J Reviews Archive

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Bands are listed alphabetically, with individuals listed by last name.

Review Archive: J

JACK FROST - Glow Dying Sun · CCP
Now this is gloomy. The droning, sorrowful, deeply sung, clean vocals will just drain the life out of you through the ears. And the riffs are very much like razors slowly slicing fragile flesh. The press release suggests that this is "Dark Metal." I’d put the emphasis on "Dark," although it is certainly Metal, sometimes bringing CANDLEMASS to mind, but it also incorporates considerable non-Metal influences, to create a dismal soundscape of inescapable suicidal dirges. After many, many spins I have yet to find a single second of anything less than perfection in this festival of sorrow, and thus give JACK FROST the just reward of their supreme efforts. - 10 - <Ray> **MC12**

JACK FROST - Gloom Rock Asylum · Serenades
Holy fuck. It's not too often that a band has two great albums in a row, much less two flawless ones. Actually, to be really fair, I should point out that this must be somehow beyond flawless, since it is clearly superior to their last album, Glow Dying Sun, and you might recall that album receiving a 10 last issue. To say I'm impressed would be an understatement. The Gloom masters haven't made any radical departure from their perfection, but instead tweaked the production into an even more soul-crushing ocean of suffocating dismal thickness, and threw in some double bass just for me. Plus they actually improved the vocal drone, making it even more devoid of hope and overflowing with sorrow than ever before. God damn! Check out the tracks "You Are the Cancer" and their cover of "California Dreamin'" to see what the soundtrack is to the extreme depths of depression. On its own, Glow Dying Sun was and is perfection, but Gloom Rock Asylum takes it all just a little further, a little heavier, a little more depressing and suicidal. This is a 10 if there ever was one, but I'm almost hesitant to give it the rating it deserves, just in case JACK FROST once again figures out how to improve on perfection on their next release. On a side note, someone find me this band's first two CDs, and then name your price, okay? I'll get you hookers, drugs, comic books, even cash! - 10 - <Ray>

JACOBS DREAM - Jacobs Dream · DEMO (CD)
Where do I start? What annoys me more? The Geoff Tate-ish vocal squeal? The painfully major-key guitar solos? The oh-so DOKKEN guitar tone? Or the very preachy "Hey, cheer up, life’s really okay, so just keep rocking" lyrics? Somehow I picture this band playing Youth Ministry tours and Christian Fellowship state fairs. I just can’t get into any band that probably takes their mothers on tour with them. - 5 - <Brainhammer> **MC12**

JACOBS DREAM - Jacobs Dream · Metal Blade
All these new Power Metal bands seem strange to me. Really, if I wanted to listen to this stuff, I'd put in HELLOWEEN, but I'll admit that JD do a good, sometimes excellent, job musically. However, vocally, there are not a lot of men who can really make this clear, high-pitched style sound convincing. They're not horrible in this case, though, just kind of distracting, which is bad enough. - 7.25 - <Ray>

JAG PANZER - Dissident Alliance · Pavement
Nice, heavy, guitar sound. That's what I first noticed. Then when the vocals started, I about puked. To fit the "tough guy" vox, the heavy guitar tone is wrapped around some really dorky riffs, too. Why? This insanity must stop. - 4.5 - <Ray> **MC9**

JAG PANZER - The Fourth Judgement · Century Media
After this band’s pathetic last LP, Dissident Alliance, whereupon they sucked the shit of PANTERA, I had completely given up on them, & was ready to have a little fun with this. To my extreme surprise, this is actually kind of a NWOBHM album! And a damn good one. This is more like how I remember these guys sounding. All traces of tough-guy posing are gone, vanquished by the new singer (perhaps old singer back again? I lost the press release and my review copy has utterly no liner notes). J.P. deserves an award for "Best comeback after a terrible PANTERA-wannabe album." I should have my own awards show. Anyway, fans of true adjectiveless Metal will shoot cum 4 feet into the air for this disc. Rating lowered a little for insulting us with their last release. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC11**

JAG PANZER - The Age of Mastery · Century Media
Although I am still somewhat insulted by their PANTERA-worship of two albums ago (on the horrible Dissident Alliance), if they continue to crank out quality Metal like this, I may eventually forgive their prior insanity. Rating lowered a little to make them pay for the sins of their past. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC12**

