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"You know where you are?"
June 1987 was arguably the first real high water mark for mainstream (or “glam”, or “pop”) metal, with Mötley Crüe’s fourth album Girls, Girls, Girls leading the way, peaking at number two on the Billboard album chart. That album had a song called “Wild Side” that was the most perfect encapsulation of what Crüe wanted to be all about: gritty, sleazy, gutter rock ‘n’ roll. Crüe wanted to sound dangerous, look dangerous, be dangerous, and despite a woefully inconsistent album that nevertheless sold by the bucketload, that gimmick was for the most part working. Then that summer, one cunningly marketed debut album came along and blew all of the Sunset Strip competition out of the water. In one fell swoop, Mötley Crüe was rendered irrelevant, passé. There was a new band in town that captured Hollywood sleaze better than anyone before or since, and that album, which turns 25 years old tomorrow, became an instant rock ‘n’ roll classic.
Much has been written about Guns N’ Roses and the epochal Appetite For Destruction, about how a couple of Indiana boys named William Rose, Jr. and Jeffrey Isbell moved to Los Angeles, changed their names to Axl and Izzy, formed a band called Hollywood Rose, and eventually joined forces with members of another band called LA Guns to form, you guessed it, Guns N’ Roses. Throw in a drummer from Cleveland, a guy from Seattle who used to play in the Fastbacks, a ridiculously talented British-born guitarist who was so cool Seymour Cassel gave him his now-famous nickname, a knack for the kind of edgy songwriting the LA scene lacked, and a record deal with Geffen, and you’ve got the stuff of legend. However, I won’t get into the backstory. It’s widely known, and besides, that’s what Wikipedia’s for. I’d like to focus more on the actual songs on Appetite For Destruction, as well as my own personal memories.
What a lot of younger people don’t know is that it took quite a while for Appetite For Destruction to break through to the mainstream consciousness; it wasn’t anywhere near the overnight sensation some might assume it was. At first it was heavily marketed toward the metal crowd, and if you were a headbanger in 1987 the hype surrounding Guns N’ Roses was impossible to miss. Reviews of the famous fake “live” EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide surfaced early that year – the first time I ever heard of the band was in a review of the EP in Rock Scene magazine – and that summer full-page ads were prominent in every glossy metal mag. Sucker that I was, I got the album not long after it came out, without having heard a note, and that was it. I was floored by what I heard: the riffs, the sleazy grooves, the hooks, the singer who had a supercool low voice one minute, a strange scratchy squawk the next. I was the first of my circle of metalhead friends to own the cassette, and it wasn’t long before everyone I knew was asking to borrow it so they could take it home to make a dubbed copy. One of those magazine ads for the album featured the full, banned Robert Williams artwork, and that earned a place of honor in my Catholic school locker for the entirety of the 12th grade.
When the “Welcome to the Jungle” single and video came out in October 1987, it might have gotten airplay on the metal video shows, but it tanked as a mainstream release. By the end of the year Appetite still hadn’t attracted the attention of most people. While the jocks at school still drooled over Girls, Girls, Girls, Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, and Judas Priest’s Turbo, for us metal dirtbags Guns N' Roses was still our little secret. Those people could have their high-gloss crap to listen to; we had the real deal. It was all we listened to, right through to the spring of 1988. It defined our final year of high school. Even when “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City” propelled Guns N' Roses to superstardom in the spring and summer of ’88, we’d scoff and claim the real meat of the album could be found in deeper cuts like “It’s So Easy”, “Nightrain”, “Mr. Brownstone”, and “Rocket Queen”. But we all knew Appetite For Destruction was far too good an album to merely bubble under the surface of middle-of-the-road culture, and as 1988 wore on it soon became the most ubiquitous rock album of that year, so much that its massive popularity became a real turn-off to those of us who were selfishly content with having the music to ourselves. But that’s how it went when you were a metal fan at the time. Besides, we’d already moved on to obsess over new albums by Queensrÿche, Iron Maiden, and Metallica anyway.
