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the years, and I’m sure the original bassist would still be in the band had he not succumbed to cancer in 2015 and been replaced by Death’s Terry Butler.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 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!
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Standout Rare United Guttural Rare Death Metal CDs
The cool thing about the CD collection pictured above is its amount of out-of-print stuff. For example, there are many titles from the now-defunct United Guttural Records, which put out a lot of great obscure goregrind, grindcore, and death metal in the 90s and early 2000s.
Rotting – Crushed CD 1998 United Guttural Records – UGR 002 – Very rare, usually sells 40-50 dollars.
Mutilated – Devirginated Genital Pulp CD 2003 Forever Underground – FU018 – Very sick cover that should make the pro-abortion freak proud. Also sells for around 40-50 dollars
Rotting – Crushed CD 1998 United Guttural Records – UGR 002 – Very sick cover. Also sells 40-50 bucks.
Other Standout CDs
Internal Bleeding – Voracious Contempt CD 1995 Pavement Music – 72445-15009-2 – Great death metal band that could have been huge, toured with Cannibal Corpse, but is a metal band that should have been bigger. This CD is worth 50-60 dollars.
Sadus – Swallowed In Black CD 1990 R/C Records – RCD 9368 – Second album from brutal thrash band Sadus is worth about 60 bucks for the first pressing on R/C records. This band was very intense and their music bordered on death metal.
Regurgitation – Tales Of Necrophilia CD 1999 Ablated Records – ABLTD002 – ABLTD002 – This CD has been entirely out-of-print since 1999. Hell’s Headbanger Records reissued it in 2019. Originals still go for around 50 bucks.
October Hardcore Punk Vinyl Update
October has been another strong month for buying punk rock vinyl, as witnessed in this video.
The funny thing about buying collections from the 80s Golden Age Of Punk is seeing many of the identical records repeatedly. Not only do you see the same bands over and over again, suck as Minor Threat, Black Flag, and Dead Kennedys, you see many of the same compilations, such as Punk and Disorderly, and ROQ.
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We decided to take a chance and drive an hour outside of LA to catch Napalm Death playing with Final Conflict at Transplants Brewing Company in Palmdale, CA, on April 15, 2022. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the venue, but I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. Transplants Brewing Company is easily better than EVERY venue in Los Angeles right now. There was plenty of free parking (as opposed to the $30 many venues in LA charge), 7$ beers brewed in-house, a friendly staff, and the place has a great sounding room. If you live in LA, it is definitely worth the trip.
A local support act was on the bill and was actually pretty good, not life-changing good, but they were decent. I wanted to link to a place where you could find their music, but because of the crazy death metal font they used for their logo, I have no idea what the band’s name was (see flyer below). If anybody knows, feel free to drop it in the comments.
FInal Conflict
Next up was Final Conflict from Long Beach, CA. Palmdale was a one-off show, as Napalm Death continues their US tour with Arch Enemy and Behemoth starting in Tempe. I don’t know a ton about Final Conflict other than the fact they’ve been around forever, and I was familiar with some of their better-known songs. The band consisted of only one original member (Jeff Harp on guitar) and was backed up by Anthony Robles and Nick Manning, who play with a number of other punk rock bands, including DI.
Final Conflict dished out some competent Cro-mags style punk/hardcore that was well received by the crowd and got the mosh pit swirling at a furious pace. Again, nothing life-changing but delivered in such a professional manner; you can’t put it down either – especially considering the ages of some of the long-time members.
Napalm Death
Next up was English grindcore legends Napalm Death, who, if you want to get technical about it, consist of no original members. However, the current line-up has remained relatively steady since the early 90s. Guitarist Mich Harris does not tour with the band, and sitting in for him is touring guitarist John Cooke who, in my opinion, is not that good, but because of the nature of grindcore music, his sloppy playing doesn’t take much away either.