JAG PANZER - Thane to the Throne · Century Media
I liked this band's last two Traditional Metal albums (they had a really gay one before that where they were riding the micro-nuts of PANTERA, and I'm not about to let them forget it), but this one seems a little light weight. It's not bad, but it's certainly not as interesting as they have been. - 7.75 - <Ray>

JANUARY AQUARIUS - 10th Court Toons · DEMO
This 6 song demo has a retro sound. That is to say, they play Heavy Metal. Not Death or even Thrash. It doesn't really rock as hard as ACCEPT or JUDAS PRIEST, but it's heavier and meaner than any Glam shit. Actually, they have a pretty unique sound. The bass guitar is loud (which is cool) and Aurore is a good guitarist, and when she sings (she shares the vox with the only other member of the band, at the time of this recording, Joel), she sounds a bunch like WARLOCK's Doro. Joel also sounds a bit like Doro, to be honest. OK, these guys are original, but when the music & vox are this accessible, I expect the songs to be very memorable -which they are not. Not bad, but I think I'll give 'em some time and see how things develop. - 7.5 - <Ray> **MC7**

JAWBOX - For Your Own Special Sweetheart · Atlantic
This isn't so bad. Mildly heavy guitars, and interesting songs. The singer sorta bugs me sometimes, but he doesn't really mess it up too badly. Perhaps musically a bit too "happy," but fairly acceptable, if somewhat difficult to classify. - 7 - <Ray> **MC8**

JEEL - As Morning Turns to Day · DEMO (CD)
Fuck yeah!! This Danish band is one of the best straightforward Death Metal bands I have heard in a very long time. Great musicianship, amazing arrangements and heavy riffs make this release uncompromising. Its only a 4 song promo CD which sucks for us because these guys need to be signed! The title track, "As Morning...," is a masterpiece of Metal. And it sounds very individual. It was recorded at a home studio, but it is great sounding. Somebody sign these guys! - 9.75 - <Gerg> **MC12**

JESUS CHRUST - I'm Nailed Right In (picture disc) 7" · Fudgeworthy
Seventeen songs of Blurr on a picture disc. This goes beyond Grind and enters the Noise realm. The realm of Crust, yes? It's fairly interesting, but doesn't stand up with repeated listens. The songs are over quickly, though, which helps. It didn't do much for me, but I can certainly think of much worse. - 7.5 - <Ray> **MC8**

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST - Unalive From Golgotha · DEMO
Weird. I think that this is what EXIT-13 would be if they weren't so hung up on trying to be pro-dope and so on. JFC are weirder and just plain better. This may be too strange for some, but I liked it. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC9**

JESUS MARTYR - Sudamerican Porno · Repulse
For the most part, this sounds something like a more Death Metal oriented (but less good) STRAPPING YOUNG LAD. However, there are some extreme transgressions from that model here. J.M. get so mellow as to only have whispers over a lightly tapped high-hat, which sounds pretty queer, and out of place. I guess they want to prove what a huge range they have. Sometimes it works well for them, but at least as often, it makes them sound ridiculous. And the high percentage of start-stop riffs means that they don’t need that kind of help to sound like geeks. - 7 - <Ray> **MC12**

JESUS SAVE - Advance Promo Tape & Demo No. 1 · DEMO
The advance tape contains three songs. The first, "Behind the Mask", is due for release on a comp with other Japanese Hardcore bands. It starts off cool, not a SLAYER scream, yet still cool. Just when I thought this was getting dull, they changed it around. Overall I'd call this amusing. The other 2 were released in April on the band's first single, Life of Sickness. The first song is a Jimi Hendrix cover, "Purple Haze". I never listened much to the Dead One's work, so perhaps some of you Jimiophiles can let me know what you think. I like the mosh part, but I don't think that's how J.H. intended it. The final track "Anthropology" is pretty decent Speed Metal. They show a lot of potential in this one. But they could have left out the Lounge Band part. As for the demo: Jesus, and that's only the half of it. It opens bassy in "Eye For Eye, Tooth For Tooth". They say this one is a favorite live. I can see why. It's a long smooth rumble. "Museum of the Dead" is not so bassy. It's rather swift and holds up OK. It's not in the same league as "Eye For Eye", however. "Evil Eden" is on par with "Museum...". It's about religions evils with a slightly different viewpoint. It's almost refreshing. The final track is entitled "Some Brains Were Washed". Lyrically it's fairly cool. Musically it's better than "Museum..." or "...Eden". Overall the bass is good, the drums are constant with no problems. The guitars are more than adequate. Rough English is a problem, but I don't think that will hold them back (look at the SCORPIONS). With some work JESUS SAVE will be a powerful force. Watch them. - 8.25 - <Lar> **MC5**

