Nightstick - Ultimatum (1998)

Cost: $1.00

Bob Williams' post-Siege band.  Sludgy, noisy stuff with the occasional (or not-so-occasional) burst of squealing saxophone.  Do you feel cheated when I write about this sort of eclectic stuff?  You should!   I'm not motivated enough to dissect it musically so I end up writing something vague in the hopes that since it's not pure heavy metal, people will avoid it anyway.

Speaking of feeling cheated, I feel cheated by Nightstick a bit.  They have that Padoinka the Clown character who appears in the album layouts and is credited with "interpretive dance"--in all seriousness, I like the comedic air he lends to the proceedings.  So it finally dawns on me that I may be able to find live footage on Youtube and see what the clown actually does at the live shows.  I found some footage--only maybe it's of a bad gig, because the only thing I interpreted from his dancing was that he was tired.  Padoinka essentially did nothing but sway timidly near the drumkit during the whole show (which included various feats of musical instrument abuse and destruction by the other members).  Kind of a bummer.

I see this more as a quirky oddity of musical experimentation.  Keep in mind I actually do like some of the catchy stuff they did on the Death to Music album, like the new version of "Dahmer's Room" and what is undoubtedly a Marine Corps favorite, "Jarhead."

All Hallow's Evil - This Faustian Flesh (pro-printed CD-R, 2006)

Cost: $1.00

I found this sealed and I originally got it as trade fodder, thinking it was an indie gothic or horror punk release based on the front/back cover.  I opened it to replace the cracked case and one of the two fellows (I should point out now for the sake of clarity that it's basically a one-man project with assistance on his various releases) is wearing a Kreator shirt.  So of course based on that alone I'm compelled to listen to it.  Speaking of which, I've often pondered why non-metal bands--particularly punk/hardcore bands--don't wear metal t-shirts prominently in photos placed strategically in the CD layouts to trick me and like-minded individuals (yes, what a terrible thought) into buying their albums.  Then I realized they wouldn't see any money from it as I'd just wait for said albums to show up in the dollar bin.

This is a sort of dark progressive metal with jangly guitars.  Part III (the album is a single song indexed into sections) employs some black metal guitarwork and vocals--probably the most interesting part of the whole thing, yet used only briefly.  Musically, it's not terrible, except for the normal vocals, which have a trying-to-be-dramatic inflection and enunciation I found kind of silly.  But it didn't evoke any strong response from me and failed to create any real atmosphere.

I should also note All Hallow's Evil have been quite prolific in putting out releases (the others seem to have varying degrees of metal content/influence).  I suspect that to whatever extent, there's a problem with overabundance of ideas and a compulsion to document everything musically without regards to quality control.  If this is a truly self-serving project then that's fine, but then why even bother to put it on CD-R? 

X-Seed - Desolation (1995)

Groovy post-thrash, one of the dime-a-dozen bands playing this style in the '90s.  Notable only because the vocalist is none other than Mark Duffy of Toranaga/Millennium fame--his style is gruffer here, as befits the music.

Mourning Sign - Alienor (1995)

Mourning Sign changed quite a bit the few years they were around in the early to mid '90s, but Alienor--in my opinion their best material by far--is the only release that ever really matched their band name and logo style.  Good doomy death metal here with occasional clean singing passages.  This was released the same year as their full-length debut, but it's actually a mini-CD pressing of the band's '93 promo.  Unfortunately, this wasn't a style they stuck with.  Their '92 Last Chamber demo was rather pedestrian death metal--okay stuff, but not a hidden gem by any means and definitely outclassed by legions of bands in the burgeoning early Swedish DM scene.  I haven't heard their s/t debut but apparently they lost the doom edge and got much more contemporary.  The '96 Multiverse album is very progressive and throws all sorts of varied influences into the mix.  Maybe Godhead Rec. was slipping these guys the same drugs (obtained from Acrimony, obviously) that caused such unwelcome changes in Mind Riot and Expulsion?