That band delivered a blistering set, consisting of a lot of material from their last two releases Apex Predator – Easy Meat (2015) and Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism (2020), as well as quite a few classics from the 80s and 90s with two cover songs (including the Dead Kennedy’s “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”). Bassist Shane Embury is an absolute monster, and drummer Danny Herrara is one of the best skinsman in the business. The duo is a formidable rhythm section. Vocalist “Barney” Greenway hasn’t lost a thing over the years vocal-wise and may have even improved. Unfortunately, his stage presence is a bit goofy, and he often looks like he’s having a seizure as he dances on stage. In addition, some of his far-left rants between songs leave a lot to be desired and make me thankful I can’t understand the lyrics on their recordings. If you could make out what he was saying, I imagine it would sound like the rantings of a possessed MSNBC host.
Napalm Death hasn’t lost a thing over the years and solidly deserve their position as the biggest band in grindcore because they play this form of music better than everyone.
Catch them on tour with Arch Enemy and Behemoth in these cities through May.
Napalm Death On Tour With Behemoth and Arch Enemy
Sat 16.04.2022 Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre Mon 18.04.2022 San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theatre Tue 19.04.2022 Dallas, TX – Amplified Live Thu 21.04.2022 St Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live Fri 22.04.2022 Atlanta, GA – The Eastern Sat 23.04.2022 Charlotte. NC – The Fillmore Charlotte Mon 25.04.2022 Toronto, ON – Rebel Tue 26.04.2022 Montreal, QC – Mtelus Thu 28.04.2022 New York, NY – Terminal 5 Fri 29.04.2022 Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia Sat 30.04.2022 Worcester, MA – Palladium Mon 02.05.2022 Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre Wed 04.05.2022 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre Sat 07.05.2022 Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot Mon 09.05.2022 Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo Tue 10.05.2022 Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre Wed 11.05.2022 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater Fri 13.05.2022 Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre Sun 15.05.2022 Los Angeles, CA – The Hollywood Palladium NAPALM DEATH U.S. headline shows: Wed 13.04.2022 Fresno, CA – Strummers + Elder Devil Thu 14.04.2022 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar + Deaf Club Fri 15.04.2022 Palmdale, CA – Transplants + Final Conflict Wed 27.04.2022 Syracuse, NY – The Lost Horizon + Fed Ash Tue 03.05.2022 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club + Pig Destroyer Fri 06.05.2022 Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater + Unto Others
The original owner was a younger guy, but the entire collection consisted of 20% from the Golden Age Of Thrash Metal and 80% from the 90s peak of death metal. 95% of these albums are reissues, but a few first are pressings that include “Slowly We Rot” and “Cause Of Death” from Obituary.
Even some of the reissues can be shockingly expensive due to the 7-12 month delays in vinyl production that is now plaguing the music industry.
I have cataloged the inventory from this purchase below. If you are looking to buy any of the entries listed can do so at ThrashMetalIQ on eBay.
This article is a continuation of my 2020 blog post detailing the most expensive metal CDs that we have had first-hand experience with from buying a lot of heavy metal CD collections. For the 2021 update, I have expanded the list to 25 because we’ve grown considerably as a business. The values assigned to each are based on amounts we have sold them for and are not an aggregate. All CDS from the 2020 blog post have also been excluded from this list, but you can view the archive here.
Krabathor – Cool Mortification CD 1993 Monitor – 010174-2331 (Czech Republic) – This CD is rare and HEAVILY counterfeited — there are very few real ones floating around. Some counterfeits even mimic the runout matrix, but if the ring does not look exactly like this, it is fake.
SOLD 9/11/2021 – $199.95
2. Morpheus Descends – Ritual Of Infinity CD 1992 JL America – 3815-41012-2
Morpheus Descends – Ritual Of Infinity CD 1992 JL America – 3815-41012-2 – This is a another heavily bootlegged CD, but the 1992 first press with this runout Matrix / Runout (Variant 1): W.O.# E35739-1 *MANUFACTURED BY AMERICAN HELIX* CD 0400313815-41012-2 is worth a mint.
