NOISE FROM THE UNDERGROUND VOL. 9
WHIRLWIND: 1640 CD - DEMON SPELL: BLESSED BE THE DARK CD - SANDSTORN: DUNGEON OF DEATH CD - NEPTUNE POWER FEDERATION: LUCIFER'S UNIVERSE CD - NEPTUNE POWER FEDERATION - NEARH A SHIN EI SUN (2015) CD - OUTBURST: MILES TO GO (1989) CD - PLAINDRIFTER: GESALT CD - THE HEADCOATEES: THE CURIOUS CAE OF... CD - GIL MELLE: GOLD OF THE AMAZON WOMEN OST (1979) CD - AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR: COME CREEPING FRIENDS (2026) CD - NUKEM: THE GRAVE REMAINS (2026)
Label: Dying Victims Records
Duration: 46:00
Barcelona, Spain metal band Whirlwind's second album '1640' is a tasty throwback to heavy '80s power metal, channeling the speed and aggression of Running Wild and early Helloween, with a crunchy edge that recalls Accept. The album is concept album based around the 1640 “Reaper’s War” during Spain's Thirty Years War, the songs are anthemic and energetic, with galloping rhythms, a barrage of double-bass runs, tasty leads and raw riffs. "Days of Doom" star in after a brief intro, blazing a path of speed and aggression, raspy but melodic vocals, with sing-along choruses that are infectious. "Through Fire and Blood" is a stomper, while the album closer, the epic 13-min "Marching To Victory" never loses steam, the up-tempo track galloping right up tot he end with some nice time and temp changes that keep it interesting right up to the closing notes. Fans of old school '80s power metal should check this out, the speed and aggression of this band is infectious, great tight-knit songs with solid production. The CD arrives in a jewel case with an 8-page booklet that contains information about the historical concept and lyrics, we also get the Removable Obi-Strip and a Sticker featuring the album artwork tucked away inside.
Tracklist:
1. 1640 (Intro) (1:24)
2. Days Of Doom (4:18)
3. Rage Of The Conqueror (4:59)
4. Winds Of Ash And Dust (3:41)
5. Lese Majesty (Corpus de Sang) (4:15)
6. Through Fire And Blood (4:07)
7. Ready To Explode (4:56)
8. By The Blood In Our Veins (5:32)
9. Marching To Victory (13:06)
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Label: Dying Victims Productions
Duration: 34 Minutes
'Demon Spell' is the debut full-length album from Italy's occult metal band Demon Spell, following the 'Evil Nights' EP. I threw this one on with no prior knowledge of the band, the album, artwork has a delicious old school 80's metal feel, and the band certainly delivered on that promise with wonderfully vintage heavy metal vibe, that is particularly indebted to the occult leanings of Mercyful fate and early King Diamond. The album starts off with some spooky organ on "As Lucifer Smiles" before launching into energetic power chords and ritualistic imagery, the band make no bones about their lineage, they fucking love Merycful Fate, the music is not a clone but that dark, occult metal sound is alive and well with this band, right down to singer sounds like prime era King Diamond, right down to the cackle, the piercing falsetto, the corpse like wails. It's pretty terrific, even sounding like vintage Ian Gillen at times, particularly on "Curse of the Dead". Throwing this one with no expectations whatsoever I was floored, the lyrics are chock full of timeless occult imagery, shadowy rituals, and mysticism, and they are fun to sing along with, and I love the theatricality of it all, I feel like these guts must put on a terrific live show. There's not a bad track on the album, each song sounding like some long lost Mercyful Fate gem unearthed and revived, even the production is perfectly dialed in for what it is, retro sounding, and having that old school satanic metal vibe that had me headbanging like I was listening to the "Don't Break the Oath" cassette in my bedroom back in '85. Truly a magical throwback that is carrying the Mercyful Fate torch loud and proud. The CD arrives in a jewel case with an 8-page lyrics booklet, sticker and the removable obi-strip.
