Given that Possessed's first effort was one of the most extreme and brutal thrash metal releases ever, hopes must have been high for their sophomore effort. Presumably to the chagrin of many (some?) though, Larry LaLonde's dirty little secret seems to make a concerted effort to sound more like Metallica rather than Death on Beyond the Gates. While it's definitely not a bad thing to refine a sound to a desired goal, Seven Churches was such a revelation that this album can be seen as nothing but a disappointment. Is it an enjoyable listen? Of course it is. The overall tone is still oppressively heavy, with Jeff Becerra's barking vocals leading the way over the whirling guitars and pounding drums. What's that I hear, though? Is that a hint of melody in the vocals, especially noticeable on "Phantasm"? Is that a riff that sounds like an early demo of "Trapped Under Ice" ("Tribulation")? The answer is yes. This is a band who has decided to reel themselves in, and let other bands blaze the trail to death metal, content to become an also-ran in the thrash metal genre. I'm being harsh though. This is a good album, as far as thrash in 1986 goes, and probably among the top 10 releases of that year. There are still few bands heavier than Possessed at this point, but there are also bands who play tighter and write more interesting songs. 1. Intro 2. The Heretic 3. Tribulation 4. March to Die 5. Phantasm 6. No Will to Live 7. Beyond the Gates 8. The Beasts of the Apocalypse 9. Seance 10. Restless Dead 11. Dog Fight Score: 8/10
Earlier in 1986, Metallica released an album that featured songs with extended run-times, with somewhat more complex arrangements and riffs that were repeated over and over, almost to the point of ridicule. Later that same year, Slayer decided to go in the exact opposite direction. With the exception of the opening and closing tracks, Slayer almost forego song development completely in favour of short, violent bursts of evil the likes of which the world had never seen. Their tactic is successful in a way, in that when the album is playing it is very enjoyable to someone who loves fast, energetic, evil-as-fuck music. However, once the music is over there's not a whole lot to remember. If Slayer had made an album full of "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood", it would truly be one for the ages! But instead we have two fantastic songs, a few lesser lights like "Postmortem" and "Altar of Sacrifice", and then a bunch of under-developed drive-by's. The influence of this album is far-reaching, inspiring a host of death and thrash metal bands to up the violence and aggression, and to start playing those strangled-guitar solos that I kind of wish Kerry and Jeff never decided to play. Overrated? Absolutely. This is nowhere near the best thrash album ever, and I really question why so many people feel it is. Innovative? Somewhat. Hirax did the fast, short, metallic bursts already, but Slayer brings a new level of credibility, professionalism and pure evil to it. Is it good? Yeah, it's good. It's fun as hell, but just not very memorable nor is it deserving of a lot of the praise that is thrown its way. That said, it still shits on a good share of the thrash albums that have come out up to this point and beyond, which is a testament to just how good a band Slayer were in their prime. 1. Angel of Death 2. Piece By Piece 3. Necrophobic 4. Altar of Sacrifice 5. Jesus Saves 6. Criminally Insane 7. Reborn 8. Epidemic 9. Postmortem 10. Raining Blood Score: 8/10
I've always felt that the New York area thrash bands wore their punk influences on their sleeves more so than their Californian counterparts, and nowhere is this more apparent than on a Nuclear Assault album. Whether you sported long hair or a mohawk, Nuclear Assault's debut must have appealed to a wide range of punks and metalheads since it featured metal-as-fuck riffs coupled with a punk rock attitude. Add in some excellent songwriting and the howling vocals of John Connelly, and you have one of the better releases of 1986. Nuclear Assault could play as fast as anyone, but they also played a lot of mid-paced stuff that was carried by great riffs and powerful vocals. Hearing songs like "Brain Death" and "After the Holocaust" in a sweaty NYC club in 1986 must have been quite the trip because even though they may not be the fastest songs around, they evoke a sense of turmoil that would have to make for a great live experience. Given the amount of notoriety other releases from 1986 have garnered, I'm surprised that Game Over isn't right there with them -- I mean, it's fun as fuck, and there are moments that are as punishing as anything out there at the time. Sure, the guitars are a little thin and there are some needless interlude tracks, but this is a welcome addition to the thrash metal equation. 1. Live, Suffer, Die 2. Sin 3. Cold Steel 4. Betrayal 5. Radiation Sickness 6. Hang the Pope 7. After the Holocaust 8. Mr. Softee Theme 9. Stranded in Hell 10. Nuclear War 11. My America 12. Vengeance 13. Brain Death Score: 8.5/10
