no offense to Satan, Discharge or Verbal Abuse, but this next mini-batch of albums and releases is the one I've been looking forward to. 3 of the most iconic and badass bands of the era with 3 classic records coming up next...
Hüsker Dü, Mercyful Fate and Negative Approach coming up ... oh my, indeed!
Then after that it keeps on with The Comes, Amebix, Slayer, Misfits, G.I.S.M., Manilla Road, and Hellhammer rounding out the year 1983. Fuckin a. Should be some great records in there. _________________ -Ryan
I think I have officially become a fan of Husker Du. It took a long time. But I can see – FINALLY – what made them so important in the steering of the underground indie scene, and I can hear what makes them so damned special. It took a deeper listen to their earlier, pre-Zen Arcade work. The development from Land Speed Record to their debut studio LP to this EP is staggering.
I have heard this enough times to say that this is without a doubt awesome. Just incredible. I’m blown away but how much I gel with this band more and more as they have developed in these first 3 projects. I really don’t have any major complaints. This is simply top quality Indie Rock for it’s entire 19 minute duration.
The trio by this point in their career had come fully into lock step form and clearly could play off each other marvelously. The drumming of Hart is perhaps the least obvious or most understated aspect of the sound, but even the ever-moving and creative drumming kills it here. Never sounding like tried-and-true or cliché hardcore drumming, always adventuring with some pattern or other. And on perhaps the least incredible track here, “Lifeline” (still quite a sick song with great and desperate lyrics and vocals) it’s the drum work and specifically the way Hart drops out a beat (or something) that makes it unorthodox and stutter while still being propulsive. That is just something that on first and all subsequent listens stuck out as particularly kick ass, brilliant, amazing etc etc…
Otherwise, the bass playing by Norton is sick and thick and melodic and perfect throughout this. The bass line on “Diane” alone points to his greatness. But he is also leading the charge on the rip roaring hardcore songs here.
The guitar work here from Bob Mould is odd and fascinating with cool tunings and tricks and sounds layered on here and there that keep the textures varied nicely. The way the guitar bites on “First of the Last Calls” when it goes into it’s sort of old rock n’ roll breakdown is badass. The way the big crackling guitars roll in and fracture mid way through “Diane” … aces. The bright and sparkling guitar sounds of “It’s Not Funny Anymore”, also great. The high end chirping guitar licks on “Deadly Skies”, great as well… I could go on but you get the point. The guitar work on this album is stellar and unusual in a much MUCH more subtle way than some other wild indie underground guitar explorers of the era (such as Sonic Youth, etc).
As for the SONGS, well they are sick as well. “Diane” feels like a turning point not only for Husker Du but for Hardcore punk and the American indie underground as well. That may be an overly broad take, but I am mythologizing this EP as I do with many monumental or important releases. “Diane” points the way for so many exciting and massive changes that hardcore bands can go in and many did go in. There were probably examples of the punk underground going and dropping a purely beautiful, creepy, layered and well written song. But I can’t think of one. Not from any of the hardcore bands I have been covering here.
Other stand out tracks here, well of these 7 tracks, I think “Real World” and “Deadly Skies” and “It’s Not Funny Anymore”, “First of the Last Calls” and “Diane” are the best of the best – the upper crust. But in context the closer which is this spacy weird somewhat psychedelic guitar explosion called “Out On A Limb” sounds significant and like harbinger of what was to come for this band and many others. And like I said “Lifeline” is a very intense hardcore punk song with incredible drum work and passionate vocals from Mould and some really intense and suffering lyrics, so not bad at all. It’s also great but less than the other ones mentioned.
As for what I prefer – Mould’s more caustic and hardcore style of song or Hart’s more hippy and soft style – well, they each have their own identities and they work alongside each other pretty damn well. I don’t as of now have a major preference. The thing that may tip the scales slightly in the direction of the Mould tracks is the fact that I love his vocals in all their raging, gruffness and I am not nearly as big a fan of Hart’s more soft and emo vocal stylings. That is as of now on my journey through all Husker Du releases.