Tracklist:
1. As Lucifer Smiles (5:36)
2. Hexes and Horrors (5:28)
3. Curse of the Undead (4:44)
4. High on Sacrifice (4:02)
5. The Tolling (5:48)
6. Dive the Hellfire (4:10)
7. Premonitions (1:25)
8. Blessed Be the Dark (3:41)
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Label: Dying Victims Productions
Duration: 22:12
What the fuck are they drinking over at Dying Victims Productions? Whatever it may be, well, they have got their finger on the pulse of kick-ass throwback metal! Sandstorm are a Canadian/Swedish power trio channeling early NWOBHM era metal, right down tot he nostalgic production sound, they have the aesthetic down to a science. The edge is more heavy hard rock/early metal along the lines of the first couple of Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate and Scorpion albums, hard rock but veering into metal. The songs aren't super polished by any means, it sort of sounds like listening to some obscure NWOBHM demo, a band that never made it, but you discovered them early on and love it just the same, it really does feel like discovering some long lost obscure demo tape, I mean, it's the best sounding demo you've ever heard, but it has the unpolished finesse to it. The lyrics are also quite wonderfully 80's, medieval times, dungeons, and that cool dark stuff we that turned us onto metal in our teens. The riffs are lean and tasty, and not super-distorted, and a driving rhythm section. I love the bass sound on this album, and the sparse retro drumming on it itself is a throwback to a simpler, less flashy time. Listening to this is an auditory time machine, I feel like I'm listening to my Sony Walkman while walking down the hallway at school, wearing my old metal patch jacket, carrying a bundle of text books with wrapped in brown paper back book covers with all my favorite early 80s metal band logos crudely drawn on them, totally nostalgic. The 6-song EP clocks in at 23-min, and there's not a bad tune in the batch, if you love old school metal with a nostalgic bent, but still sounds fresh, Sandstorm is worth checking out. My favorite track that I kept replaying was "Slave To Sin", so damn catchy ("Addicted To Fire/A Slave To Sin"), followed by the next track "Death After Life". The CD arrives in a jewel case with a 4-page lyric booklet, sticker and the removable obi-strip.
Tracklist:
1. Dungeon of Death (3:26)
2. Slave to Sin (3:26)
3. Death After Life (4:26)
4. Close Combat (4:06)
5. Storm the Gate (2:47)
6. The Bird (3:56)
Label: Cruz Del Star
Duration: 38:58
Australian occult hard rockers Neptune Power Federations' second album is potent and hypnotic mix of heavy fuzzed-out hard rock, psychedelic jams and operatic vocals that create a truly a bonkers head-trip of an album. Listening to this I am thinking of Black Sabbath, Stooges, Hawkwind, Jack White and T.Rex, fuzzed-out tones, heavy grooves, and those vocals from Screaming Loz Sutch, damn, just a stellar concoction. "Witch's Bitch" is all fuzzed-out Sabbathy then a middle section that sounded like Fun Manchu, ugh, so good. Then straight into "Thirst For Blood", an acid-riffed and fuzzed-up burn 'n stomper. Things get even more trippy with "Mind Voyage (Suites 1,2 & 3)", and I loved the slide-guitar burn of "Hellfire Boogie", closing with the cosmic overdriven rock of "Mothership", which closes the album leaving you ready for more but quite satisfied. . Apparently this is a concept album and there is an graphic novel to accompany it, the story is about of 17th century witch-hunters and the occult, and the songs each relate to the graphic novel. I am sad to say that the graphic novel is not included, but the album all on it's own is fucking aces - a heady mix of retro influences but fucking alive and ass-kicking from start to finish. The CD arrives in a jewel case with a 4-page booklet with lyrics.
