Amber Route - "Snail Headed Victrolas"

(U.S.A., Coriolis Records, Progressive Rock/Ambient, 1980)

This album is very interresting, if I have to describe music, it is Progressive Rock/Ambient with early 70s Pink Floyd influences. It's very hard to classify Amber Route's music to any separate music style, because it has all mentioned styles. Mood on album is peaceful and spacious; all songs are in good balance together so there are no weak points or fillers on this album. Everything just sounds so good, every single song. First three songs "Snail Headed Victrolas", "When Cries Are Photographed Finally As Ravens" and "Martyrs" are progressive and moody songs. The last song, "Asteroid Joiroid" is Ambient, it is longest song on whole CD, but absolutely worth of it's long lasting time, like all 3 other songs, I enjoy very much listen this last song too. The whole CD sounds like it would been done already in 70s, it doesn't sound like done in 1980, this CD has so strong touch on both sound and music to 70s. I cannot choose any special song or songs over others from this CD, they're all good.

Bombarder - "Speed Kill"

(Yugoslavia, Walk Records, Speed Metal, 1989)

This is a CD re-issue (2006) of the Speed Metal act Bombarder, and "Speed Kill" is their appropriately named debut from 1989. There's a deep irony listening to this now; the band name and artillery sample that open the album seem almost prophetic considering that the band's hometown of Sarajevo was shortly to be pounded into dust, forcing the band to temporarily split and reform in neighbouring Serbia, where they are still playing today.
The label for this is Speed Metal and I won't argue, the music here is uptempo and energetic, with an almost Punk simplicity in the structures. The more aggressive stuff like "Bombarder", "Kuga" and the awesome "Pakao" almost remind of old school Black Metal in their ferocity and simplify (I'm referring to bands like Sodom or Von here) and I wouldn't be surprised if Bombarder were an influence on some early 90s Black Metal. Frontman Nešo" Kovačević's charismatic vocals are the highlight for me, especially since he usually sings in Serbo-Croatian, which is a perfect language for Speed/Thrash Metal!
A couple of the songs sound a little dated, but what the hell, this is old school Metal! Also be aware that the production is rubbish, it seems this has been mastered from a filthy, aged cassette that's been left to mature in a grime infested puddle for the past seventeen years. Does it matter? Not terribly, since pure talent and intensity often transcends this. Indeed "Speed Kill" does sound like a genuinely "underground" release; dug up from obscurity, like a diamond shining in a Metal scene full of mud and shit.
Considering how difficult it is to get hold of Bombarder's material (with the exception of the most recent album "Ledena Krv"), you should buy a copy of "Speed Kill" if you see it. Let's hope the demand is enough for the bands other albums to be re-issued as well!

Bulldozer - "IX"

(Italy, Metal Master/Discomagic, Thrash Metal, 1987)

"IX" is the third album by Italian thrashers Bulldozer, after "The Day Of Wrath" (1984) and "The Final Separation" (1986). "IX" opens up with the title track which slams into you with fast Thrash beats and raw, violent riffs. "Desert!" follows it with a quiet section to start with and then crushing mid-tempo riffs with killer leads and double bass work. The next three tracks just don't let up, being short sharp shocks of musical aggression, the best of these being the frantic "Heaven's Jail", one of Bulldozer's best and most intense tracks. Other highlights include "The Derby", which it seems is about the rivalry between football teams AC Milan and Inter (the band were fanatical AC supporters). It has a cool mid-tempo and the crowd chanting actually sounds really atmospheric (this could have sounded terrible). The song ends with Bulldozer gradually picking the tempo up to almost a blast beat and the sound of a riot playing in the background! A totally unique song, though the rest of this album is direct it is still awesome and you are guaranteed a sore neck after listening to this madness! This is probably Bulldozer's best LP along with "Neurodeliri" which followed; it's also one of the highlights of the European Thrash scene in the 80s. If you like Thrash Metal played fast and intense, you have no excuse not to own this!

