THROWBACK THURSDAY - HEAVY COVERS

What does one make of cover songs?  It seems like a common response to most covers is, "this is terrible, the original is so much better".  Well obviously!  99 percent of the time a cover is not going to be as great as the original, but it seems to me that many people are not looking at it from the right perspective.  Instead of shitting on a cover song for not being as good as the original, people should really consider how cool it is that a classic song is being covered in the first place.  Heavy metal has its fair share of classics, and they're classics for a reason; they were influential.  Cover songs are interesting to listen to because it gives the listener an opportunity to discover some of the influences of their favorite bands.  Below are a collection of cover songs that I found to be particularly interesting.

1. Upon a Burning Body - 5 Minutes Alone (Pantera Cover)

Pantera is easily one of the most influential metal bands from the 1990's.  5 Minutes Alone is easily one of their crunchiest tunes.  It's only natural that the Texas based deathcore act Upon a Burning Body would cover this song. This is a cover that definitely did the original justice.  And the fact that they gave the late Dimebag Darrell a shout out in the middle of the the song is nothing short of heartwarming.  Check it out!

Links: Pantera Facebook // Official Website // iTunes
Upon A Burning Body Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

2. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Paranoid (Black Sabbath Cover)

Boy has this cover gotten shit over the years.  It's understandable; how can The Dillinger Escape Plan cover a Black Sabbath song?  Part of the beauty of this cover comes from the fact that they didn't try to stay true to the original.  Dillinger has their own unique sound and it seems as though they stick to that even while doing covers.  Yeah, it's gonna piss off some old school metal fans but this is a cover definitely worth checking out.

Links: The Dillinger Escape Plan Facebook // Twitter // Official Website
Black Sabbath Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

3. Periphery - New Millenium Cyanide Christ (Meshuggah Cover)

Djent dj djent dj djent dj djent djent djent bowww... Well, you know where I'm going with this.  Periphery covering a classic Meshuggah song, how appropriate!  Meshuggah is one of those bands that only comes around once in a life time.  They are responsible for the creation of the sound that is commonly referred to as djent, and Periphery is partially responsible for bringing that sound into the mainstream.  Two great bands, one awesome tone, and one excellent cover!

Links: Meshuggah Facebook // Twitter // iTunes
Periphery Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

4. As I Lay Dying - Electric Eye (Judas Priest Cover)

"A Judas Priest cover? The nerve!  These little metalcore kids can't possible cover a song written by the metal gods". - elitist douche.

Yes, Judas Priest is awesome, but so is this cover.  In the contemporary metal scene, As I Lay Dying is one helluva band.  If anyone were to cover a Priest song I'm glad it was them.  As I Lay Dying demonstrates impressive technical skill, and as a whole, they are capable of covering some of the best heavy metal tunes.

Links: Judas Priest Facebook // Official Website // Twitter // iTunes 
As I Lay Dying Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

5. Children of Bodom - Aces High (Iron Maiden Cover)

If you spit in the air the chances are it's going to land on somebody that's an Iron Maiden fan.  Seriously though, who wasn't influenced by this band?  Just about every power metal and melodic death metal band was, therefore it wouldn't be surprising to hear band that embodies elements from both of those sub-genres cover a classic Maiden tune.  Children of Bodom not only did the original justice with this cover, they made it their own.  The keyboard especially added a nice touch.

Links: Iron Maiden Facebook // Twitter // iTunes // Official Website
Children of Bodom Facebook // Official Website // Merch

6. Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver (Dio Cover)

It takes guts to even decide to record a cover of Dio.  The man's voice is legendary.  Well in 2007 Killswitch Engage pulled it off, successfully.  Obviously no mortal man can top Dio, but Howard Jones did a damn good job as far as cover standards are concerned (and I don't mean that in a condescending way, Howard is an excellent vocalist).  The cover was very well received by critics and fans, and six years later Killswitch is still playing it live.  I can't speak for the masses, but I hope it helped to turn the younger generation of metal heads onto the classic metal act that is Dio.

Links: DIO Facebook // Twitter // iTunesKillswitch Engage Facebook // Twitter // iTunes      

THROWBACK THURSDAY - AFTERSHOCK

This week's segment will be fun because we get to explore a truly underground gem.  But, before we get into that I just have one thing to say. Metalcore.  Okay, now that all of the pretentious metal elitists have stopped reading this article, I can continue with the segment.  Whether you love it or hate it, one cannot ignore the fact that metalcore bands had a significant impact on the heavy metal scene in the 2000's.  Many of the earlier groups in this particular genre trace their roots back to the 1990's hardcore scene in Massachusetts.  A group from this scene that had one of the most significant impacts on the future of metalcore was Aftershock.