Appetite might have spawned countless sleaze rock imitators that would crop up for the next four years, but it didn’t profoundly influence popular culture like Nirvana’s Nevermind would in 1991. Instead it ranks as the only true, indisputable classic work from a scene that yielded an astonishing amount of dreck. Its crassness, its attitude, its lasciviousness outdid all the Sunset Strip bands of the time, but even better was how it countered that arrogant façade with genuine soul and substance in the songwriting, something no other LA hard rock band in the 1980s could pull off. A glorious, rancid sow’s ear in a scene littered with silk purses, it remains unquestionably the best display of rock ‘n’ roll badassery since The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St.
Side One:
“Welcome to the Jungle”
The song that became the soundtrack of a bazillion hockey arenas and football stadiums, the overall impact of “Welcome to the Jungle” has been lessened thanks to its ubiquity, but in 1987 it was an absolutely savage take on the Hollywood dream. While Poison would sing sweetly about their fallen angels, Axl Rose was much more realistic. “You know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby…you’re gonna die!” said more in just a few seconds than Mötley Crüe had bothered to do in nearly ten years previous. It remains one of the best opening songs in rock history.
“It’s So Easy”
This was the first song that grabbed me by the throat when I first played the album. It had The New York Dolls’ trashiness all over it, from the nasty riffs by Slash and Izzy Stradlin to the awesome lower-register delivery by Rose. In an age where bands like W.A.S.P. ostentatiously used the f-word to attract attention, the way Rose so blithely mutters, “It’s so f**kin’ easy” was so much more effective. Plus 1980s misogyny didn’t get any sleazier than, “Ya get nothin' for nothin' / If that's what you do / Turn around bitch I got a use for you / Besides you ain't got nothin' better to do / And I'm bored.” Needless to say Tipper Gore was all over that line like chocolate on a Ring Ding.
“Nightrain”
Named after the popular bum wine Night Train Express, this song is dominated by Rose, who snarls such inspired lines as, “Well I'm a west coast struttin' One bad mother got a rattlesnake suitcase under my arm…I got a Molotov cocktail with a match to go I smoke my cigarette with style.” All charisma, “Nightrain” brilliantly evokes 1970s Aerosmith, back when Joe Perry and Steven Tyler were at their most toxic.
“Out ta Get Me”
If there’s one song that comes perilously close to Sunset Strip cliché, it’s this track. But the vicious guitar interplay of Slash and Stradlin, coupled with Rose’s palpable rage and defiance (“Lemme see ya try!”), makes this a keeper.
“Mr. Brownstone”
With its inspired use of that unmistakable Bo Diddly beat, “Mr. Brownstone” is one of the cleverest songs on the album, as Slash and Izzy deliver some of their grittiest riffs while Rose, using that awesome low voice again, accurately paints a portrait of heroin addiction: “I used to do a little but a little wouldn't do it / So a little got more and more.”
“Paradise City”
This is as ingeniously arranged a seven-minute song as you’ll ever hear: it starts off with a pastoral, wistful intro, then that whistle blows, waking you from a reverie, and you’re dragged back to reality, Slash and Izzy shamelessly stealing the riff from Black Sabbath’s “Zero the Hero” as Rose sings of urban filth and cultural decay (“The surgeon general says it's hazardous to breathe / I'd have another cigarette but I can't see”). Then, right when you think the song’s going to fade out, the song explodes into a furious two-minute jam reminiscent of the great Hanoi Rocks. It’s no wonder the song is now a classic rock staple; it’s a rousing epic.
Side Two:
“My Michelle”
Perfectly timed after the anthemic “Paradise City”, its strange, descending intro riff isn’t unlike the wonky grooves that Megadeth was coming up with at the time. The song itself is about a friend of the band’s who was in serious trouble with drugs, but for all of Rose’s bluster (“You stay out late at night / And you do your coke for free / Drivin' your friends crazy / With your life's insanity”) there’s nevertheless compassion underneath it all.
“Think About You”
This has to be the most overlooked song on the entire album. There’s not too much to it, more of that Aerosmith/Hanoi Rocks worship, that is until the chorus kicks in, that acoustic guitar lending the otherwise trashy-sounding song a Replacements-style air of innocence.
