Written in Blood: December 1997

Sacred Reich
Still Ignorant Live
Metal Blade

Back in 1986 when thrash metal ruled the world (OK, a small segment of the world) the band Sacred Reich was formed. By ’87 theband had been signed to Metal Blade and recorded Ignorant, which will forever be a classic metal album. Over the past ten years times have changed, but the Sacred Reich has continued to excel at what they do. With drummer Dave McClain gone to play with Machine Head and Greg Hall at the drum kit again, the origi­nal line-up is back and intact. Still Ignorant Live is Sacred Reich’s live set which features songs from their ten year career.

Meshuggah
The True Human Design
Relapse

Meshuggah is one of the best new bands I’ve heard in the last five years or so. Well, being together for ten years and having fouralbums out doesn’t exactly make a band new, so I’ll just say “hidden”. This Swedish band is definitely out there doing their own thing. Meshuggah’s music would be best described as cyber-thrash. They have a very heavy, technical, manipulated sound. I’m guessing The True Human Design is being released to hold those over who are waiting for the band’s next full length. The True Human Design features a new song, live and remixed versions of “Future Breed Machine” (off of Destroy, Erase, Improve), an acoustic version of the same song titled “Futile Bread Machine” and two more remixed songs that are not list­ed on the CD cover.

Jag Panzer
The Fourth Judgement
Metal Blade

The group Jag Panzer of Colorado was originally formed in the early ’80s, record­ed a couple of albums, broke up, then reformed in 1996 for another go-around. From what I can gather Harry Conklin (vocals) and Joey Taffola (guitar) are the two original mem­bers. Joey Taffola — I remember that name from way back in the day, but I’m sure I’ve had way too many beers placed in front of me since the last time I saw his name to remember exactly why it looks so familiar. Either he had a solo album out, or he wrote a column for Guitar Player or something like that. The first half of The Fourth Judgement is filled with some pretty cool power metal. The rhythms and vocals have substance and melody, and all of the songs have Joey’s speedy style of gui­tar solo. The second half of the album, while still good, seems to give me the idea that these “veteran rockers” are really vet­eran rockers. Track five, “Recompense” sort of has a Judas Priest sound to it, and, well, the anthem-like delivery of track six, “Ready To Strike,” beacons me back to my high school years. The Fourth Judgement — a mixture of new and old metal.

Incantation
The Forsaken Mourning Of Angelic Anguish
Relapse

The band Incantation has returned to Relapse Records for the release of their mini-LP, The Forsaken Mourning Of Angelic Anguish. This album was recorded with a session vocalist and con­tains five new tunes, four older Incantation songs, and a cover of Death‘s “Scream Bloody Gore.” The songs alternate between slower, doom-like pas­sages and faster, synchronized double bass/single note guitar blasts. New vocalist/guitarist Daniel Corchado has been added recently for the record­ing of the band’s third full­ length, Diabolical Conquest, which is due out in March ’98.

Entombed
To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth
Music For Nations

After relations with Columbia Records soured (trouble with a major label — go figure) Sweden’s Entombed waited for another label to release their latest album to the U.S. market. Music For Nations stepped in to scoop up the final product, and at the end of October released To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth. Entombed continue on with their signature, D-tuned, bluesy roar that the band made so popular on the Hollowman EP and “Wolverine Blues” releases. This stuff is HEA-VY.

Damaged
Token Remedies Research
Rotten Records

Damaged is Australian for extreme. With previous albums, Do Not Spit and Passive Backseat Demon Engines being released on Australia’s Black Hole Records, the band got the attention of and were signed by D.R.I’s label, Rotten Records. Token Remedies Research was recorded in Melbourne and was produced by D.R.I.’s Spike Cassidy. This album is very extreme, but it also whips the madness that it creates into furious grooves. At certain points in listening to the album, you’ll find yourself try­ing to stuff the brains back into your head that have been rattled loose by the brutal assault of the Damaged sound. This album isn’t all noise like the sound of many bands of simi­lar intensity, these guys can really play — really play. Check out the very wordy, fragment­ed writing style of the lyrics, and see if you can figure out the bizarre symbolism on and in the CD cover. Have fun, kids.

Cause For Alarm
Birth After Birth
Victory

The band Cause For Alarm is one of my favorite hardcore bands because they remind me of M.O.D., although, it’s proba­bly the other way around since C.F.A. has been around since 1983.   The two bands may have a similar sound but that’s where the similarities end. You can hardly compare the philosophical, political, and socially aware messages con­tained in Keith Burkhardt‘s (C.F.A) lyrics to M.O.D. classics such as “Spandex Enormity” or “Bubble Butt”. Anyway, Cause For Alarm has a new six song EP titled Birth After Birth.

Brutal Truth
Sounds Of The Animal Kingdom
Relapse

The experimenta­tion into the art of noise manipulation has taken leaps for­ward, or backward, with the release of Brutal Truth’s Sounds Of The Animal Kingdom. This 74-minute, 22-song collection finds the band delving into every aspect of grindI hardI noisecore imagin­able. Some of the more fluid songs like, “Jemenez/Cricket” and “Dead Smart” contain defined grooves, while other songs such as “Callous” are over so quickly you’ll hardly have a chance to blink. You’ll really find yourself on the “edge of your seat” when the band rips through track ten, “Fisting.” To round the album out we have track 20, “4:20” which is actually three minutes of total silence, while track 21, “Unbaptized,” is three minutes and twenty seconds of pure noise — I can’t decide which one I like more. The last song on the album, “Prey” is a con­tinuation from track 21. It’s almost twenty-two minutes of the same 5 second passage looped over and over again, and if you listen for the entire twenty-two minutes, you will be wishing the album ended with track 21. This album isn’t for everyone, but maybe just maybe, YOU ARE NOT just everyone. —Forgach

Read more from the archives:
CD Reviews: December 1997
Serial Killer of the Month: Frank Sweeney

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