Dennis Dread's Halloween Mix Tape 2

Last Halloween I turned the reins over to Mr. Dennis Dread and he did a smashing job with a great Halloween mix tape. We decided to make it a tradition and bring him back for another potpourri of creepy cantos. For those of you who so foolishly doubt Dennis' credentials, besides having great taste in music, he is also an accomplished illustrator best known for his work on recent Darkthrone albums. He also runs a great art zine called Destroying Angels. Once again, a tip of the ol' witch hat to Mr. Dread for all that he does.

Intro ~ Alfred Hitchcock

The disembodied voice of Alfred Hitchcock presides over our All Hallows ritual. I listened to this record hundreds of times when I was a kid and the hastily painted cover art still takes me right back to wild nights with jack-o-lanterns on every porch. "Now that we're all here, we can begin..."

Phantasm Intro/Main Theme ~ Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave

If you haven't spent time in a dark room with the 1979 Phantasm soundtrack coursing through the headphones like a silver sphere aimed straight at your soul, you are truly missing out on one of life's simplest pleasures.

One Step Into Oblivion ~ Blizaro

Blizaro is the brainchild of Rochester, New York doom enthusiast John Gallo. I've considered myself a fan ever since I scored the Horror Rock demo back in 2006, lured by Lucio Fulci graphics and the promise of, well, horror rock. John plays in a bunch of metal bands but Blizaro is his psych/prog project that pays homage to the great esoteric horror scores of the 70's and early 80's. This mesmerizing track comes from the Orne split 7" which was recently released in a limited pressing of 400 by Svart Records.

Mount Meru Is Tall ~ Saturnalia Temple

Perhaps you will challenge my choice to place this gateway to Saturn's Temple on a Halloween mix tape. Perhaps you will debate the appropriateness of a Saturnalian celebration in the heart of autumn. You will of course be sadly mistaken. Few hymns will clear a room of unwanted influence and open the veil to the dark forces waiting beyond as effectively as this hypnotic offering from the Stockholm trio that has restored my faith in the magic of sound and all things heavy. The gate is open...

Sister Devil ~ Sixx

I'm a relatively recent convert to Sixx since I didn't even know this band existed until I heard about the lush vinyl reissue last year. This is the Von dudes apparently after they traded in their bloody skull-crowns for ruffled silk shirts. I've never been a fan of Christian Death or bands of their shockingly pretentious ilk but this really works for me. I'm glad it's Halloween because now I can play this record loud without blushing. Bela Lugosi is dead indeed.

Hangman ~ Deathcharge

One of Portland, Oregon's best kept secrets is also one of the city's longest running punk outfits. Deathcharge has had a revolving line-up for over a decade now but they seem to have a solid core at the moment and have been playing local shows relatively consistently in the past year. So far their few recordings haven't done their unique brand of Discharge cum Killing Joke death noise the justice it deserves but the forthcoming debut LP is very eagerly awaited. No mosh. No fun.

Recognition ~ H.P. Lovecraft

These terse H.P. Lovecraft readings by John Arthur and Mike Olsen were lovingly reassembled from out-of-print recordings and released as a limited 7" over a decade ago by someone who clearly wished to remain anonymous (let's call him "He Who Cannot Be Named", eh?) and they very quickly became as difficult to find as the original vinyl. My copy is 179 out of 300. Behold the muted terror of a doomed cosmos.

Necronomicon ~ Sacrifice

Our brothers to the north really excelled at this kind of ferocious speed metal during the 80's. No, I'm not talking about Scandinavia this time. This is CANADIAN METAL and Sacrifice was one of the most promising harbingers of the bunch. A class act with the kind of satanic lyrics that got you into trouble with teachers back in the day. Seriously. I think these dudes were still in high school when they recorded Torment in Fire which is really remarkable when you consider their complex song structures and absolutely relentless shredding.

