Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Secret Knowledge (Arcane - Destination Unknown 1990)


Remember Wild Rags records? No? Well, fair enough but at one point it appeared Richard C.'s underground metal label would be capable of giving Roadrunner records and Metal Blade a run for their money by signing a large number of underground metal bands. Wild Rags had their own zine which covered a wide scope of metal that hadn't reached mainstream ears. The zine had several scene reports usually from various parts of the states. Wild Rags later went the way many small independents do and disappeared from sight with the rarely ever seen again owner, Richard C. owing debt left, right and centre. Metal inquisition have the full story. One of their regular writers, Byron Hawk wrote the Texas scene report and later became an English professor after doing in an internship in a Texan progressive speed metal band.

Arcane's named was derived from a word used in Carl Sagan's enjoyable book "Contact" from which a messy movie starring Jodie Foster was made. Arcane's demo tapes were reviewed in New Zealand thrash metal fanzine AAAARRGGHH!! and stood out in the mag's reviews because they weren't a band who wanted to be Metallica or Slayer and seemed to avoid a lot of the more ridiculous metal cliches. Arcane aren't a band that would have today's metalhead using the mostly redundant and cliched metal word, brutal. There is a little Megadeth influence but instead having Sylvester the Cat vocals, Arcane have an actual singer who is capable of melody. To know what you're getting yourself into check Arcane's myspace page. There is a strong possibility of Arcane material being re-released on Solitude Aeturnus' John Perez's Brainticket label.

Destination Unknown

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Poster Nostalgia



I missed this one but saw Nomeansno play in my hometown a few years later. I don't think D.O.A came back this way.

Beastwars - IV

After over a year off for various reasons, we have returned solely because we wanted to review the new Beastwars album. I really w...