METAL MASSACRE

The Metal Massacre compilations was a series of albums released by Brian Slagel and his Metal Blade Records. The idea behind it was to shed some light on unsigned underground bands. The first Metal Massacre-album was released in 1982 and the series has been extremely important for the American metal scene. Especially when bands like Metallica and Slayer appeared on these albums before they had their first records out. Over the years there has been thirteen albums released and eleven of them was released in the eighties.

So here's a look at each and every Metal Massacre album.

METAL MASSACRE (1982)

The very first Metal Massacre was released in 1982 and it is most known for shedding light on Metallica. Metallica recorded Hit the lights for this album. Metallica re-recorded Hit the lights for later versions of Metal Massacre but the original released featured this Metallica lineup: James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine, Lars Ulrich & Lloyd Grant. Metallica was wrongfully spelled Mettallica on the album. Bands like female fronted Bitch, Cirith Ungol, Malice and Ratt appeared on the album.

"Cold Day in Hell" – Steeler – 4:17

"Live for the Whip" – Bitch – 5:19

"Captive of Light" – Malice – 3:21

"Tell the World" – Ratt – 3:16

"Octave" (instrumental) – Avatar – 3:48

"Death of the Sun" – Cirith Ungol – 3:56

"Dead of the Night" – Demon Flight – 2:35

"Fighting Backwards" – Pandemonium – 3:44

"Kick You Down" – Malice – 4:28

"Hit the Lights" – Metallica (listed as "Mettallica") – 4:25

METAL MASSACRE II (1982)

Metal Massacre II featured Armored Saint's first vinyl release. But also Cliff Burton's Trauma. Such a Shame was the only song that Trauma released with Cliff Burton before he left for Metallica. Other bands worth noticing are: Savage Grace, Warlord and Marty Friedman's (Megadeth) Aloha.

"Lesson Well Learned" – Armored Saint – 2:51

"Mind Invader" – 3rd Stage Alert – 3:51

"Rivit Head" – Surgical Steel – 3:03

"Shadows of Steel" – Obsession – 4:31

"Scepters of Deceit" – Savage Grace – 3:45

"No Holds Barred" – Overkill* – 4:12

"Lucifer's Hammer" – Warlord – 3:18

"Such a Shame" – Trauma** – 2:53

"It's Alright" – Dietrich – 3:26

"Inversion" – Molten Leather – 4:04

"Kings" – Hyksos – 6:11

"Heavy Metal Virgin" – Aloha*** – 3:01

METAL MASSACRE III (1983)

Slayer debuted on Metal Massacre III with the song Aggressive Perfector and Brian Slagel signed them up to his Metal Blade Records. Worth noticing is also the fact that Chicago thrashers Znowhite debuted here as well. But they were spelled Snowhite on this album. Bitch and Warlord making their second appearances and underground legends Virgin Steele debuted here as well.

"Aggressive Perfector" – Slayer – 3:29

"Riding in Thunder" – Bitch – 3:57

"Armageddon" – Tyrant* – 5:14

"Piranahs" – Medusa – 2:11

"Bite the Knife" – Test Pattern – 5:25

"Blitzkrieg" – Black Widow – 2:56

"Mrs. Victoria" – Warlord – 5:55

"Let's Go All the Way" – Virgin Steele – 3:12

"Fire and Wind" – Sexist – 3:00

"Hell Bent" – Znowhite – 1:49

"The Kid" – Marauder – 3:01

"Fist and Chain" – La Mort – 2:37

METAL MASSACRE IV (1983)

Metal Massacre III was one of the better albums in the series. It also features a lot of speed metal. Bands like Zoetrope, Forbidden Evil, Abattoir and Sacred Blade brings us some solid metal. Sceptre is an early incarnation of Agent Steel.

"The Alien" – Sacred Blade – 3:39

"Cross My Way" – Death Dealer – 3:40

"The Last Judgement" – Trouble – 5:03

"Taken by Force" – Sceptre – 2:44

"Speed Zone" – Zoetrope – 2:41

"Forbidden Evil" – War Cry – 4:37

"Screams from the Grave" – Abattoir – 3:24

"I Don't Want to Die" – Witchslayer – 4:59

"Rod of Iron" – Lizzy Borden – 4:29

"Fear No Evil" – August Redmoon – 3:52

"Destructer" – Thrust – 4:13

"Medieval" – Medieval – 3:19

METAL MASSACRE V (1984)

Thrash Metal Massacre?, Almost, bands like Voivod, Future Tense, Overkill, Metal Church and Hellhammer delivers thrash metal to the masses. Also legendary metal bands like Omen, Attacker and Fates Warning appears on one of the best Metal Massacre-releases. I also love Lethyl Synn's Destroyer.

