NOISE FROM THE UNDERGROUND VOL. 10
ELISABETH LUTYENS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF HORROR VOL. 1 (DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS / THE SKULL / PARANOIAC) (1965/1965/1967) CD / IRON KOBRA: ETERNAL DAGGER (2026) CD / IRON KOBRA: DUNGEON MASTERS (2012) CD / IRON KOBRA: MIGHT & MAGIC (2015) CD / TYRANN: TYRANN FOREVER (2026) CD / MOSH-PIT JUSTICE: FUTURE IS DENIED (2026) CD / BAPHOMET'S BLOOD: SECOND STRIKE (2008) CD - BAPHOMET'S BLOOD: METAL DAMNATION (2009) CD - NUCLEAR TOMB: EPOCH UNHUMANE (2026) CD / ZODIAC MINDWARP & YOUTH: CARNIVAL OF SOULS (2026) CD / SHADOW OF JUPITER: S/T (2006) CD / L.A. GUNS: LIVE FROM THE GUILD THEATRE (2026) Blu-ray / PLASTIC BETRAND: GREATEST HITS (2009) CD / THE UNDERGROUND SET - S/T CD (1970)
Label: Dragon's Domain
Duration: 75:31
Dragon's Domain have been doing terrific work with their The Golden Age of Science Fictions soundtrack albums, and now we get the first volume of their The Golden Age of Horror, which collects three films directed by Brit director Freddie Francis, all of which were all score by Elisabeth Lutens (1906-1983), and all three were released in 1965 - these include Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, The Skull and Paranoiac. Luten's was Britain's first female composer and she did quite a bit of work for both Hammer and Amicus, and was eventually dubbed 'The Queen of Horror'. We get 25 tracks all told, running about 76 minutes, aside from the scores we also get audio from the trailers for each film. Lutens music is discordant and atonal, lots of strained strings, unsettling surrealiality, and swelling brass, adding a disquieting and tension filled score for each of the film. The single-disc CD arrives in a clear jewel case with adorned with plenty of eye-catching vintage poster artworks highlighting characters played by Peter Cushing, Oliver Reed and Christopher Lee, plus a six-panel fold-out booklet with liner notes by David Hirsch with Sam Scali, including plot synopsis for each film. If you're a vintage soundtrack aficionado this is an easy recommend.
Tracklist:
Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors (1965)
1. Main Title / Strangers On A Train (2:19)
2. The Werewolf (5:52)
3. The Creeping Vine (1:37)
4. Voodoo (0:31)
5. The Disembodied Hand (1:57)
6. The Vampire (5:30)
7. End Of The Line (1:26)
8. Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors (1965) Theatrical Trailer 1:16
The Skull (1965)
9. Main Title (1:44)
10. Auction Purchase (3:58)
11. The Book Of The Marquis De Sade (3:08)
12. The Devil's Nightmare (4:26)
13. Theft (3:20)
14. A Violent Death (7:04)
15. The Marquis' Curse (2:34)
16. Bizarre Assault (7:06)
17. Panic Attack And End Titles (7:04)
18. The Skull (1965) Theatrical Trailer (2:07)
Paranoiac (1967)
19. Main Title (1:47)
20. Suspicion (2:02)
21. The Inheritance Of Violence (2:10)
22. Discovery Of Horror (2:45)
23. Fiery Finale (1:39)
24. Paranoiac (1963) Theatrical Trailer
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IRON KOBRA - MIGHT & MAGIC (2015) CD
IRON KOBRA - DUNGEON MASTERS (2012) CD
Label: Dying Victims Productions
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Duration: 35:16 (Eternal Dagger), 37:05 (Might & Magic), 49:00 (Dungeon Masters)
Dying Victims Productions have released three album from German metal band Iron Kobra, including their two previous full lengths and the most recent 'Eternal Dagger'. These offers powerful swords & sorcery metal that evokes classic 80's metal and NWOBHM, delivered raw and furiously, bringing to mind speed metal of yore, I hear lots of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and I love the slightly rough sounding production style that captures the essence of these biker-looking metal dudes pretty dang well. Their new album Eternal dagger arrives a full eleven years after their last album, but it's more of the same high-octane vintage sounding metal, slightly refined, but still raw and forceful. Dying Victims Productions give all three terrific looking releases in jewel cases with lyrics booklets and some killer artwork, and Removable Obi-Strips.
