If you want to know where Tom Capone was before Quicksand or Drew Thomas was before Into Another, then this disc might help you out.

Recorded in 1989, this is fairly representative of New York hardcore of the period. Perhaps a little tighter; maybe just the slightest bit better produced than folks like Sick of It All, etc.

Not an essential document, but a nice portrait nonetheless.

Great band seeks vocalist desiring side project duties. Call xxx-xxxx. I can see it, can't you? The first Comecon album featured L.G. Petrov of Entombed on vocals, and it pretty much ruled.

Flash to two years later. Martin Van Drunen, late of Asphyx, joins in to record the second album. Never mind that he is one of the better death metal vocalists or even anything like that. The music does the talking once again.

This is not a throwback to riff-laden thrash days or anything like that. Straight ahead speed and brutality that still manages to hold my attention (grip it, really).

The heaviest album of the new year (even if it came out last month). It deserves your devotion.

Technical deathly thrash, the kind Europeans and a select few Americans still get off on.

With 18 songs, you have plenty to choose from. All are fairly tasty, but some just jump out right from the title. "Satan Loves Me", "Attack of the 500 Foot Hippie", "Lesson 39 on How to Annoy" and "Five Young Vikings" prove that a sense of humor is always in vogue.

Right now, the only way to get this stateside is straight from the band in Wichita, but hopefully a deal will be forthcoming. Their last album was available in the U.S. on New Renaissance, which as we all know took a dive some time ago.

If they haven't gotten this to you yet, be sure to give the good folk a call.

Well, there are a few current Gorefest albums out there right now. False was released about a year ago, and Pavement issued their first album Mindloss a couple of months ago. Now we get the "greatest hits" from those two (though mostly from False) on a live set recorded at the Dynamo festival in Eindhoven, Holland.

The sound is impeccable, the songs are, of course, first rate. Now we just have to wait for their new studio album.

Following the current trend of Euro-death, which is an avoidance of anything grind-y and moving back in history to the thrashy mid-eighties, Invocator pay close attention to riffwork and also enunciate very clearly.

This, of course, is attractive to the commercial record community (watch how Sepultura, Entombed and Carcass sales make Columbia cream this year). And to be honest, I like this record. I know, I know, I should be standing up for the underground and keeping death metal "pure" (I keep using that word this issue). But the fact is, this is still good music, and it is still too heavy for MTV to take seriously.

While not groundbreaking, this is very attractive music. Invocator have drawn raves from a few of you already, especially those who were big thrash-heds a few years back. Metal, like all forms of music, is doomed to repeat the past. When the past sounds like this, I'll buy a ticket any day.

More new stuff from these folk, who seem intent on flooding the world with their music.

Which would make it a much better place, I think. This continues the familiar strident rhythms and vocal yelps that have characterized this band for (ever).

Good? Yes. Great? Well, just because I say so doesn't mean anything. But I will anyway. The press mentioned more to come. I wait in submission.

If you are a Judge fan (and I know there are many out there), this album might come as a bit of a surprise. Here we have Mike doing his best to sound like soft Neil Young on five tracks, and then more of an urban blues distorted feel with Old Smoke on the last five.

His voice keeps that spooky semblance, but it's forgivable. The songwriting is impeccable, and Judge kept the production to a minimum, so we can hear precisely what he wants us to feel.

Sorta like the Sleep situation, if no riffs are stolen, no foul in my book. And for someone to emulate, I think Neil Young is about as good a choice as anyone. This is a full-course disc with all the trimmings. It shall be residing in my six-discer for months to come.

If this isn't a concept album, I don't know what is. The first three songs were written by one of the members (Roger, Ben and Larry) and performed by all. The fourth song is everyone, writing and playing. Then the last four (Larry does two) songs are done by the members by themselves, writing and playing.

Yes, it sounds very weird. You can pick out folk to compare them to, but to my ear they have Henry Kaiser's sense of rhythm (though not much guitar). The rest? No idea. It's certainly a disturbing dream.