"Torture Me" – Omen – 3:26

"Condemned to the Gallows" – Voivod – 5:09

"Call on the Attacker" – Attacker – 3:35

"Nightmare" – Future Tense – 3:50

"Death Rider" – Overkill – 3:52

"Soldier Boy" – Fates Warning – 6:20

"The Brave" – Metal Church – 4:27

"Destroyer" – Lethyl Synn – 3:27

"The Warrior" – Final Warning – 3:49

"Crucifixion" – Hellhammer – 2:50

"Marching Saprophytes" – Mace – 4:07

"End of Time" – Jesters of Destiny – 3:20

METAL MASSACRE VI (1985)

Most notable on Metal Massacre VI must be Swing of the Axe by death (and thrash) metal-legends Possessed. There is a lot of thrash on this release as well. Hallow's Eve, Hirax, Hades, Nasty Savage and Dark Angel.

"Swing of the Axe" – Possessed – 3:50

"XXX" – Nasty Savage – 5:26

"Executioner" – Steel Assassin – 5:02

"Tear Down the Walls" – Mayhem – 5:44

"Easy Way Out" – Hades – 4:46

"Metal Merchants" – Hallow's Eve – 4:27

"Bombs of Death" – Hirax – 2:01

"Fountain Keeper" – Pathfinder – 3:52

"Welcome to the Slaughterhouse" – Dark Angel – 5:22

"Concrete Cancer" – The Obsessed – 3:16

"En Masse – Stand or Die" – Martyr – 5:10

METAL MASSACRE VII (1986)

The seventh Metal Massacre-release is perhaps most known because it featured Flotsam and Jetsam with Jason Newsted still in the band. Thrash bands like Sentinel Beast, Détente, Juggernaut, Have Mercy, Cryptic Slaughter and Heretic (pre-Mike Howe).

"Impulse" – Heretic – 4:18

"Sentinel Beast" – Sentinel Beast – 5:20

"I Live, You Die" – Flotsam and Jetsam – 6:19

"Rented Heat" – Krank – 4:09

"Backstabber" – Mad Man – 2:53

"Widow's Walk" – Détente – 2:20

"High 'n' Mighty" – Commander – 4:16

"In the Blood of Virgins" – Juggernaut – 4:13

"Reich of Torture" – Cryptic Slaughter – 2:33

"The Omen" – Have Mercy – 4:18

"The Awakening" – Titanic – 4:42

"Troubled Ways" – Lost Horizon – 4:31

METAL MASSACRE VIII (1987)

Metal Massacre VIII featured thrash bands Sacred Reich and Viking.

"Ignorance" – Sacred Reich – 3:50

"Hellbound" – Viking – 2:58

"Keeper of the Flame" – Overlorde – 4:07

"Violence Is Golden" – Fatal Violence – 4:58

"Spare No Lives" – Tactics – 2:43

"Nothing Left" – Sanctum – 4:26

"Into the Darkness" – Gargoyle – 3:44

"Death Awaits You" – Ripper – 5:43

"Take 'Em Alive" – E.S.P. – 3:53

"Intimate with Evil" – Wargod – 4:46

"Deadly Kiss" – L.S.N. – 2:58

"Bullets" – Cobalt Blue – 3:34

METAL MASSACRE IX (1988)

Bands like Toxik and Faith or Fear appeared on Metal Massacre IX, and what's up with the strange hockey theme?

"We Want You" – Banshee

"Old World Nights" – Oliver Magnum

"Wasteland" – Toxik

"Blood Under Heaven" – Dissenter

"Random Violence" – Redrum

"Definitive Apology" – Pedifile

"Needle Damage" – Chaos Horde

"Dehumanize" – Faith or Fear

"Midnight Madman" – The Wrath

"Children of War" – Overdose

METAL MASSACRE X (1989)

Not one of the best albums in the series but still it featured Canada's death/thrashers Slaughter.

"Sick or Sane?" – Betrayal

"Typhoid Mary" – Solitude

"Mirage of Blood" – Murdercar

"The Secret" – Confessor

"Egyptian Falcon" – Dan Collette

"Infected" – Nihilist

"Visions in Secret" – R.O.T.

"Mercy" – Wench

"The Fourth Dimension" – Slaughter

"Stayed Up 4 Daze" – I.D.K.