JESUS SAVE - Demo '92 · DEMO
The James Brown cover, "Living in America," is great. Pure genius. The other two songs are also good, and this just might be the best thing to come from this band so far. I do wish the lyrics had been included, though. This is officially cool. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC8**

JESUS SAVE - Jesus Save · DEMO
This time, my pals from Japan deliver seven songs of their patented Thrash style: Insane, screamed vocals, and groovy, yet deadly, riffs. You like Thrash? Then check this out - you'll like it. - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC8**

JESUS SKIN - Sinplicity · DEMO
JESUS SKIN is diverse in many ways. From their strange keyboarding to their bizarre sampling, these guys definitely bring something different to the scene. The flyer we received for this cassette describes their music as, "Hyperactive Satanic Disco." I think that’s a fair description. The guitar riffing is great, as is the production, the vocals are pure Death, and the fact that this is a 2-man project says something. Not to mention they possess strong lyricism. Death, a flash of Techno, a hint of Industrial and this is what you get. - 8 - <ANG> **MC11**

JIMMY EAT WORLD - Static Prevails · Capitol
Candy-ass Pop-Punk that isn’t worth a dead bug’s dick. - 2.5 - <Ray> **MC11** - "Last Second Additions"

JIMMY PAGE & ROBERT PLANT - No Quarter · Atlantic
Well, I'm sure that someone must give a fuck that these two dorks exhumed a bunch of LED ZEP songs and even managed to come up with 3 news cuts, but it's not me. This whole thing just makes me think that they were low on heroin money and thought, "Hey our fans will buy anything with our names on it, so lets fuck them out of $20 for a CD." What assholes. - 2 - <Ray> **MC9**

JOHN CONNELLY’S THEORY - Back to Basics · Relativity
This LP sounds a lot like John's other band, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, except for the last song, "L.H.A.", which stands for "Long Haired Asshole." That one's... uhh, Country, I guess. But it's pretty funny. Another interesting track is "Charlie Brownstone," which is about Charlie Brown going nuts and killing most of his Peanuts pals. The rest are decent, but don't really stand out and even after many listens, I still can't get any of the songs "running" in my mind, except for "L.H.A." & "Charlie Brownstone." I won't say that anything is actually bad here, just not as good as I thought it could be. Or as imaginative or interesting. This album is best described as average. - 7 - <Ray> **MC6**

JOHNNY VOMIT - Projectile · DEMO (CD)
Kick-ass Punk/Metal, not totally unlike the MEATMEN. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC11** - "Last Second Additions"

JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS - Near Death Experience · None of the Above
Dark synth-work, with occasionally sort of Death Metal style drums. It can be strange, but it's very interesting, and although not as haunting or depressing as (and considerably more up-tempo than) ENDURA, this is still pretty damn ominous. - 9 - <Ray> **MC10**

JUDAS ISCARIOT - The Cold Earth Slept Below · Moribund
Nearly 45 minutes of very simple, poorly produced Black Metal. It sounds as if the vocals were added as an afterthought, since they rarely have anything to do with the music. I've heard a lot of hype about this band, but this just puts me to sleep. The very best it gets is okay. I think this is a one man band, so I'll be a little lenient on the rating. Maybe I'm missing some aspect that makes it great, but probably not. - 7.25 - <Ray> **MC10**

JUDAS ISCARIOT - The Wind Stands Silent · Moribund
Much like their debut, The Cold Earth Slept Below (see the review in this issue), this is straightforward, simple, speedy Black Metal. Actually, I found this to be somewhat more interesting than the aforementioned CD. - 7.5 - <Ray> **MC10**

JUDAS ISCARIOT - Thy Dying Light · Moribund
This one man project defies all that is good and christian-like. Dark, atmospheric power and some equally "death meets darkness" vocals are what drives the fury behind the message. And the music, according to the bio, is supposed to, "...help inspire the masses to revolt and reign victorious in the name of darkness!" A common goal among most who, "...recognize christianity as one of the biggest causes of embarrassment and shame for the human race." The music is nothing compared to a few of the lyrics I was able to understand. - 8.25 - <ANG> **MC11**