I think I’ve gone on mostly long enough. I will say I went and listened to Zen Arcade again and the impossible happened… I actually quite liked it. Still feels like the looong concept album style there doesn’t work for me as I like shorter and more concise albums unless your concept or musical chops are insanely high. I will also say that some of the short interlude tracks on their aren’t blowing me away still. But here I am getting ahead of myself. I will be giving a listen to their iconic single – the cover of the Byrds’ 8 Miles High and then in 1984 when I get to their magnum opus album Zen Arcade I will talk more about it and listen to it many times.
I love that you can hear the gears turning on their 1983 LP Everything Falls Apart, especially with the title track and “Gravity”. Even then you can hear that this hardcore band is ready to fully go off the reservation and explore melodic hardcore and more experimental sides of themselves. Then here they almost made an LP masterpiece if not for the electric being cut in their studio midway through making this LP, forcing them to make this an EP. And we probably all know they fully embrace the non-hardcore sounds in their next LP and the rest is history. Husker Du and Minutemen and Black Flag (probably disrespecting other giants, but these are the top 3) were such revolutionary bands for the underground. Each cut their teeth in punk and helped define the underground hardcore style and then they all went absolutely wild with innovation and all made seminal and ultra-influential masterpieces in 1984. I find that kind of cool. Also all were SST bands which is cool.
Okay, I’ve said all I should say or wanna say now in this scatter brained write up. Listened to this easily 10 times the last week and just needed to note down my thoughts.
VERDICT: Bloody incredible, masterful, “essential” (whatever that means) and I love this.
Extra Circus (archival EP) by Hüsker Dü/recorded same time as Metal Circus and released in 2017
This is just a cool little archival EP with like half a dozen songs over 9 minutes and some cool extra material recorded with the brilliant Metal Circus tracks. Mostly these are rougher and more “Mouldian hardcore Husker songs with the one major exception being the really quite unique track called “Standing By The Sea” which just slowly builds and has a ponderous instrumental that explodes with a super touching and passionate vocal performance. (The vocals sound exactly like another band/vocalist and I have had that thought every time I hear it and I can’t pinpoint who it reminds me of so much and its getting on my nerves.) Anyway, this song is not a classic but it’s really good.
The very big and pop-oriented chorus of the otherwise straight up hardcore of “Won’t Change” is cool. And the other three songs sound rough and rumbling and mean with a definite Black Flag aggression that I like. (listen to the stuttery, quite Greg Ginn-esque riff of Today Is The Day and tell me that doesn’t sound like a Black Flag cover!)
Not much I wanna say. This is cool for fans of the classic EP Metal Circus. I quite liked it but it’s relatively unessential.
VERDICT: Not really gonna grade it here nor include in the tiered ranking. It’s good and if you like prime young husker du and wanna hear some of the cast off tracks from that era, give this a few short spins.
Gosh, I don’t know what to think about this. I don’t even know what is happening! Like, one day I think this is soooo cool and brazen and just about as pure an expression of satanic, rock n roll heavy metal achievable. The next day I listen and I am unmoved and I wonder “why did I enjoy this so much yesterday?”. A similar thing happened with their classic EP, but less so. “Devil Eyes” off that EP always grabs me by the balls no matter what “mood” I’m in. But this album…? Not so much.
The write-up from Repo some months back was excellent at illuminating the mindset Mercyful Fate had at the time of this debut LP of theirs. They were dedicated to being the best goddamn metal band in the world. Drilled within an inch of their lives on all the myriad compositional change-ups that dominate these songs and all the little details they placed throughout these tracks – whether a particular bass riff or guitar part/solo or drum fill or tempo or time change. The result is an album that is professional as hell. The way this album is played and recorded makes it clear that these folks were fucking around when they went into the studio to record their first LP classic.
While personally, only the drum work and some of the bass parts really blow me away whenever I hear this album, most of the rest at least impresses me. This sounds like a chiseled, immaculate Heavy Metal STATEMENT. The lyrics and vocals grate on my nerves, the themes of satan and the occult do nothing for me. I feel that the pristinely recorded, clean sounding, drilled aesthetic of this album actually works at odds with the whole occult satanic aspect. I just feel the Black Metal lo fi, punk-drenched style works best for these down and nasty evil subjects. I think Venom’s first albums work so well because, while the lyrics and satanic themes are equally ridiculous there (in my opinion), the fact that they sound like sewer-dwelling savages while spewing these messages helps with creating a suitable atmosphere.
