Pearl Jam – Ten. 1991 USA-Washington

This is the debut album from Pearl Jam, one of grunge’s major stars. If I was unplugged by 1986, you can only imagine where I was in 1991. Of course I knew who all these bands were. I still would watch MTV on occasion as but one example. Some of my metal friends had started to crossover to the flannel shirt set. If I were to summarize, I would say that I viewed Pearl Jam and its ilk in the same way I viewed Madonna in the early 80s, which I spoke about on one of her albums. That is to say, I wasn’t enamored by it, but I wasn’t annoyed either. Sounded OK to me, and I remembered being tempted to buy a Soundgarden album at the time. Now is probably the right time for me to listen to Pearl Jam. The vocal style that Eddie Vedder brings isn’t really to my taste and yet it defines the genre honestly. But I’m beginning to tolerate it. What I do like is the psychedelic styled guitars, very much an indication of the upcoming stoner movement, which I was an early adopter of (though I tired of it quickly). I found the whole album very enjoyable.

Ownership: MC: 1991 Epic Associated. From a recent garage sale collection buy (2023).

3/3/23 (MC 4.1); 4/19/23 (new entry)

Sepsis - A Liturgy of Madness. 1991 Russia

Or more properly... Сепсис - Литургия Безумия (aka Liturgia Bezumia)

I had an old review for this, but I couldn't remember who I wrote it for! Found it - for Gibraltar (remember them?*) in 1995 (not that long after its release). So here is that review, slightly altered:

Sepsis in a word are remarkable. Even before you pull the vinyl out of the jacket, you realize that Sepsis is completely in the right frame of mind. The cover depicts a human head with the brain outlined so they are definitely foreshadowing the fact that this will be a cerebral affair. The album features just 2 side long tracks broken up into many sub-themes. The lineup is the basic guitar, bass, drums trio. Simple in format, ultra complex in their approach. You will not miss the keyboards believe me. Liturgia Bezumia is an all instrumental album that will make one sweat trying to keep up with the time signatures. From the first notes of throbbing bass and screaming acid guitar, through rapid fire acoustic strumming, to the Area-like experimental bits, back to screaming guitar, this album will leave you dizzy afterward. All the while the drumming is superb, adding many surprises and keeping it exciting the whole way.

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I fear to say it looks like it's been 22 years since I last heard it, after acquiring the supplemental CD. The review above holds up well and my high rating is maintained. It's one long track translated as 'Mad Cucumber' Parts 1 and 2. Generally the idea of one 40 minute track of instrumental prog rock sounds pretty snoozy, but Sepsis keeps it exciting throughout. Eastern Europe had so many interesting bands during this period - isolated but connected enough to create something familiar yet still foreign. I recently mentioned this with the Czech Republic on the Stromboli review. Even more to the point would be the one two punch of Survolaj and Talitha Qumi from Romania - both possessing the recklessness found here. Now we all wait for Russia to rejoin us again. I think (and hope) it will be soon - and I'm sure the residents there would wish for that too.

Ownership: LP: 1991 AnTrop. Single sleeve. Looks like I bought this online from Ultima Thule in 1994. Speaking of losing your way, the Freeman's used to be a pioneering guide of new music, especially from Eastern Europe. Now they fight with everyone over matrix details. I try to remember the good times.

CD: 2000 Boheme. Jewel case release with liner notes in both English and Russian. Bought this as soon as it came out and it's going nowhere. Music like this is perfect for mobility.

3/19/95 (Gibraltar); 10/1/22 (new entry)

* - Looks like the website was taken down in 2019. It's too bad it's not archived. However it does exist on the Wayback Machine. Who knows if that will be up forever. I tried to look up Sepsis and a couple of other bands but it didn't work.

Spectral Incursion - Anthology. 1986-2010. USA-Massachusetts

And the hits keep on coming. Add Boston's Spectral Incursion to the ever growing list of unknown late 80s American metal bands that were pushing the creative envelope beyond its wildest dreams. Originally known as Graven Image, Anthology captures every song the band ever released + unreleased demos and newly recorded material. Like Slauter Xstroyes, the music is not particularly heavy, but it certainly belongs to metal. And the songwriting is as random and nutty as the aforementioned SX. In fact, I think their earlier material when they were still Graven Image may have been their peak, at least in terms of creativity. But by 1991, the band were clearly a honed in professional unit. It's a tragedy they never could get past the private cassette stage. If tech thrash, or what we used to call technical metal, is your bag then Spectral Incursion is an easy recommendation. File along with first album Sieges Even, Watchtower, and the rest of them.

Ownership: CD: 2011 Stormspell. Recent online acquisition. Great 2 CD set chock full of liner notes and music you aren't going to find anywhere else. Originally released as a numbered edition of 500 copies, the label apparently went for a repress, as my copy is not numbered, nor is there space to place a number. As such, the CD is still readily available. I can't imagine that always being the case, so grab it while you can.