I Love Metal / I ♥ Metal compilation (1999)

Obviously, with bargain bin in the blog title, things would eventually delve into the realm of tribute albums.  Not only tribute albums, but novelty tribute albums.  Some punk/ska/alternative bands cover '80s metal:

1. Reggie & the Full Effect - Raining Blood (Slayer)
Initially, when I heard the opening riff, I thought this might have some novelty value and uniqueness as a more electronic take on Slayer.  Then the distorted shouts of the vocals began. 

2. Avail - Iron Fist (Motörhead)
Pretty good musically.  I suspect the vocalist realized he couldn't emulate Lemmy, so there are
just generic gruff vocals.

3. Less Than Jake - We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister)
Sped-up, punkish, and lightweight, which is actually what I had envisioned most of the covers would be like.  Not good or interesting, though.

4. Hot Rod Circuit - Sin City (AC/DC)
The playing is competent, but has none of the dirt or grit of the original.

5. The Get Up Kids - On With the Show (Mötley Crüe)
Emo vocals.

6. Jejune - No One Like You (Scorpions)
Along with the later Girlschool cover, this is the most musically-faithful rendition on the comp.  They try to do it straight up, but the vocalist really doesn't have the chops for it.

7. The Killingtons - Animal (Fuck Like a Beast) (W.A.S.P.)
This is such a lethargic version that it sounds like a legitimate, non-cover alternative song (don't misconstrue that comment as being positive in any way).  And the chorus lyrics aren't even right.

8. Supernova - The Trooper (Iron Maiden)
This may have been an attempt at a freewheelin' rock'n'roll version, but it's devoid of energy.  Unfortunately, it's not devoid of intrusive electronic sounds during the whole thing.

9. Mephiskapheles - Necromantical Screams (Celtic Frost)
They nailed the Frost guitar tone, and I thought the sparingly used ska horns and intentionally-ridiculous-to-mock-the-original operatic backing vox were the only truly humorous elements of this entire compilation.
Vocals really bring it down though, as they're forced and monotonous.

10. Lounge - Living After Midnight (Judas Priest)
Lame pop-punk version.


11. Electric Frankenstein - Not for Sale (Girlschool)
Unexpected yet pleasant surprise both in song choice and execution.  Vocals are weak but great instrumentally.

12. Modest Mouse + Califone - South of Heaven (Slayer)
Acoustic nonsense.

13. Gardner (special live bonus track) - Flying High Again (Ozzy Osbourne)
Too easygoing; severely lacking in energy.

I was actually going into this expecting most of the covers to be hyperactive and simplified punk versions played at more manic tempos, but to the contrary, quite a few songs suffer from having no power or energy.  There's a lot less in terms of experimentation and parody than I would have guessed too.  This isn't quite the equivalent of throwing a dollar into the gutter, but looking at the layout (a school binder covered in pen graffiti) was more fulfilling than a lot of the musical content.

Starwood - If It Ain't Broke, Break It! (2004)

Three of the four Starwood members are from Lizzy Borden, including Lizzy himself.  I've seen the album touted as kind of a modern take on '70s/'80s glam rock, which would have been alright, but I was quite disappointed that it didn't seem very retro.  A couple of the choruses hint at the '70s, but this just doesn't have the over-the-top execution or hooks of '70s glam, nor the sleaziness or bite of  the '80s glam bands.  The older Lizzy Borden material shows more of a Sweet/Kiss/Alice Cooper/Slade/etc. influence than this!
In a way this reminds me of the more commercial fare on Lizzy Borden's Master of Disguise, though Starwood is nowhere near as experimental and suffers from modern production values.

Between the Frost - Instinct of Surliness (1998)

 

Dear readers, I kid you not, I staked this CD out for close to a year, waiting for it to move from the regularly-priced used CDs into the dollar bin.  And when it did?  Oh, the relief.  Oh, the elation.

Anyhow, somebody's been listening to Storm of the Light's Bane.  Yup, total Dissection-styled black/death here.  The vocals (done in a black metal style) are quite high--they don't quite reach anything like a Dani Filth level where they actually cause annoyance, but given the amount of black/death bands who emulated Dissection, the vox aren't doing the band any favors when there are so many options for this sound available.