Metalcatto
Today, I want to try something different. We’re always obsessed with the new and the shiny, but how about learning some history? Well, let’s start this new segment. Old School Death Metal is far from forgotten, but it’s bastardized to no avail. So let’s return to the good old days of this gross subgenre.
Cryptopsy – None So Vile: Saying this album was ahead of its time is an understatement. Fair, the vocals sound awfully improvised, but those drums still demolish entire buildings. Many have argued that this album invented Brutal Death Metal. No clue about that, but to this day, not many albums have balanced technicality, brutality, and wet-cardboard production like None So Vile. It’s chaotic, it’s unhinged, and it still sounds like it’s trying to escape its own skin.
Death – Leprosy: I know this one isn’t as heavy or relentless, but it’s hard to talk about old school without naming THE OG. So how about their most purely Death Metal album? You know it’s rancid because you struggle to hear the bass in the original mix. Yet it’s creative and potent. Sure, the band changed for the best later on, but when it came to just intense, almost over-the-top anger, this is it. The riffs are iconic, the solos are sharp, and the whole thing feels like a blueprint that everyone else would try to copy.
Suffocation – Pierced from Within: To this day, this album is probably the one that invented Brutal Death Metal. It’s ridiculously heavy—to the point that it’s hilarious or obscene, depending on your sensitivity. It might not have Cryptopsy‘s blasting, but the guitar work here is just disgusting. Those solos don’t know what melody is, and that’s awesome. Freaking visionary work. If only it wasn’t so hard to find a physical copy of this thing around here.
Demilich – Nespithe: This album used to be more underrated. However, the renewed interest in this niche started to bring this crusty Finnish jewel back into the light. It’s been decades, and only Chthe’ilist has come near the absolute mayhem these vocals can cause. That’s not human. Everyone is just playing as weird as possible. Many times imitated, but never fully overcome. The only real tragedy with Demilich is that there were no sequels to this monster. Or perhaps these guys were blessed to never become whatever Morbid Angel became.
Entombed – Left Hand Path: I couldn’t end this list without THE Swedish classic. If it weren’t for the chainsaw sound this album pioneered, we wouldn’t have had a job when MER started. Honestly, it took me a while to love this album. The production was just too potato for me, but there are moments of brilliance in this teenage-like push. You can feel how broke they were when Left Hand Path was recorded, and that’s something hard to replicate these days. Anyway, enough pathetic nostalgia. See you soon. The past is a good place to visit, but we can’t live there. Still, it’s nice to remember where all this glorious noise came from—and why it still matters.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 