Taramis - Stretch of the Imagination. 1991 Australia

There was a time between the late 80s and early 90s where metal bands continued to extend the boundaries of the style, to the breaking point. Most of them having come from thrash and traditional heavy metal backgrounds. Sometimes the music was surreal in its complicated approach. It was almost as if the 70s prog rock bands at reemerged during the thrash era, and the end result was often mesmerizing. None of these groups were particularly successful on a commercial level, though the more known entities managed to sell quite a bit of copy. Mekong Delta, Realm, Anacrusis, Psychotic Waltz, and Thought Industry were just a handful of the most recognized names. For my tastes, this era of metal was the zenith of the style. The music must have been difficult to perform live, and lacking any kind of commercial enthusiasm, the style seemed to disappear overnight. By 1994, more contemporary and direct styles such as Nu-Metal and Groove Metal began to emerge, seemingly as a response to progressive thrash.

Australia's Taramis were yet another band who made a go at this most interesting metal genre. They started as a traditional heavy metal band, but by 1991 - the heyday of prog thrash - they released Stretch of the Imagination. As apropos a name as one could think of. And Taramis proved they were quite adept at it too. The vocalist is more in control than most (though hardly smooth), and the sound is crisp yet chaotic. Best of all is the bass playing, not an instrument that always gets highlighted in music such as this. All in all, another excellent example of progressive thrash, and well worth your time if music like this interests you at all.

Ownership: CD: 1991 Rising Sun (Germany). Purchased new online sometime in the late 90s.

Deus Ex Machina - Gladium Caeli. 1991 Italy

Deus Ex Machina burst onto the progressive rock scene in 1991 with their debut Gladium Caeli. When me and my running set acquired this CD real time, it was quite the revelation - and not easy to handle honestly. I've often referred to this album as chaotic and unfocused. But it's probably been 25 years since I last heard it, when it was found hiding deep in the collection. And after all that time, my conclusion is...

...it's chaotic and unfocused. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing mind you. Deus Ex Machina draw just as much influence from 70s hard rock as they do from progressive rock. And that's a fine mix as far as I'm concerned. There's some long form guitar jamming here that certainly recall Led Zeppelin or even Deep Purple. The vocals are one of many unique twists - Alberto Piras being one of the marvels of the Italian prog renaissance. His idol was none other than Demetrio Stratos of Area, and to add even more distinction, he sings in Latin! Most of the album was ignored by the band for later stage shows, and it's easy to see why, as they lack the kind of memorable hooks one seeks to hear in a live setting. One exception to this is 'Ignis ab Caelo', sometimes referred to simply as 'Ignis'. For awhile the band played a truncated version of 'Dialeghan' arguably the album's finest track, and most certainly the fieriest. There are no major peaks here, but everything is at least very good. It's a fine first effort, released at a time when progressive rock was just rolling again. It was well received, and they would improve leaps and bounds from here. And yet I find this album just as enjoyable, rough and tumble as it may be.

Ownership: CD: 1991 Drums Edizioni Musicali. Jewel case.

1992; 5/9/19 (new entry)

Varix - Morbid Tribute To Distortion. 1991 - 1995 Germany (archival)

Varix were an obscure thrash band from Germany who had ties with another long forgotten group that we just spoke about: Skeptic Sense. Like with the latter, there's a modern CD reissue on Divebomb that covers their entire canon of work. Given the background, I went forward with Varix expecting something similar...

...Somewhat I suppose, but not really. Varix are much more straightforward than the labyrinthine Skeptic Sense. Not to say Varix aren't creative or progressive - far from it - but much more in line with the inventive thrash bands of the era. The CD itself is interesting in that it presents the later material first (not counting a recent reunion add on) and works its way back to the beginning. I think from a listening perspective it would have been better to hear the band evolve - in both sound and songwriting. So with that, I'll discuss it in chronological order.

Based on what I can ascertain, 1991's Morbus Cron was actually released on cassette professionally (see scan at the bottom). Sort of a demo release I suppose. This would be their only official release until this archival CD. The sound here is raw and reedy. For 1991 it's not particularly heavy, and there's an underlying punk vibe throughout, especially the driving bass work and gang style vocals. Certainly there's plenty of sophistication in the meter breaks, but not overwhelmingly so. At this point, they sound like a more adventurous Exodus - as found in someone's garage. Two years later Tribute to Fate was recorded. Here's where the band adopts a much more crunchy and modern sound. It's not easy to describe, but it's very full and crisp. It seems almost edible. Musically the band follow a similar path to Morbus Cron, but with more complexity. And that leads us to the beginning as it were with 1995's Harmonic Distortion. Here it seems Varix has taken their Exodus roots and added a big heap of Anacrusis to the mix (minus the histrionic vocals of said band). Certainly their most progressive and intriguing tracks to date. I would recommend hearing the album in this order, otherwise each successive phase will seem less accomplished than before. The opposite effect for a quality listen. It's worth mentioning that the 2016 reformation track is not a mere throw-in, and picks up nicely from their Harmonic Distortion output. There was talk of a reunion effort, but you know how that goes.

