The video above is a walk-thru of some rare golden-age of death metalLPs, EPs, and singles I picked up in a by-mail transactionfrom a collector in Texas. This purchase is a small collection of 18 records in total. However, some of these are rare and expensive. I will highlight the top gems below.
Impaled Nazarene – Ugra – Karma 1993 Osmose Productions – OPLP 018 – This copy is the rare first cover artwork lifted from Madame Koslovsky’s “Mother Durga riding on her tiger carrier offers prayers to Lord Vishnu”. The artist sued Impaled Nazareneand Osmose Productions for using this art without permission and had to settle out of court, making these first pressings extremely rare and expensive.
Demigod / Necropsy – Unholy Domain / Necropsy 1992 Seraphic Decay Records – SCAM 028 – This split LP is a compilation of exclusive tracks from Necropsy and a previously unreleased demo from Demigod. It is rarer than a coherent thought from Joe Biden.
Value: 200-400$ average
Master’s Hammer – Klavierstück 7″ EP 1991 Poserslaughter – PSR 004 [Green] *DE – Master’s Hammer is a weird band with a sound that is not easy to define. Unfortunately, limited pressings of this colored vinyl are not cheap either.
Value: 100$ average
Immortal Fate – Faceless Burial 7″ EP 1992 Drowned Productions DS-002 VG+ Spain – This rare gem from the short-lived Immoral Fate is quite sought after by collectors and henceforth not cheap.
Value: 100$ average
Vomitory – Moribund 7″ Single 1993 Witchhunt Records – 9309 VG+/VG+ [Sweden] – This 7″ was the first music the world would hear from the still-active Vomitory and is not cheap.
Value: 80$ average
Wombbath – Several Shapes 7″ EP 1992 Infest Records – THIN 001 [France] VG+/VG+ – This EP is only one of three of Wombbath’s 90s recordings before taking over 20 years off and returning to active status in 2015.
Value: 80$ average
Monstrosity – Burden Of Evil 7″ Single 1991 Relapse Records – RR-011 VG+/VG+ – Not the most expensive compared to other early Monstrosity vinyl, but featured because you can see George Corpsegrinder’s neck was already like a treetrunk even at the tender age of 19!
Value: 80$ average
Sinister – Putrefying Remains 7″ EP 1990 Witchhunt Records WIHU 9103 VG+/VG+ *SW – I included this EP because I was surprised at how not expensive it is. Released in 1990, even before the infamous Cross The Styx album, I’m shocked it’s not worth more.
Value: 50$ average
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On May 19th, 2023, the killer triple bill of Obituary, Immolation, and Blood Incantation came to the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, a fantastic venue. I would love it if they hosted more metal shows there. Unfortunately, the concert started exceptionally early, so I missed the fourth band on the bill.
Blood Incantation
I got there just as Colorodo’s Blood Incantation took the stage. It was my second time seeing them (the first was Psycho Vegas), and I got there early to catch their set as they are one of my favorite “new” death metal bands. So if you ever get to catch Blood Incantation, you absolutely should. Even though their most recent experimental ambient album, Timewave Zero, was a misstep, their previous efforts are top-notch.
Live, this quartet is even better than recorded and much heavier than you’d expect. Blood Incantation’s music has a lot of dynamics, and the fact they are not blaring at ten through the set and splitting the brutality up with guitar harmonies, cleaner sections, and psychedelic parts makes the neck breaker riffs hit much harder.
I can’t say enough good things about this band, and they should have been higher on the bill.
Blood Incantation Setlist
Starspawn
Chaoplasm
The Giza Power Plant
Slave Species of the Gods
Hovering Lifeless
Immolation
New York’s Immolation has been around forever and, in my opinion, has never been much more than a third-tier death metal band. I had seen them previously opening for Exhorder as a three-piece. Sadly, their performance that night did little to change my mind.
Their riffs got the crowd going, but their set was still boring, aside from a few songs they played from Dawn of Possession. The band has an awkward stage presence, with one guitar player looking like he’s falling asleep, flanked by another with some of the most ridiculous stage moves I’ve ever seen.