METAL MASSACRE XI (1991)

The Metal Massacre are starting to lose it's momentum but still there's a few cool bands on it. Like Epidemic, Havoc Mass, Tynator and Forté.

"Shipwrecked with the Wicked" – Mystic Force

"Circle of Fools" – Epidemic

"Dementia by Design" – Forte

"Authority Lies" – My Victim

"Tormented Souls" – Havoc Mass

"The Dream Turns to Dread" – Divine Right

"The Great Escape" – Ministers of Anger

"Resurrected" – Dominance

"Sorcery of the Wicked" – Mortal Reign

"Eternal Call" – Nightcrawler

"Bad Habits" – Harum Scarum

"Consumed by Hate" – Chemikill

"Excuses" – Tynator

"The Monkey Beat-Man" – Spudmonsters

METAL MASSACRE XII (1995)

Jesus Christ, what is this turd? This album was a disgrace to the Metal Massacre-series. It's 1995 and most of these bands play some sort of sluggish downtuned 90's metal. Metal Massacre XII showed what a bad state metal music was in, in 1995.

"Paingod" – Paingod – 4:02

"Sweething" – Crisis – 3:45

"Exhume Her" – Pist.On – 4:14

"Godlessness" – Avernus – 7:37

"Det Glemte Riket" – Ancient – 6:56

"The Allknowing" – Level – 5:12

"Wolf" – Tipper Gore – 3:55

"Rain Dance" – Gunga Din – 3:52

"Cry to Heaven" – Divine Regale – 3:58

"#3" – Pervis – 3:01

"Anti [Coat Hanger Mix]" – And Christ Wept – 4:03

"The Wounded" – Amboog-a-Lard – 4:52

"Human Harvest" – Eulogy – 4:57

"Twodegreesbelow" – Overcast – 4:48

"Arizona Life" – Big Twin Din – 3:13

METAL MASSACRE XIII (2006)

Another rather mediocre Metal Massacre release. It was released eleven years after the last Metal Massacre-compilation and this time it features a lot of black, death and metalcore bands. I think that this album and Metal Massacre XII was a disgrace for the whole series. This album disrespects the importance and the heritage of the series.

"Leaving All Behind" – Cellador

"Miasma" – The Black Dahlia Murder

"Shadow of the Reaper" – Six Feet Under

"Swarm" – Torture Killer

"Vagrant Idol" – Demiricous

"Alien Angel" – 3

"The Killchain" – Bolt Thrower

"Dead Before I Stray" – Into the Moat

"Fixation on Plastics" – The Red Chord

"Sterling Black Icon" – Fragments of Unbecoming

"Bleed the Meek" – Paths of Possession

"From Your Grave" – The Absence

"Sigma Enigma" – God Dethroned

"The Pursuit of Vikings" – Amon Amarth

"Kiss Me Now Kill Me Later" – Machinemade God

"One with the Ocean" – The Ocean

"His Imperial Victory" – And the Hero Fails

"Cult" – Gaza

"Echo of Cries" – End It All

METAL MASSACRE 14 (2016)

This is the first time that they didn't use roman numerals. Because this is Metal Massacre 14 and not Metal Massacre XIV. Which is strange, maybe they thought metal fans couldn't count beyond 10 in Roman numerals? haha Anyways this is the best Metal Massacre compilation in many years and a return of a more traditional heavy metal sounding bands.

''The Traveler'' - Metalian

''Until Then Until The End'' -Noctum

''Bell Of Tarantia'' - Gatekeeper

''The Demented Force'' - Assassins Blade

''Denim Attack'' - Cobra

''The Siege Of Jerusalem'' - Stone Dagger

''Will Of The Ancient Call'' - Crypt Sermon

''The Ripper In Black'' - Savage Master

''No Tomorrow'' - Outcast

''Brothers'' - Corsair

METAL MASSACRE XV (2021)

It's good to see that Metal Blade has finally understood the legacy of these albums. The bands appearing is once again heavy metal bands of a more traditional style.

"Masked and Deadly" - Midnight

"Demon Wind" - Poison Ruïn

"Master of Extremity" - Fuming Mouth

"The Trees Die Standing" - Many Suffer

"Leave the Light Behind" - Temple of Void

"撿骨 (Bone Ritual)" - Ripped to Shreds

"Omega" - Rude
"Starblind" - Midnight Dice

"Warrior Witch of Hel" - Smoulder

"In Somber Dreams" - Mother of Graves