This was a band that managed to concoct their own unique sound out of a fairly diverse collection of heavy music styles.  The hardcore was definitely present, not just musically but also as far as stage presence is concerned (check out the music video "For Those of You Who Kill").  I think one of the things that made Aftershock stand out from their peers was their willingness to play around with different styles of extreme metal.  Vocally, there were clearly death metal and grindcore influences as well as the traditional hardcore barks and chants.  Although rare, they occasionally made use of blast beats.  Both of these elements helped to establish Aftershock as heavier than average hardcore act.  More importantly, this was one of the first American based groups to adopt influences from the Gothenburg melodic death metal lot.  With the combination of hardcore breakdowns and melodeath riffs, it's easy to see how some have credited Aftershock as the first metalcore band.

Some of the coolest things actually occurred after the band had more or less broken up.  The original guitarist, Jon Donais, was making significant strides with his new band Shadows Fall.  Vocalist Tobias Dutkiewicz founded the label Devil's Head Records, which later signed bands such as The Acacia Strain. Guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz joined up with Overcast bassist Mike D'Antonio to form the metalcore act Killswitch Engage.  Both directly and indirectly Aftershock and it's band members made an impact on the next generation of metal.

Links: Facebook // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAT - ATHEIST

Lately, I feel as though I have been in the mood for death metal.  Ever since I became interested in more extreme styles of heavy metal, I have been inclined to prefer melodic death metal to other sub-styles of death metal.  With that said, I still love me some technical death metal.  I believe it was around four years ago that I stumbled across the contemporary tech-death juggernaut The Faceless.  Unfortunately, being the obsessive compulsive type of metal head, I couldn't just sit back and enjoy the music; instead I had to both research the band and the sub-genre of metal they played. Finally, after my research, I stumbled upon Atheist.

"Piece of Time", the 1989 debut of Atheist.  How would one describe this album?  You take the shear brutality of Death's "Scream Bloody Gore" and combine that with complex rhythm patterns, highly technical soloing, and an overall progressive metal mindset.  At least that's how it sounds to me.  This was an impressive album for when it was released.  Death metal was still a fairly young subgenre in 1989, so for a group of guys to take this new style and add elements of progressive metal and jazz to it is was incredibly forward thinking.  For these reasons, "Piece of Time" was the birth of technical death metal.  Sadly, this was the only album that bassist Roger Patterson was able to record with them before his untimely death, but fortunately he gave one hell of a performance on this release.  His intricate style of playing bled through the mix perfectly and in many cases helped to add another layer of depth to the band's overall technicality.

For the rest of their career, Atheist more or less followed the formula established on "Piece of Time".  Their second album, "Unquestionable Presence", is also worthy of recognition.  This album tied up all of the loose ends of their debut.  Everything still was incredibly complex in arrangement, yet by this point most of the thrash metal influences still heard on "Piece of Time" were replaced by a style of riffing that was purely death metal. Also, the jazz influences were much more noticeable on this release, particularly in the drumming of Steve Flynn.  Finally, the soloing was more diverse, the vocals were more guttural, and the atmosphere was much darker.  "Unquestionable Presence" is the kind of album that could be released in 2013 and still sound original.  This is a necessary release for all death metal fans.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - CARCASS

It's common knowledge that the 1980's were a crucial time for the development of various styles of extreme metal.  Black metal, grindcore, and death metal all originated in this decade.  As true for all sub-genres of metal, these three had their fair share of the good, the bad, and the absolutely ground-breaking.  For both grindcore and death metal, the U.K. based band Carcass provides a more than sufficient example of ground-breaking metal.  It's difficult to explain how influential this band was so let's start at the beginning.

In 1988, Carcass released their debut "Reek of Putrefaction".  This was an album that was indisputably nauseating, but in all of the right ways.  Sonically, this album had the same structure and intensity of other early grindcore releases, such as Napalm Death's "Scum".  The songs were short and distorted, with blast-beats abundant.  One of the main facets of this album, an element that made it different from other grindcore at the time, was the gore inspired lyrically themes.  Hell, even the opening instrumental was titled "Genital Grinder"; how metal is that?  Cannibal Corpse owes much to this album.  The vocals, notably performed by all three members, were some of the most guttural and unintelligible to be heard in the late 80's.  In sum, "Reek of Putrefaction" was musically angelic to many metalheads, yet to others, it was the soundtrack to their midnight food poisoning.