Immolation Setlist
Abandoned
An Act of God
The Age of No Light
Harnessing Ruin
Despondent Souls
Blooded
World Agony
Destructive Currents
Providence
Under the Supreme
Let the Darkness In
Obituary
Obituary took the stage early, around 9:30. The Fonda had the sound dialed perfectly. Unlike many death metal bands with blast beats and riffs with a million notes, Obituary’s music is meat and potatoes, almost bordering on punk. Still, when mixed correctly, it is devastating.
John Tardy’s voice was as brutal as usual. It’s incredible at 50+; the guy can still deliver as he does. There were a few points when he missed a line or two, but the fact that he pulls extreme vocals like this off is miraculous, although it’s worth noting he does so with a lot of reverb and delay.
As always, the band played like a juggernaut, with Donald and Terry holding down the rhythm for Kenny and Trever to assault the crowd with their signature guitar twin attack. In addition, Kenny Andew’s guitar solos improve as his tenure in the band continues.
The only downer was much of the set consisted of songs on the new album, which is top-notch, but the new songs are more verse/chorus structures and get a little boring live. On the other hand, the older material was extraordinary because, at times, it didn’t even make sense other than it was one riff heavier than the last.
But this is just a minor complaint. Come see this tour if it reaches a city near you!!
Obituary Setlist
Redneck Stomp
Sentence Day
A Lesson in Vengeance
Visions in My Head
The Wrong Time
Barely Alive
Slow Death
Find the Arise
Weaponize the Hate
My Will to Live
Chopped in Half
Turned Inside Out
War
Dying of Everything
I’m in Pain
Slowly We Rot
Cat Scratch Fever
Tour Dates
Apr 28 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground Apr 29 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation 27 May 01 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage May 02 – Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl May 04 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza May 05 – Boston, MA @ The Middle East May 06 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount May 07 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre May 09 – Chicago, IL @ Metro May 10 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line May 11 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room * May 12 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre * May 13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex May 15 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon May 16 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre May 18 – Berkley, CA @ UC Theatre May 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre May 20 – Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater May 22 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk May 23 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre May 24 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall May 26 – St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag May 28 – Louisville, KY @ Headliner Music Hall
I recently purchased Killjoy’s personal vinyl and CD collection. Before I get into how I acquired this collection and what’s in it, let’s first devote some time to the man himself. “Killjoy Desade” was born Frank Pucci in 1966 and was best known as the lead vocalist for the death metal band Necrophagia. Killjoy was a legendary figure in the underground music scene. He stepped away from music for several years in the early 90s, only to return with a vengeance in 1997.
From 1997 to his death from unknown causes in 2018, Killjoy would be one of the most prolific figures in the underground metal scene, not only rebooting Necrophagia with Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo, he would form several other bands that included members of Autopsy, Sigh, SOD, and many others. In addition, he was a very active businessman and played critical roles in two underground labels (Housecore and Baphomet Records).
Killjoy was an avid horror fan, and his music crossed many extreme metal genres, from death metal, black metal, punk, and even some experimental ambient sounds you can hear in projects like Enoch. Although I did not know him personally, he seemed like a very humble/chill guy in his interviews, and his passing at the age of 53 was a massive blow to the metal community.
Album Unboxing Video
How I Found This Collection
In late 2022, I was contacted by someone in Ohio who had bought Killjoy’s music collection intending to sell it but realized it would be too much work and wanted to unload it all in one shot. He found me through this website and some YouTube videos. I buy collections professionally from all over the world, so he approached me to see if I had an interest, which of course, I did.
I am based in Los Angeles and had just returned from a run to Ohio. I wanted to avoid another cross-country trip, so he sent me videos of him flipping through the records, photos of the CDs, counts of each, and a basic idea of the condition (more on that later).
After a few phone conversations and a bit of haggling on the price, we arrived at a deal. I sent him the money, and four days later, the collection showed up at my door in fourteen separate boxes.
Upon inspection of the records, it was pretty clear that they had been picked over; for example, there were no first pressings of Necrophagia’s “Season Of The Dead”, which would be something you would definitely expect to see. Sadly, the records had been poorly stored; many were warped and smelled of mildew. The same went for the CDs, as many were scratched and water-damaged. However, these issues did not make this a terrible deal. It took some time to go through and pull the gems from the trashed stuff. Nevertheless, the haul had enough heavy metal gold to make my money back. I’ve included many of the gems in the pictures at the end of this post.
