Album Review: Type-O Negative's Slow, Deep, and Hard

Happy Birthday Slow, Deep, and Hard!

Okay, I’m off by just a few short days. My apologies. However, I’m sure as hell not going to miss the chance to celebrate the beginning of the career of one of my favorite bands! Type-O Negative have a storied history in the world of Heavy Metal, and one that thankfully hasn’t been forgotten even over 11 years after the passing of legendary frontman Pete Steele. The subject of today’s celebration just so happens to be the slightly late 30th anniversary of Type-O’s first ever release, and I don’t have to say the name again since I said it above. So let’s cut the cake & celebrate!

Background
When Carnivore split up soon after their second release, Pete Steele was already spinning his creative wheels in regards towards his next musical venture. Feeling that he needed different people to explore this new avenue, he called upon the services of Kenny Hickey (Guitars, backing vocals, and a prior bandmate from an older venture), Josh Silver (Keyboards, backing vocals, samples), and Sal Abruscato (Drums). After assembling this crew, a name was needed. At first, it was Repulsion, but that bottomed out because there already was a Repulsion. Then they changed it to Subzero, but there was also a Subzero already out there. After taking a bit for the name, it was decided that it would be Type-O Negative after spotting a blood donation ad in the newspaper. Pete got the guys, and then got the name.

With everything solidified, the boys went into Systems Two in Brooklyn, 1989, and recorded the beginning of their infamous career. Originally titled None More Negative, it would originally be released in 1990 under the group's former name Repulsion, but ultimately come one on June the 11th a year later under their new name to much fan-fare. According to Hickey, Peter based the main rift of Gravitational Constant: G = 6.67 × 10-8 cm-3 gm-1 sec-2 (Yes, that’s a song name) off of the theme song to The Munsters, and in 2009 Roadrunner Records put out a remastered version on March 24, 2009.

Basic Description
Raw, hard, and fun.

Now, I should point out that this isn’t a full-blown Gothic Metal album. Hell, a lot of the band’s patented gothic tones isn’t here necessarily. Slow, Deep, and Hard comes across more like Carnivore-grade punk, but with a metallic edge that still brutally cuts. Much like the equally iconic Motorhead release Overkill, this release is just as good among the fans of Punk as it is among the fans of Heavy Metal. I do think this is a flaw, but I’ll save that for later. I will say that this is an absolute headbanger of a record for the most part, but leaves room for some oddly sophisticated musicianship, and expands Pete Steel’s musical skill most definitely.  

Best Track
Xero Tolerance is a perfect example of the dark & dry humor that Pete Steele was known for throughout his life. Basically, the Green Man is singing about wanting to kill his girlfriend who happens to be cheating on him, while also speaking about the “little green monster” egging him on to commit this violent act. Instrumentally, it goes between raw punk and gothic, and the transition between the two is practically seamless. Vocally, Pete is violent, furious, and oddly light-hearted when he gets to the more comedic portions. It’s a weird little track that’s hard to explain, so click on the link below to give it a listen!

Xero Tolerance

Worst Track
I find that the album’s only fault lies with it’s identity. Much like Life Is Killing Me, I’m not sure what Slow, Deep, and Hard wants to be. However, LIKM’s identity issue comes with it’s tone, while the identity issue with this album comes from it’s style. At times this record comes across like a 3rd Carnivore release that’s more sophisticated than what came before, and other times it feels like a sloppy Type-O Negative album. It’s this bipolar nature that can make this record a little confusing to watch, as it sometimes shifts between these two personalities seemingly at random.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

Slow, Deep, and Hard

Overall Impression & Rating
Slow, Deep, and Hard was the album that set Type-O Negative on the path to success. It may not have a solid identity, but it does have solid craftsmanship & talent behind it. Pete Steel already proved that he was a creative force with Carnivore, but it’s on this album that showed he was capable of much more. If you want to see an example of how Heavy Metal didn’t “Die” in the 90s, and you want a nice mashing of Metal & Punk, then this is definitely for you.

Slow, Deep, and Hard gets an 8 out of 10.

And that was my review for Slow, Deep, and Hard. Again, I feel a little bad for being slightly late with this review, but I hope you didn’t mind. Anyways, we got a little more traveling in Japan to do, so see me next week when I’ll be reviewing Anthem first release of the new millennium. Until then, take life nice & slow.