Stirring The Cauldron ~ Whiplash

Whiplash's debut LP Power & Pain is one of the most grossly under-appreciated thrash albums of 1985 (and if you like fast pissed-off music you know 1985 wasn't a shabby year). This came out around the same time as Bonded By Blood but how often do you see kids air guitaring Spit On Your Grave? Well, actually, I see that a lot at my house but you get the point. This is the sound of three Passaic barbarians named Tony dragging Kreator through the meanstreets of New York Hard Core. Total schism.

Horrorshow/The Mansion ~ Hallows Eve

Long ago, before metal came to be personified by sensitive men with beards, heavy metal was a hooded executioner rendered in discount paints with the anatomy of Popeye the Sailor Man. Atlanta, Georgia's Hallows Eve was that hooded executioner and they delivered the fucking goods. Take this selection for instance from their debut LP, which is really two distinct songs that form a mini-cycle of sorts. They went on to score a cameo on the River's Edge soundtrack before disappearing into a fog of nihilism and madness (i.e., short hair and day jobs).

Lycanthropy ~ G.B.H.

These collectible British Punk action figures come complete with leather, bristles, studs and acne! Of course these quintessential street urchins also ripped this chorus straight out of Lon Chaney Jr.'s quivering lips: "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night can become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright!" Death Breath did a killer cover of this snotty classic but for my money nothing beats the original source. This just sounds like nothing else!

Till' The Following Night ~ Screaming Lord Sutch and The Savages

English audio pioneer Joe Meek recorded this killer debut single for the "monster in black tights" known as Screaming Lord Sutch in 1961. It was swiftly banned by the BBC. No wonder the Brits had to invent punk rock and smash the system (see above). What an incredibly uptight society. Sutch's early stage show included coffins and skulls and is widely recognized nowadays as a precursor to the horror shock antics of Alice Cooper and probably Black Widow and Death SS as well. Ritchie Blackmore was one of the original Savages and he left the fold in the late 60's to form Deep Purple!

Night of the Vampire ~ Entombed

To be perfectly honest, these dudes lost me after Clandestine but I do appreciate their noble stab at this Roky Erickson favorite. Sure, it's stilted and crunchy to a fault but I like the emotive Danzig flair on the vocals and the totally rockin' part at the end. This was a split 7" with Ohio punks the New Bomb Turks which was a weird pairing at the time. In hindsight I guess it makes sense.

The Tell Tale Heart ~ Beyond Possession

Who knew skating and gothic literature could live together in such beautiful harmony? This is the title track from Calgary skate rockers Beyond Possession's 1985 debut 7" The Tell Tale Heart. This is sorta like Suicidal Tendencies without all the bandanas and messy circle pit stabbings. As a general rule it's not a great idea to rhyme 'house' with 'mouse' in a hardcore song unless you're Ludichrist but this particular ditty is about Edgar Allan Poe so fuck your rules, man!

Intermission ~ Vincent Price
"We have much studying to do, there are many ancient mystic texts to guide us..."

Deathknell ~ Ghost (Sweden)

The b-side of the debut 7" from these mysteriously shrouded satanic messengers from Sweden is absolutely enthralling. The clean Blue Oyster Cult influences evidenced by such bands as The Devil's Blood become even more pronounced in the capable hands of these earnest rockers. E. Danielsson of Watain has provided their stark and provocative imagery thus far. Perhaps he is himself one of the six nameless ghouls? I have no idea, but I can't wait for the full-length!

At The Sound of The Demon Bell ~ Mercyful Fate
I couldn't resist. I'm running on a bells theme here, folks.

Cloven Hoof ~ Cloven Hoof

The debut LP from these champions of NWOBHM is a galloping occult adventure of epic proportions! The cover is directly inspired by the old Coven record but they've incorporated crude stenciled flames and a serpent demon mascot that makes those Grim Reaper covers look really fancy. For fans of Pagan Altar and 'EAVY METAL only. And if you're not a fan of 'eavy metal, why are you here? "Seek not to envoke demonic entities beyond the living, unseen forces mankind can never hope to understand, in satanic pact a soul giving, unto hell, when time relents to death's command." Huh?