Controversy
After I published the video of this collection’s unboxing on YouTube, I got messages from Killjoy’s family indicating the collection was stolen. Not wanting to have purchased stolen merchandise unknowingly, I gave them the contact info for the guy who sold them to me. I never heard anything after giving them this, so they were not likely stolen; just someone must have been unhappy with the chain of custody. Regardless, if they sat in a damp basement for any longer, the entire lot would be worthless in a very short time.
Now, let’s do a rundown of some of the better pieces in there…
Record Highlights
Necrophagia – Season Of The Dead LP Test Pressing 1987 [Killjoy’s Personal Copy] – This is my favorite piece in this collection. “Seasons Of The Dead” was an important album; some metal fans argue it was the first real death metal album. It came out just weeks from “Scream Bloody Gore,” and first pressings sell for a mint. The copy pictured was Killjoy’s personal test pressing; as you can imagine, it is quite valuable.
Fabio Frizzi – L’Aldilà Colonna Sonora Originale Del Film LP Beat [Signed] *IT – Extremely rare and expensive 80s movie soundtrack. This copy was signed, but I couldn’t tell by whom, even after hours of research. It must have been someone good because this sold within hours.
Speed Metal Hell – Volume Three LP Test Pressing 1987 New Renaissance NRR29 VG+ – The first compilation Necrophagia appeared on. This one is extra cool with some awesome handwritten 80s marketing notes.
Plasmatics – Meet The Plasmatics LP 1979 Vice Squad VS-106ESP [ORIGINAL SEALED] – Very rare debut from Wendy O. Williams and The Plasmatics; normal copies are quite valuable, but this is a sealed original in pretty nice shape.
Misfits – Famous Monsters LP Picture Disc 1999 Roadrunner – RR 8658-1 [Sealed] – The sole sans-Danzig Misfits album with singer Micheal Graves, this copy is a sealed picture disc. In my opinion, this album is pretty good!
Nasty Savage – Nasty Savage LP 1985 Metal Blade – MX8028 [Autograped] VG+/VG+ – Very cool piece autographed to Killjoy by Nasty Ronnie and members of Nasty Savage.
Mercyful Fate – Black Funeral 12″ 1983 Music For Nations - 12 KUT 106 VG+/VG – Very rare early Mercyful Fate single – the cover looks great, but the vinyl was a little beat up.
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion LP 1985 1985 Noise – N 0031 VG+/VG+ w/ Poster – The second album from Celtic Frost and an essential metal album. This copy survived in the basement much better than many of the albums pictured here. It included the poster and was also in excellent shape.
From Dusk Till Dawn LP 2016 Brookvale Records – BRK-267 [CLEAR] NM/NM – This copy survived its time in the basement quite well and was still close to near mint.
CD Highlights
Danzig – Danzig 5 Blackacidevil CD Evilive [Limied Edition Sealed] – Very rare and out of print Glenn Danzig. This copy is factory sealed.
Arckanum – Fran Marder CD 1995 Necropolis Records – NR008 [Original] – Very sought-after and rare black metal CD. The back tray card had minor water damage but sold in minutes.
The Spooky Kids – Lunch Boxes & Choklit Cows CD 2004 Empire – 545 450 609-2 – Very rare Marylin Manson group.
Coil – …And the Ambulance Died in His Arms CD 2005 Threshold House – Very rare original pressing.
Cronos – Hell to the Unknown: Anthology CD 2006 Castle Music CMQDD1398 – Two-disc UK compilation of Venom frontman’s solo material, very rare.
Jay Chattaway – Maniac Soundtrack CD 1997 SouthEast – SER 289 B05S *NL – I don’t know much about Jay, but his shaped CD is very cool and collectible.
Iron Maiden – Live at Donington CD 2002 Sanctuary [Limited Digipak] [Sealed] – Limited edition vinyl replica; these CDs are sought by collectors – sealed copy.