Anime Review: Yu Yu Hakusho (Season 3)

We can stop here for a break fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’ve definitely been having fun looking at Anthem so far, and I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about them! However, I’m putting on the breaks for a bit to catch my breath, and I think an anime review is in order. I took a look at Season 2 of Yu Yu Hakusho earlier this year (In February to be specific), so I figured that it was time to give Season 3 a look at. Will it be just as action packed as before? Will it have just as good a cast as before? Will the story be just as good as before? Well, let’s find out!

Story/Setup
Taken from the box:

“From cutting classes to brawling in the streets, Yusuke Urameshi is not your typical role model. In fact, this kid's nothing more than a fourteen-year-old delinquent with a talent for trouble. But in a single selfless act Yusuke dies while saving another. For such noble sacrifice he is given a second chance at life, but it's to be a life far different than the one left behind. Now a Spirit Detective, the young man must track down demons and humans alike who desire to rule over the three realms of reality. The Dark Tournament has come down to a final grudge match and Yusuke's full wrath is unleashed as a friend's blood stains the arena floor. But there will be no time for rest or recovery as kidnapping follows victory and further intrigue threatens the boundary between worlds. A tunnel is being carved, one which completed will lay waste to the World of the Living. There are seven who seek an age of destruction and chaos, and hero must battle fallen hero. ”

I’m just going to cut to the chase: I am not a fan of Season 3's story. At the very beginning, it feels like it’s going to go along with the tone & feel of Season 1 & 2, and at certain points afterwards it does come across like that. However, this 3rd outing goes in an exceptionally grey direction, and not the kind of grey I like! This is the kind of grey that’s dark, bleak, cynical, and offers such little hope that there really isn’t any to begin with. On top of that, it does the whole “Mankind is bad so they must be eradicated” deal that I find to be so cliched & insulting to my intelligence. These things aren’t bad per se if they’re written well, but I sat there constantly screaming into a pillow as the main bad guy went on & on. I think another reason that I couldn’t stand this was that we got a sliver of this from one of the main villains in Season 1, but at least in that circumstance it was only in a scene or two. On top of that, this bleak-brand of greyness also pours over onto the new characters, but I’ll get to that in a little bit. This is all so frustrating, because when something happens that I like, I like it! I’ve never encountered a story in all my years of running this blog that leaves me so conflicted & infuriated.....and I’m not sure I ever will again.

Animation
(See review of season 1 for details)

Voice Acting
Like Season 1 & 2, the voice acting in Season 3 hasn’t changed all that much in terms of quality. The host of new characters certainly adds variety to the voice cast, but the rule of the last 2 seasons still applies: characters don’t sound good at first, but get better over time.

Characters
Like I said above, the story made my blood boil, but the characters......sweet Jesus the characters! Not with the main cast, mind you. The cast we’ve known since season 1 are still fantastic, and they grow & evolve in some incredible ways. There are also a tiny few new characters that are introduced that are certainly likable, and all but one managed to stay until the end (Spoiler: one of these characters were killed semi-off screen). However.........HOWEVER!.......the rest of the cast that is introduced makes my blood boil. Like I said when I talked about the story, everything is exceptionally dark, bleak, grey, and cynical, and the other characters introduced can’t avoid this. I will give the main bad guy credit in one regard: he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew what his plan was, and he knew exactly how to target his minions & convert them to his side. But, like I said earlier, things are so cynical that said minions ultimately don’t matter in the end, as they were really just meant to make Yusuke & the gang squirm. To see if they were “Willing to go all the way” in their mission to stop him. I hate characters like this if they’re written poorly, and in my personal belief I think they are here.

Availability & Pricing
As with Seasons 1 & 2, you can find Season 3 in a bunch of stores & websites. Best Buy, FYE, and Amazon all have it for roughly the same price ($19.99 to $27.99), but like I said when I reviewed season 2 (Which you can read here), I got my copy at Katsucon 2020 along with 2 & 4.

Overall Impression & Rating
Yu Yu Hakusho: Season 3 is absolutely frustrating for me. When I hate it, it hate it! The story and some of the characters get way too grey & cynical, and not even the kind where I think it’s clever & doesn’t think the viewer is an idiot. The fact that said greyness & cynicism comprises a majority of this season adds to my frustration. Yet, when I love this season....I love it! The fight scenes are damn good, and a small few of the new characters that are added I kinda like. On top of that, when things feel like the first two seasons I seem to be more entertained & it keeps my attention. I don’t know....Season 3 has me conflicted. It’s not the worst I’ve watched from this series, but the things that bug me prevent me from liking it as much as Season 1 & 2.  

