These are some of the albums and bands I've been jamming lately.
The Black- "The Priest of Satan" (Necropolis Records, 1994)
Some super cult black metal from Sweden, "The Priest of Satan" is the debut album by The Black and features Jon Nodtveidt of Dissection fame on guitar and vocals. If you're a fan of raw and primitive second wave black metal with an atmospheric touch then this release will be a nice addition to your catalog. The Black melds the buzzing guitars of Bathory and Darkthrone with the melody of Emperor's early work to make for some hellishly dark black metal goodness.
Wretched (Italy)- "La Tua Morte Non Aspetta" (Chaos, 1986)
I've recently gotten really into Italian punk and hardcore from the 1980s and am particularly fond of Wretched. Italy had a pretty vibrant scene during the last half of the 80s and bands like Negazione, Impact, and Wretched were at the forefront of it. Imagine a darker take on the style of bands like Discharge and Varukers with a noticeable influence from bands like Samhain and you get the idea of what the Italians were going for. This is rad and makes me even prouder to be Italian.
Angel Witch- "Angel Witch" (Bronze Records, 1980)
My personal favorite album of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Angel Witch's debut could be released this year and still have the same impact that it did when it initially came out on Bronze in 1980. Every thrash band you like jammed this at one point, so if you don't, consider yourself lame.
Agoraphobic Nosebleed- "Altered States of America" (Relapse, 2003)
100 songs in 21:42, "Altered States of America" is still the craziest, most punishing, and interesting release in the band's lengthy discography. Packed with maniacal vocals, buzz saw guitars, harsh electronic samples, and a drum machine on steroids, this record still pushes the boundaries of insanity. 100 hits of pure acid grind!!!
Ebony Tears- "A Handful of Nothing" (Black Sun Records, 1999)
Although many bands played the "Gothenburg" style of death metal and many American metalcore bands made it fashionable, "A Handful of Nothing" was perhaps one of the last albums of the style released before the sound truly blew up. Still harsh, still fast, still in many ways influenced by death metal, Ebony Tears released a record that proved that viciousness doesn't have to be sacrificed when melody is utilized. Many of my friends growing up in Mayfield Heights jammed melodic death metal regularly and despite it not being my favorite sub genre of metal, this album is one of the few I still adore.
- Joe