The vocals are still not my favorite, to say the least. King Diamond is an icon, and I don’t know why exactly. Not always, but most of the time, the vocals are strained and off and over-the-top without the technical brilliance of other similarly over-the-top legendary peers such as Halford and Dio and Dickinson. Not a fan. I have seen so many comments on youtube and metal forums and RYM pages saying that if you hate the vocals, you are a poser. Well, I guess I am a poser then. I suppose I must accept that.
In closing, musically, this album is rich and RIDICULOUSLY well composed and instrumentally performed. The solos don’t blow me away. The propulsive power of the drums kicks ass. The bass work is consistently awesome. The vocals and lyrics I don’t enjoy. The production is professional and clear and at all times well done, but not something I was ever blown away by nor contributive to the dangerous metal atmosphere. This is a classic and I feel there is something I am missing. Especially considering I would give their debut EP on a good day a 9/10 and on a day where I was less in the moos still a 7.5-8/10. I give this a 7/10 or so.
I think I am just not as naturally inclined to traditional heavy metal and I give a weirdly biased advantage to metal that has clear punk or hardcore or filthy sounding aspects. That hasn’t changed despite listening to more and more clean and classic metal in last year or 2.
Instead of waffling and wondering if my like 6th listen to Melissa will unveil something special I missed the first 5 or so listens, and instead of second guessing myself and getting stuck on this top tier metal classic that you will find on almost any metal fans top 50 greatest albums list, I will just leave this here. It’s good and all, just not really my thing.
VERDICT: I’d be an idiot to say it’s not Essential… it is… But personally I just enjoy this and think it’s good but not really my style.
The songs here are excellent in their simplicity and their directness and the way there is always some hook in there or some chorus or riff that gets its fangs into you.
The performances on this album, especially from arguably the best and most badass hardcore vocalist of all time (John Brannon) and riff-maker Rob McCulloch are stellar – I love how incisive and vital and energetic and livewire the whole thing is and the fact that Brannon is just torching his vocal cords in the noble pursuit of the best and most pissed off delivery possible is a godsend.
Hell, the subtle variety here from full-on speedy hardcore to more sludging and slowed down metallic punk makes the album flow quite nicely.
Those positives said, there is something lost from Negative Approach’s damn-near perfect 7” in 1982 to this album. I think mostly the misstep has to do with how the album was produced. The sounds are grating and tinny and very irritating at times. The drums sound a bit like trash cans and the guitars are recorded in a very VERY sharp way that I am personally not vibing with. Perhaps this was intentional. And it should be said that on some albums this thin, piercing sound works well and makes the point of the songs and anger come home all the more (like on some Dead Kennedys recordings and Anti Cimex). Here I personally ain’t a fan.
The positives I’d say win out over the negatives. Negative Approach and Brannon were some of the best punks of the era and the evidence is all over this “L”P. Although this doesn’t approach Negative Approach’s EP from ’82, and although this is produced poorly to my ears, this is undoubtedly a solid and vital hardcore punk artifact. And the version of “Nothing” here is as brooding and badass as ever and gives the version on their EP a run for it’s money.
VERDICT: Not Essential but still it is some sick hardcore that I recommend if that’s a genre you love.
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Tier List/Ranking for a NEW AGE OF MADNESS:
ADORED, MASTERFUL, FIRST BALLOT HALL OF FAME:
. . .
NEAR-PERFECT, ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL LISTENING:
1. Metal Circus (EP) by Hüsker Dü (October 1983) – exemplary track, “Diane”
2. Butthole Surfers (EP) by Butthole Surfers (July 1983) – exemplary track, “Bar-B-Q Pope”
3. Kill “Em All by Metallica (25 June 1983) – exemplary track, “Whiplash”
GREAT:
4. Suicidal Tendencies by Suicidal Tendencies (5 July 1983) – exemplary track, “Institutionalized”
VERY GOOD:
5. Tied Down by Negative Approach (31 October 1983) – exemplary track, “Nothing”
6. Court In The Act by Satan (1983) – exemplary track, “Trial By Fire”
7. Just an American Band by Verbal Abuse (1983) – exemplary track, “I Hate You”
GOOD:
8. Melissa by Mercyful Fate (30 October 1983) – exemplary track, “Melissa”
9. Warning: Her Majesty’s Government Can Seriously Damage Your Health EP by Discharge (1 October 1983) – exemplary track, “Anger Burning”
NEUTRAL, DON’T LIKE NOR REALLY DISLIKE:
. . .