Track Listing
1. Begone Sorcerer
2. Witch's Bitch
3. Thirst For Blood
4. A Sound of Thunder
5. Mind Voyage (Suites 1,2 & 3)
6. Invisible Pill
7. Lucifer's Universe
8. The Man From Tomorrow
9. Hellfire Boogie
10. Mothership
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Label: Cruz Del Sol
Duration: 39:44
Well, well, well, how exciting to have also picked-up Neptune Power Federation's 2015 album 'Neath A Shin El Sun', and guess what, it's fucking slice of retro-fried apocalyptic rock n' roll, too! The album kicks off with a barn-burner of a title track, relentlessly driving, just pummeling opening track. The album is a heavy fuzzed-out orgasm of Sabbathy/Deep Purpley riffs played with the abandon of the Stooges, with the theatrical rock-goddess Screaming Loz Sutch layered into it to maximum effect with a punk rock energy. The whole things is an assault on the ears in the best possible way, swirling acidic guitars, snaky rhythms, cosmic drenched organs, and those piercing, idiosyncratic vocals that kind of bring it all together. This CD arrives in a jewel case with a 4-page lyric booklet
Tracklisting:
1. Neath A Shin Ei Sun
2. Edmunde
3. Opium Den
4. Electric Fairies
5. Burning
6. Sup Thy Potion
7. Way Of The Wizard
8. We Shall Triumph
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Label: Blackout! Records
Duration: 23:56
Outburst's only official album, the late-80s hardcore EP 'Miles to Go' (1989) is reissued on CD here from Blackout! Records. Outbust offer up a vintage slice of NYC punk/hardcore, a tasty blur of distorted riffs, gruff shouted vocals and some badass tempo breaks, perfect for headbangin' or slammin'. The positive aggression is off the charts, and while my knowledge of late 80s hardcore is pretty slim, this EP hit hard for me. This CD also contains the 1987 demo tracks which I believe were recorded with influential hardcore producer Don Fury, and 2-songs from the seminal New York Hardcore - Where The Wild Things Are compilation from 1989. From what I can see the band only ever recorded the '87 demo, this EP and contributed tracks to the hardcore comp, so this is everything they put out during their brief existence from '87-91. The CD from Blackout! Records arrives in a jewel case with a 4-page booklet with lyrics and photos.
Track Listing
1. No Choice (2020 Remaster) (1:54)
2. When Things Go Wrong (2020 Remaster) (1:54)
3. Thin Ice (2020 Remaster) (2:07)
4. Misunderstood (2020 Remaster) (1:51)
5. Miles To Go (2020 Remaster) (1:39)
6. SGI (2020 Remaster) (0:11)
7. Mission Impossible (2020 Remaster) (1:53)
8. Outburst (Demo Version- 2020 Remaster) (1:21)
9. Learn To Care (Demo Version- 2020 Remaster) (1:41)
10. Think For Yourself (Demo Version- 2020 Remaster) (1:25)
11. Mission Impossible (Demo Version- 2020 Remaster) (1:52)
12. Mad At The World (Demo Version- 2020 Remaster) (1:31)
13. True (Demo Version- 2020 Remaster) (2:16)
14. The Hard Way (2020 Remaster) (2:39)
15. Controlled (2020 Remaster) (1:38)
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Label: Ripple Music
Duration: 39:52
German stoner-rockers Plaindrifter's second full-length offers up six-songs of progressive heavy rock, songs that are expansive and have room to breath, mixing melodic psychedelia with clean vocals, opening with the headtrippin' "Moth Murmation", the second track Eternal Season" offers more of the same, while "Hyborian Age" pulses with a mind-altering riff and melodic vocal textures. The tracks run from on average over seven minutes on average, their deliberately lengthy, taking pleasure in the hypnotic slow-build, giving the guitars guitars room to drone and drone and chime, with a sound that is heavy but never harsh, it's very mid-tempo and laid back, this is a terrific chill album. My favorite track is the album closer "Debaser" which actually starts out as the most heavy track with a blissfully fuzzed-out driving riff and groove, before the riffs give way to a trippy progressive rock jam, it's quite spacious track, and a hell of a album-ender, with a repeated guitar riff that is beaten into the ground. The CD from Ripple Music arrives in a digipak with clear insert tray, featuring very cool artwork by Andre Tinibel.