JUDAS ISCARIOT - Distant in Solitary Night · Moribund
I don't know if I should call this JUDAS ISCARIOT's third or fourth album. Technically, this is Andy Harris' fourth CD as JUDAS ISCARIOT, but third album, as it was recorded before the Of Great Eternity album, but released after it. The ads for this album (and all other JUDAS ISCARIOT releases, for that matter) say that this is in the vein of older DARKTHRONE or GRAVELAND. I say that this is wrong. This style of Black Metal can be traced back to the band VON. VON was very influential to the Norse scene even though they, themselves, were from the Bay Area! I know this because I met the guitarist for VON once at S.F. City College, of all places. They played almost exactly like this, making whole songs out of just one or two riffs and getting away with it because nobody else was doing it. Varg from BURZUM himself claimed to love that band and so, apparently, does Andy Harris. Though JUDAS ISCARIOT is slower than VON ever played, the structure of the songs is the same. The guitar is thick and heavy and the sound is clear but raw at the same time. I've always liked JUDAS ISCARIOT and this album is probably my favorite. The riffs are primitive and brutal, the lyrics are full of hate and the whole album just reeks of evil. This album proves that the true spirit of Black Fucking Metal has not died nor has it compromised itself at all. - 9.5 - <Ychoril>

JUDAS ISCARIOT - Distant in Solitary Night · Moribund
Cold, grim, and raw Black Metal the way it was meant to be. Anti-Christian, anti-Glam, anti-typical. Sure it's sloppy, repetitive, and not played to utter perfection, but off your high horse, not everything has to be. There is emotion here. Hatred and sadness - who can't relate? It's been said before and I'll say it again: This does remind me of mid-career DARKTHRONE, if that gives you an idea of the music. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for explosive Steve Evetts production, or something recorded at The Abyss, or anything smooth and polished for that matter. Sometimes I just need something dark and simple for reflection and bitterness therapy. JUDAS ISCARIOT's mussy hymns are the perfect backdrop for such moods. - 8.75 - <Jack>

JUDAS ISCARIOT - Heaven in Flames · Red Stream
This album was recorded back in '98, but has just recently seen the light of day. If you like Andy Harris's previous work with JUDAS, then you will like this one too. Heaven in Flames sees more keyboard work slowly creeping into the steady assault of VON / early BURZUM influenced Evil Black Fucking Metal. Note that Evil Black Fucking Metal does not equal "underproduced" so-called "Grim" Black Metal. JUDAS ISCARIOT is Evil Black Fucking Metal because no matter what kind of production Mr. Harris gets with this band, it still sounds fucking evil. Yes, Heaven in Flames doesn't have the clean sound that Distant in Solitary Night had, but the feeling of pure hatred and darkness remains undiluted. Seriously, if we get enough of those 16-year old DIMMU BORGIR / CRADLE OF FILTH kids to listen to this shit, then the church burnings of the early '90s will start anew. - 9.5 - <Ychoril>

JUDAS ISCARIOT - Dethroned, Conquered and Forgetten EP · Red Stream
Raw fast drumming, sickly raw guitar speed picking, horrifically raw vocals screams. And as intentionally un-polished as this is, it's to just the correct degree. Fans of "slick" Black Metal probably won't like this, but that's part of the point. This EP won't be winning Andy Harris any new fans, but those he already has should be thrilled by the intensity to be found here. - 8.5 - <Ray>

JUDAS PRIEST - Painkiller · Columbia
This album is evil! Don’t listen to it if you are feeling weak, it will kill you. The whole thing starts with a description of what is supposed to be the Painkiller. This tune ("Painkiller") is awesome from beginning to end. I would even dare to put it among the top five JUDAS PRIEST songs of all time. The two next best songs are: "Hell Patrol" and "Night Crawler." The next two songs I will mention are different from the others. What is really cool about them is how quietly (not screaming) Rob goes with the vocals. This makes the songs more difficult to feel, but this is what we Monsters of Sound look for: that strange feeling. The songs I am referring to are: "A Touch of Evil" and "Between the Hammer and the Anvil." New drummer Scott Travis (ex of RACER-X) has little chance to shine, other than on the title track, but apparently he has breathed new life into this band. This is JUDAS PRIEST’s best production yet, they are better than ever. Fuck it, Painkiller is awesome, all eleven tracks. "They’ve been brought back from the grave"! - 9.5 - <Mars>
{Rob Halford left the PRIEST after this album, and went on to form the less-than-great band FIGHT. It took JUDAS PRIEST until 1997 to "recover" and release their next album, Jugulator, all of which sounds more or less like the song "Painkiller," and features their new singer, Ripper Owens, who formerly sang for a JUDAS PRIEST tribute band - seriously. And Rob Halford finally admitted that he’s a homosexual.} **MC3**