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The 80s thrash legends Dark Angel sold out three nights in a row at the Teragram in Los Angeles when they announced they would be playing their 1986 classic “Darkness Descends” in its entirety. The album is considered by many (including myself) to be one of the finest thrash albums ever recorded and still stands up today. But, unfortunately, these shows were already booked when the universe threw a giant wrench in the mix with the passing of founding member guitarist Jim Durkin.
As the date drew nearer, Dark Angel announced the shows would still go on, and Gene Hoglan’s wifeLaura Christine would cover Jim Durkin’s guitar duties. I didn’t know how this would work out, but I decided to withhold my judgment.
We got to the show just before Dark Angel and missed Evil Dead, which I was OK with because I’ve never considered them better than a third-tier thrash band. The Teragram was packed but not oversold, which is nice. The Teragram is a fantastic venue, and I wish they would book more metal shows there.
The band opened with “We Have Arrived”from their debut album of the same name. Unfortunately, this song is from a period of the band’s history when they still needed to find their groove, and it sounds pretty dated now and was an odd choice. They followed with “Time Does Not Heal” from the very disappointing/unlistenable album of the same name, which also missed its mark with the crowd, but all of that changed when they ripped into “Never To Rise Again”, “No One Answers”, and “Death Of Innocence” from the album Leave Scars. At this point, the mosh bit grew, foreshadowing what was to would come.
They began playing the Darkness Descends album in track order, starting with “Darkness Descends”. Interestingly, one of the first beats would be copied almost note-for-note by Metallica two years later on the song “One” on Justice For All. So go back and listen to both songs side-by-side if you don’t believe me.
Three of the musicians onstage (Gene Hoglan, Eric Meyer, and Mike Gonzalez) had all played on Darkness Descends, but singer Ron Rinehart joined the group on the next album. While I much prefer original vocalist Don Doty to Rinehart, Ron did a great job holding down vocal duties and took nothing away from the show, and neither did Laura Christine. Both musicians held their own as consummate professionals.
The band ripped through the seven songs on Darkness Descends like it was still 1986, and the crowd responded accordingly with manic thrashing, moshing, and stage diving. Some of the highlights included “Hunger of The Undead” (which the band had never performed live till now), a smattering of the heaviest riffs from the instrumental “Older Than Time Itself” to break up some songs, and perhaps the most excellent thrash song of all time “Black Prophecies” to drive things over the top.
All things said, this is 80s thrash as good as it can possibly be done, and if you were there, consider yourself lucky, and if Dark Angel ever decides to take this on the road, this show is a must-see!
Setlist
We Have Arrived
Time Does Not Heal
Never to Rise Again
No One Answers
Death Of Innocence
Darkness Descends
The Burning of Sodom
Hunger of the Undead
Merciless Death
Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)
Black Prophecies
Perish in Flames (with Older Than Time Itself riffs)
This post was edited on 4/30 to correct some mistakes in the setlist that were pointed out on Facebook here:
I just bought a crazy black metal collection from France with numerous “Holy Grail” records that collectors dream about owning and some of the most expensive pieces I’ve ever acquired. Starting in late 2022, I’d been talking to a French black metal musician (who shall remain unnamed) about acquiring his black metal records and CDs. It took a few months to work out the deal. Next, I appraised and made an offer on the collection based on a series of photos sent to me over WhatsApp. Finally, we agreed to a fair price and made shipping plans after I issued him the money through PayPal.
As always, I agreed to pick up the shipping charges. We chose DHL France as the shipping service. Unfortunately, post-pandemic shipping prices have increased dramatically, almost double what they were previously, and some new security restrictions made this transaction section a bit more complicated. Once shipping issues were sorted out, the records arrived quickly (in less than five days).
I had some concerns about the condition of some of the vinyl, but once I started sorting through the collection, my fears were assuaged. While the stuff in it was far from “near mint” it was average VG+; there were numerous scarce titles I have never had before and may never have again.