SOLD 8/1/2021 – $149.95
3. A.C. – It Just Gets Worse CD 2003 Earache – MOSH 195CD Original Factory Sealed
Anal Cunt – It Just Gets Worse CD 2003 Earache – MOSH 195CD – This is more than what this CD usually fetches (usually $50-$70), but this copy was factory sealed made it slightly more expensive. The fact Seth Putnam and the gang are canceledfrom metal continues to drive Anal CuntCD price northward.
SOLD 6/7/2021 – $129.95
4. Iron Maiden – Tailgunner CD Single 1990 Epic – ESK 2233 PROMO
Iron Maiden – Tailgunner CD Single 1990 Epic – ESK 2233 PROMO – With no cover art (comes as disc only), the mega-rare Iron Maiden radio promo is worth a pretty penny.
Sold 8/8/2021 – $99.95
5. Sanctuary – Into The Mirror Live / Black Reflections CD 1990 Epic– ESK2188 PROMO
Sanctuary – Into The Mirror Live / Black Reflections CD 1990 Epic– ESK2188 PROMO -Worth so much because: 1000 copies were manufactured and 500 were distributed to radio stations / stores. The other 500 were destroyed due to contractual issues with the label.
SOLD 6/12021 – $99.95
6. Nasty Habit – Rock Hard CD 1991 American Records – 1439-2
Nasty Habit – Rock Hard CD 1991 American Records – 1439-2 – Honestly, I have no idea why this CD is so expensive, but it didn’t sit on the shelf long.
Accidental Suicide – Deceased CD 1992 Grind Core – 89811-2 – Very rare self-release grindcore. This copy sold for a lt because it was factory sealed, but any copy is worth at least 50 bucks.
SOLD 5/5/2021 – $98.72
8. Death – Scream Bloody Gore CD 1987 Combat – 88561-8146-2 (FIRST PRESS)
Death – Scream Bloody Gore CD 1987 Combat – 88561-8146-2 – The first press and the repress if this album has the same catalog number. The first pressing lists all of the song titles straight in a row. The repress says “Side A / Side B” on the rear card.
SOLD 4/4.2021 – $98.69
9. Gutted – Gutted CD 1997 Loud N Local Music Group – LNLMG9701-2
Gutted – Gutted CD 1997 Loud N Local Music Group – LNLMG9701-2 – The original indie release is the one that’s worth big money. It was later reissued by the Greek label Repulsive Echo.
SOLD 6/1/2021 – $96.94
10. Gorguts – Considered Dead CD 1991 R/C Records – RCD 9273
Gorguts – Considered Dead CD 1991 R/C Records – RCD 9273 (ORIGINAL RARE) – Like many CDs from the golden age of death metal, this one is worth a bunch and does not stick around long.
SOLD 7/7/2021 – $95.95
11. Immolation – Stepping On Angels…Before Dawn CD 1995 Repulse Records RPS 004 CD
Immolation – Stepping On Angels…Before Dawn CD 1995 Repulse Records RPS 004 CD – Another winner from one of the more prominent bands from the 90s golden age of death metal.
SOLD 3/3/2012 $95.41
14. Immolation – Dawn of Possession CD 1991 R/C Records RCD 9310
Immolation – Dawn of Possession CD 1991 R/C Records RCD 9310 – ORIGINAL PRESS – Debut CD from Immolation and second title from this band to make this list.
SOLD 5/5/2021 – $92.23
15. Dawn – Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy) CD 2004 Necropolis 44021-2
Dawn – Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy) CD 2004 Necropolis 44021-2 – I don’t know much about this band.
SOLD 2/1/2021 – $89.96
16. Iron Maiden – No Prayer For The Dying CD Single 1990 Epic – ESK 73695
Iron Maiden – No Prayer For The Dying CD Single 1990 Epic – ESK 73695 – Another super rare 3-song radio, which includes two unreleased cover tunes.
SOLD 7/21/2021 – $89.95
17. Bruce Dickinson: Killing Floor / King In Crimson CD CMC International
Bruce Dickinson: Killing Floor / King In Crimson CD CMC International RARE PROMO – Another very rare and valuable radio promo with only one song from the Iron Maiden frontman.