Halloween III Montage ~ John Carpenter & Alan Howarth

This is really loud in the mix for some reason but don't forget to wear your Silver Shamrock masks anyway.

Re-Animator ~ Rigor Mortis

Here's an obvious choice given the horror thrash leanings of this mix tape but I just love this catchy chorus that you can sing along to even when you're drunk. Which is fortuitous because when I finally saw them play a few years ago Bruce Corbitt stuck the microphone in my face while I was thrashing up front and if the lyrics were more complicated that would've been an embarrassing moment of silence. This is from their debut 1988 LP which boasts absolutely perfect cover art by a guy name Cort Johnson who did skateboard graphics back in the day. Incidentally, Mark Ryden did the fantastic cover art for their follow-up EP Freaks and he has since gone on to become a hugely successful fine artist.

Werewolf's Life ~ Fear Itself

I don't know much about this band from Anchorage, Alaska so I'll spare you my snide commentary except to say that this 57 second blast is culled from the 1988 Attack Is Now Suicide compilation, which also features one of my favorite R.K. Sloane drawings of all time, and it's about a werewolf. The life of a werewolf is not easy.

Violence Is Golden ~ Gargoyle

What?!? You've never hear of Gargoyle from New Jersey??? Poser. Actually, in this case the correct answer is, "Who the fuck is Gargoyle from New Jersey?" These dudes only released two demos in their very brief tour of duty so unless you were lucky enough to stumble into Bleecker Bob's at precisely the right moment in 1986, chances are you're probably not familiar with their ripping thrash. Do I really need to explain why a band called Gargoyle deserves to be on a Halloween mix tape?

Sendero Siniestro ~ Anal Vomit

"Bestial" is a dumb adjective that gets passed around like chlamydia by message board lurkers these days. But when you really think about it, how many of these frowners are truly bestial? Peru's Anal Vomit is the real deal, as proven by this raging invocation from their 2004 Demoniac Flagellations LP. Misleading name aside, their songs of satan, pussy and death are delivered with such psychotic devotion that they make their underground counterparts sound like doughy pacifists in comparison. They're even willing to let it all hang out on their albums and that's pretty bestial (i.e., "of or relating to beasts; resembling a beast; lacking intelligence or reason; marked by base or inhuman instincts or desires").

Twisted Darkness ~ Yellow Cross

I don't want to be accused of ignorantly wallowing in nostalgia so here's a track by Olympia, Washington's very promising Yellow Cross from their 2009 demo. It sounds like Blue Cheer hanging out with Paul Chain at a pizza shop. Black Virgin part II is the real gem on this demo but it was too long for our purposes and I really couldn't justify it on a Halloween mix tape. But twisted darkness? That's spooky.

They're Creeping Up On You ~ Engorged

I love this little gem from the Engorged/Gruesome Stuff Relish split. This was originally intended to be a 7" but the Engorged dudes wisely included 4 minutes worth of Creepshow samples so it became a 12" 45 (which worked out well for my crude cover art). This isn't necessarily characteristic of the Engorged sound but it definitely conveys their essential underground ethos and approach. Hopefully these guys will return from Yuggoth soon and finally finish recording the House of Cthulhu LP. Ahem. Guys?

Necronomicon ~ Les Dexter

My favorite track from one of the greatest cinematic scores of all time. The Dunwich Horror is actually a pretty dull flick but we can all learn a thing or two about dynamics from a laid-back cool cat like Les Dexter. Just listen to how these exotic sounds swagger & boom like an ethereal procession sent straight from R'lyeh with all the time in the world to fuck you up. THE STARS ARE RIGHT!

Mineshaft Chase ~ Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave
Phantasm reprise.