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Tracklists:
Eternal Dagger
1. Trembling Dungeons (4:03)
2. Forbidden Fruits (3:36)
3. Fliehen (3:17)
4. Shibuya Nights (3:44)
5. Silver Strings and Iron Wings (4:29)
6. Eternal Dagger (3:39)
7. Unchained and Untamed (3:26)
8. Treacherous Tyrant (3:58)
9. Mountains of Madness (5:04)
1. Words of Wisdom (0:06)
2. Tomb of the Stygian King (3:55)
3. Fire! (4:31)
4. Vanguard of Doom (2:49)
5. Watch the Skies (5:41)
6. Spirit Archer (6:13)
7. Wut im Bauch (4:21)
8. Born to Play on 10 (3:13)
9. Cult of the Snake (6:09)
1. Intro (1:36)
2. Dungeon Master (3:28)
3. Valhalla Rock (3:39)
4. Metal Rebel (5:01)
5. Born under the Tower (5:55)
6. Heavy Metal Generation (5:18)
7. Black Magic Spells (3:10)
8. Ronin (4:32)
9. Druid's Call (4:05)
10. Speedbiker (2:10)
11. Thousand Fire City (4:55)
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Eternal Dagger - Amazon
Dungeon Masters - Amazon
Might & Magic - Amazon
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Label: Dying Victims Productions
Duration: 29:21
Sweden's Tyrann's third album has arrived, chock full of fist-pumping '80s hard-rockin' heavy metal, channeling NWOBHM with a melancholic strain and some haunting blackened touches, with lyrics mostly sung in Swedish, though the first two tracks "Born For Hell" and "Tyrann Forever" features both English and Swedish language vocals. That said, while I am not a Swede-speaking metal head I found the songs infectious, weather I spoke the language or not, especially the hook-laden "Tyrann Forever" with it's melancholic 80s keyboards, super hooky. "Demonomania" sees the band at it's most punkish/black metal with atmospheric blur of guitar and black metal screams, while "Allt Ska Brinna" borders on prog, before the gloomy "Bathory II" with it's synth-buzz kicks in for the album closer. The CD from Dying Victims Productions gets a lyric book, obi-strip and sticker of the album artwork.
Tracklist:
1. Born for Hell
2. Tyrann Forever
3. Demonomania
4. Bathory I
5. Kom Armageddon
6. Natten Då de Döda Lever
7. Allt Ska Brinna
8. Bathory II
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Label: Punishment 18 Records
Duration: 38:00
Bulgarian thrash/power metal trio Mosh-Pit Justice deliver tight-knit Bay Area thrash riffs in the vein of Exodus and Death Angel, with a touch of crossover, with vocals that bring to mind classic South of Heaven era Slayer by way of Forbidden. The album is in-your-face, just a wall of sharp-edged riffs and thunderous rhythms from start to finish, love the crunch of it and the unrelenting ferocity, and some tasty soloing and driving double-bass. Highly recommended for fans of old school Bay Area Thrash, this Bulgarian band delivers on it's name and then some. The CD from Punishment 18 Records gets a jewel case with a clear insert tray and a lyrics booklet.
Tracklist:
1. Future Is Denied
2. Blame To take
3. Horror lives Again
4. MP Justice Congregation
5. Hell Has Arrived (Hell Has Arrived )
6. The Gladius Prevails
7. Conspiracy For Life
8. Trough The Lies
9. Future Is Denied
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BAPHOMET'S BLOOD - METAL DAMNNATION (2009) CD
Label: Dying Victim's Production
Duration: 30:02 (Second Strike), 30:04 (Metal Damnation)
The first two albums by Italy's Baphomet's Blood gets CD reissues from Dying Victims Records, originally released in 2008 and 2009 , delivering Motorhead influenced old school speed metal, right down tot he exhaust pipe sucking snarl, and clearly a band who think Metallica peaked with Kill 'Em All, as evidenced by the metal riffage. Delivered fast and raw, praising Satan, celebrating metal and wishing death to false metal and harm to the posers. The first album features a cover of German band Tyrant while the second features a cover of the Belgian act Killer. If a beer soaked, pit-torn jean jacket full of metal patches had a sound, it would be Baphomet's Blood. I am seriously digging the old school '82 flavor here, and of course I am gonna cheer on any band that uses intro dialogue clipped from Rosemary's Baby ("Devil's Night"), Lucio Fulci's The Beyond ("Satanic Force") and The Warriors ("Army of the Night"). Both releases get jewel case releases with lyric booklet, album cover stockers and a obi-strip.