SOLD 8/28/2021 – $87.95
18. Transgressor – Ether For Scapegoat CD 1992 Cyber Music – CYBER CD 03
Transgressor – Ether For Scapegoat CD 1992 Cyber Music – CYBER CD 03 NETHERLANDS = Another band I don’t know a ton about other than their CDs are worth a bunch.
SOLD 4/21/2021 – $82.95
19. Scorpions – Virgin Killer CD 1989 RCA – B20D-41012
Scorpions – Virgin Killer CD 1989 RCA – B20D-41012 Japan /w OBI Banned Cover – Japanese version with the original banned artwork – super valuable and out-of-print!
SOLD 6/20/2021 – $74.95
20. Seance – Fornever Laid To Rest CD 1993 Black Mark Production – BMCD 17
Seance – Fornever Laid To Rest CD 1993 Black Mark Production – BMCD 17 – Very rare release on Quarthon’s from Bathory’s Black Mark label.
SOLD 6/21/2021 – $74.95
21. Massacre – From Beyond CD 1991 Relativity – 88561-2038-2
Massacre – From Beyond CD 1991 Relativity – 88561-2038-2 – Death alumni’s minus Chuck. This CD has Very sought after.
SOLD 3/3/2021 – $74.61
22. Dismember – Like An Ever Flowing Stream CD 1992 Nuclear Blast – IMP. NBA 6018
Dismember – Like An Ever Flowing Stream CD 1992 Nuclear Blast – IMP. NBA 6018 – This CD has been reissued many times, but the first press in the one that is worth money.
SOLD 1/2/2021 – $73.71
23. Burzum – Det Som Engang Var CD 1997 Misanthropy Records – AMAZON 002
Burzum – Det Som Engang Var CD 1997 Misanthropy Records – AMAZON 002 – DIGIPAK – For some reason, you are forbidden from using the word “Burzum” on eBay. Still, if you search for “1Burzum” you are likely to find the entire catalog.
SOLD 4/4/2021 – $69.95
24. Dark Forest – Land Of The Evening Star CD 2012 Bleak Art Records BAR011
Dark Forest – Land Of The Evening Star CD 2012 Bleak Art Records BAR011 Canada – Rare Canadian death metal.
SOLD 7/13/2021
25. Dominus Xul – The Primigeni Xul (I Condemned My Enemies) CD 1999 Picoroco CHILE
Dominus Xul – The Primigeni Xul (I Condemned My Enemies) CD 1999 Picoroco CHILE – Last but not least.
SOLD 2/1/2021 – $59.95
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The standout in the collection was three copies of Death’s “Scream Bloody Gore” (all original 1987 pressings). In addition, the was one original U.S. Combat Records pressing, one Under One Flag European pressing, and one French pressing on N.E.W. Musicdisc. The complete list of records is in the list below.
The bulk was an impressive selection of death metal CDs, including many very rare and expensive ones, also in the list below.
12” Death Metal LPs
Vice Human – Metal Attack 1985 Media VG+ Sleeve G+/VG
Cannabis Corpse – Blunted at Birth 2006 Forcefield records Bloodshot Red
Death – Scream Bloody Gore 1987 Combat VG+/VG+
Death – Scream Bloody Gore 1987 Under One Flag VG+/VG+
Death – Scream Bloody Gore 1987 N.E.W Musidisc VG/VG+
Death – Leprosy 2014 Relapse Black Vinyl
Desultor – Masters Of Hate 2012 Abyss Records 1st press limited to 100 numbered Clear Red Vinyl. (number 28/100)
Desultor – Masters Of Hate 2012 Abyss Records 1st press limited to 100 numbered Clear Red Vinyl. (number 29/100)
Devoid – Blackened Empire 1991 Skysaw Records Media (VG), Sleeve (G)
Dissect – Swallow Swouming Mass 2013 Xtreem Music limited to 100 on Black Wax Splattered In Orange
Morbus Chron – Sleepers in the Rift 2012 Me Saco Un Ojo limited 200 White vinyl
If you have a collection of death metal, thrash metal, hard rock or heavy metal CDs, LPs, records, tapes of memorabilia, I am always looking to buy collections, contact me.
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