Thrash Metal IQ

Posted on May 25, 2023May 25, 2023 by ThrashMetalIQ — Leave a comment

Obituary, Immolation, and Blood Incantation Show Review May 19th Fonda Theatre Hollywood

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

Posted on April 28, 2023April 30, 2023 by ThrashMetalIQ — Leave a comment

I Bought Killjoy From Necrophagia’s Album Collection & This Is What’s In It

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.

These are just a few – you can find many of the items listed for sale here:
https://www.ebay.com/str/thrashmetaliq

Do You Have A Collection Like This You Want To Sell?

Do you own or have you inherited a collection like this and want help from a professional heavy metal record and CD buyer? Contact me on the page below.

Want To Sell Your Metal Records Or CDS? I Pay More Than Anyone!

Posted on April 19, 2023April 29, 2023 by ThrashMetalIQ — Leave a comment

Dark Angel Plays “Darkness Descends” Show Review 4/15/2023 Teragram Los Angeles

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 wife Laura 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:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/544184196385696/posts/1457797595024347/

Posted on March 26, 2023March 26, 2023 by ThrashMetalIQ — Leave a comment

Highlights From An Extremely Rare Black Metal Vinyl Collection I Bought From France

BUYING BLACK FRENCH METAL COLLECTIONS HEADER

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.