Second Strike (2008)
1. Second Strike intro\Baphomet's Blood (6:06)
2. Baphometal (3:45)
3. Army Of The Night (5:00)
4. Satanic Force (4:24)
5. Burn in Hell (4:16)
6. Speed, Fast, Loud (4:08)
7. Speed Metal Earthquake (5:44)
8. Making Noise and Drinking Beer (Tyrant cover) (3:30)
Metal Damnation (2026)
1. Devil's Night (5:44)
2. Metal Damnation (5:39)
3. Midnight Patrol (4:42)
4. We Don't Care (4:14)
5. Italian Steel (4:52)
6.mEvilbringer (4:36)
7. The Iron Bonehead (5:24)
8. Ready For Hell (Killer cover) (3:25)
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Amazon (Second Strike)
Amazon (Metal Damnation)
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Label: Rotted Life
Duration: 36:38
Baltimore, Maryland's Nuclear Tomb second album 'Epoch Inhumane' on Rotted Life Records offers a tight fusion thrash and progressive death metal with a ferocious attack, the songs are dynamic, feeling adventurous like Death and Cornoer by way of early Voivod, with heavy technical riffs, precise soloing, and a rhythm section that's up to the challenge as well, the time changes and off-kilter signatures are fucking tasty as Hell. They aren't afraid to get weird either, the instrumental "Butcher's Lament" is full of blistering riffs, skronk, and even a couple of passages that veer towards Pink Floyd. If you like adventurous technical thrash/death metal check 'em out. The CD from Rotted Corpse arrives in a jewel case with a clear insert tray with a lyric booklet.
Tracklist:
1. Watch the Skies 03:16)
2. Falling Out the World of Lies (3:46)
3. Unbowed & Averse (3:34)
4. Faithless Continuum (3:56)
5. Broken Promise, Barren Essence (3:58)
6. Lifeless Transformation (3:01)
7. Butcher's Lament (3:29)
8. Terminally Emboldened (2:25)
9. The Coward's Curse (3:53)
10. Epoch Inhumane (5:01)
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Label: Creation Youth
Duration:
Duration:
Zodiac Youth is a psych-rock project featuring Zodiac Mindwarp (Mark Manning) and Youth (Martin Glover of post-punk heroes Killing Joke), with contributions from Brian James (The Damned), even Nik Turner from Hawkwind shows up on sax for a song. The album delivers driving rock n' roll that was recorded over a span of fifteen years during different recording sessions, but sound remarkably fluid and of a singular vision, with Funhouse era sax freakouts, howling harmonica, and explosive guitar textures that make this my favorite release this week. Manning's sleazy gruff vocal delivery is the perfect throughline through the tunes, with brassy funk like "White Witch", or the Stooges-riff of "Ramona", this is prime-cut slice of rock n' roll with notes of psychedelia flowing through its veins, and I am here for it. If you're a fan of 'Funhouse' era Stooges and Zodiac Mindwarp this is a serious must-own slice of rock n' roll. The Cd arrives in a This single-disc CD arrives in a four-panel digipack with a clear plastic tray with artwork by Zodiac, and a 8-page booklet with song credits.
Tracklist:
1. The Gun That's in My Hands
2. Electricity
3. Atmosphere
4. White Witch
5. Bummed Out In Memphis
6. Romona
7. Burn Down Your House
8. Howl
9. Gay Friend
10. Texas & The Big Beat
11. Walk After Midnight
12. Whatever
13. Texas Jesus
14. The Carnival Of Souls
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Label: Ripple Music
Duration: 39:48
This Illinois/NW Indiana Shadow of Jupiter's sophomore album, and first as for Ripple Music sees the band continuing with a finetuned blended of heavy stoner doom with psyche elements, with hypnotic clean vocals in the Pepper Keenan C.O.C. vein. Album opener "Bones" has a slow groove to it, surging guitars and otherworldly vibes. Next up, "Whatever God You Fear" has a bit more chug to it, fuzzed out riffs, tasty drumming, with the bass giving the chug some nice depth, also flavored with some Southerer rock spice. "Echo Chamber" is chock full of doomy head nodding domo riffs with a slight grungy Soundgarden vibe to it. "Rumble Strip" channels tasty Rio Grande Mud era ZZ Top blues riff that hits the spot for me for sure. A solid album that demands a dedicated listen from start to finish, it's a mood album for me, each track building on the last, it's a psyche-metal album loaded with sinewy slow-grooves and riffs for days, certainly an album that's good to the last note. The CD from Ripple arrives in a 4-panel digipak.