When something is as odd as this is, you folk know I have the tendency to wax ebullient. People need to be exposed to unusual music. They need to have their sense of reality challenged. I know that Ministry may perform that function for the KD in your creative writing crib course, but for most humans it takes a little more.

M-3 does the trick, wonderfully.

Taking their rhythmic sensibilities and rhyming tendencies from Cypress Hill (without that real annoying whining sound CH seems to be propagating), Mad Flava certainly are on a current tip.

Eric "Vietnam" Sadler remixes a couple of the tracks, and you do start to hear a little of that P.E. Fear sound going on. But I've always liked that a lot.

As for the lyrical content, this is basically a lyrical boast, much like lead tracks from the recent Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog albums. Personally, I prefer it when people speak about something other than themselves. But once again, they are on the current tip.

They're still run-of-the-mill. Unlike the Comecon, which uses the old conventions and creates a wonderful harsh reality, this only makes me sleepy.

Not helping much is the standard somewhat muffled production. Unlike Unleashed, where the knob twister infused vitality into a project that may have been lacking a little, here he just rammed the project into oblivion. Into every sort of music bland bands have to exist, and I'm afraid this is one of them.

Apocalyptic ramblings in the familiar Chi-town vein. STR-style p.a. vocals add to the chaos.

Everything sounds real cool to me. I'm a sucker for this sort of thing (as my other reviews might mention). But that doesn't mean it's not good anyway.

How about a full-length, guys?

The advance tapes (or discs) charted a couple of months ago, so I figure there is some interest out there for this stuff. And with this release, Black Mark sets a record for most bands with a "Necro" prefix.

Ace production here, combined with a nice selection of grinding and riffage. Just a full platter that can't fail to please even the most critical. Unless, of course, you aren't into diversity of sound in death metal. While there isn't anything new, they do combine the two diverging schools into a great sound.

You can hear Sabbath and old Napalm Death here. It's just that simple. And in the same song, the same sequence. A master stroke by any definition.

Let it destroy your soul. You'll be glad it did.

When attempting to describe this disc, I fall back on the words that I was given by someone attempting the same: "Well, it's Old."

When you hear something this aggressive and discordant, it really can only be coming from the minds and tape loops of Old. Lots of screaming, keyboard and guitar riffs flying hither nither and relentless bass and drum machine work mark this "sound".

A word to use advisedly. Many would claim that this is nothing more than noise and not a distinctive voice. But the same uptight assholes said the same things about Einsturzende Neubatuen and Kraftwerk, and now those folks are recognized as the industrial geniuses they are. Maybe in ten years folks will look back on Old in a kinder light.

I prefer to do so today. This is the epitome of "difficult" listening. There is no concept of song construction, and most of the elements have only a passing interest in each other. Such cacophony is a glorious thing indeed.

More than enjoyable punk music, injected with just the right amount of pop sensibility. And you have to love guys who write: "Please note: This record contains no lyric sheet. If you want words of wisdom read a book." Apart from the correct use of capitalization after a colon (which my copy editor girlfriend is always on my case about), musicians encouraging people to read is always a nice sign. Plus, they don't consider themselves philosophical gods, which is a mania far too many are afflicted with.

This disc just keeps rolling and rolling with great songs. Almost hypnotic, really. And the words are much wiser than most. All told, this is great stuff that folks should get off on. Be sure not to pass it over when it arrives in your box.

Death Angel, less singer Mark Osegueda. Guitarist Rob Cavastany takes over those chores, and things roll on.

This is more restrained than the Death Angel recordings. And although the anthemic touches remain, the songs do not sound quite so crafted for a "metal" audience. It's odd to say that, considering the definite sheen on everything, but this is just better. And I think it opens the guys up to wider audience, too.

Prime plundering for the more commercial of you out there, and those on the underground side of things might find a heavier track or two to your liking. Sure, there's a little cheese, but this is solid music. Maturity wears well on the Organization.