The very next year Carcass released "Symphonies of Sickness".  Their second album was anything but a sophomore slump; if anything, it was miles ahead of their debut.  First, the production improved tenfold, which contrary to popular belief, extreme metal can benefit from better production.  This has more or less been proven in the past 20 years.  Second, this was the album that saw the band stepping into death metal territory.  While retaining much of their frantic grindcore sound, they adopted some slower, sludgier elements, a more technical approach instrumentally, and an overall increase in song length.  Third, this album was heavy as shit!  I'm willing to make the claim that this album is not only the heaviest in their discography, but one of the heaviest albums of the 1980's.  "Symphonies of Sickness" is more or less a crossover album between grindcore (the heaviest sub-genre of hardcore punk) and death metal (the heaviest sub-genre of metal) so naturally it's going to be heavy on an apocalyptic level.

"Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious".  I don't know how else to describe this album except by saying, "goodbye grindcore, hello Michael Amott!".  Seriously, this album marked a huge transition in their sound.  By 1991, Carcass had abandoned most of their classic grindcore sound in favor for death metal.  But not only was it death metal, it was progressive death metal!  This album more or less combined the intensity of death metal with the songwriting sensibilities of Queensrÿche and pure shred of "Rust in Peace" era Megadeth.  Yeah, it's that good.  It could have just been a coincidence that Amott joined the band around the time that this transition took place, but in my opinion the addition of a second guitarist helped Carcass reach their full potential.

In 1993, Carcass released "Heartwork".  Again, a radical shift took place in the sound of Carcass.  This time around, many of the songs were shortened in length compared to "Necroticism" (Yet still much longer than the average length of songs from "Reek of Putrefaction").  Also, while continuing with the brutality and technicality established on their previous albums, "Heartwork" show cased an impressive amount of melodic guitar riffs and solos.  Whereas their debut helped to establish grindcore as a sub-genre, "Heartwork" more or less kick-started the melodic death metal scene, which proved to be an incredibly influential style of extreme metal.  As a melodeath junkie myself, this is easily my favorite release from the band.  Definitely recommended to anybody that's a fan of bands such as In Flames, Arch Enemy, and The Black Dahlia Murder.

            

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Merch

THROWBACK THURSDAY - BAD BRAINS

Heavy metal owes much to the 1980's hardcore scene, both in musical style and live performance.  Bands such as Minor threat and Dead Kennedys were a huge influence on the developing thrash metal scene.  Thanks to the influence of hardcore punk shows, many fans in the heavy metal community started moshing at metal concerts, changing the live experience forever.  So it's only natural for us on the site to recognize one of the most unique hardcore punk bands of that era in this weeks throwback segment: Bad Brains.

Forming in Washington D.C. in the late 70's, Bad Brains concocted an interesting style of punk music that would go on to influence countless bands in the next couple of decades.  They're often referred to as one of the pioneers of hardcore, which is a valid statement, but they adopted so many varying influences that it's almost impossible to classify them as anything other than BAD ASS.  The varying influences were demonstrated on their self-titled debut in 1982.  Not only was "Bad Brains" very hardcore in sound, but it was easily the fastest hardcore release up to that point.  Another thing that made it stand out from the rest of the scene were the guitar solos.  Yes, punk bands have soloed before, but not with the same level of skill and technicality as demonstrated on the album's first track, "Sailin' On" (Listen below).

Probably one of the coolest aspects of this band comes from the fact that the members are true followers of the Rastafarian movement.  Needless to say, because of this there is a strong reggae influence in the sound.  Their first release demonstrated this largely in individual tracks such as "Leaving Babylon" and "I Luv I Jah", but by the time the album "I Against I" was released, the reggae was fully integrated into their sound.  Many alternative bands of 1990's have used these Bad Brains albums as a template for their own fusions of rock and reggae (whether they succeeded or not is clearly subjective).  H.R. has some of the most unique vocals I've ever heard.  It's difficult to describe his style so just check out the tracks below, and form your own opinion. 
On a final note, next time one of your stoner friends is in your car, and asks you to play Sublime, just play Bad Brains instead.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - BASICK RECORDS EDITION

I recently took advantage of a sale Basick Records was having. Dubbed as "The Summer of Discovery", it gave you the opportunity to receive one of twenty-six CDs for a low price. So naturally, I bought three. My fingers were crossed that I would a) get something awesome like Chimp Spanner, The Arusha Accord, Aliases, or No Consequence and b) not get something I already own like Skyharbor, Uneven Structure, or the latest from Chimp Spanner. Neither of these things happened.