“Sweet Child O’ Mine”
Slash’s cornball intro, initially done as an exercise. Duff McKagan’s upper-register bass melody, a little derivative of Peter Hook from New Order. A beat too brisk to be a power ballad. Axl’s disarmingly sweet lyrics dedicated to Erin Everly, his girlfriend at the time. Key change from F# major to E flat minor. The single greatest hard rock guitar solo of the 1980s, perhaps ever. A moment of doubt: “Where do we go now?” Some astonishing interplay between Axl and Slash. An ending that’s uncertain, and surprisingly downcast. That video. A musical legacy defined in four seconds shy of six minutes.
“You’re Crazy”
Another well-timed track, this time shifting the pace by bringing full-on speed. The shortest song on the album, it’s also a great example of the dynamic between Slash and Izzy, which can without exaggeration be compared to Keith Richards and Ron Wood. They complement each other perfectly.
“Anything Goes”
One of the oldest songs on the album, dating back to the Hollywood Rose days, “Anything Goes” is a simple blast of Aerosmith-derived fun – dig that talk box by Slash – before the big finale kicks in.
“Rocket Queen”
A song unlike anything on Appetite, “Rocket Queen” kicks into a nasty funk groove – initiated by McKagan - that features the filthiest guitar work on the record, from the rhythm riff to the lead fills. Rose’s verses, from the point of view of a sexually aggressive woman, eventually build to the song’s notorious instrumental break, over which the sound of a sex act can be heard (which, as would eventually be revealed, was real). After three and a half minutes, though, the song abruptly stops and kicks into a much more upbeat coda, during which Rose shifts the perspective to the woman’s male companion. Like on “Sweet Child”, it’s a moment like this that separates Appetite from every other LA glam album, as Rose shows compassion and vulnerability from the male point of view: “If you need a shoulder / Or if you need a friend / I'll be here standing / Until the bitter end.” On an incredibly bold album, the last half of “Rocket Queen” is its most audacious moment.
| Tags: | 25_at_25guns_n_roses |
Dutch black metalers' performance was one of Roadburn 2013's best
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, of all the performances I saw at Roadburn 2013 this past April, Nihill’s set was one of the most memorable. The Dutch band’s first-ever public live performance, it was malevolent, confrontational, and unrelenting, in stark comparison with the overall relaxed vibe that usually permeates the annual Sunday “Afterburner”. I came away from that show absolutely throttled by the savage, punk-infused black metal, and none of the other bands on the bill that day could even come close to the revelatory experience that Nihill provided.
The good folks at Roadburn and Burning World Records often release live albums of certain sets from the festival every year, and Nihill’s shattering show is the first one from 2013 to be announced. A cassette-only release – in keeping with the band’s stubbornly underground aesthetic – As. Nihill Undead at Roadburn 2013 comes out in early June, and is limited to only 100 copies. Trust me on this one; it’s a must-own. Those of you who know the band’s work from their Hydra Head releases will know what I mean.
Pre-order Nihill’s As. Nihill Undead at Roadburn 2013 here.
Movie opens September 27
Featuring concert footage filmed in Vancouver last year, Metallica’s upcoming feature film Metallica: Through the Never is set to open on IMAX screens in the US on September 27, with a wider theatrical release following on October 4. The trailer for the flick has just been released, which you can watch below.
Directed by Nimród Antal (Predators), Through the Never is being billed as “groundbreaking”, but seeing that the latest 3-D fad is long past its expiry date, I’ll reserve judgment until I see it. Much is being made of how the concert footage will be combined with a “bold narrative” (actor Dane DeHaan apparently plays a Metallica crew member who has to carry out a "mysterious assignment" while the band performs), but Led Zeppelin tried that nearly 40 years ago, and we all know how pretentious that whole exercise was. Bruce McDonald attempted a similar thing in his Broken Social Scene film This Movie is Broken to maudlin effect a few years ago. Either way, it should be interesting to see how this film turns out, and judging by the trailer, it certainly looks like an eye-popper.
While it might be nice for Metallica to be branching out like they have been as of late, with the much-reviled Lulu project, two Orion Fests, this movie, and Lars Ulrich hinting at film directing, for crying out loud, all fans want is another damned record from the guys. But that’s not happening any time soon, so Metallica: Through the Never, and its accompanying soundtrack album of course, will just have to suffice for now.
| Tags: | metallica |
Israeli band's fifth album to be released June 25
Orphaned Land, the Israeli progressive metal band who have done a splendid job over the years promoting cultural unity through their music, are set to release their fifth album All is One June 24 on Century Media. Always ones to make a point of bringing together audiences from all walks of life, the band made a point of recording the new album in Israel, Turkey, and Sweden – Jewish, Muslim, and Christian countries respectively – and that idea is also neatly reflected in the cover artwork, which incorporates imagery from all three religions.
As much as I’ve always admired Orphaned Land – 2004’s Mabool was a revelation – I was not a fan of their last album, 2010’s The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR, which overall felt too stylistically busy, lacking a “less is more” approach that progressive metal so often needs. The two All is One tracks that have surfaced, however, sound outstanding, and bode well for the rest of the record. On both “Our Own Messiah” and “Let the Truce be Known”, the Middle Eastern musical influences are front and center, the former led by Kobi Farhi’s impassioned vocal melody, the latter dominated by a stirring Turkish string section. Listen to both songs below.
| Tags: | orphaned_land |
Aussie band breathes life into mainstream hard rock
Album of the Week:
Airbourne, Black Dog Barking (Roadrunner)
You know exactly what you’re going to get whenever Airbourne puts out a new album, and somehow, despite recycling the same AC/DC-meets-Rose Tattoo formula time and again, the Aussies’ music always sticks with you. The incredible thing is, weirdly, that they’re pretty much the only prominent band playing this kind of rock ‘n’ roll, as the rest of mainstream rock is stuck in a mire of post-grunge boredom and “active rock” gimmickry. What Airbourne are doing is no different than all those cliché-recyvling hard rockers from the late-‘80s – Dirty Looks, anyone? – but the key difference is that this particular foursome always makes damned sure that the energy is at full throttle on every single record. There’s no malaise to be heard on an Airbourne album. No jaded sentiment. No hint of being tired. Just simple, booze-fueled hard rock that’s perfectly suited for summer.
On their third album, interestingly enough, Airbourne and producer Brian Howes bring that raucous energy in spades, but add considerable polish to the package, to the point where it starts to bear a striking resemblance to Def Leppard’s High ‘n’ Dry. Of course, it doesn’t have the emotional resonance and nuance of that classic but it has that bite, feeling like a respectful homage rather than a rip-off, and on songs like “Animalize” and “No One Fits Me (Better Than You)” you can’t help but admit they do a fantastic job capturing that sound. Elsewhere, “Live it Up” is the kind of crowd-pleaser that the band excels at, while the title track, which closes the record, brings a welcome dose of nastiness to the proceedings. Of course it’s all predictable, of course it’s been done countless times before, but for anyone sick to death of the current depressing trajectory of mainstream hard rock – hello, Pop Evil – Black Dog Barking’s timing couldn’t be better.
Also out this week:
Burning Rain, Epic Obsession (Frontiers): Whitesnake shredder and Guitar World hero Doug Aldrich has resurrected Burning Rain for their first new album since 2000, and to no one’s surprise it’s stubbornly stuck in 1989, mining the last days of pop metal, from loads of Nuno Bettencourt knock-offs (“Till You Die”, “Pray Out Loud”) to faux-Zeppelin blooze (“Heaven Gets Me By”). It’s all horribly dated, and it’s certainly no Badlands – that cover of “Kashmir” has to go – but Aldrich and singer Keith St. John sell it, right down to the smarm.
Circle, Six Day Run (Ektro): While not an official “album” per se, this soundtrack for Mika Taanila's film of the same name is not only a cool little exercise for the innovative Finnish band, but a great listen for fans and admirers of experimental music alike. This project sees them offering instrumental variations on the minimalist krautrock sounds of Can, the six tracks locked into hypnotic motoric tempos but subtly exploring through improvisation. You don’t need to see the film to be affected by the music, which is the highest possible praise for the musicians.
Decaying, The Last Days Of War (Hellthrasher): This is war-themed death metal in the same vein as Bolt Thrower and Hail of Bullets, but while the young Finns do a good job depicting historical battles in their lyrics, musically it lacks the potency and robustness that the aforementioned bands deliver in spades, marred by pedestrian songwriting and lifeless production.
Death Of An Era, The Great Commonwealth (Artery): Stuttering, sputtering deathcore with the odd moment of inspiration when the death metal influences are allowed to rise to the surface, but while these Ohio youngsters can definitely play the hell out of their instruments, they need to sit down and listen to some metal and hardcore albums made before 2000 to learn that instrumental chops mean nothing if you can’t write a single cohesive song.
Extrema, The Seed Of Foolishness (Scarlet): While the Italian band tries a little too hard to sound American – something that annoys me to no end – their Machine Head-isms on this new album are passable enough to not be completely off-putting. Still, why bother with a pale imitation when the real thing is so much better?
Gaytheist, Hold Me...But Not So Tight (Good To Die): Punk, noise, and garage rock collide in a very fun way on this disarming new album by the Portland band. Catchy and bursting with energy, the second you start wondering if this is all a big put-on, the song ends, a new one begins, and you couldn’t care less. Stream and buy the album via Bandcamp.
Hebosagil, Lähtö (Ektro): It’s no KEN Mode, and it’s certainly no Melvins, but the latest album by the Finnish band is an adequately raucous, abrasive blast of sludge and noise. Sung in indecipherable Finnish, by the way, just for a little added mystique.
NK, Nothing to be Gained Here (Triple Crown): Featuring members of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Envy on the Coast, this is a rare band that takes the idea of post-hardcore and takes it into surreal, creative territory, creating songs that are alternately awash in sludgy guitars and lumbering grooves, or completely setting Warped Tour pop-punk on its ear, like Battles and Ween interpreting Fall Out Boy. If that wasn’t enough, a little ‘70s soul is tossed out in the form of “Vacation Days”. It’s a brilliant little album that shows everyone that Mike Patton doesn’t have to be the only person out there bucking convention in heavy music. Listen to the album via Soundcloud.
A Pale Horse Named Death, Lay My Soul To Waste (SPV): The band led by former Type O Negative drummer Sal Abruscato is back with their second album, and once again the Alice in Chains imitations are painfully obvious and distracting. I genuinely like its gothic bent, but the grunge influence has to go. This is like Godsmack with eyeliner.
The Poodles, Tour De Force (Frontiers): Channeling the fun of glam metal without the smarm that permeates the new Burning Rain album reviewed above, the Swedish band have put out another lively album that leans a little more toward the power metal of HammerFall and Edguy, but the pop element is never abandoned. Consequently, songs like “40 Days and 40 Nights” and “Shut Up!” charm their way into your head with their shameless, puppydog-like cheeriness. Who’s a good boy!
PTSD, A Sense Of Decay (My Kingdom): It’s 1995 all over again on the latest album by the Italian alt-metal outfit, as simple, down-tuned riffs mesh with mid-paced grooves and lavish electronic arrangements. If anything, it’s catchy stuff, featuring a very strong singer in Henry Guy. “Event Horizon” is a keeper.
Satan, Life Sentence (Listenable): It might not be receiving the same amount of hype that Hell and Angel Witch received in 2011 and 2012, but NWOBHM band Satan have reunited their complete 1983 lineup and put out a very good album, their first in 26 years. Continuing right where Court in the Act left off, Life Sentence keeps it simple, employing that old “fast and melodic” formula to great effect – the twin leads are often stupendous – led by the formidable bellow of Brian Ross. Led by “Cenotaph”, “Time to Die”, and the title track, this is a very welcome return by a band that deserves more recognition.
Svart Crown, Profane (Listenable): Following the leads of Gojira and Hacride, Svart Crown add themselves to the ever-growing list of creating metal bands coming out of France. In their case, though, more death metal permeates their music than that of their peers, the bombast of Behemoth mixing well with moments of creative atonality. It’s a compelling combination of the formulaic and the unexpected, and as “Intern. Virus. Human.” and “In Utero: A Place of Hatred and Threat” prove, a little subtlety and in such forceful music goes a long way.
Timo Tolkki's Avalon, The Land Of New Hope (Frontiers): The Finnish guitarist tries to one-up his former band Stratovarius with an ambitious power metal concept album loaded with guest musicians, but while it has some memorable songs (“Enshrined in My Memory”), it quickly becomes a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth, the constant revolving door of singers making the album feel busier and more scattered than it has to be. Give this round to Stratovarius, whose new album is very good.
U.D.O., Steelhammer (AFM): Udo Dirkschneider’s latest album starts off as the kind of predictable, classic heavy metal fun that we’ve all come to expect from him, with songs like “Metal Machine” and “King of Mean” sticking to the same formula he’s used since his days with Accept. Whenever U.D.O. fails, though, it’s when he steps outside the box, and the longer this album goes, the more it starts to fly off the rails, marred by such softer fare as “Never Cross My Way” and “When Love Becomes a Lie”, and even worse, the egregious “Book of Faith”, which sees Dirkschneider trying to become the German Tom Waits, and failing miserably.
Zed, Desperation Blues (I And I): The San Francisco band’s second album is likeable, there’s no denying that. After all, they do the swinging, swaggering hard rock thing quite well. It wants to be on the level of Clutch, but lacks the personality and quirkiness to get there. In the end, it’s good, safe heavy rock ‘n’ roll, and despite feeling generic at times the energy and passion is palpable enough to make you let its shortcomings slide.
| Tags: | airbournenew_releases |
Doors keyboardist died Monday
Housecore Horror Film Festival to be held October 25-27 in Austin, TX
Everyone knows heavy metal and horror flicks go hand in hand, and on the weekend of October 25-27 Austin Texas will be the home of the Housecore Horror Film Festival, where underground metal and underground horror cinema will collide for a three-day bacchanal at Emo’s.
Created by Philip Anselmo and writer Corey Mitchell, the music/film fest “offer fans a mix of live concerts from at least a dozen of heavy metal’s heaviest hitters, and more than 70 screenings of full-length and short horror films, documentaries, true crime and heavy metal films, music videos, and more. Special guest appearances by revered and controversial horror film directors and other notable figures in the metal and movie worlds will give festival-goers the extreme experience they’re craving.”
Among the announced bands performing are Down, Crowbar, Philip Anselmo & the Illegals, Eyehategod, and Warbeast. In addition, several films will be scored live by guest musicians, the most exciting of which being Goblin, who will perform live their classic score to Dario Argento’s Suspiria. This is sure to be a blast; believe me, you want to witness The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with Mayhem’s Atilla Csihar gurgling into a microphone in the background, if only for the surrealism of it all.
More bands and films will be announced in the coming months.
Three-day VIP All Access badges are on sale now. Visit www.housecorehorrorfilmfestival.com and facebook.com/HousecoreHorrorFilmFestival for more details.
Second song from 14th album 'Super Collider' to surface
To say that the premiere of the title track from Megadeth’s 14th album Super Collider few weeks ago was disappointing is an understatement, but judging from the second new song Dave Mustaine and his band have just posted, there just might be hope for the record yet.
Like “Super Collider”, “Kingmaker” is fairly straightforward, cut from the same cloth as the band's notoriously streamlined Countdown to Extinction album, but it’s a robust enough track that falls right into Mustaine’s wheelhouse, not to mention the rest of the band, who sound right at home churning out the catchy little “Children of the Grave” knockoff groove. It’s no “Head Crusher”, arguably Megadeth’s best song of the last decade, but it’s a step in the right direction. Listen to the track below.
Super Collider comes out June 4 on Tradecraft/Universal.
| Tags: | megadeth |
Thrash metal with a social conscience
Back in the 1980s more and more bands, especially in the thrash scene, started following the lead of hardcore punk a bit more and started addressing current events and political themes. But while Metallica touched on nuclear war, Megadeth lampooned the PMRC, and Anthrax sang a song about Native Americans, metal never really had much of a social conscience. Which, as some will say, is a good thing, because heavy metal was never meant to have a social conscience in the first place, being more fitted to escapism via record and communal aggression in a live setting, not talking about, like, issues and stuff. Issues were for the hardcore crowd. Metal music only took a passing fancy to social commentary, relying on vague sentiment and thinly veiled satire to get a point across, but it was never central to the music.
Nuclear Assault was one of the first metal bands to not only delve into such topics seriously, but have their music click with a large audience as well. Formed by bassist Dan Lilker after he left Anthrax in search of more aggressive music to play, he and guitarist John Connelly drew heavily from thrash, hardcore, and the nascent grindcore sound to create something fast, in your face, but also socially aware. The 1986 debut Game Over, while a very strong piece of New York thrash, was nevertheless underdeveloped lyrically, the band, rounded out by guitarist Anthony Bramante and drummer Glenn Evans, relying too much on heavy metal clichés (“Stranded in Hell”), the aforementioned vagaries (“Nuclear War”), and sophomoric humor (“Hang the Pope”). Two years later, however, Nuclear Blast returned with a clearer mission, all grown up with a remarkably mature album that displayed some real acuity behind the musical savagery.
Produced by Megadeth producer Randy Burns and recorded in January and February of 1988, Survive finally saw Lilker part of a fully realized band compared to the likeable yet derivative Anthrax debut Fistful of Metal and the classic crossover side project Speak English or Die by Stormtroopers of Death. The songwriting, while plenty fast and aggressive, was grown up enough to now place more emphasis on dynamics, and the end result is an album that, while not exactly innovative stylistically, nevertheless has a clear modus operandi not to mention a certain character that sets it apart from every other thrash record that came out that year.
In Connelly Nuclear Assault had one of the most peculiar lead vocalists thrash metal had, or has for that matter, ever seen. To say his vocal style is unique is an understatement. A twisted snarl that is practically impossible to describe, let alone imitate – Ryan Waste of Municipal Waste actually pulled it off when I interviewed him a year ago, which had me cracking up – Connelly’s voice gurgles like a Muppet and screeches like a hawk throughout the record. It’s a strange sound to get used to, but thankfully the strength of the actual songs make the effort a lot easier.
And the songs, simple as they are, are tremendous. Propelled by some throttling double-kicks by Evans, the fleet-footed yet robust “F#” is faithfully derived from NYC hardcore, its metal influence accentuated by some well-timed solos and Connelly’s vocal melody, which echoes the same guitar riffs. The brilliant “Great Depression” matches classic Anthrax every step of the way with its combination of double-time speed and stomping mosh riffs that are punctuated by Connelly’s chorus: “I don't recall asking YOU! TO! Stick your nose in my life!” “Wired” is a welcome deviation from the thrash, going for a slower, more sinister pace, while “Fight to be Free” is the closest thing on the album to an epic, managing to pack a lot of diversity in its four and a half minutes.
Survive is most memorable when that thrash proficiency meshes with strong lyrics. “Equal Rights” is a throttling, three-minute blast of straight-up hardcore in which the band is more thoughtful than aggressive (“Help make racial wars a distant unforgotten memory / Maybe hate will never die that doesn't mean we shouldn't try”). Reagan-era conformity and complacency is confronted on “Technology” (“I'm wasting my time, I'm wasting my breath, on people who choose ignorance”), but the real kicker is “Brainwashed”, a catchy and eloquent attack on radio, television, and newspapers (“See what they want you to see, our awareness is limited by network VPs”) that urges the listener to think for themselves instead of blindly follow. It’s a cliché now, but in 1988, few bands in metal were daring to step up like Nuclear Assault were doing on this record.
Survive isn’t an all-time masterpiece – its cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times” was ill-advised – but the rest of the album has aged very well over 25 years, enough to deem it a minor thrash classic. “Brainwashed” would prove to be a modest hit thanks to its accompanying video, and would help pave the way for the 1989 follow-up Handle With Care, which would turn out to be Nuclear Assault’s commercial peak.
| Tags: | 25_at_25nuclear_assault |
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