Track Listing
1. Moth Murmuration (7:03)
2. Eternal Season (7:03)
3. Hyborian Age (6:56)
4. Respite (1:53)
5. In Anima (feat. Ryan Garney) (7:26)
6. Debaser (9:32)
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Label: Damaged Goods Records
Duration: 160 Minutes
Damaged Goods are doing the garage-god's good work with this release, reissuing Thee Headcoatess first four albums on a 4xCD set, arriving in a cardboards clamshell case with new artwork by Bruce Brand, and inside there are four cardboard sleeves for the four CD replicating the original album artwork. We also get a 12-page booklet with liner notes from Thee Headcoatees themselves. The band was started by Billy Childish, assembling the band as a backup band for Thee Headcoats, eventually turning into it's own things, the band was comprised of Holly Golightly (Guitar), 'Bongo" Debbie (Drums), Kyra LaRubia (Bass) and Ludella Black (Guitar), though all four contributed vocal. The music they play was kindred to Thee Headcoats, playing a similarly catchy garage rock with an eye towards the past, the tunes mostly written by Billy Childish himself, but also a slew of tasty cover tunes like The Beatles "Run For Your Life", The Kinks "The First Plane Home", The Sonics "Have Love Will Travel" and the Charlie & Chan novelty song "My Boyfriend's Learning Karate", The Undertones "Teenage Kicks", Plastic Bertand's "Ca Plane Pour Moi", and Lou Christie's "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" among them. These four ladies create a wonderfully raucous, fun and sometimes even sinister stripped down garage rockers combined with the infectious appeal of sixties girl-groups, with plenty of Childish-esque distorted and fuzzed-up guitars. There's always been a certain magic when these four women were singing the songs of Billy Childish (and the tasty covers, too), and listening to these tracks for the first time in a few years, well, that magic is still there, and well-worth seeking out.
Track Listing
Disc 1:
1. Wild Man
2. When the Night Comes
3. Stolen Love
4. Round Every Corner
5. Run For Your Life
6. Give it to Me
7. Headcoat Girl
8. Dirty Old Man
9. Melvin
10. The First Plane Home
11. Meet Jacqueline
12. Boysville
13. Money
14. Davey Crockett
Disc 2:
15. Have Love Will Travel
16. Baby Please
17. Don't Try and Tell Me
18. Gotta Get Inside That Boy's Mind
19. Mess of Pottage
20. You Know You Can't Resist
21. Louis Riel
22. Baby Come Closer
23. Come Into My Life
24. Tear it to Pieces
25. Something Went Wrong
26. Big Boss Man
27. My Boyfriend's Learning Karate
28. I'm Gonna Make You Mine
Disc 3:
29. What Once Was
30. This Heart
31. Pretend
32. Ballad of the Insolent Pup
33. You'll Be Sorry Now
34. All My Feelings Denied
35. It's Bad
36. When You Stop Loving Me
37. Two Hearts Beating
38. No Respect
39. Again and Again
40. Now is Not the Best Time
41. I Was Led to Believe
42. You'll Never Do it Baby
Disc 4:
43. Punk Girl
44. Don't Wanna Hold Your Hand
45. Billy B. Childish
46. Teenage Kicks
47. Your Right, I'm Wrong
48. Pinhead
49. Cara-Lin
50. Punk Boy
51. Zig-Zag
52. Sticks & Stones
53. Shadow
54. Ça Plane Pour Moi
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Label: Dragon's Domain Records
Duration: 54:00
Soundtrack lovers take note, the fine folks at Dragon's Domain have releases the soundtrack for the 1979 made-for TV film Gold of the Amazon Women, that starred Bo Svenson (Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker), Donald Pleasance (Raw Meat), Richard Romanus, and Anita Ekberg (Killer Nun), directed by Mark Lester (Class of 1984). The film is a treasure hunt adventure with a lost tribe of Amazon women, and sadly has not yet received a proper Blu-ray release. The soundtrack however gets some love here from Dragon's Domain with a 23-track CD that sounds terrific. A mix of exotic orchestration, Latin rhythms, and some smooth soul and funk elements, as well as some tasty and late-70's synths and electronics, that are well-suited for the such an fun adventure tale. It does sort of have that TV soundtrack vibe to it, but it's also adventurous and layered, too, it's not a tossed-off score by any means, this was an exciting listen. The overall vibe is pretty lush, stirring themes that that convey emotion, action, and darker elements quite nicely. Melle was a jazz musician and a prolific TV and film composer, he has scored the films The Sentinel (1977) and Blood Beach (1980), as creating the theme songs for the TV series Night Gallery (1969–1973) and Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974–75) and the made-for-TV films like The Victim (1972), The Questor Tapes (1974) and Killdozer! (1974). This release arrives in a jewel case with clear disc tray, and has some terrific vintage movie poster artwork, there's also a 6-page illustrated fold-out booklet with liner notes by the always reliable G.B. Kemner.