I instead opened up the package to discover three bands I've never heard before. Soon after I discovered none of these bands are active anymore. This works out perfectly for the purpose of today - being Throwback Thursday. Let's take a look at Evita, Between The Screams and My Minds Weapon.

Evita was an abstract and colorful Melodic Metalcore band bursting at the seams with skill and the big "p" word... potential. Hailing from the UK, they aren't technically done for, but they haven't been active for some time. I'm currently listening to their first and last album entitled "Minutes And Miles". It was released in 2009 via Basick Records (obviously) and packs quite a punch in the musical department. Elements of this band were certainly unique and ahead of their time. I could only imagine the kind of madness they would put out in the modern musical setting. Alas our ears will have to settle for "Minutes And Miles", the 2007 EP "Like An Ocean We Rise Again", and the only single released since in early 2011.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Purchase

Coming from Essex, Between The Screams provided a soundtrack to "Our Last Days On Earth". This album was also released in 2009 as the debut full-length follow up to an EP. This may sound odd, but ever since my first listen this band has struck me as a rawer, Metalcore infused version of Deftones. I'm not saying they're on the same level of Deftones, but the influence is certainly present through the musical delivery accompanied by a driving atmospheric and angular approach. That aside, the band certainly added their own flavor to the mix. I'd say this album is worth a good listen.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Purchase

Last but certainly not least is the oldest album on the list. I said I was previously ignorant of these bands but this one gives me a sense of déjà vu. Maybe it's the name or their sound but I honestly can't say. Regardless, My Minds Weapon launched into "The Carrion Sky" back in 2008 with their first and last full-length metal escapade. Maybe this is a trend here, but there was certainly a strong Metalcore influence with this UK band too. But they also brought some thrash, shred, and forward thinking to the table. All in all this album is pretty damn incredible and worth your time / cognitive analyzation.

Links: MySpace // Twitter // Purchase

THROWBACK THURSDAY - ANTHRAX

When discussing 80's metal it's nearly impossible not to mention something about the Big 4 of thrash metal.  The sub-genre itself is worth considering since the influence of these bands can still be heard in today's metal.  Though, as far as the Big 4 goes I've always felt that Anthrax deserved more recognition and respect for their contributions to metal. They are my personal favorite and here are some reasons why:

1. They unintentionally coined the term thrash metal with their song "Metal Thrashing Mad".

2. Scott Ian (do I really need to explain?).

3. Compared to their contemporaries, they have one of the most energetic and entertaining live           performances.

4. As far as thrash bands are concerned, Joey Belladonna is an incredibly talented singer.  In his heyday he could adjust his vocal styleings to match the band's music perfectly, and in some cases channel his inner Bruce Dickinson (recommended listen: "Armed and Dangerous").

5. Only Anthrax can successfully pull off a song with Chuck D of Public Enemy.

6. Lyrically, they are very diverse.  Their themes can range from the overly silly "Caught in a Mosh" and "I'm the Man" to the very dark "Persistence of Time" album.

7. They know how to voice their political opinions without sounding like assholes.

8. They have the ability to make cover songs sound like Anthrax originals (recommended listens: "Antisocial", "Got the Time").

9. In spite of early, and several, line-up changes they have remained fairly "drama free" (Scott Ian and Dan Lilker were in S.O.D. together shortly after Lilker was kicked out of Anthrax).

10.  Their earlier music inspired Jonathan Donais, who is now their lead guitarist.

Opinions are going to vary but we can all agree on one thing, Anthrax is one badass band.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - AT THE GATES

Have you ever engaged in or overheard a conversation that went something like this?

Metalhead 1: "Dude! Nice Slayer shirt".

Metalhead 2: "Haha thanks.  SLAYYEERRR!!" (flashes horns).

Metalhead 1: "Hell yeah.  So what else do you like?"

Metalhead 2: "Alot of stuff man, like thrash, death metal, metalcore, and other good shit".