Sorta sloppy pop music, a little on the heavy side. Not much attention is paid to what seem to be obvious hooks. I'm not sure if this is intentional or just inattention.

But it keeps flowing. Like a river flooding, while some nice things are washed out, it really looks (or sounds) cool from an airplane.

Tough metaphor. I don't think it worked, but you hopefully got the point. Nothing individual stands out about this thing, but I emerged from the listening experience with a smile on my face. That counts for something with me.

And barring revolutionary insights into the future of humanity, what should you be asking of your pop music, anyway?

Still heavier-than-fuck after all these years (what, three?), Pitchshifter has taken the mantle of industrial metal gods from Godflesh once and for all with this disc.

"Kitten sterilizing music" is what I like to call this. How it works: take you six-to-eight-week-old kitten (the eyes have to be open) and duct tape it to a good-sized speaker. Plop in your PS disc, and crank the volume to four or five.

I know, you also get a deaf kitten, but at least you won't have to pay the vet to go in and rip out the appropriate organs. And less kittens is good kittens, I like to say.

Back to the music. Perhaps a bit more accessible than their last, but the lyrics are coherent and the music pile-driving. Brutality such as this has been outlawed in three states so far; will yours be next?

The latest from the label that used to have Drive Like Jehu and Rocket from the Crypt.

A stripped-down (but amped up) version of what a lot of the punk scene in S.C. are sounding like these days, Swivelhead manage to keep the pop constructions fresh and the distortion heavy.

The inconsistency of overall song quality is a little disconcerting, but I think a few more listens will give me the ability to understand the point of all this (besides the silly extraterrestrial ramblings of the press enclosed).

A rule to remember: If there is a Headhunter on the new disc in your hand, it should be played an awful lot.

This moves Unleashed a little more toward the commercial side of death, although they will have to drop a little of the double-bass action to get serious MTV consideration.

I sure like the "tough" sounding production-the guitar sounds like it is jumping out of the stereo and mainlining into your brain. Would that more people figure out how to achieve such sonic nirvana.

But then there is the song that seems to be getting all the attention: their straight cover of "Breaking the Law". I'm sure recent live Priest renditions sound a lot like this, given the sad deterioration of Rob Halford's once-stunning pipes. Do we need to hear this?

No. Of course, this is not presented as an artistic statement. The band perceived a need to have a document of a song they do live, and so it was recorded. Why bitch, folks?

The songs may not completely match the great production here, but this is still first class all the way.

The finest compilation I have ever received. The only one with as much good music that I can remember was the Epitaph one of a couple of years back, but what really separates this from any competitors is the work that was put into the design.

The whole "Relapse story" and succeeding bits of information are cool and also funny. Especially amusing are the pictures of the "suits" in charge of this enterprise. And topping everything is the "Relapse Building" photo (with computer enhancement). Very nice.

As for the music, if you put Dead World, Candiru, Anal Cunt, Disembowelment, Deceased, Amorphis and others on a disc, how can you go wrong? I mean, really.

Black Sabbath
Cross Purposes advance cassette
(I.R.S.)

Back to the future with Tony Martin back in the vocal saddle and Iommi writing new riffs for the first time in years. Sounds like a comeback to me.

Very unusual. An attempt to play technical metal with a lot of distortion. An interesting sound.

Sorta cheesy, over-produced hard pop punk. First this ep, then a full-length in March. Or something like that.

Editor's note: This is one of my all-time favorites, one of the greatest alt-alt-country albums of all time. I own it on CD, vinyl...and well-worn advance cassette.

Mesmerizing pop, with just a hint of that pschedelia-distortion tip, but not enough to annoy. Wowzers.

So one day, Mac from Superchunk discovered he had been a Chill in another lifetime. He decided to give it a shot again.

Lots and lots of basketball talk from one of the great talents in the game. I'm guessing this is excerpts from his new book.

Basketball (and even life) wisdom from the guy who knows more about the former than anyone else.