Yu Yu Hakusho: Season 3 gets a 5 out of 10 at it’s worst, but an 8 out of 10 at it’s best.

And that’s my review for Season 3 of Yu Yu Hakusho. I don’t know when I’ll get to Season 4, as I want to take a break from this series on account of my feelings towards what was going on here. However, we got a bit more to see during the Summer in Japan, so stay tuned!

Album Review: Anthem's No Smoke Without Fire

Anthem rings out once again fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We began our metallic trip through Japan with the group’s first release, aptly titled Anthem. From there, they dominated the Japanese mainland throughout the 1980s, and even had a brief amount of time in the states. However, as that decade went on, the band became worn out with the constant touring & album release, and new band members would come in as others left. Despite this constant flux, the dawn of the 90s saw what may very well be one of their most classic records ever made. So, be sure that the air you’re breathing is clean, get on some heat protection, and enjoy my review for No Smoke Without Fire. Let’s begin!

Background
By the time 1990 rolled around for Anthem, the band were exceptionally drained. The mix of constant touring, not to mention the equally constant pressure from the record label to also keep making records, created a lot of tension. So much tension in fact, that Hiroya Fukuda threw his hands up in frustration at the rest of his bandmates and promptly quit the band, though he would promise to stay to finish making what was to come, and what an album to come! Released on March the 21st, 1990, No Smoke Without Fire is an example of a band making at 24-karat diamond under extreme pressure. However, with Hiroya leaving he unintentionally put Anthem in a really rough spot, and so they put out a signal for anybody to join the group. They got their answer in the form of the Japanese equivalent of Yngwie Malmsteen, Hideaki Nakama. Though Nakama didn’t play on No Smoke Without Fire proper, he did provide an instrumental piece on the remastered edition by the name of A.D.D., which is a really stunning piece if you’ve heard it.  

Basic Description
Smoking Hot.

Okay, got a quick story for you. No Smoke Without Fire, at the time of writing this, is the only Anthem album I own physically. In fact, it’s the first release from the band that I have. I originally ordered it towards the end of February this year, but it ultimately didn’t make it towards the end of March due to said order getting cancelled. So, I decided to import the CD itself on the 25th of that month, and the delivery date was the 30th of April to the 20th of May. Color me surprised when it showed up on the 15th of April!

So what about the music itself? Well, No Smoke Without Fire is a damn good release from Anthem! The band was running on nearly empty by the time the 90s came about, but they weren’t completely empty. Everybody still had the talent & skill to create some killer music, and at this point thanks to legendary producer Chris Tsangarides, Anthem got a bit of Judas Priest mixed in with their own material. The end result is a record that’s still distinctively Japanese, but has a bit of European Steel to give it some spice. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Best Track
Voice Of Thunderstorm is just crackling with Japanese electricity! Possibly the fastest song on the album, it doesn’t sacrifice stability as it plays. Takamasa Ohuchi’s drumming is shocking & potent, Naoto Shibata’s basswork gives the song some meat, Hiroya Fukuda’s guitar playing comes out like lightning, and Yukio Morikawa’s 3rd release on vocals for Anthem is easily his best (Though his voice on Domestic Booty isn’t half bad either). Skipping this track should be considered a war crime.....it’s that damn good!

Voice Of Thunderstorm

Worst Track
Nothing. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Anthem made an absolutely flawless record in 1990. Production sounds crisp & clean, the instrumentation is on point, and Yukio Morikawa is a wonderful replacement for the equally talented Eizo Sakamoto. Apart from that, the only standard problem across all of these reviews will be locating the damn things on a physical level.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

No Smoke Without Fire

Overall Impression & Rating
No Smoke Without Fire began the potential of what Anthem could do in the 1990s. Despite the band being nearly burned out at the start of the decade, they still had enough gas in the tank to crank out something awesome, and over 30 years later it has aged like the finest wine. Like so much of what came before it (And after), this release would have been quite welcomed here in the United States if Anthem was pushed here. Even if it never got here in a massive capacity, this is one firestorm you might not mind getting burned by!

No Smoke Without Fire gets a 10 out of 10. It deserves every...single...point!

And that was No Smoke Without Fire. Sadly, not long after this the band would put out their final release of the 90s, and for 8 long years the sounds of Anthem would no longer echo in Japan. Luckily, the beginning of the new Millennium would bring back these legends....and an old friend would come along for the ride. So, join me in a week or two when I’ll take a look at the band’s first release of the new age. See you then!