Metalhead 1: "Metalcore? really? All of those bands just rip off At the Gates".

This is a pretty standard remark for whenever somebody brings up the word metalcore in a discussion of heavy metal.  While I tend to disagree with the claim that all metalcore bands rip off At the Gates, the influence of their riffing clearly bleeds through many of the American metal bands of the 21st century.  So let's talk about them.

At the Gates formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1990.  Their first couple of albums were solid death metal releases.  They were dark, very brutal, and even had some elements of black metal in the mix.  With that said, it was also nothing particularly ground breaking. That all changed with the release of "Terminal Spirit Disease" in 1994.  With this album At the Gates really showed their maturity as they began to organize their various ideas into cohesive song-structures.  This was more or less the turning point for the band as it hinted at the greatness that would come next.

"Slaughter of the Soul" (1995) is their album that everybody tends to reference, whether in a discussion about melodic death metal, metalcore, or the band itself.  Maybe this is due to the fact that it helped to shape the Gothenburg melodic death metal sound, or possibly because it sent the message to American bands to start playing metal again.  Or it could also be a result of the fact that shortly after it's release At the Gates broke up, making it their last album.  All of these are plausible explanations for why "Slaughter of the Soul" has become a legendary album in the world of extreme metal. But, regardless of the album's status and legacy,  it's an absolute masterpiece.  They really brought out everything on "Slaughter of the Soul", and as a result it became the heaviest, most aggressive melodic death metal album of its time.  Check out the tracks below and see for yourself.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - POSSESSED

As far as the history of heavy metal is concerned the 1980's was arguably the most progressive decade for the genre. Think about it. Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead were leading the genre in the early years, but by the end of the decade we saw the likes of Mayhem, Napalm Death, and Morbid Angel emerge from the underground. That's a huge leap in just 10 short years. Anybody who's interested in the history of metal music can tell you that the aforementioned British bands influenced the thrash metal subgenre, and that thrashers influenced many of the extreme metal subgenres: black metal, grindcore, and death metal.  Yet, even with that basic knowledge it's sometimes difficult to see the connection between, say for example, Anthrax and Cannibal Corpse. Obviously there has to be a band that bridges the gap between the two styles, and for death metal, that band is Possessed.

Possessed broke onto the scene in 1985 with their debut album "Seven Churches". This was a release that still had a very thrashy sound overall yet incorporated elements that would later become trademarks of death metal, such as guttural vocals and tremolo picking. Not to mention, this album just had a heavier and more brutal nature than any thrash metal album at the time. It's almost as if these guys knew that they were creating the blueprint for a new style, because much like Venom and Anthrax, Possessed also coined the term for their respective subgenre in the final track of this album. It's easy to see how they would be credited as the first death metal band. As influential as Possessed was, their actual career was short lived, having only released two full length albums and an EP before officially disbanding. Still though, the initial impact of their sound was so great that they were able to pass the torch onto Death and later on the rest of the Florida scene, and to this day the flame of death metal is burning strong.

Every new fan of death metal needs to check out the "Seven Churches" album, not just for a history lesson but because it's a damn good album!

Fans of Primus should also check it out, just to see what Larry LaLonde was doing before he joined forces with Les Claypool.

        
Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - UNEARTH

This week's segment is going to be a tad unconventional.  Since I haven't been in the mood for any classic thrash or black metal bands this week this review is going to be more of a tossback. Let's go back into the early years of the millennium and talk about Unearth.  In the early 2000's the once underground metal scene in Massachusetts was beginning to break into the mainstream with local bands such as Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage starting to rise in popularity.  Along with these two bands was another group of Massholes, Unearth; and right from the beginning this five piece were shredding their instruments to pieces and reminding the people what heavy metal was all about, supreme musicianship delivered in an aggressive way.

Regardless of how people feel about metalcore, the term in its truest sense accurately describes the overall sound of Unearth.  Similar to what Suicidal Tendencies and Cro-mags were doing in the 1980's, Unearth took the ingredients from 90's hardcore and metal and used this to create their own unique sound, one that would help to establish metalcore as a juggernaut in the following decade.