Track Listing
1. Opening Credits
2. Amazons In New York
3. The Poison and Chasing the Killer
4. Heading to South America / Hotel Muzak
5. Snake Attack and Hotel Escape
6. Journey Into The Jungle and The Village
7. Village Fight / Back on the Road
8. Helicopter Attack
9. Snake Bite and Noboros Death
10. Captured by the Amazons
11. Fight In The Water
12. The Burning Village
13. Jungle Run
14. Chasing The Bad Guy
15. Blowdart Attack
16. Closing In
17. The Lost City of Gold
18. The Amazons Arrive
19. March of the Amazons
20. Farewells
21. Closing Credits
22. String Quartet No. 1 in E Major II. Menuet
23. Bumpers
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Label: Dying Victims Records
Duration: 30:15
Manchester England's speed-metal torchbearers Aggressive Perfector's second album 'Come Creeping Friends' whips listeners up into a proper mid-80s metal frenzy with nine songs in thirty minutes. This high-octane trio conjures a plethora of tasty metal influences, among them Venom, early Slayer, Motorhead, touch of Mercyful Fate, and other NWOBHM influences like the mighty Tank, and even a little bit of blackened edge to it in spots. The riffs are chunky, the leads are piercing, the rhythm section is nicely dialed in, and lyrics that really appeal to my love of horror, with themes of the occult, the undead ("Dead Undead") and escaped axe-murdering lunatics ("Return of the Axe"), love it. I have not heard the bands previous album, but I've earmarked it for a listen, because this was right up my alley, evil sounding energetic metal that's dark, fast and fucking awesome.
Tracklist:
1. Dead Undead (3:47)
2. Strange Companion (3:44)
3. Fiend in You (3:19)
4. Like a Beast (3:36)
5. Obscene Cult (3:44)
6. Denied by the Reaper (2:34)
7. Harlot's Spell (5:06)
8. Return of the Axe (3:18)
9. Gallows' Eve (1:07)
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Label: Redefining Darkness
Duration: 49:45
California thrash metallers Nuke 'Em throw down hard with this album, a tightly riffed and percussive riff-o-rama of guitar and pummeling rhythms, channeling Bay Area classic thrashers like Death Angel and Exodus, with solid production and a terrific tone, with snarly/raspy vocals from Steve Brodgen, who also delivers the guitars, too. I did think that a lot of the song were pretty formulaic in that they do kind of blur together a bit, but listening to this in the car on the way into and from work, well, I wouldn't say was pumped for work, but I was amped-up. I'd love to hear the band change things up and try some different textures, maybe occasionally slow it down into a chuggy breakdown, but still, this is tasty old school thrash with a modern edge to it. The band seems pretty well liked by their thrash progenitors, as we get solos in the album from Gary Holt of Exodus on "Empress of Evil", which also features soloing from former Nuke 'Em guitarist Laura Christine who is now with Dark Angel, as well as Death Angel's Rob Cavestany on "Random Acts of Violence". I should also point out bassist Don Lauder, because for whatever reason when it comes to metal I rarely take note of the bassists, my bad, and his work here caught my ear in a good way, really laying down and solid foundation with some nice thick beefiness to it, and getting a few standout moments when the bass is right in the out front.
Tracklist:
1. The Dead Draw (040)
2. Policies of Hate (5:30)
3. Random Acts of Violence (4:37)
4. Tactics of Terror (3:49)
5. Into the Kill Zone (4:39)
6. Unconditional Surrender (6:18)
7. Sentenced to Die (0:59)
8. Curse of the Devil's Bible (4:49)
9. Empress of Evil (4:54)
10. Torture, Murder, Mutilate! (5:34)
11. Pro Mortuis (4:38)
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