Video Of The Insane Collection
Breakdown Of The Gems
Here is a breakdown of some select gems, and there are many insane ones, starting with…
Darkthrone – A Blaze In The Northern Sky LP 1992 White Label Test Press – Darkthrone – A Blaze In The Northern Sky LP 1992 White Label Test Press – Original copies of “A Blaze In The Northern Sky” are rare enough, but how about this test pressing? At this point, very few of these still exist, nevermind are for sale. This piece is a true rarity.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $1000 USD
Darkthrone – A Blaze In The Northern Sky LP 1992 Peaceville – VILE 28 UK – While this record has been repressed and reissued hundreds of times, the initial run by Peaceville Records was relatively small, making the first pressing of the album quite pricey.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $800 USD
Beherit – Drawing Down The Moon LP 1993 Spinefarm Records – SPI 14 – The original run of this cult-classic black/death metal masterpiece was also relatively small, making it quite pricey.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $700 USD
Hypocrisy – Osculum Obscenum LP 1993 Nuclear Blast NB 080-1 – Hypocrisy – Osculum Obscenum LP 1993 Nuclear Blast NB 080-1 – Extremely rare transparent yellow first pressing of this album was strictly limited to 1000 copies and very rare.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $700 USD
Dissection – Storm Of The Light’s Bane LP 1998 Nuclear Blast [Blue Vinyl] – A true Holy Grail if there ever was one. While an early reissue and not a first pressing of this black metal classic, this 1998 press from Nuclear Blast mailorder was limited to 500 copies and is mega-rare! Even more recent reissues of “Storm of the Lights” bane can fetch $200-$300 a week after they sell out. The first pressings now will run you about $1000.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $700 USD
Nifelheim – Nifelheim LP 1996 Necropolis Records – NR 007 – This was by far the best album from this band. Original CDs can average around $60; as you can see, the vinyl isn’t cheap either.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $600 USD
Dødheimsgard – Monumental Possession LP 1996 Malicious Records MR010 – While I am not totally familiar with this band, it doesn’t stop their records from costing an arm and a leg.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $600 USD
Beherit – The Oath Of Black Blood LP 1991 Turbo Music – Beherit’s debut album was a very limited run and is almost impossible to come by.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $400 USD
Deicide – Legion LP 1992 R/C Records – RC 9192-1 – The fact that this album is fully autographed by the lineup that played on it certainly adds to the value of this one. Considering the animosity between Glen Benton and the Hoffman brothers, you will never get the four of them in a room to sign another copy like this.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $400 USD
Vader – The Ultimate Incantation LP 1992 Earache – MOSH 59 – A great album by a great band; even recent represses of this get expensive.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $400 USD
Sarcófago – I.N.R.I. LP 1987 Cogumelo Produções – COG007 – In my opinion, one of the most influential metal bands ever. Brazil’s Sarcofago has been credited by many as the inventor of grindcore and the bridge between death metal and black metal — another “Holy Grail” for sure.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $400 USD
Dismember – Like An Ever Flowing Stream LP 1991 Nuclear Blast – NB 047 – This album is an essential from the Golden Age Of Death Metal (1990-1995), and the first pressing is hard to score.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $400 USD
Amorphis – The Karelian Isthmus LP 1993 Nuclear Blast – NB 072 – Another offering from the Golden Age of Death Metal – this limited run of 1000 colored vinyl is highly sought after by collectors.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $370 USD
Sodom – Tapping the Vein LP 1992 Steamhammer – SPV 008 – You can argue that this is far from the best album by Sodom, but like many albums from the 1990s, the limited runs make it quite rare and high-dollar.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $350 USD
Krisiun / Viollent Hate – Curse Of The Evil One LP 1993 Dynamo Brazilie – DYN005 – This Brazilian split LP would be the first time the world would hear the brutal black/death metal attack of Krisiun and make it another “Holy Grail” album.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $350 USD
Dissection – Somberlain LP 1996 Nuclear Blast NFR 006 – Picture disc version of Dissection’s second album and a huge deal.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $350 USD
Morbid Angel – Blessed Are The Sick LP 1991 White Label Test Pressing –
Last but not least, a test pressing of what some people consider Morbid Angel’s finest work, “Blessed Are The Sick”. You will be hard-pressed to find this one anywhere.
Condition VG+/VG+ Value $350 USD
There are many other considerable gems in this collection, but these are the 20-or-so standouts; check out my video at the top of the page for a video tour.