Album Review: Anthem's Anthem

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome......to the Summer of Japan!

This June marks 5 years since I’ve been doing music festivals here. Thrash Metal, Power Metal, Industrial Metal, Hair Metal, and Power Metal again last year. For 2021, I wanted to travel to a country that I don’t think I’ve covered on my blog before (Outside of the Monster Musume CDs), and the Land of the Rising Sun seemed like a good choice. In addition to exporting stuff like anime & other treats, Japan is also a surprisingly potent hot spot for Heavy Metal, and over the next 3 months I’ll be covering some of the most popular & iconic band to have ever come out of Glorious Nippon. To kick things off, I’ll start our trip to Japan with one of the biggest behemoths of Japanese Metal you’ve likely never heard of before. So, get some Yen for the train, be sure to be respectful to the passengers when you get on, and enjoy my review for Anthem’s.....Anthem. Let’s begin!

Background
Our story begins in Tokyo in the year 1980. A quartet of men would come to form what would be the Japanese equivalent of Judas Priest: singer Toshihito Maeda, guitarist Akifumi Koyanagi, bass player Naoto Shibata (Nicknamed "Ski") and drummer Takamasa Ohuchi (Nicknamed “Mad” due to his drumming style & drinking habits). Koyanagi would actually leave in late 1983, and his replacement would come in the form of guitar god Hiroya Fukuda. In December a year later, Toshihito Maeda would leave as well, and would be replaced by Eizo Sakamoto just in time for the band’s first release. Anthem would be release in July 1985 by Nexus (In Japan) and licensed to Europe by Roadrunner Records, but never released in the United States & the rest of the world (As far as I know).

Basic Description
Badass & Raw.

Anthem’s inaugural release is the ultimate example of pure potential from a new band. The record does have a few issues (More on that below), but everybody in the group show that they got the talent & the skill to be something incredible. Not only that, but they got a no-nonsense attitude that gives them the aura of musicians who shouldn’t be messed with. Sure, the music is about as Engrish as you think it might be, but that’s just a hiccup in what’s otherwise a damn good record. It’s a shame that Anthem has such an obscure cult following here in the United States (And much of the rest of the world by extension), because albums like this would be the catalyst that would turn them into bonafide legends all over! Despite that, Anthem’s first CD rightfully earns it’s place not just in Japanese Music history, but in the illustrious halls of Heavy Metal itself.

Best Track
Blind City is a banger of a song. Perhaps the heaviest thing on the album, everything that’s good about Anthem’s beginnings is here. Guitar & Bass that team up like shinobi, drumming that hits as hard as a truck, and Eizo Sakamoto’s vocals (Despite some issues below) come out like thunder. The pacing is right smack dab in the middle: not too fast, but not too slow. It hits that sweet spot where it doesn’t feel like things are going to fly off the tracks, but at the same time you better get off said tracks before you’re splattered all over the ground. Definitely a song you shouldn’t skip!

Blind City

Worst Track
Nothing! Virtually every song on this album is damn good, and shows off the potential of the fledgling band. However, the album’s only fault, and it’s a rather big one, would be the production quality. To say it’s rough would be putting it mildly: at it’s best it’s still listen-able but it could be better, and at it’s worst.....woof. On top of that, there are in studio screwups in the base tracks that ended up on the final release. However, to crown the issues that plague this release would be Eizo Sakamoto’s vocal work. It’s not the worst that’s out there, and on plenty of the tracks he’s working within the band’s confines, but there are a few songs where it comes across like he’s somewhat straining when hitting the highnotes. Once again he’s not awful, but maybe he needs to not stretch out his vocal cords so much.

About the only other issue with Anthem’s inaugural release isn’t with the music, but with finding the thing. Anthem’s music is difficult to locate outside of Japan, and export costs can make purchasing the thing an expensive proposition. There are some pricings where it doesn’t massively make your wallet bleed, but other times a price listing will make your jaw hit the floor. As sad as this will sound, if you don’t decide to buy this album, then downloading it is a free alternative.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Anthem

Overall Impression & Rating
Anthem isn’t the most perfect beginning record. You got the production quality, the screwups, and Sakamoto trying too hard to hit the higher notes all coming together to cause issues. However, there’s still a great album inside this gunk. Great guitar & bass work, thundering drums, and vocal work that would make an oni shake also come together to create a spark that will burn throughout the decades. It may not be flawless, but there’s something phenomenal here. If you can somehow find this physically, or locate a link to download, then jump on it if you can!

