Back catalogue: Metal

Review: Originally released in 1982 via Earache Records (who're also handling this long overdue reissue), The Ultimate Incantation marked the debut full-length from Polish death metal pioneers Vader. Originally recorded at Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, Sweden with Thomas Skogsberg, both the band and label were ultimately unhappy with the final mixes due to their admitted lack of studio equipment, especially the studio's in-house electronic drumkit which simply could not handle the barrage of blastbeats, leading them to relocate and re-record the album in its entirety at London's Rhythm Studios with producer Paul Johnson. Whilst commended upon release for the band's technical proficiency that helped guide the extreme metal movement, some critics found the desired raw recording quality as too abrasive to truly enjoy, but those critiques have become somewhat redundant over the decades with any extreme metal act worthy of the term and the scene as a whole prioritising raw intensity over studio gloss.

Review: Captured on the opening night of their US tour in support of 1985's fifth full-length Possessed, this live performance from Newcastle Upon Tyne first wave black metal pioneers Venom showcases the legends as they ripped through Santa Monica, California on March 28th 1986, delivering an early career-defining set including vital blueprint malevolent thrash bangers such as 'Countess Bathory', 'Buried Alive', 'Teacher's Pet', and of course, the song that would ultimately birth a genre, scene and wave that would eventually take Scandinavia (particularly Norway) by storm, 'Black Metal'. Where bands like Metallica and Megadeth were busy bringing metal to the masses and Slayer were experimenting with just how far the evil envelope could be pushed while maintaining lucrative success, no other metal act in the 1980s showcased such ample disregard for commercial compromise than Venom, maintaining their place as underground forebears for decades to come.