Unearth has a rich discography in which any fan of metal is bound to find an album that appeals to them.  "The Stings of Conscience" (2001) is a full out hardcore album with traces of death metal.  "The Oncoming Storm" (2004) has a strong melodeath influence and is a classic album in the metalcore subgenre.  "III: In the Eyes of Fire" (2006) is probably their thrashiest album thus far and contains some of the heaviest and most technical breakdowns in metal.  Ken Susi and Buz McGrath really demonstrate their skills at soloing in "The March" (2008).  Even their latest offering, "Darkness in the Light" (2011), has been praised for its emphasis on layered melodies.

With all of that, Unearth seems like a very diverse band.  Well they definitely are, yet if I could sum up their music in three simple phrases it would go something like this.  Top-notch drumming, great use of 7 string guitars, and bone crushing breakdowns.  All in all, Unearth is a great band and if you're new to metal check them out!

 
Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes 

THROWBACK THURSDAY - BRUTAL TRUTH

Well it looks like Danny Lilker is making his way back into the throwback segment. I guess listening to Nuclear Assault last week put me in the mood for more dirty bass lines, and this is ever-present in his other band; Brutal Truth. Grind Time!

In 1990, Lilker established one of the earlier American grindcore acts along with vocalist Kevin Sharp, guitarist Brent McCarthy, and drummer Scott Lewis.  This group went on to record four albums through out the 1990's; "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" (1992), "Need to Control" (1994), "Kill Trend Suicide" (1996), and "Sounds of the Animal Kingdom" (1997).  Even though Brutal Truth wasn't the  first band to play grindcore, they became a dominant force in this sub-genre of extreme music.

Conceptually, the name Brutal Truth is an appropriate fit for the band's overall sound. Similar to other grindcore bands at the time, there is a lyrical emphasis on social criticism, or exposing the "truth" of society's problems. Yet, this message is delivered in the most "brutal" way, whether it be the distorted thrashing, the blast beats, or Sharp's use of growls and high-pitched screams. One of the cool things about Brutal Truth is that, unlike the majority of grindcore bands during that era, they have a nice balance between short and long songs (a long grindcore song is pretty much anything that exceeds 3 minutes in length). This definitely helps newer listeners gain an appreciation for the band, as they are not subjected to an album containing thirty 1 minute-long songs. Nonetheless, Brutal Truth is pure, dirty grind.

Brutal Truth (and grindcore in general) may not be for everyone, but those who are interested in expanding their heavy metal horizons need to check out "Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses" and "Need to Control".

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - NUCLEAR ASSAULT

Greetings and welcome to Thrashy Throwback Thursday. Anybody who is familiar with the big 4 of thrash metal is probably also familiar with the history between Dave Mustaine and Metallica, leading ultimately to the formation of Megadeth. Well a similar scenario happened on the east coast a couple years later. In 1984, bassist Danny Lilker was kicked out of Anthrax, and like Mustaine, went on to form another band: Nuclear Assault.

So how would one describe the overall sound of Nuclear Assault?  True and honest thrash metal.  Nuclear Assault is very fast, aggressive, and they get straight to the point (like an east coast version of Slayer).  They have a very strong hardcore punk influence in their sound, with very few songs exceeding the 4 minute mark.
Some things that make Nuclear Assault stand out from their thrash metal contemporaries are John Connelly's unique high-pitched screeching vocals, as well as Lilker's driving bass tone which seems to bleed through every song perfectly and provide that necessary low end. Some of the songs on their earlier albums have even bordered on grindcore territory, showing Lilker's interest in the style and possibly even foreshadowing his future participation in Brutal Truth. Nuclear Assault may not have been the most popular nor have the most mainstream success, but they are a true example of well executed thrash metal.

All thrash metal, hardcore, and heavy music enthusiasts should check out "Game Over" (1986) and "Survive" (1988).

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THROWBACK THURSDAY - BATHORY

Last week we started the Throwback Thursday segment talking about the influence Swedish bands have had on heavy metal.  This week we're going to dive back into the 1980's and talk about one of the most important, if not the most important band to emerge from Sweden during that era: Bathory.

In 1984, Bathory released their self-titled debut. The sound of this album was like nothing any other band had released up to that point. It was thrashy, heavily distorted, and one of the most evil sounding recordings of the time. Along with the satanic imagery in the lyrics, vocalist and primary song writer, Quorthon, provided some of the most beautifully disturbing vocals ever recorded, consisting mainly of high pitched shrieks and grunts. In a sense, this album was the first true black metal album.