--- --- ---- --- ---
Okay, and there you have it. I am liking the whole limiting myself to 3 or 4 albums per post thing. I may violate that “rule” soon. But the smaller focus makes me less likely to get burnt out or to lock up when seeing like 6 or 8 albums I need to delve into in a relatively short time.
Anyway, let me know why I am stupid about Melissa or why I am right about Metal Circus. Or let me know really any thoughts or questions you have about these albums or any albums or anything else. Peace out! _________________ -Ryan
Metal Circus was indeed a turning point as they were moving to more melodic hardcore without losing the hardcore spirit.
I’m glad that you dug it so much and a very good write-up especially since you also give credit to the other two “forgotten” members who do play their part in the overall sound of my favorite band.
😁🤣😁😁😁😁😁
MercuryTurn your back on the pay-you-back last callProfile St. Louis
Metal Circus was indeed a turning point as they were moving to more melodic hardcore without losing the hardcore spirit.
I’m glad that you dug it so much and a very good write-up especially since you also give credit to the other two “forgotten” members who do play their part in the overall sound of my favorite band.
😁🤣😁😁😁😁 :D
I assume you mean Hart gets all the attention? From the outside I always felt like Hart and Mould got equal attention - especially as a sort of rivalry or yin Yang dynamic… - although yes the bass of Norton gets so little love compared to the 2 songwriters it’s criminal. But understandable
Also yeah I’m glad you’re happy I’ve come around in this band. Stellar. _________________ -Ryan
Metal Circus was indeed a turning point as they were moving to more melodic hardcore without losing the hardcore spirit.
I’m glad that you dug it so much and a very good write-up especially since you also give credit to the other two “forgotten” members who do play their part in the overall sound of my favorite band.
😁🤣😁😁😁😁 :D
I assume you mean Hart gets all the attention? From the outside I always felt like Hart and Mould got equal attention - especially as a sort of rivalry or yin Yang dynamic… - although yes the bass of Norton gets so little love compared to the 2 songwriters it’s criminal. But understandable
Also yeah I’m glad you’re happy I’ve come around in this band. Stellar.
No in fact I meant the bass by Norton and the drumming by Hart which indeed doesn’t receive a lot of attention opposed to his obvious talent as a songwriter and his singing: I split him up in two because I generally think a three man band is too small 😜
mickilennialThe Most Trusted Name in NewsProfile Detroit
As I get older I think of the punk-to-alternative bands, I prefer the 'mats more and more.
Yes! Absolutely agree. I am finally coming around on Hüsker du. I have adored the replacements for decades but for some reason never could get into their Minnesota contemporaries … until now _________________ -Ryan
Yes! Absolutely agree. I am finally coming around on Hüsker du. I have adored the replacements for decades but for some reason never could get into their Minnesota contemporaries … until now
Excellent reviews as always, Merc. Have to play that Husker Du EP soon, seems like an essential piece of music history.
Quote:
VERDICT: I’d be an idiot to say it’s not Essential… it is… But personally I just enjoy this and think it’s good but not really my style.
I have to say I'm perplexed 🤣 Ofc, it's essential and it's completely ok to not be moved by the classics, but for some reason I thought Melissa (even more so than Don't Break the Oath) would be right up your alley. King Diamond has always had the "it" factor in my eyes - when someone's not into a bit cheesy 80s metal, him and Mercyful Fate are my first recs. Even more so than Priest, Maiden, Helloween, Cirith Ungol, Dio or Manilla Road. It's a bit edgier, darker and more ridiculous(ly good) music, which might just interest an average non-metal fan more. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
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