Anthem gets a 7.5 out of 10.

And so ends the first review of the Summer of Japan, and we’re just getting started! Anthem would go on to dominate the Land of the Rising Sun throughout the 1980s, so join me later this week for when we’ll examine a release from their all too brief time in the 90s. See you then!

5 Metal Compilations I Love

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Originally I had intended this last post in the 3rd compilation month to be a final review, but I admit that a wave of laziness hit me, and thus I’ve decided to do something a bit easier to finish things off. With three versions of this mini-festival under my belt, I’ve looked at a variety of compilations. From 2017 to this year, I’ve listened to quite a few collections of metal, and thus there are plenty of them I enjoy. So, for your viewing pleasure, here are 5 metal compilations that I love. Enjoy!

1) Ozzy Osbourne: The Ozzman Cometh (Song)

I begin this list with the first metal album I got. By today’s standards it’s heavily outdated, but compared to most of the other compilations on here it is the most organized. From his Black Sabbath days to the Ozzmosis era, you’re treated to a fairly good look at the Blizzard of Ozz’s career. There have been a few more compilations since with increasing material, but it was the Ozzman Cometh were I began to love Ozzy, and to further continue my budding metallic journey.

2) Megadeth: Back To The Start (Song)

The irony of this one is that it is still the only Megadeth album I physically own. I was just so happy to own this when I got it way back in 2006, that I never truly considered getting a proper record from the band (Despite being interested to this very day). On top of that, Mustaine’s seemingly increasing ego in the early 2010s made it frustrating to get into Megadeth any further, so there’s that. Regardless, I still get a kick out of Back To The Start! It may be dated like the album above, but the choices of songs on here are well picked, and the overall package is just fun. Grab this compilation if you can!

3) Kreator: Scenarios Of Violence (Song) ***

I just reviewed this at the start of the month, so I won’t say much here. I will say that there were some nice songs selected for Scenarios Of Violence, and off of some great albums no less: Extreme Aggression, Coma Of Souls, Renewal, etc. A good group of tunes from Kreator......but there is another.

4) Kreator: Voices Of Transgression - A 90s Retrospective (Song)

Scenarios Of Violence was fun, but Voices Of Transgression is a blast! The first compilation I got from Kreator, I found it’s view of the band’s 90s period to be interesting. Not perfect though, as the band was having issues with their record company at the time, and couldn’t include certain things. There was nothing from Coma Of Souls, and only the title track from Renewal was on the record. Voices Of Transgression is definitely a lop-sided affair, and some listeners may be turned off by it’s incomplete look at that decade, but at the same time what you’re presented with on this release is still entertaining!

5) Type-O Negative: The Least Worst Of (Song)

If I was ordering this from 5 to 1, This definitely was going to be at the number one spot. Mostly because I have such a strong love for the band, but also because it’s like a 2nd look into Pete Steele’s state of mind in 2000. You’ve got a mix of songs from almost every single record they had released up to that point (Save for just a single tune from Slow, Deep, and Hard), but it’s the three unreleased tracks from World Coming Down that give the compilation something of a tragic edge. It’s this mix of attitudes that gives The Least Worst Of a unique feel to the total package, and it’s that mix that keeps me paying attention.

And those were 5 metal compilations that I happen to love. Again this list was done out of pure laziness, but I hope that you enjoyed this all the same. Well, June is nearly here, and a new music festival is incoming. So pack your bags & get your passport, cause we’re heading to Japan for this one!



***
If you’d like to see my review I mentioned here, then click on the link below for more:

Album Review: Kreator’s Scenarios Of Violence

Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 20: Kentaro Miura R.I.P.

I find myself......conflicted with today's post. As many of you know on May the 6th of this year, iconic manga creator Kentaro Miura passed away at age 54 due to an acute aortic dissection (Read here for details). Mr. Miura was the creator of the critically acclaimed series Berserk, as well as a few others. Much like the death of Osamu Tezuka in 1989, the void created by Mr. Miura's passing is scarring, and will most likely never be healed.