JUDAS PRIEST - Jugulator · CMC
Can the once-mighty PRIEST pick up where they left off all those years ago on Painkiller? Can Ripper deliver the goods the way Halford did? And will the fans accept him? Strangely enough, the answer is "yes" to all of the above. Well, actually this album takes up more where the song, and not the LP, "Painkiller" left off, if you see what I mean, but thanks to Ripper’s dead-on Halford imitation, this also has something of an older vibe to it. I’d have to guess that nearly everyone who will buy this already has, but if you’ve been waiting, hesitate no longer. - 9 - <Ray> **MC11**

JUDECCA / HORROR OF HORRORS - Split 7" · self released
This is one of the best pairings I've ever seen. Both bands play crushing Death, yet manage to make their songs catchy. JUDECCA are a bit slower, and more raw, while H. of H. go for a speedier approach, and a smoother sound. I think that the bands may have put this out themselves, since there is no label information on it anywhere. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC9**

JUDECCA - Awakened by the Stench of the Dead EP·Wild Rags
JUDECCA is almost too good to be true. Their style of brutal, memorable Death is everything you could hope for. The extensive use of acoustic guitar in the second track, "The Black Blood of Christ," works amazingly well, and shows that while they might experiment (successfully, I hasten to add) with their sound, JUDECCA are committed to delivering on their promise of Death. If this is any indication of what their upcoming Beyond, What the Eyes Can't See album (see their interview elsewhere in this issue for more info) will be like, I must predict that it will receive a perfect score. So impressive is this EP, that I have a second copy just in case it is possible to wear out a CD. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC10**

JUDECCA - Beyond, What the Eyes Can't See · Wild Rags
Even though the advance tape I got from the band isn't a first generation copy (far from it, I would guess), the power of the songs will leave you ripped and torn. In the cut "The Stench of an Undouched Cunt" they even have some Max Hardcore samples - it's god damn hard to beat that kind of depravity, but they do it two songs later in their ode to necrophillia, "As We Fuck." JUDECCA is all things a Death Metal band could hope to be: brutal, sick, heavy, and memorable. And they have the coolest samples possible. The indicated rating is due to the imperfect sound quality of the advance tape. I would imagine that when this is finally released on CD the sound will be excellent and this a flawless album. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC10**

JUDGEMENT - Demo 1990 · DEMO
This is an excellent piece of work from another New Jersey band. The line up on this tape is as follows: Andy Bordynowski, guitar; Rich Bordynowski, guitar; Steve Draft, drums; Ernie Hilbert, Bass; and Kyle Rivera on vox. However, Ernie tells me that Rich has lift the band. They are currently recording a follow-up demo as a 4 piece. This demo is a six songer that's put together pretty well. They sound a lot like THE MORBID (before they went JANE'S ADDICTION) with rougher vocals. The guitars and bass are masterful, and Hilbert works wonders with the bass. This demo is one of the best I've heard recently. Reach in your pocket; pull out a fiver and send for this tape. - 8.25 - <Lar> **MC5**

JUDGEMENT - Infernal Reality · DEMO
These guys really impressed me. The vocals are kinda like Ron from DARK ANGEL. The demo has really good production, and all the songs are awesome, especially "Insane Hate." I had never heard anything about this band until I heard this tape, and I wish I had found out about them before. - 8.5 - <Tom> **MC7**

JULIE LAUGHS NOMORE - J.L.N. · DEMO (CD)
Someone has been listening to CEMETARY's Godless Beauty a lot, as this sounds like a slightly heavier version of that album. In fact, I'd bet that the band took their name from a song on that disc ("And Julie Is No More"). Anyway, influences aside, these four tracks are pretty impressive, and they certainly have the melancholic Death Rock style down to a science. - 9 - <Ray> **MC10**

