Merciless Slaughter

I stumbled upon a random blogspot several weeks ago which had a bunch of playlists for some older bands, a very interesting selection with some obscure stuff I had never heard of. The radio playlist had the track Summon the Dead from Flames' follow up release after this one of the same name, somehow I liked it so much I was interested enough to check out the bands other material and well, I'm definitely glad I did (along with reading the previous reviews to discover they've changed their sound a bit over their shorter lifespan).

While Summon the Dead retains a lot of classic NWOBHM and traditional elements, you can tell the harsher demonic, brutal, and death elements were more emphasized on that one as compared to their first releases. Merciless Slaughter here is a good bit more melodic with catchier rhythms rather than going all out and bashing your head in, however those galloping metallic hammers from hell still pound away all over this one while everything else gets pretty damn fierce at times as well. Simply put you can tell these guys were more than likely highly influenced by bands such as Venom. There's a combination of several genres from NWOBHM/traditional styles, obvious influences of thrash and speed, all topped off with that sinister coating making it all quite an experience. Admittedly the production isn't always perfect (gee, an 80's metal band hailing from the Athens ... I wonder why?), but it gets the job done and is a huge improvement over their debut. The drums can sound a little sterile here and there but the guitar mix is nicely done and really dirty, fitting the style perfectly. The bass doesn't always stand out in the open but you can tell it's there, fortifying that thick sound. Duelist Nigel Foxxe whom also handles vocals is also again, easily comparable to bands such as Venom, Razor, Whiplash, and so forth. Just one of those guys that sounds pissed as hell, shouting and screaming his lungs out. His performance is definitely above average and gets pretty damn convincing on some tracks such as Beloved Dead.

Overall what Flames does they do very well. This is a great blend of traditional heavy metal grinded in with speed/thrash topped off with an evil/pissed off demeanor (some might throw the "blackened" label around here perhaps). A bit like Razor's debut, but far more vile. Similar to Whiplash's first release, but with more traditional traces and experimenting. Maybe comparable to Destructor's sound off Maximum Destruction, though again with a stronger "evil" vibe putting them closer to Venom maybe moreso than a lot of other bands that get the comparison. I get some E-X-E vibes at times too, along with Hallows Eve's Tales of Terror (this is probably how cool that album could've been, had they stuck with the furious vocals and sound from their first track Plunging To Megadeath for the whole album). It's great stuff and there's more than a handful of moments on this album that's utterly timeless, irreplaceable "metal" moments that can never be replicated ever again. The instrumental stuff at the end of Evil for instance just kind of teleports you to a dark and battered battlefield, while those majestic leads and harmonies scorch the skies. Vocalist Foxxe appears a bit later shouting as if he were getting ripped apart by some cyclops in a distant cave or something - yeah I kind of made that stuff up, but that's what this magic does. It just has those awesome moments that really takes your mind off things and puts you in a trance. Infidel is another total highlight with probably the best leads and melodies the album has to offer, by the end of this one it's no question that both Nigel Foxxe and Chris "R.B." Lee were really skilled guitarists.

This is a killer album through and through. Fast, hellish heavy metal with a good chunk of variety and mixing of genres done well. The consistency is very strong. Murder doesn't do a whole lot but it can't hurt to open up the album with an easy headbanger. Their longer epic Legend might take a bit to get into, but it really pays off with some really unique idea's shown towards the end and the development of the whole track is great. I'd say when you hit Beloved Dead you'll either be disgusted as someone who simply doesn't get or enjoy this kind of metal, or you'll be completely hooked. From there on it's one hell of a ride. Simply put, looking for some hellish speed metal in the vein of bands like early Venom? This is it.

Flames is undoubtedly the most legendary group to has ever come out of Hellas and the first that played thrash metal. Merciless Slaughter is their second album, released in 1986, and the driving force behind this monument is Nigel Foxxe, Chris 'R.B. Lee' Kirk and Andy Kirk. Given the almost non-existent metal scene in Greece twenty two years ago, the limited funds and the difficulties a Greek metal fan was encountering we should be speaking about a miracle. Not only because this LP was released but because, musically, it is truly a colossal work.

The music is old-school thrash metal with dirty sound and fast guitars, closer to the American mid eighties thrash metal scene, although the sound does not resemble the sound of any of the groups of that era. A distinct characteristic of this album is the “plastic”, almost fake sound of the drums. Although a drummer was part of the group at times it sounds like they are using a drum machine, nothing wrong with it, quite the contrary, it gives a unique feeling to the music.

The guitars are fast with a very distinguishable distortion and it takes you back to the eighties. It is the exact sound that you'd expect from a thrash/speed metal group of twenty something years ago (given also the recording equipment of that decade). The sound is true, pure thrash/speed metal, dirty and trampy that the group plays with soul and guts. All the band members have great musical skills and know how to write music. Not very complex, just great riffs, fast and simple with fast and melodic solos.

Nigel Foxxe sings with gruffness but his voice is just excellent for this kind of music (and production). His voice is just right for a thrash metal recording, not too thick and not too thin and he sings with passion.

My favourite songs are Beloved Dead (what great riffs!), Werewolf on the Hunt, Moorglle (with great ending) and Cocksucking Slave, but all the songs are equally nice. You won't find any bad or even mediocre songs, no, not even a song of mediocrity, all of them are tremendous and none tires the listener. The LP tends to be very rare (not sure if it has been re-issued on CD or vinyl) but if you ever find it grab it with no second thought. A cult release.