The reason I find myself conflicted with this is that....I'm not a Berserk fan. Never was, and I probably never will be. I think the manga (And by extension the anime) is far too bleak, far too mean, far too nihilistic & cynical, and far too morally grey for it's own good. I get that Dark Fantasy is a genre & that people like it, and that life isn't all sunshine & rainbows (It's not all grey skies & storms either), but there's a fine line between Dark Fantasy and just plain dark. So while I certainly feel sympathy for Mr. Miura and his family in addition to the numerous fans he has, I don't feel much because he was never my thing.

On the other hand, I also have nothing but respect for Kentaro Miura! As much as I'm not a fan of Berserk, I cannot deny the power & legacy it managed to obtain. I cannot deny that he can create a world that just grabs your attention, and never let's go unless it wants too. Hell, it's because of Mr. Miura's mastery of Dark Fantasy that inspired Hidetaka Miyazaki to create Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, the Dark Souls trilogy, Sekiro, and by extension the "Souls-Like" genre of RPGs. He made something I don't like, but I none the less tip my hat at just how influential this titan of Manga is. So, I salute you, Mr. Kentaro Miura. May the heavens above be impressed with your creativity & work!

And that was my two cents on the passing Mr. Kentaro Miura. Though he was never my cup of tea, I cannot take away any enjoyment or delight that others make have gotten from his work. Well, come back Monday for the conclusion to the 3rd ever Compilation Month. See you then!

***

I wonder how well Mr. Miura would be able to kill this guy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPlWnCE4Edo&t=29s

Album Review: Kreator's Scenarios Of Violence

Welcome back to Compilation Month fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We began the month with Capitol Punishment from Megadeth, and while it was a little strange, it was also fun as well. Today’s review is a return to a band I’ve taken a look at way back in 2017 during the first Compilation Month, and one I hinted at with Capitol Punishment. Kreator has returned everybody, and the subject of today’s review is just as fascinating as what I looked at 4 years ago. So, without further delay, let’s take a look at Scenarios of Violence, and see if it’s as good as the other compilation I looked at.

Background
Much like Voices of Transgression, I had a difficult time searching for information about this compilation. Apart from some snipits on wikipedia & other sites, I really can’t tell you anything about this album. This is one of the few times that the music will tell you what’s going on more than any website. Hell, even Kreator’s own site doesn’t have a sliver of info!

Basic Description
Fun but Flawed part 2.

Right away, I got some big Voices of Transgression vibes in just the first few tracks, which is ironic given that it came out 4 years after this one did. At the end of the day, Scenarios of Violence is just a nice collection of songs brought together, and a few surprises thrown in for good measure. In the case of this release, we got 2 previously unreleased tracks, as well as 2 live ones fro the Dynamo Club in Eindhoven, Netherlands in 1988. Slightly better than VoT’s 3 previously unreleased tunes, but not by much.

Best Track
Suicide By Swamps is just the weirdest song in Kreator’s library. There’s not much in the way of Millie’s patented thrash-like howling, as almost all of the singing comes in the form of ethereal-like whispering. The instrumentation goes between loud & thunderous, to strange & just as ethereal as the vocals. The bit with tribal drums at the beginning just adds to the overall weirdness of the song, but I guess it’s said weirdness that attracts me to it in the first place.

Suicide By Swamps

Worst Track
If there’s 1 thing both this & Voices of Transgression have in common, it would have to be that the tracklisting is somewhat disorganized. The songs on here are placed rather haphazardly, but like the previously mentioned compilation, things are organized better on Scenarios of Violence. I think what makes things a little less irritating is that the band wasn’t necessarily trying to capture a period of time in their career. It’s biggest issue, however, is finding a physical copy. I listened to Scenarios of Violence on Youtube, as there aren’t any CDs on Amazon. Your best bet is to either download it or buy the MP3s off of Amazon. There are a small few over in Ebay, but I’ve never used that site.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

Scenarios of Violence

Overall Impression & Rating
Scenarios of Violence is a fun compilation of music. It might be scattershot in terms of song placement, but because there wasn’t necessarily a timeframe Kreator was capturing, I think they were able to get away with it here. It’s definitely a challenge to find physically, but if by fate the metal gods grant you some good forture, grab it if you have the chance!

Scenarios of Violence gets a 7.5 to 8 out of 10.

And that was my look at Kreator’s first compilation. Just slightly better than the one that would come in 2000, it’s a nice window into what the band was like at the time. Well, I got one more collection of songs to listen to, so join me towards the end of the month. See you then!


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If you’re curious about my Voices of Transgression review, then click on the link below:

Album Review: Kreator's Voices of Transgression (A 90s Retrospective)