JULIE LAUGHS NOMORE / DE TVEKSAMMA - (split) · Humla
JLNM have added a little SOLITUDE AETURNUS to their CEMETARY / SENTENCED Death Rock sound, and this Doom infusion has made them unstoppable. DE TVEKSAMMA however are generally faster, more Death Rock, less Doom. Sometimes the yelled vox almost give them a Hardcore feeling. Then there is the bonus track by SIN OF DISMAY, which is in the heavier Doomy style of JLNM, but with weird, sort of spoken vox. This 76 minute disc is a real deal for fans of the aforementioned styles, as it crams 2 full-length releases onto a single CD. - 9 - <Ray> **MC11**

JULIE LAUGHS NOMORE - When Only... · Serious
This is really a lot heavier than I remember J.L.N. being before. Most of the "Death Rock" influences are gone or toned down quite a bit, in favor of a more intense, sometimes sort of technical Black Metal, approach to melancholia and depression. It’s given the band a more individual sound and really works very well for them. I almost cannot believe that for once a band actually stopped to think about the flaws in their music, correctly identified them, and then went ahead and fixed the problems. I’ll really be looking for perfection next time, and we’re already pretty close. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC12**

JUNGLE ROT - Rip Off Your Face · DEMO
You don't see very many 13 song demos. These guys are sort of no frills, but they sure as shit get the job done. Certainly not the most brutal, nor the fastest, nor the most anything, but there's something about them I like. - 8 - <Ray> **MC9**

JUNGLE ROT - Skin the Living · DEMO
JUNGLE ROT are everything a Death Metal band should be. Their songs are rabid, the guitar sound is a chain saw on steel, and I can even sometimes hear the fucking bass. David's vocals remind me of a young Johnny Hedlund (UNLEASHED), although perhaps a little more raw. And for all that brutality, their songs are actually very catchy. I simply can't say enough good things about these sick freaks. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC10**

JUNGLE ROT - Slaughter the Weak · Pulverizer
It’s about time this outstanding Death Metal act got signed! Chomp-chomp Death with lots of catchy hooks and changes, kind of like OBITUARY. If you were at Milwaukee [MetalFest] in ‘97, you must have heard everyone talking about this band. They are truly something that must be witnessed by every Death Metal fan. Now if only someone would put out a CD with all the tracks from the Rip Off Your Face and Skin the Living demos on it. That would fucking rule, just as this does! - 9.5 - <JACK> **MC11**

JUNGLE ROT - Dead and Buried · Olympic / Century Media
Holy fuck, JUNGLE ROT has always kicked ass, but, this much ass?!? Not very many bands any more even try to play straightforward Death Metal, with no Grind influence, but JUNGLE ROT does, and over the years they have virtually perfected their deadly craft, as is evidenced here. The addition of a couple re-recorded demo tracks only serves to push Dead and Buried ever closer to a flawless rating. In every issue's worth of reviews, there is an album or two that I'm not quite sure if it's exactly perfect, or just really god damn close, and this is one of those, no question about it. I might well look back and wish I'd give this monster a ten. - 9.75 - <Ray>

JUNGLE ROT - Fueled by Hate · Olympic/Century Media
Brutality comes through simplicity. No one understands that more than Wisconsin’s JUNGLE ROT. These 10-year scene veterans have come through with another solid moshworthy album that the mainstream Metal media, convinced that if they can’t understand a band’s music that it must be genius, will assuredly ignore. Okay, so maybe this isn’t quite as adrenalizing as 2001’s Dead and Buried, but it’s still a high quality combination of catchiness and brutality, taking a page out of OBITUARY’s Death Metal manual as usual. The ROT ought to be given an award for sticking to their guns and refusing to change the style they obviously love playing, while raising a middle finger to the pretentious, bandwagon-jumping press in the process. However, it is more likely that they’ll receive little if any attention for this fine effort and promptly be dropped from their label thereafter. They were born alive, isn’t that punishment enough? - 9.75 - <Jack>

JUST SAY YES - Puffing the Lord · Ever Rat
This starts with an interview which features the late Sam Kinison and others talking to J.S.Y. main-man Rev. Bud Green. And this is far more interesting than the music. Rev. Green bitches like a cunt on each song. OK Bud, you've got your message, and that's cool, but your songs are total shit. And could you say "Rich Pigs" a little more often? I'm not against the man, or his message of peace through herb - that's his deal - but these songs: "Yawn." - 4 - <Ray> **MC7**

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