Quorthon continued this formula in the next three Bathory albums, "The Return of the Darkness and Evil" (1985), "Under the Sign of the Black Mark" (1987), and "Blood Fire Death" (1988). In 1990, he drastically changed the sound of Bathory for the album "Hammerheart", which is credited as being the first viking metal album. Not only did their songs become slower, longer, and more epic, but the lyrical themes switched from the typical satanism to a more introspective look at Sweden's viking past and ancient pagan religion.  A strong anti-Christian message was still present, but it was delivered in a more personal and sophisticated way.

Throughout the rest of their career Bathory experimented with more viking metal sounds as well as thrash metal.  Bathory is a band that will easily go down in history as one of the most influential practitioners of extreme metal.

The Circle Pit recommendations for curious parties:

Fans of black metal should check out "Bathory", "The Return of the Darkness and Evil", "Under the Sign of the Black Mark", and "Blood Fire Death".

Fans of viking metal should check out "Hammerheart", "Twilight of the Gods", "Nordland I & II".

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - VENOM

Formed in 1979 during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom is one of the most notable metal bands to emerge from the UK over time (among the legions of notable bands). Recognized by many as the fathers of Black Metal itself, there's no denying this band's trailblazing status. They've had major influence on that genre along with Thrash and Extreme Metal in general.

Over time, they've released a total of thirteen full-length studio albums through six different record labels. Impressive to say the least. Of these, their initial '81 and '82 releases are widely considered the most important. First off there was "Welcome To Hell", a fitting introduction. Their second album was literally titled "Black Metal" (hint hint wink wink). If you simply listen to / look at these records, it's easy to see how influential they were in the grand scheme of metal things. Definitely ahead of their time while simultaneously pulling from past Heavy Metal influences.

I haven't personally listened to many of their remaining albums, with the exception of 1984's "At War With Satan" and their latest, 2011 offering "Fallen Angels". But from the tidbits I've listened to, I'm sure they're all damn near equally enjoyable. Speaking of which, you can enjoy some of the above down below \m/

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THROWBACK THURSDAY - REFLECTING ON THE LOSS OF A LEGEND

In today’s metal news, it still sucks that Jeff Hanneman is no longer with us. Hanneman honestly was one of the most underrated players in metal. Definitely one of the most underrated players in Slayer. Besides being a riff master, Jeff could play quite the solo and was more chaotic and atonal in his phrasing than his peer Kerry King, who often got more credit than Hanneman as a guitarist. Along with with this, Lombardo often was the most highly praised member in the band over Hanneman. But honestly every member of Slayer is killer. The band is just awesome and the original lineup will be missed.

Hanneman is the perfect prototype for a metal god. All walk, very little talk. Hanneman wrote the most widely and critically acclaimed Slayer tracks and never became the ego driven persona that other guitarists of, and plenty not of, his pedigree became. Again some of Slayers most famous songs lyrically were written by Hanneman. He said what he wanted without becoming a preacher in the public eye. Slayer’s music caused plenty of controversy over the years but Jeff didn’t stir the pot like a drama queen. Or really even do many interviews, Hanneman just didn’t speak out very often. Overall, his loss is a huge loss for metal and it’ll be a long time until the metal world is over Jeff Hanneman’s passing.

Look below for some of the classic slayer songs that Hanneman was responsible for writing both the music and the lyrics and enjoy the soothing sounds of Slayer.

-Trisolino

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THROWBACK THURSDAY - OBITUARY

Put down your newspaper. It's time to look at some FLORIDA DEATH METAL LEGENDS \m/ Obituary is the name. These guys were instrumental in the formation and advancement of Death Metal as a genre. Bringing the heavy ever since 1984 (originally named Executioner / Xecutioner), this band has influenced countless groups over time.

This was done through albums such as the 1989 debut "Slowly We Rot", 1990 return "Cause of Death", and 1992's Death Metal hit "The End Complete" (which has sold over half a million copies). They kept it going down the line too with albums such as 2005's "Frozen In Time". Some fan favorites include all the title tracks, "Til Death", "Threatening Skies", "Don't Care", "Chopped In Half", and "Final Thoughts"

They've gone through a slew of members through the years but three of the original five still remain. They are Trevor Peres shredding it up on guitar, Donald Tardy wrecking on the kit, and John Tardy leading the march with a vicious growl. They are currently joined by their fifth bassist Terry Butler.

You can get your dose of classic Death Metal just below. Rumor has it Obituary also has a ninth studio album on the way! Keep your eyes peeled \m/

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