Heller - "Heller"

(Yugoslavia, Ghoust House Records, Thrash Metal, 1989)

It seems Heller are quite an unkown band outside Yugoslavia, but hopefully the recent CD re-issue on Rock Express will change all that... Sadly, the sleeve notes are in Serbo-Croatian so it's hard for me to understand much about the band's story. It would have been maybe better to have the notes in English too, since Heller still remain something of a mystery to me.
Musically this is really raw and thrashy sounding, there's a big hardcore sound present as well, so the music is almost a cross between early ("Sentence Of Death" era) Destruction and S.O.D. Fast, furious and free sounding with no idea of compromise or selling out! I guess bands in the old communist countries really played for the love of the music and not for money, like so many Anglo-American bands of this era did (shame on their false Metal attitudes!). "Adam I Eva" is an 11 second hardcore slam-fest, "Grob Bez Dna" is a furious thrasher that never lets up; "Dead Or Alive", as well as the bands best known track (relatively speaking!) "Inverzija", stand up just as well next to the more famous bands of the period.
There's some bonus tracks on the CD version, recorded during 1992. These are quite different in style, but they are a really good addition to this CD. "Destiny" is quite cool, quite unusual for this band, it has a dark melody running through and male/female vocal, just as was heard on "Into The Pandemonium". "Thrash" is just a typical Metal drinking song, fun though it is. "HWIB" sounds exactly like "Pay To Cum" by Bad Brains! And "RR" is a bit of a Hard Rock parody song. I think the guys from Heller were really drunk when they recorded this :-p
Really, all you hardcore thrashers need to get an idea about the local Thrash scenes that were happening in the 80s. It's a cool history trip to take!

Kreator - "Pleasure to Kill"

(Germany, Noise Records, Thrash Metal, 1986)

I remember when I first heard this album by Kreator, I bought it on vinyl from a second hand shop in Leeds. When I put the LP on at home I thought I'd put it on the wrong speed, so fast and crazy was this mayhemic Thrash Metal! I'd say that this was the pinnacle of violent Thrash Metal in the 80s, along with, of course, Slayer's "Reign In Blood" which came out in the same year.
Kreator really pushed their sound onto another level with this album; "Endless Pain", it's 1985 predecessor, sounds almost lame by comparison. "Choir Of The Damned" is the typical intro (incidentally on the CD version I have, it's longer by over thirty seconds) which sounded so sweet and innocuous that nothing could prepare you for the moment when "Ripping Corpse" slams into your face and throws you across the room. From there on there's no let up. "Death Is Your Saviour" and the monumental title track blast at 666 bpm, until the centrepiece of the album "Riot Of Violence" kicks in with that perfect, buzzsaw riff. This is really one of the best Thrash songs in existence, along with Slayer's "Angel Of Death", Destruction's "Bestial Invasion" and others. It's not as fast as the other tracks on this LP but the main riff is just awesome and makes the song (and album) what it is... A Thrash classic!
If you'll forgive me for a moment, I have to say that side B rules slightly less than side A. Okay, "The Pestilence" is a ferocious seven minute Thrash epic and "Under The Guillotine" is so fucking fast, I still can't figure out how people can play so quickly. But while "Carrion" and "Command Of The Blade" are great Thrash songs they don't quite engage in the same way as the other songs do. Maybe on any other LP they'd sound awesome, but here they are overshadowed by the others and even feel like fillers. They aren't, of course. They just aren't perfect, which is what the rest of the LP most definitely IS.
This is an album that should be in every metalhead's collection, just like "Reign In Blood" is. On the CD version I have, some tracks from the "Flag Of Hate" EP have been added as bonus, so that's even more classic Thrash for your money. There's really no excuse NOT to own this, unless you're into Disco, of course...!!

Mercyful Fate - "Don't Break The Oath"

(Denmark, Roadrunner, Black/Heavy Metal, 1984)

Mercyful Fate is one of those bands together with Venom, Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Bathory etc. who created Black Metal, well some might say that Mercyful Fate's music is not Black Metal, but in 80s Mercyful Fate was classified a Black Metal band, because of Satanic and occult lyrics and imagery of King Diamond. For me, this band stands one of the creators of Black Metal. Album is full of killer riffs and melodies and guitar solos, just listen songs like "A Dangerous Meeting", "Desecration Of Souls", "The Oath", "Nightmare", "Come To The Sabbath" etc. King's voice is unique, he knows how to use it. Of course, this is not exception in any other Mercyful Fate or King Diamond albums. Sound quality of "Don't Break The Oath" is excellent, specially I like guitar sound, but sound of drums and sound of bass guitar is also very good, album is very well done and produced. So, specific sound creates specific atmosphere, this album is full of occult and mystic atmosphere, I think sound have lots to do with that together with talent to do good songs, and albums, and that's what Mercyful Fate can do. "Don't Break The Oath" is one of the most important albums in the history of Metal.