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Jim Durkin, Dark Angels founding member, guitarist, and songwriter, died from unknown causes at the age of 58 in Los Angeles. Without him, the band’s three hugely influential albums “We Have Arrived“, “Darkness Descends” and “Leave Scars” would have never happened. He departed the band in 1989 and returned in 2013.
“Darkness Descends” is considered by many in the metal community as “the greatest thrash metal album of all time” and even influenced bands like Slayer.
Statement From Family
News of his passing was shared by his wife, Annie, on Facebook:
“With a broken and heavy heart, I want to share that the love of my life, my best friend and husband, Jimmy, passed away Wednesday morning. He was not alone as I was with him along with a few close friends until the end. He will be truly missed and no one can ever replace the love I have for him. May he rest in peace. Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours … My Immortal Beloved. I will see you again.”
Statement From Band
The band also confirmed Durkin’s passing: “We in the Dark Angel family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin passing away Wednesday morning. We would like to thank his fans for their continuous loyalty and support. We will come out with a full statement very soon. We ask that you please respect the family’s privacy while we mourn the loss of this great man.”
LA Shows
Jim was still active in Dark Angel as the only original member at the time of his passing. The band was even slated to play three sold-out shows in Los Angeles at the Teragram, playing the entire “Darkness Descends” album.
It is unknown if these shows will go on.
Video
Rare old-school footage from 1986 featuring original singer Don Doty
2014 Finland
We in the Dark Angel Family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin passing away Wednesday morning. We would like to thank his fans for their continuous loyalty and support. We will come out with a full statement very soon. pic.twitter.com/KsOMV228l9
Sadly, I have been getting many collections I have been buying lately because the original owners have passed away. I picked up this killer old-school thrash, death, and black metal from the original owner’s family through the mail from North Carolina after they had cleaned out his storage area.
In it were a ton of great out-of-print rarities, and I have outlined some of the gems below.
Gems From This Collection
Sodom – Agent Orange LP 1989 R/C Records – RC 9480 – Excellent original copy of Sodom’s 1987 thrash metal classic “Agent Orange” still in its original shrink wrap.
Death Angel – The Ultra-Violence LP 1987 Enigma – ST-73253 – Another great thrash metal record from 1987 and the best by Death Angel, still in its original shrink wrap with hype stickers.
Exhorder – Slaughter in the Vatican CD 1991 Roadrunner – RO 93632 – Kill first pressing of Exhorer’s debut album and a pricey and rare CD.
Slayer – Hell Awaits CD 1986 Combat – 88561-8020-2 – An actual real first pressing of Slayer’s “Hell Awaits”with the orange back panel. I have never even seen one of these before. Very rare.
Sepultura – Morbid Visions CD 1990 New Renaissance Records – NRCD43 – This a an OG on New Renaissance Records, as you can tell by the insanely simple rear-panel layout.
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What can you say about Florida’s Obituary that has never been said? The band has one of the most consistent streaks in death metal and has never released a sub-par album. While you could argue the band peaked on their debut album, “Slowly We Rot” — nothing that they have released subsequently has sucked. Is it time to break that streak as the band hurdles into their mid-fifties? I’m glad to report the answer is a resounding “no.”
One of the main reasons the band has retained its unique sound is that its core has remained intact with few changes over the decades. Trevor Perez and the Tardy brothers have been original members since 1984. The lead guitar spot has rotated four times through the years, and I’m sure the original bassist would still be in the band had he not succumbed to cancer in 2015 and been replaced by Death’s Terry Butler.
Listen To Full Album Below
The production of “Dying Of Everything” is crisp and clear, with the mix dialed where it needs to be without sounding overproduced. Overproduction is a common pitfall of many modern metal records, and I’m sure the band had the budget to go nuts (as opposed to “Slowly We Rot” which was recorded for $4000). In particular, the drums cut through the mix great and do not sound over-sampled or excessively corrected by Beat Detective. Likewise, the guitar sound is warm and natural and perfectly captures Trevor’s unique sound. “New” guitarist Ken Andrews delivers some great solo work with the guitar leads frequently placed toward the beginning of the songs, which is quite refreshing!