Der Henker Von Dartmoore ~ The Vampires of Dartmoore

The Vampires of Dartmoore was an imaginary West German pop group providing the soundtrack to an imaginary Euro-trash horror flick circa 1969. Metronome and Mercury Records basically wrangled together these session jazz musicians in an attempt to cash in on the popularity of adult-oriented monster novelty records and they produced two LP's, Psychedelic Dance Party and Dracula's Music Cabinet. Exploitation director Jess Franco actually discovered this LP and licensed it to score one of his 70's tits 'n' terror romps. The rest is history. Very confusing history. Recently repressed on gatefold vinyl by Finders Keepers.

Outro ~ Alfred Hitchcock
"This concludes our danse macabre..." Happy Halloween.

Side Trick

Side Treat

Also on a side note. Cosmic Hearse is taking a few days off to get caught up on all the unglamorous behind the scenes work that goes on here. Don't take it personally, use the time to talk to your kids about drugs or something.

Cleanse

This compilation, curated by the well known punk graphic artist known as Pushead, was sort of a mindfuck for me when it was released way the fuck back in 1985. Cleanse The Bacteria just upped the ante as far as hardcore brutality was concerned, and exposed the general punk public to some amazing obscure bands. We all benefitted from Pushead's tireless letter writing and tape trading. Cleanse... also marked my first experiences with soon-to-be favorites like Poison Idea, The Execute, Siege (way ahead of the pack in sheer hostility), and Mob 47, as well as offering up contributions from some bands I was already well aware of like Septic Death (of course,) C.O.C., and 7 Seconds (who seem a bit tame for this comp.) This is some kind of fancy pants CD reissue with a ton of extra tracks. Let's skate.

Here

Christian Mistress

So what if I told you that there was a band from Olympia, Washington (of all places) that kinda sounds like Mia Zapata fronting Diamond Head? What if I told you their new album Agony and Opium (20 Buck Spin) was one of the best records of 2010? What if I told you they are playing tonight at The Hemlock in San Francisco with Thrones and Acid King? What if I gave you their awesome debut 7"?

Here

Disemballerina

By far one of the coolest things to grace my mailbox in the past year was Disemballerina's demo CDR. I don't know if they are still a band or not (I seem to remember some mention of a split) but they have a MySpace page and a Facebook as well if you would like to contact them and tell them how much you love their beautifully dynamic instrumentals performed with cello, viola, harp, and acoustic guitars, at times introspective and at others, violent and reckless. I am reminded a bit of Dirty Three, Rachel's, Amber Asylum, and Godspeed You Black Emperor, but Disemballerina doesn't sound much like any of those really. Stunning bit of work from some talented and maudlin Portlanders. Five songs, forty minutes, and every bit of it stirring. The closer, "Hex" is an absolute heartbreaker. Someone get wise and release this. Just crushing.

Here

At Dusk vs. Idolater

Two obscure bands from Santa Cruz do battle on this self-released split CDR. At Dusk strike the first blow with their distant, ghostly black metal that holds plenty of mesmerizing guitar work and cold atmosphere. But not ones to go down without a fight, Idolater counter with some frantic and chaotic black metal that reminds me a bit of Dark Tribe. While Idolater is great, the obvious drum machine and dry production weaken their attack slightly. At Dusk definitely takes this one. On a side note: this was mailed to me, when I opened the package my whole apartment smelled like soap and incense. It would seem that these two bands are out to assault my sense of smell as well. Awesome.

Here

Rockets Beaucoup

Had some requests to reup the Rockets links but decided rather to give you the first six studio albums in one post. Partially because I love you, partially because I am lazy, and don't feel like writing a whole lot today. Either way, you win.

Rockets

On The Road Again

Plasteroid

Galaxy

Pi 3, 14

Atomic

Randy

I like to assume that the creature on the front is named Randy. Randy looks a bit like a mutated Orson Welles, loves human flesh and held down a day job as the ill-conceived mascot of a Danish Heavy Metal band that shared his name. Sadly, Randy (the band) managed to only squeeze out this one great single and a demo before issuing Randy (the monster) a pink slip in 1987. This single contains two absolutely infectious, hook laden, melodic metal gems, "Shadows Are Falling," and the even better b-side "The Beast," which may or may not be about their bro, Randy (the monster.) This is another one of those headscratcher records that poses the question "Why weren't these guys picked up by a label?" These two songs are amazingly great and professionally recorded and executed. Was it because they were Danish? Was it their unfortunate mustaches? Really, only Randy knows. What I do know is that I could listen to these two songs all fucking day.