Overall another worthy adventurous German progressive metal band to consider, though not as complex (Sieges Even, Skeptic Sense) or as nutty (Payne's Gray, Cant) as others from there we've covered in the past. But miles better than the usual straight ahead Euro styled power metal we get from Germany.

Personal collection
CD: 2016 Divebomb (USA)

Usual great retrospective from Divebomb. There are copious liner notes, lyrics, photos, etc... contained within the fat booklet. As is custom for the label, the historical notes are gathered via an interview with the band. There are quite a bit of differences of opinion in their remembrance (respectfully I might add) which made it even that much more interesting to read.

Inner Sanctum - Knowledge At Hand. 1989-1995 England (archival)

Holy Smokes! This is the good stuff right here. Fans of progressive metal meeting technical metal will be pleased with this archival compilation from Inner Sanctum (pre Fifth Season for the five people who have heard that CD). It features 6 demos, of which 5 of them sound like early Watchtower meets Psychotic Waltz. Very complex metal, yet they never lose sight of the song. And the vocals are somewhat in control, so it isn't non-stop ball squeezer shrieking. Being British, they have an inherent knack for more restraint than their American counterparts - at the points where restraint is needed. I suppose if I had to pick a favorite demo, it would have to be Sensorium (1992) which shows Inner Sanctum at their heaviest, and perhaps most technical too. First demo Fear is Life's Blood (1989), is almost a completely different lineup and the band here is more in the Slayer / Celtic Frost mold. Certainly not a bad thing, and enjoyable in its own right. Different that's all.

Personal collection
CD: 2013 Divebomb (USA 2xCD)

This is a 2 CD set and features full historical liner notes via an interview with the band - and many photos. A must own item that will for certain provide enjoyment over many repeated listens.

CD1:
Tracks 1-3: Knowledge At Hand (1995 demo)
Tracks 4-9: Questions? (1994 demo)
Tracks 10-12: Shine (1993 demo)

CD2:
Tracks 1-3: Sensorium (1992 demo)
Tracks 4-6: Static Veins (1991 demo)
Tracks 7-9: Fear Is Life's Blood (1989 demo)

Today the band has been rechristened Synaptik, and their debut turned out to be awesome as well (see next post).

Last listen: February 24, 2015

Motoi Sakuraba - Gikyokuonsou. 1991 Japan

Motoi Sakuraba's career began in the Japanese 80's progressive rock renaissance as the ivory tickler for the little known group Deja-Vu. Gikyokuonsou is his debut solo album which displays his immense talent, not only technically, but as a composer as well. The all instrumental album stays interesting throughout, and there's plenty of tonal color to keep it from monotony. The rhythms tend to be jumpy and staccato oriented, while Sakuraba performs his best piano concertos, seemingly random at that. Sadly this would be his only true progressive rock album, as apparently he landed a choice gig as chief composer of soundtracks for a company specializing in anime, and subsequently released a number of albums in supporting roles to games, films, etc... Many of those albums are excellent in their own right, but have a different purpose and aren't consistent for sit-down listening. Despite this local fame, and a second pressing on Musea (France), Gikyokuonsou remains an unknown today. An excellent album that could use some more exposure.

Personal collection
CD: 1991 Made in Japan

Bought the CD not long after it was released. For most of the 90s it was incredibly difficult to find, until Musea reissued it in 1999.

Last listen: June 11, 2016

Sieges Even - A Sense of Change. 1991 Germany

My initial reaction to this album was very similar to many reviews you may read - except real time in 1992. To my ears back then, Sieges Even were a prog thrash, or perhaps more to the point, technical metal band who did a fantastic replication / variation on what Watchtower was doing here in the States. Steps was a radical departure from Life Cycle (see the UMR entry for it), so they did tip their hand a bit as to where they were going.

But I never saw this one coming. It was not what I had expected - nor wanted - at the time. I ditched it quick, and left rather unflattering ratings behind. Fast forward another 25 years or so, and I had a chance to source the original SPV CD on the cheap, so why not take another shot at it? As the other reviews have stated so well, A Sense of Change is very much in league with early to mid 80s era Rush. Except far more technical, and "progressive" if you will. Fates Warning's Perfect Symmetry is a good reference as well. In fact, it's not metal at all, at least if heavy sound distortion is a criteria for said sound. Now I hear the album completely different, and is very enjoyable. 

Ownership: CD: 1991 Steamhammer. Jewel case with lyric booklet and photos.

1992 (first listen); 1/26/16 (review / new entry); 4/10/24