Second Hell / Skull Crusher “Metal Deadness” Pic LP Out Now

Second Hell / Skull Crusher “Metal Deadness” Pic LP
ANTI-GOTH 160 (Split release with Roy Hellhammer)

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Official picture disk version of the cult split LP from 1987. Includes double sided 12″x12″ insert printed on card stock, Skull Crusher A2 poster, and woven patch for all 300 copies. I have about 120 copies to sell domestically so be quick.

Borrowed from Corroseum: http://www.thecorroseum.com/rev/metaldeadness.htm
It surprises me how many people “in the know” who still are oblivious to this fantastic record. This following statement might taint my otherwise stainless credibility, but I think there’s quite a lot of so called “Thrash Classics” that are more than a little overrated. I don’t really dare to mention any titles (I fear the vengeful wrath of many a POSSESSED or DARK ANGEL fan. Oops!.), but let’s just say that everything “old” and “first-wave” isn’t necessarily a work of genius. Dunno if “Metal Deadness” is an all-out piece of genius material either, but it’s close. Damn close! And that goes for both bands on this beautiful split-LP. It’s usually very easy to pick a favorite on these split affairs, one band often being the talented bunch, the other the “nice blokes” who “deserves a shot”. (although they rarely do. A shot in the wrist maybe, to keep ’em out of arms length from any sort of musical instrument for the rest of their useless lives, but I digress…) In this case it’s bloody impossible since both bands RRRAAWK! .or something of that sort, whatever you do when you play raw Euro-Thrash exceptionally well. SECOND HELL is the most brutal bunch of the 2, and are about as close to Death Metal as you’d get on vinyl this year. They make a rather sophisticated but totally destructive performance with plenty of similarities to such classics as “Pleasure To Kill”, “7 Churches” and the NECRONOMICON debut LP. From the ultra-fast “Prophets Of Hell” to the all-out mayhem of “Assignment To Kill” you get 5 superb, aggressive, deathlike songs of which the intricate “Homicide” is a favorite 5 minutes of superb Deathrashing riffs and rhythms. Nothing even resembling a bad song on this side as a whole. Or the SKULL CRUSHER-flip for that matter! SC is evil Euro-speed in the same style and league as early RUNNING WILD, WARRANT and FUTURE TENSE, e.i. fangfaced, chainsaw-wielding METAL-riffing and evilangry vocals spewing forth some luwly juvenile satanic rantings. “Descend..” crisscross from class-A Speed to this truly demented doomy chorus, catchier than a very catchy thing from hell out to catch you. “Hallelujah” are boosted with spinechilling eerie M.FATEish riffing and cruel DESTRUCTIONlike speed guitars. The lead-riff to “No Boundary..” is just the essence of 80’s European Black Heavy Metal and an extremely catchy song that you’d have to be a complete wimp not to love. Finally there’s “Massacre” which just keeps blowing your mind with one monster riff after another – an epic from the fiery pits of Hades! This will always be one of my all-time underground Metal favorites and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s actually one of the albums that steered me onto the path of more “serious” Metal-collecting. The incredible Wim Baelus cover art alone – probably my all-time favorite – makes this a must-buy item, but you better hurry since more and more Thrash & Death-metal fans seem to discover this “lost treasure” and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get hold of. Not that it ever was an easy piece to begin with…

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