Here

Crossover

So enamored with the trend of mixing metal and hardcore in the late '80s was D.R.I. that they even titled their second album Crossover, and while it may not be Dealing With It, if all thrash was this good in 1987, I too may have invested in some stretch jeans and some huge puffy white sneakers. Funny, but I think this album informed 99.9% of Municipal Waste's aesthetic and sound, and MW influenced a veritable onslaught of teenage Civil War Reenactment style retro thrash bands, thus making Crossover a highly influential album. When it was released people fucking hated it. Way better than most of the other hardcore band's forrays into metal at the time.

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Mutate

Mutation hailed from Singapore, they played ugly death metal, the sort your girlfriend hates, but whatever, she likes Nightwish and has an annoying laugh. This fucking 7" EP (released by Nuclear War Now in 2006) has two songs, one of them is called "Ceased To Be," Mutation ceased to be in 1991. The b side is called "Cannabalistic Horror," it's fucking sick, it's about people eating people. You can't fucking turn your nose up at that, bro. Stop being a pussywhipped ass tard. 

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True Tales of Horror

You don't hear much about Mexico's punk scene, so you probably remain wholly unaware of Sedicion from Guadalajara, or their 1991 album, Verdaderas Hoistorias de Horror. Sedicion favored a more mid-tempo, 77 style or Oi flavored punk rock. Lyrics in Spanish, creepy Halloween record intros to all the songs, and a crappy production make this record a charmer. Spin it at your Halloween party and thank me later.

Aqui

Voqkrre

Here's some mysterious French black metal from Voqkrre, a name seemingly inspired by Les Legions Noire. The sound throughout this demo, titled Malveillance, is murky and depressive. Serious wrist-cutting sonics and bleak, cobwebbed cantos to all that is negative and dark. Malveillance is a gauzy, vague nightmare. Voqkrre is a two-man concern, the members being named Morne and Dunkel. Morne also operates in the more traditional black metal band Anwynn, while Dunkel fills out his busy nights playing in Drakonhail.

Here

R.I.P. Ari Up

R.I.P. Ari Up (Ariane Forster,) singer of The Slits. 1/1/62-10/20/10

Criminal

In 1987, before mustached track bike hipster dicks, before Vice Magazine, Disney's dick in Times Square, and national tragedies, New York City was still a rough place, even rougher if you were young, black, and talented. The BDP crew knew this all too well, and when BDP member, Derrick "D Nice" Jones, was harassed and bullied by some toughs from the Highbridge projects in the South Bronx, he brought his most reasonable and respected neighborhood friend, Scott Monroe Sterling aka DJ Scott La Rock to help him smooth over the situation. It is unclear as to exactly what was said that night of August 27th, 1987, but as D Nice's Jeep Cherokee left Highbridge, it was sprayed with gunfire, and Scott La Rock was hit. When he arrived at Lincoln hospital he was conscious and was quite lucid, his friends and family had no reason to believe that he wouldn't survive the ordeal. However, DJ Scott La Rock was pronounced dead within an hour of the shooting, he died at the hospital, but did he have to? I don't want to open a can of worms as to the racial implications and disparity of treatment in medical facilities, I wish to avoid conspiracy theories, conjecture, and "what if" scenarios. Let's just leave it that it was a tragedy that probably needed not occur, a tragedy that truly robbed the world of a vibrant and creative performer on the verge of true greatness. I know I am not alone in wondering what Scott La Rock would have achieved had not a bullet and an avalanche of shitty decisions intervened so.

