Get beyond the pre-pubescent wanking schoolboy sleeve art of a naked woman with pig’s head between legs (the swine of Hades itself no doubt) and the music on all five acts on this split MCD is top quality. Godreah records in keeping with their history have gathered together (as they say) metal at its “most diverse and rotten.” Those of you dwelling within the underground should have at least a passing knowledge of all the artists, indeed some of them should even be firm friends.
Algy Ward might not be as ‘cutting edge’ as others on here but there is no denying the impact he has had over the years. For a start he played bass on one of the best punk albums ever Machine Gun Etiquette by The Damned as well as fronting own outfit Tank. Joining him as Evo Algy here is Evo of Warfare and between them they have plumped for a cover of Status Quo’s ‘Tune To The Music.’ I do not know the original but it has the requisite balls that I have never heard in the Quo and has a dynamic British sounding might behind it that solidly drives the song along whilst the jagged guitar melody lodges in your head. It’s a most enjoyable song and if it gets you checking out some of these gents past bands its job is well and truly done.
You can’t get more filth ridden than GG Allen and although never quite smearing himself in excrement Hoest is the perfect frontman to tackle his junkie anthem with Blasphemer and the rest of Taake in tow. The chances are you have heard ‘Die When You Die’ somewhere down the line, it’s far from the first cover version of this number but the blackened Norske punk warriors puke it out with style and it’s probably the best version you have ever heard, maybe even better than the original!
Sigh next as things go into deranged territory. ‘Somniphobia’ (it’s the fear of sleep) was recorded in 2010 and will have you awake all night as its psychedelic nuances invade your head. It is classic sounding Sigh and riddled with different keyboard sounds, buzzing flies and what sounds like xylophone. It’s also damned trippy and will have you marvelling at the unhinged lunacy that Mirai and his group of decomposers always seem to hit us with.
Ah mad dogs and English men, recorded during sessions for the infamous ‘Murder Of Jesus The Jew’ The Meads Of Asphodel are bemoaning the fact ‘There’s A God In My Gruel.’ This is no goldilocks and the three bears fable but a much more rancid feast of a song with Metatron sounding mightily peeved at finding a deity squatting in his “vinegar and jism’ (his words not mine). Starting off a bit like a bizarre cabaret number it quickly descends into the bowels of aggro blackened puke-laden punk, crossing genres and completely standing in its own field of lunacy. It’s a heavy number and at full might rolls straight over you like bastard tank, driven by Algy Ward or not.
‘And They Shall Fear The Night’ from seminal Brit black metallers Thus Defiled concludes the CD. This recording spans back to last release Daemonspawn from 2007 and despite the fact the band has since been without stable line up, proves just how potent they were. Long flowing leads, great melody, chundering bass licks and throaty rasps from the pits of hell demonically drive this beast along decimating all in its path. Adding to the overall swiping delivery Sakis from Rotting Christ is also on hand to put in a guest vocal appearance. It’s debatable if we will ever hear this band in action again and if this proves to be a swansong it’s a damn fine one.
http://www.godreah.com
Pete Woods
MTUK HOME
