I would kick myself though if I didn't bring up the most interesting part about "The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty". So, before we get to the bonus cuts and all that jazz, we should mention that Thomas Mezmercardo was able to get none other than Bill Ward to play drums! And yes, his presence is most definitely felt and appreciate on those 4 tracks. Although there's not as much doom as would be expected. It's there of course, but we're also talking about some traditional heavy metal riffs and (odd indeed) Led Zeppelin-style hard rock. With bassist Roger Abercrombie filling in the last open spot, as both sets of recordings presented here feature "power trio" line-ups, the band merges the likes of Cirith Ungol, Mercyful Fate, Coven, Hawkwind, Rush and even Italy's Paul Chain (who is also a bit of a hidden gem) into their own little art form. These 4 tracks are nice enough on their own and it's cool to see them presented on CD like this. OK, as for the bonus cuts? They include "Kingdom of the Dead",
"No Family, No Friends" and (a new fave of mine) "The Jam". For these 1985 recordings
vocalist/guitarist Tommy Mezmercardo (who incidentally sounds to me like cross between King Diamond and Geddy Lee!) is joined by bassist Steve Conrad and drummer JR. These bonus cuts are also psychedelic and come packed with some doom and gloom, but they also bring to mind the punk and early new wave scenes. Or at least in my mind they do! Thomas Mezmercardo is a fantastic guitarist through-out all of these tracks and with each new song comes new arrangements that offer the listener something different. Truly this is a band that you have to hear to appreciate. Besides, any band that can have me simultaneously picturing both Mercyful Fate and Elvis Costello deserves a package like this! Ah yes, the complete package. Well, not only do you get the one disc with all these charmingly mysterious tracks, but then you've got this bonus DVD where Mezmercardo himself sits down and tells the story of how the band and everything else came together. So, you've got a nice CD/DVD package from Shadow Kingdom Records which seems like it would make more then a few collectors of cult recordings and doom fans happy. What more could you want?  
http://store.shadowkingdomrecords.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=4815

Breaking News! Nitro's "Lethal Dose" anthology set for late July release!

Finally, after nearly 20 years of waiting, cult 80's metal act Nitro are getting the ultimate CD experience courtesy of Skol Records! As a long time fan of Pennsylvania's one and only "true" Nitro (forget that glam sham act of the same name!) I will say this release is L-O-N-G overdue. If you're not familiar with the real Nitro then be sure to check out my review/article about them here:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/06/forgotten-gems-nitro-lethal-ii.html
In addition to the original tracks on "Lethal + II" the band has dug through the vaults to add a whopping 9 extra bonus tracks! All of these tracks are from the same time period as "Lethal + II" and are simply the icing on the cake for die hard Nitro fans. As Skol has a proven track record when it comes to these sort of projects (Robespierre's "Die You Heathen, Die!", which I plan to review shortly, being a perfect example of the quality work that goes into their CD packages) this release promises to be one of the better 2013 releases, traditional heavy metal or not! Find out more at the link below and be sure to say a little pray of thanks to the metal gods tonight as this one is going to be epic!
http://bartgabriel.tumblr.com/post/53434953020/out-on-july-25-2013-on-skol-records-nitro