Zoetrope - Amnesty - 1985

From what I can tell, Zoetrope's debut is a very strong album indeed! While there's nothing groundbreaking about it, Zoetrope plays a nice gritty style that makes me think a little bit of Motorhead and probably a little bit of Overkill as well -- Razor around the same time period isn't a bad comparison either. The band self-described their music as "street metal" which is bang-on... I can only assume this would have been the perfect soundtrack for Chicago thrash pits in the mid-80's -- screaming guitars, gang shouts, mosh riffs, yes please!

1. Indecent Obsessions
2. Kill the Enemy
3. Mercenary
4. Amnesty
5. Member in a Gang
6. Break Your Back
7. Another Chance
8. Creatures
9. Trip Wires

Score: 7.5/10

Morsure - Acceleration Process - 1985

It's pretty apparent when listening to Morsure's (French for "bite-wound") lone full-length that these Frenchmen like to play fast! The album is one big blur of crackling guitars, pounding drums and horribly-constructed lyrics. For 1985, there wasn't much that was this fucking FAST. Unfortunately for Morsure, fast does not a good album make. The production is pretty awful -- the drums are too loud, the guitars are thin, the vocals are buried (which may actually not be a negative), and there is not enough variation in the songwriting. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times that the band isn't blazing at full speed, and most of the time it's a little bass or guitar interlude. There does however seem to be some interesting things going on when you cut through all the racket, and there's some potential for some pretty cool stuff. Unfortunately we'll never find out.

1. M.A.D.
2. No Moral
3. Ahriman's Heart
4. Et Not Fracta Est
5. Morsure
6. Neither Pity nor Remorse
7. XX World
8. L'Irrémédiable
9. Oderint Dum Metuant
10. Vreder Strack

Score: 3/10

Anthrax - Spreading the Disease - October 30, 1985

From the extremely violent (Seven Churches) to the extremely catchy (this!)... Spreading the Disease is where Anthrax really hits their stride. Definitely not as aggressive or abrasive as the other members of the "Big Four", Anthrax plays a style that is still very close to speed metal or NWOBHM in places that relies on big choruses to pull the listener in. Witness tracks like "Lone Justice" (Justice, law and order) and "The Enemy" (He is but a solitary man) where Belladonna's soaring vocals guide you over some pretty great riffs. This album also features a lot of gang vocals, which is something Anthrax would utilize frequently throughout their classic output. In fact, looking at the track list, almost every song features some shouts from Scott Ian and company. All in all, this just might be the best Anthrax would ever sound, I haven't quite decided yet.

1. A.I.R.
2. Lone Justice
3. Madhouse
4. S.S.C./Stand or Fall
5. The Enemy
6. Aftershock
7. Armed and Dangerous
8. Medusa
9. Gung-Ho

Score: 9/10

Possessed - Seven Churches - October 16, 1985

While it's true that Possessed's first LP was the first death metal LP, it's also true that it's a great thrash metal LP. In the early days, death metal was just extremely brutal thrash metal. We've already heard the same kind of aggressive riffing from the likes of Slayer and Metallica, and the shredded vocals aren't all that different from what Sodom or Kreator were doing at the time, but nobody had put it all together quite like Possessed did here.  Seven Churches really sets a new standard for violent music that thousands upon thousands would start to immitate. Sure, a lot of the songs could be catchier, and because of the sheer speed throughout most of the album it sounds sloppy sometimes, but this is thrash metal of the highest order, and such a solid album too, with very few weak spots.

1. The Exorcist
2. Pentagram
3. Burning in Hell
4. Evil Warriors
5. Seven Churches
6. Satan's Curse
7. Holy Hell
8. Twisted Minds
9. Fallen Angel
10. Death Metal

Score: 9/10

Razor - Evil Invaders - October, 1985

With every album it seems that Razor ups the intensity and attitude just a little bit. Where Executioner's Song from earlier in 1985 was more fun speed metal, Evil Invaders is decidedly meaner. Dave Carlo's picking hand is truly something to behold on songs like "Iron Hammer" and "Cut Throat", and the songs are all pretty short, controlled bursts of violence. The mix is a little weird, with the guitar really out front, and for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on, this album isn't as memorable as it should be. I find myself remembering the album as a whole, with it being pretty difficult to pick out certain standout tracks.

1. Nowhere Fast
2. Cross Me Fool
3. Legacy of Doom
4. Evil Invaders
5. Iron Hammer
6. Instant Death
7. Cut Throat
8. Speed Merchants
9. Tortured Skull
10. Thrashdance

Score: 7/10