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Class 6(66)
Repulsion: Horrified
05/04/10 || Butt-Beard
Introduction
You’ve probably never heard of Repulsion, but you’ve definitely heard all the bands that they inspired. Entombed, Dismember, Unleashed, Death Breath, Napalm Death… I could go on, but I think you’ve got the point. Repulsion are the shit, in 6 months they did more for death metal/grindcore than ANY other band did in their whole career. From the extreme tones of the songs to the ridiculous song titles and lyrics, Repulsion are the true fathers of gore.
Songwriting
8. As primitive as it gets, but Repulsion recorded this thing out in 1986. That’s right bitch ’86, the year of “Pleasure To Kill” and “Reign In Blood”, but this thing is no “Reign In Blood”. This is more of a “Black Sabbath” type record. The beginning of something new and it shows in the songs. Despite a lack of refined material, mostly attributable to their short lifespan, “Horrified” contains a lot of catchy as hell songs. These guys were obviously listening to a lot of crust punk. Very basic songs but good quality.
The legend goes that when they were recording Horrified, drummer Dave had ingested way too much sugar and couldn’t slow down. Most of the songs are supposed to have a Slayer type tempo, but Dave could not slow down. That’s why most songs clock in at roughly over a minute. +0.5 points
The most dynamic they get are on the last three tracks. “Maggots In Your Coffin” has a killer breakdown and “Black Breath” grooves like a maggot boring through your skull.
+0.5 points for the song titles. See the tracklisting.
Production
7. Muddy like a swamp, but audible, what do expect if you record your album in a fucking basement?
Guitars
7. Every song will open with the same guitar part which will play for roughly the whole song, with a bit of variation or a breakdown thrown in. The rhythm guitar sounds kind of like early black metal Bathory where it just thrashes at you for a little over a minute and then it’s done, the last three songs being the exceptions. Only the actual tone of the guitar doesn’t have that demonic feeling to it like black metal, or a truly heavy feel for that matter. It’s got a gritty crustish aggression feel to it much like Discharge. The solos are different on each song but they last only like ten seconds so they just attack you and leave you going “What the fuck was that?” and then the song is done.
Vocals
7. Scott Carlson isn’t an amazing vocalist by any means. He’s got a bit of a punkish vibe to his vocals. Not much else to say other than you can at least understand everything he’s saying.
Bass
666. This is the way bass is supposed to sound. Scott Carlson makes up for weak vocals with some sick bass tone. Fuzzier than your girlfriend’s crotch. The fuzz really is the glue around which the rest of the instruments stick too. It’ll make you think your speakers have blown up. Go listen to the intro to “Festering Boils”.
If you’ve ever wondered where Seance got the idea for “Saltrubbed Eyes”, then get Horrified.
Drums
9. Dave “Grave” Hollingshead is quite the man. He got his nick name Dave “Grave” after robbing a grave and stealing a woman named Helga’s head. Helga happened to be the mother or grandmother of the prosecutors and it did not work out so well for Dave but since he was so young they did let him off the hook with a little slap on the wrist.
Thank you Mr. County Prosecutor. Dave Grave is the god of blasts alongside Pete Sandoval. Like I said earlier the guy is fucking fast. Just listen to “Maggots In Your Coffin” to hear that typical Dave Grave beat. Oh yeah, he also did all this with only ONE kick drum.
Lyrics
6. Retarded. