Metal Massacre

Okay, here's the story. Way, way back in 1981, some long-haired metal freak named Brian Slagel decided to put together a compilation of various unsigned, underground metal bands from the L.A. scene. The resulting Metal Massacre series became the cornerstone of Metal Blade Records, one of the few metal indie labels that still exists today. MANY bands got their first break on this series of collections, including two (you'll know which ones) that are household names today.

"Metal Massacre"

  1. Black 'N' Blue "Chains Around Heaven" (3:45)
  2. Bitch "Live for the Whip" (5:19)
  3. Malice "Captive of Light" (3:21)
  4. Avatar "Octave"--instrumental (3:48)
  5. Cirith Ungol "Death of the Sun" (3:56)
  6. Demon Flight "Dead of the Night" (2:35)
  7. Pandemonium "Fighting Backwards" (3:44)
  8. Malice "Kick You Down" (4:28)
  9. Metallica "Hit the Lights" (4:12)

The album that started it all. Of course, the name everyone will recognize here is Metallica, which wasn't even a band at this point -- Slagel offered his friend Lars Ulrich a slot on the record, so Lars jammed out a track with his friend James Hetfield & two nobodies (Dave Mustaine is credited as guitarist, but in actuality it was someone else who played.) The result, "Hit the Lights", has been described as having the WORST production of any demo ever recorded...listening to it now, it's hard to believe these guys would become the worldwide metal mega-giants they are today.

The original crappy vinyl pressing also included a song by Ratt ("Tell the World") which was deleted for unknown reasons on later issues, including the CD. (My crappy vinyl version includes the song, but doesn't list it.) A metalhead friend from long ago told me that Dokken's "Paris is Burning" was also on here, but I've never been able to confirm that? The other bands are a collection of no-names who had some local success but no staying power, and quickly fell by the wayside...and listening to the songs, it's little wonder why. The "Octave" instrumental by Avatar is pretty cool, though.

"Metal Massacre II"

  1. Armored Saint "Lesson Well Learned" (2:51)
  2. 3rd Stage Alert "Mind Invader" (3:51)
  3. Surgical Steel "Rivit Head" (3:03)
  4. Obsession "Shadows of Steel" (4:31)
  5. Savage Grace "Scepters of Deceit" (3:45)
  6. Overkill "No Holds Barred" (4:12)
  7. Warlord "Lucifer's Hammer" (3:18)
  8. Trauma "Such a Shame" (2:53)
  9. Dietrich "It's Alright" (3:26)
  10. Molten Leather "Inversion" (4:04)
  11. Hyksos "The Kings" (6:11)
  12. Aloha "Heavy Metal Virgin" (3:01)

Hmm...well, it's got Armored Saint's first recording (one of the most underrated metal bands in the world, might I add), plus an alternate version of "Lucifer's Hammer" by Warlord, one of the first bands ever signed to Metal Blade. Obsession's "Shadows of Steel" is also something of a classic (kinda). But the REAL gem here is the song by Trauma, which was CLIFF BURTON'S ORIGINAL BAND!!! In fact, this is the only Trauma song that Burton recorded before getting picked up by Metallica; and I don't blame him for leaving, because the rest of the band had absolutely no fucking talent. But hey, it's good for a trivia question, I suppose. :) The other bands are even MORE obscure & no-name than the first Metal Massacre!!

(By the way...the "Overkill" band featured here is NOT the same Overkill we all know today!!)

"Metal Massacre III"

  1. Slayer "Aggressive Perfector" (3:29)
  2. Bitch "Riding in Thunder" (3:57)
  3. Tyrant "The Battle of Armageddon" (5:14)
  4. Medusa "Piranahs" (2:11)
  5. Test Pattern "Bite the Knife" (5:25)
  6. Black Widow "Blitzkrieg"--instrumental (2:56)
  7. Warlord "Mrs. Victoria" (5:55)
  8. Virgin Steele "Let's Go All the Way" (3:12)
  9. Sexist "Fire and Wind" (3:00)
  10. Snowhite "Hell Bent" (1:49)
  11. Marauder "The Kid" (3:01)
  12. La Mort "Fist and Chain" (2:37)

Hmm, scraping the barrel's bottom, are we? It's got repeat performances by Bitch & Warlord, and although both are very good songs, the other bands give a new definition to the word CRAPOLA. (Especially that "Piranahs" song...yikes!!!) Huh, what's the redeeming value of this crappy disc? I wonder...oh yeah!! IT'S GOT FUCKIN' SLAYER!!!! Worth the price of admission just for that one.

Oh, here's something I bet you didn't know: Snowhite (actually spelled Znowhite) later changed their name to Cyclone Temple--of course, there's hardly any musical similarity here. And Black Widow is NOT the 70's Satanic folk band!

"Metal Massacre IV"

  1. Sacred Blade "The Alien" (3:39)
  2. Death Dealer "Cross My Way" (3:40)
  3. Trouble "The Last Judgement" (5:03)
  4. Sceptre "Taken by Force" (2:44)
  5. Zoetrope "Speed Zone" (2:41)
  6. War Cry "Forbidden Evil" (4:37)
  7. Abattoir "Screams from the Grave" (3:24)
  8. Witchslayer "I Don't Want to Die" (4:59)
  9. Lizzy Borden "Rod of Iron" (4:29)
  10. August Redmoon "Fear No Evil" (3:52)
  11. Thrust "Destructer" (4:13)
  12. Medieval "Medieval" (3:19)

One of the least prolific Metal Massacre albums. The only band here that had any measure of success is Trouble (unless you count Lizzy Borden...I certainly don't!!) Oh, it's got a Zoetrope song, too (damn, had no idea they were around that early.) Abattoir's "Screams from the Grave" is one of the coolest song titles of all time (and in fact is one of the first proto-grindcore songs ever) but kinda sucks, really. "Taken by Force" was rerecorded by Agent Steel after John Cyriis left Sceptre and joined that band, switching from guitars to vocals in the process. (His name's misprinted here as "John Camps".)

Originally I pointed out the band August Redmoon, saying they had changed their name to some "horrible glam-metal title" -- well, it turns out that's not exactly the case, as I got this email which described the band's history...and more....

August Redmoon was a kid's "garage band" that did get manage to get some backing in those days. The vocalist was Michael Henry, who was my son. The group disbanded over internal disputes and the various members went their ways. A couple stayed with Michael and formed a new group they called "Armed Forces".

This group looked very promising until Michael became ill. He was stricken with bone cancer and after a long and gallant struggle, died in September of 1998.

So, actually, August Redmoon didn't change their name to anything but the core of the group formed a new group, I think Mike would be happy if he knew that was corrected on your great web site.

Paul Henry
Redding, CA USA
phenryphenry@earthlink.net

"Metal Massacre V"

  1. Omen "Torture Me" (3:26)
  2. Voi Vod "Condemned to the Gallows" (5:09)
  3. Attacker "(Call on) The Attacker" (3:35)
  4. Future Tense "Nightmare" (3:50)
  5. Overkill "Death Rider" (3:52)
  6. Fates Warning "Soldier Boy" (6:20)
  7. Metal Church "The Brave" (4:27)
  8. Lethyl Synn "Destroyer" (3:27)
  9. Final Warning "The Warrior" (3:49)
  10. Hellhammer "Crucifixion" (2:50)
  11. Mace "Marching Saphroyites" (4:07)
  12. Jesters of Destiny "End of Time" (4:25)

Now THIS is a choice album!! More big names made their debut here than on any other Metal Massacre record: Overkill, Voi Vod, Metal Church, Fates Warning, Omen, even Hellhammer!! (Who later became Celtic Frost, of course.) But one of the BEST songs on here (not counting "Soldier Boy", of course) is the incredible "End of Time" by Jesters of Destiny, a pseudo-hardcore band that never amounted to much later on (although they stuck around long enough to contribute "Electric Funeral" to the Eternal Masters: Tribute to Black Sabbath compilation.) The Mace song is pretty cool, too...in fact, the only one that really TANKS is Attacker's putrid offering!

"Metal Massacre VI"

  1. Possessed "Swing of the Axe" (3:50)
  2. Nasty Savage "XXX" (5:26)
  3. Steel Assassin "Executioner" (5:02)
  4. Mayhem "Tear Down the Walls" (5:44)
  5. Hades "Easy Way Out" (4:46)
  6. Hallow's Eve "Metal Merchants" (4:27)
  7. Hirax "Bombs of Death" (2:01)
  8. Pathfinder "Fountain Keeper" (3:52)
  9. Dark Angel "Welcome to the Slaughterhouse" (5:22)
  10. The Obsessed "Concrete Cancer" (3:16)
  11. Martyr "En Masse (Stand or Die)" (5:10)

Not as prolific as Vol. 5 but nearly so. The choicest track, of course, is an early version of Possessed's "Swing of the Axe", one of the first death-metal recordings EVER. Also of keen interest are the songs by Hades (excellent!) and the oh-so-elusive Hirax. The Dark Angel, Hallow's Eve & Nasty Savage songs are identical to the normal releases (I think....) The "no-name" bands aren't nearly as bad this time, nothing special but at least not downright awful. Oh, "Mayhem" here is NOT the infamous Norwegian black metal band!!

"Metal Massacre VII"

  1. Heretic "Impulse" (4:18)
  2. Sentinel Beast "Sentinel Beast" (5:20)
  3. Flotsam & Jetsam "I Live, You Die" (6:19)
  4. Krank "Rented Heat" (4:09)
  5. Mad Man "Backstabber" (2:53)
  6. Detente "Widow's Walk" (2:20)
  7. Commander "High 'N' Mighty" (4:16)
  8. Juggernaut "In the Blood of Virgins" (4:13)
  9. Cryptic Slaughter "Reich of Torture" (2:33)
  10. Have Mercy "The Omen" (4:18)
  11. Titanic "The Awakening" (4:42)
  12. Lost Horizon "Troubled Ways" (4:31)

Hmm, well the only band here of any significance is Flotsam & Jetsam, an early recording of "I Live, You Die" with Jason Newsted on bass. Heretic was making big waves on the local scene at this point, although Mike Howe (future Metal Church vocalist, of course) was NOT in the band yet. Lots of female lead singers here...Sentinel Beast, Detente, and Lost Horizon (that last one is quite good, surprisingly.)

Oh, I gotta thank Carlos B. for providing Metal Massacres 6 & 7; I was tearing my freakin' hair out when those two went out of print!!!

"Metal Massacre VIII"

  1. Sacred Reich "Ignorance" (3:50)
  2. Viking "Hellbound" (2:58)
  3. Overlorde "Keeper of the Flame" (4:07)
  4. Fatal Violence "Violence is Golden" (4:58)
  5. Tactics "Spare No Lives" (2:43)
  6. Sanctum "Nothing Left" (4:26)
  7. Gargoyle "Into the Darkness" (3:44)
  8. Ripper "Death Awaits You" (5:43)
  9. E.S.P. "Take 'em Alive" (3:53)
  10. Wargod "Intimate with Evil" (4:46)
  11. L.S.N. "Deadly Kiss" (2:58)
  12. Cobalt Blue "Bullets" (3:34)

Ahh, this was a lucky find...the original pressing of Metal Massacre VIII on CD! I actually used to own this a long time ago, but sold it because the front booklet was missing...who would have known I'd see it again?? Good price too. Wish I could say the same for the songs. Well, Sacred Reich is of course a classic, and the Viking song rocks equally hard (both songs are much different, and IMO superior, to the respective album versions.) On the bright side, buying this disc finally allowed me to sell of my Best of Metal Massacre CD, which annoyed me to no end because I couldn't find a scan of the cover art ANYWHERE...

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