So what about the album that was left behind? Criminal Minded is a classic of proto hip hop and a perfect snapshot of life in the South Bronx at the end of the '80s. Criminal Minded can also boast a number of firsts, firsts that are now staples in hip hop and gangsta rap; it was the first rap record to feature the mebers brandishing firearms on the cover, the first to adopt a Jamaican toast-style delivery, the first to carry a first person crime narrative, and the first to carry any real beef/boast numbers with "South Bronx" and "The Bridge is Over" which were levelled directly at Queens based rappers Juice Crew. KRS One's voice is crisp, his delivery forceful and deliberate. The beats are simple and samples minimal. The end result is a primitive, early piece of hip hop history that alludes at bigger things to come, but still remains highly enjoyable two decades later. In my opinion, BDP's masterpiece was By Any Means Necessary, but it would have never come to be if not for Scott La Rock and Criminal Minded.

Here

Whisper of the Evil

We've had alot of forrays into the gritty world of Japanese hardcore of the '80s, but we haven't heard much metal from the realm. Let's change that with Crowley, and their 1986 album Whisper of the Evil. Crowley offer up some pretty standard, but fun, traditional metal with a distinctively Japanese flair provided by a vocalist named "Hawkhead Sean." Over most of six tracks, almost every device of proper metal is employed, there are guitar solos, fast picking, songs (in Japanese) about evil, the night, madness...however, the standout track is the obligatory ballad "Woman in a Black Cape" which ventures into some pretty Candlemassy doom territory on occasion. Crowley probably won't have you scrambling to hear more Japanese heavy metal, but this album is not without merit or charm.

邪悪なささやき

Crucified

Avskum, the long running Swedish Crusty Hardcore legends debut release was titled Crucified by the System and was released in 1984. Avskum has all the speed of Anti-Cimex and some of the melodic information of Puke, and some of the better Swedish bands. Crucified by the System is about the purest example of pissed off Svenne hardcore you will find. A great place to start if you have been curious, a great place to end if you have grown jaded.

Here

Virgin's Hooha

Is their anything more precious than the home-spun blasphemy of teenagers in the early 90s? I think not, and Reborn In The Promethean Flame, the first demo by the Finnish band, Virgin's Cunt, is just overflowing with the raw enthusiasm of freaking people out by talking bad about Jesus. Primal proto-Black Metal/Death recorded in 1993. In 1994 the band changed their name to the decidedly more fruity Darkwoods My Betrothed, I guess it's hard to be so evil for very long.

Here

Tokio Airport

Since we all have been enjoying our primitive French synth wave as of late it seems the time is right to drop this, what may be the most essential release of the genre, Metal Boys Tokio Airport. The album was the result of a collaboration between seminal Metal Urbain members and a mysterious English woman simply named China. Oh so French nihilism, archaic drum machines, itchy bitchy guitars drop you into one of the coldest, campiest listens of your life. Anal probe now, but later we dance. Enjoy.

Here

R'lyeh

The influence of Howard Phillips Lovecraft spreads far and wide throughout metal like the spindly tentacles of some long forgotten shoggoth. The long-faced, New England eccentric had almost as much of an impact on metal as Black Sabbath. Had Howard known of the terror that would actually be unleashed upon the earth, perhaps he would have put away his pen and said no more. Much like the creatures who longed to break through the threshholds of space and time in order to turn the world towards madness, metal bands sought to use the work of Lovecraft to create an aura of mystique and chaos, and why not? The bible and Tolkein had been done to death, and neither could compete with the sheer sinister imagery of ancient, hate-fueled, grotesqueries unleashing unparalleled horrors upon an unsuspecting world. The Lovecraft mythos were culled for lyrical themes by such luminaries as Metallica, Morbid Angel, Thergothon, Entombed, Samael, Cradle of Filth, Therion, to name a few. And joining that fray was a little known Mexican death metal band who took their name, R'lyeh, from Cthulhu's hometown. In 1992, R'lyeh unleashed their own tribute to the Old Ones in the form of this demo titled Ancestral Terrors. It is a lumbering, putrid Zoth-Ommog of primitive death metal.

