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Bacteria13
Hatross Overlord
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 2465
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 Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 10:04 pm Post subject: CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER - CONVICTED |
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CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER – CONVICTED (RELAPSE RE-RELEASE)
Hats off to Relapse records for re-mastering, re-packaging and re-releasing the first two, long out-of-print, Cryptic Slaughter albums, Money Talks, and this, their blistering debut, Convicted.
For those who cut their teeth on mid-eighties hardcore thrash, you will be quite familiar with the name Cryptic Slaughter, but few metal heads actually know who they were. Hailing from Santa Monica, CS started jamming out of a love for fast and heavy music, be it punk or metal. After recording their now famous Life in Grave demo and landing a record deal thanks in some part to Hirax mainman Katon DePena, the definite line-up consisting of Bill Crooks, vocals, Les Evans, guitar, Scott Peterson, drums and Rob Nicholson, bass, recorded ‘Convicted’, and in 1986 released it to an unsuspecting world.
I can remember reading the review of ‘Convicted’ in Kerrang!, where the reviewer was simply astonished at the speed that Cryptic Slaughter reached. “Slayer locks horns with Dark Angel and it’s away we go”, I think the quote went. He wasn’t joking – when I brought the album home and put it on, first track 'M.A.D.' thumping from my speakers I seriously thought I’d put it on at the wrong speed. I had never heard anything this fast, either had my friends, and at the time we were living on a diet of Reign in Blood, Pleasure to Kill and Darkness Descends, all released in 1986 too. ‘Nation of Hate’, ‘Little World’, the sing-along ‘State Control’, the almost groovy ‘Hypocrite’, this album, alongside D.R.I. and the Misfits via Metallica, introduced Punk and Hardcore to Metal fans the world over, the hybrid crossover scene being born right there and then.
With this re-release you also get the aforementioned Life in Grave demo, as well as 4 live tracks from 1988. Listening to it now, nearly 20-years after its initial release, it does tend to sound dated, and though still incredibly fast others have left CS behind at the speed stakes. However, for a piece of rare yet important history that helped shaped the crossover scene it’s a crucial album that is well worth checking out.
Bacteria13. |
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