Obituary is not a band that relies on speed or crazy technicality to deliver their brutal sound. Instead, Trevor’s riffs are solid meat and potatoes and retain an almost hardcore punk character. However, these nearly simplistic riffs become monsters when meshed with drummer/cat activist Donald Tardy’s unique approach to rhythmic grooves and John’s guttural vocals: The result is unmistakably Obituary!
Speaking of John Tardy, that man’s growling vocals haven’t lost anything with age, which is extremely impressive. In addition, you hear a bit more annunciation and can understand a lot of the lyrics; the singer admits some songs consisted of guttural sounds that were not even actual words in some early efforts.
Banger Tracks
I recommend listening to this album in track order, as it seems they spent a good time developing the track sequence, which is a lost art these days. The album starts with arguably the fastest track on the album, “Barely Alive”. This song rips and includes a few note-heavy passages you don’t typically hear from this band.
The following track, “Wrong Time,” is a single that had been out for a few months, and I have to admit I wasn’t crazy about it at first, but then changed my mind when I saw how well it worked live. “Without Conscience” shows the benefits of Tardy’s more controlled approach to vocals and creates an insanely catchy chorus. The title track, “Dying Of Everything” is a banger and is reminiscent of the band’s mid-nineties output. There is no filler on the record, but I have to talk about the album closer, “Be Warned” which is tied with the opening track as my favorite but for different reasons. The 5:47 minute epic boasts some brutal Tom G Warrion/Celtic Frost-type riffing, is a perfect low-tempo closer and is the heaviest song on the album. This bookend is one of the main reasons I suggest listening to this album in track order from start to finish; you won’t regret it.
Verdict
With “Dying Of Everything,” Obituary retains their spot as the AC/DC of Florida Death metal, and if you are a fan like I am, I highly suggest picking this up; you won’t be disappointed!
Obituary – Dying Of Everything Label: Relapse Records Released: Jan 13, 2023
This past weekend I caught the recent Obituary, Carcass, and Amon Armoth show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and here is a quick review of it.
Obituary
As always, Obituary was incredible, and they opened on the bill. However, there was a giant fly in the ointment. Their set was WAY TOO SHORT and consisted only of the following:
Redneck Stomp
Sentence Day
A Lesson in Vengeance
Visions in My Head
Circle of the Tyrants
The Wrong Time
Given that “Redneck Stomp” is an instrumental, “Circle of the Tyrants” is a Celtic Frost cover, and “The Wrong Time” is a new song, it left the crowd starved for that brutal classic material from albums such as “Cause of Death” and “Slowly We Rot“. I wasn’t a massive fan of their latest single, “The Wrong Time,” but the material works live, so the song has grown on me.
Here is a video shot by a fan that does a reasonably good job of summing up the night.
Carcass
The Kia show was my second time seeing Carcass in recent months. Unfortunately, the band’s set was much shorter and less inspiring than their show at Psycho Fest. Aside from “Incarnated Solvent Abuse” the set consisted of all post-Heartwork era material, forgoing the early grindcore period, and their short setlist was as follows:
Buried Dreams
Kelly’s Meat Emporium
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
This Mortal Coil
Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B)
The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Heartwork
Amon Armoth
Amon Armoth’s production demands were the primary cause of Obituary’s and Carcass’s truncated sets. I knew Amon Armoth was big, but I never realized the monsters they’d become. Their production was insane and matched the greatness of Iron Maiden’s 1985 Powerslave tour (which was the first show I ever saw). Amon Armoth is trying to take the mantle of this generation’s Iron Maiden, and that’s big money.
Amon Armoth sounded great — even too great. The drums we played tight to a click track, the vocals had backing tracks coming in, and I suspect there was even some augmentation of the guitars at points.
Despite how incredible the production was, how great the sound was, and how crazy the stage show was when metal reaches this level of perfection, it also loses much of its grit. Unfortunately, this was the case here. I would rather see an underground band sweating it out, playing on stage volume, and killing it in a bar than see some over-polished corporate metal show.