Tracklist:
1. Bones (7:31)
2. Whatever God You Fear (3:46)
3. Ugly on the Inside (8:15)
4. Echo Chamber (4:29)
5. Rumblestrip (3:55)
6. Riot Dogs (6:43)
7. For Heaven Above (6:29)
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Label: Cleopatra Entertainment
Duration: 79:15
L.A. Guns - Live From The Guild Theatre captures one of the Sunset's Strips finest, celebrating the release of their most recent album Leopard Skin. The intimate theater setting is terrific, the band pulls out cuts from most oof not all of their album, including favorites from the self-titles debut album, "Sex Action", "Electric Gypsy" and "One More Reason", and from thee 'Cocked and Loaded' album we get "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Never Enough" and "The Ballad of Jane", and "Rip and Tear", they even throw in get "Over the Edge" the 'Hollywood Vampires' album. Now the album after Hollywood vampires are not known to me, the band has a lot of weird line-up changes and multiple versions of the band and I sort of lost track at that point, but the post '91 stuff here sounds terrific live, so much so I might go back and check those albums out. The live sound is well-mixed here as well, which is a bonus, and the live footage captured from multiple angles and cameras, and Phil Lewis is not only still an energetic and animated front man but his voice sounds pretty fucking ace these some four decades later, Of course Tracii Gunns is terrific on the six-string, we even get a guitar solo that includes passages from Ozzy Osbourne's "Diary of a Madman", and we all know what a Randy Rhodes admirer Tracii is and he does a great version here. I have not been following L.A. Guns since the early 90's, so I was not sure what I was getting myself into here,, and I was pleased to see it wasn't some bloated rock star rehash, I had a great time watching the show, plenty of sleazy L.A. style rock n' roll. If you're a fan of the band, or were at one time, I cannot imagine you would be disappointed by this show, for be is kind of re-ignited my interest in the band's post '91 body of work which I will be seeking out.
Tracklist:
1. Intro – Taste It
2. Cannonball
3. Electric Gypsy
4. Sex Action
5. Hellraisers Ball
6. Hit and Run
7. Like a Drug
8. Speed
9. One More Reason
10. Theremin Jam
11. Over the Edge
12. Guitar Solo
13. I Wanna Be Your Man
14. Lucky Motherfucker
15. Never Enough
16. The Ballad of Jayne
17. Rip and Tear
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PLASTIC BETRAND - GREATEST HITS CD
Label: Choice of Music
Duration: 52:28
I bet a lot of American kids first discovered the music of Plastic Betrand aka Roger Jouretvia when the novel new wave classic "Ça plane pour moi" was prominently featured on the soundtrack for the comedy National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1983), that's how I first heard it. I've always loved the song from the get-go, it's electrifying and fun, but I never sought out the more from the band, even after Sonic Youth covered it on the Freedom of Choice – Yesterday’s New Wave Hits as Performed by Today’s Stars compilation album reinvigorated by interest in it. It's just always stood on it's own for me. Well, now here we have a Greatest Hits album, and I've finally checked it out. Sort of disappointing, nothing here even comes close to the new wave punkery of "Ça plane pour moi", maybe "Hula Hoop", that one is alright, but the rest was just 80's pop type stuff, that was at best only somewhat annoying, and at worst, horrid weak-sauce synth-funk pop. "Chewing Gum" made me want to stab myself in the eardrum with a pencil, for real. Sometimes the one-hit wonders are one-hit wonders for a reason, but that one song you love, well, it lives on forever, but I will never once go back and listen to this album, but if you're curious like I was, have at it. More interesting than the remaining songs is the story behind the song "Ça plane pour moi", the music for which was written by Lou Deprijck, and how the exact same backing track was used for both this song and English language song "Jet Boy, Jet Girl" performed by Elton Motello aka Alan Ward, which was later covered by Captain Sensible & the Softies, which is how I first heard it, and ever since has been my favorite version of the song.
Tracklist:
1, Ça Plane Pour Moi
2 ,Major Tom
3, Sentimentale-Moi
4. Fou Des Fifties
5. Hula Hoop
6. Bambino
7. Tout Petit La Planète
8. Chewing Gum
9. Victime De L'amour
10. Super Cool
11. Sans Amour Chat
12. Le Monde Est Merveilleux
13. Ping Pong Gueule D'amour
14. Stop Ou Encore
15. L'amour O.K.
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Label: Morgan Blue Town
Duration: 33:13
The Underground Set is a cult Italian psychedelic and early progressive instrumental album originally released in 1970, produced by Gianfranco Reverberi, and performed by members of Nuova Idea under a pseudonym. This cult gem is a must-own for fans of 60's psyche-rock, starts off with "Arcipelago" which sounds like Tommy Roe's Dizzy if Dave Alvin played fuzzed-out guitar on it, it's a pretty groovy tune. Next, "Emisfero (1st Version) sounds like a Morricone-esque score to a forgotten sixties cult flick. The whole album is full of Hammond organ driven psych rock with delightfully fuzz guitar and a boot shakin' rhythm section who hold it down nicely. The CD from Morgan Blue Town arrives in a four-panel digisleeve with cool psychedelic artwork, this will be a real gem of a discovery for fans of that out there psychsploitation sound with swirling acid-tipped guitars and mind-bending organ.
Tracklist:
1. Arcipelago (3:18)
2. Emisfero (1st Version) (3:00)
3. Atollo (3:07)
4. Eastern Longitude (2:10)
5. 36th Parallel (2:02)
6. Samba Natalizia (3:11)
7. Underground In Blue (5:22)
8. Shake 26 (2:44)
9. Equator (2:36)
10. 7th Meridian (2:25)
11. Emisfero (2nd Version) (3:42)
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