Rise!!!!

Fall Into Darkness

I attend every year and this will be no exception. Maybe you didn't know, but I have recently joined on as drummer of my absolute favorite Bay Area band, Worm Ouroboros. We will be performing at Fall Into Darkness' Saturday extravaganza alongside some of the greatest bands in the USA, Krallice (some of my favorite people in the universe), Deadsea (my favorite people in the universe who aren't Krallice), and Fell Voices (who are great folks as well.) On Friday (the night before) Worm Ouroboros will be playing a very intimate (read poorly attended) show at The Gup in Eugene (690 Van Buren) along with Rye Wolves and Vivimancer. If you live anywhere in the Pacific Northwest I urge you to come to these shows, and bring me music, fancy beers, glaucoma medicine, comic books, or just a smiling face and a kind word. Cosmic Hearse will resume it's regularly scheduled programming monday or tuesday. See you soon.

Slow Ride

One of your favorite albums slowed to 33rpm and ripped, creating something that sounds like the most monstrous crust band of all time. A new way to listen to an old classic. Don't sue me. And this post is dedicated to the memory of Matty Luv, who left the earth exactly eight years ago.

Here

Haystacks Balboa

Here's some hairy, hophead, hard rock from Haystacks Balboa. With particularly heavy guitars ala Mountain or Grand Funk, wailing Hammond organ, and a hog's head full of swagger and stomp. It's kind of a wonder this album, Haystack's second release, isn't on the wishlist of every sad-eyed, stoner record nerd with a penchant for '70s oddball riffage. Settle into some classic ratweed rocking from 197? with few seeds or stems. You deserve it, brothers and sisters.

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Imynvokad

Imynvokad is an extremely shrouded Black Metal band from Austin, Texas. Sole member Beleseth, also plays in Thra'el. This excellent 7", titled Ad Ordine Descendens, was released earlier this year by Pale Horse Recordings. It contains two tracks of well-performed traditional Black Metal that brings to mind Horna or earlier Deathspell Omega. Like the recently posted Eschaton, and that Slidhr demo we loved a while back, this is kind of orthodox approach is often needed to remind us how good no-frills Black Metal can be. You should buy this and play it loud late at night.

Here

Sex Style

I shouldn't have to explain to you how Kool Keith is the greatest, most gifted emcee in the game. I shouldn't have to remind you how this prolific eccentric genius is miles ahead of his competition at all times. Sex Style was Keith's 1997 album, his first solo effort after leaving Ultramagnetic MCs. Sex Style pushed boundaries in production, lyricism, and flow. It is a mindblowing accomplishment on all fronts that maybe turned a lot people off because of the cover art and title. At the albums onset, a Rudy Ray Moore sample establishes Keith as one who sympathizes with mack, pimp, and ho.The title track is a sleazy, sinister boast that mentions bestiality, indecent exposure, water sports, rim jobs, transexuals, masturbation, S&M, Madonna, all while KK explains why he is ultimately better than you. This sets the tone for the rest of Sex Style. Keith makes it a point to push forth two main points: He likes kinky sex and he is the best rapper in the world. Kool Keith also lays out his distaste for the industry in the track "Plastic World." More boasts, more deviant sexual behavior, more hooks, more beats, and Sex Style is over in an hour like a seedy encounter at the Sunset Gardens motel.

Drink My Piss

Badge

Badge, another unsung NWOBHM band that only managed to eke out one single during their run. The A side, "Silver Woman" is an infectious bar rock stomper, while the B side contains the obligatory chick ballad that found it's way on so many of these rare NWOBHM singles and demos. I think many of England's young hopefuls at the time self-released singles, of varying quality, in hopes of landing a deal, and being the next Maiden or Def Leppard. Listening to this one in particular, it isn't hard to understand why Badge isn't a household name. It doesn't really stand to reason that their anthemic songs aren't blaring in every titty bar from Manchester to Manchuria, they simply weren't all that good, but this little record is worth it for "Silver Woman" alone.

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