I didn’t even make it through the entire set, but it was as follows:
Guardians of Asgaard
Raven’s Flight
Deceiver of the Gods
Oden Owns You All
The Pursuit of Vikings
The Great Heathen Army
Find a Way or Make One
Destroyer of the Universe
Put Your Back Into the Oar
Cry of the Black Birds
The Way of Vikings
First Kill
Shield Wall
Raise Your Horns
Twilight of the Thunder God
The Kia Forum
The Kia Forum is a rebranded version of the original Forum in Inglewood and a poor choice for this show. Possibly because of the size of Amon Armoth’s set, they required a space this massive. YouTube Theatre or Hollywood Palladium would have been better for this event. The forum was built in 1987 but seemed much older: Factor in $60 parking and $28 self-serve beers, and it’s going to take a lot of work to get me back to Kia Forum – unless it’s something completely mind-blowing.
This month’s update took me on an adventure to Chillicothe, Ohio, where I picked up a massive collection of 2500 extreme metal LPs, 5500 CDs, and around 2000 cassettes, all in mint condition.
Here is a video of the haul once I loaded itinto my place.
Sadly, this collection did not become available under the best of circumstances. The original owner of this insane collection, Scott Baxter, of the Philadelphia-based metal/hardcore band, Dare To Defy, tragically succumbed to cancer at age 55.
Here is a link to some of Dare To Defy’s music, active from the late 80s to the late 90s.
On his passing, he left his collection to a friend who was not a big metal fan. She contacted me through this site, and after a few phone calls, I decided to fly out to Chillicothe to check it out and perhaps make an offer.
I left Los Angeles on the redeye and hoped to catch some sleep on the first leg of the flight from LAX to Atlanta. But unfortunately, I was unable to fall asleep on the plane. So I arrived in Columbus and decided to power through. I picked up a U-Haul truck from a town near the airport and went to view the collection — it was as she described to me, so after a bit of negotiation, I wrote the owner a check, loaded the truck, and was on my way back by 3 PM that afternoon.
The Long Journey Home
At this point, on no sleep, I began the most white-knuckle leg of the trip: The 2000-mile-plus trek back to Los Angeles.
I only drove a few hours on the first day before stopping in Indiana. Then, after 16 hours of driving the next day, I stopped for the night in Missouri, and again after a similar length drive, I stopped in Denver.
Most miraculously, there were no serious snafus the entire trip – no running of gas, speeding tickets, or brushes with death.
Highlights From This Collection
I have yet to make it through every album in this monolithic assemblage, but I pulled out a few to feature in this first blog post and will follow up with some more in future posts.
Mortician – Hacked Up For Barbecue LP 2016 Hells Headbangers NM/NM BLUE RED – Great 90s death metal by two-man band from Yonkers, NY, that recorded with a drum machine and never toured because they were on probation. Hacked Up For Barbecue is both brutal and highly collectible.
Mortician – Re-Animated Dead Flesh LP 2016 Hells Headbangers NM GLOW IN THE DARK – Though this album is technically a reissue, the early Mortician albums never appeared on vinyl. This limited glow-in-the-dark vinyl is quite rare, collectible, and pricey.
Death Angel – The Ultra-Violence LP WHITE 2016 Metal Blade – 3984-15377-1 NM/NM – This white vinyl limited run of 100 from the OG Death Angel thrash classic is very sought after because of its low print run.
Mercyful Fate – Melissa LP 1983 Megaforce Records – MRI-369 EX/NM – The debut album from Mercyful Fate “Melissa” is widely regarded as one the most influential extreme metal albums of all time. To find an original copy in near-mint condition is a rare treat.
Satan – Court In The Act LP 1984 LP Metal Blade – MBR 1016 EX/EX – Though technically a reissue, this first US pressing of “Court In The Act” by the British heavy metal band Satan is very sought after.
Cryptic Slaughter – Money Talks LP 2014 Relapse – RR6547 NM [GREEN LIMITED 300] – These limited color reissues from the godfathers of grindcore not only look cool, but they are also almost worth as much as original copies of this LP.
Deicide – Deicide LP 2014 Metal Blade Records – 3984-15311-1 NM/NM [RED VINYL] – These limited red reissues of the debut album from Deicide sold out so fast they are now scarce and never sell for less than a hundred bucks!
Have A Collection Like This You Want To Sell?
I constantly look for metal and punk CDs, cassettes, and record collections. I am happy to come to you given the right situation, or we can do these types of deals through mail/email without meeting. No amount of records is too big or too small. More info here:
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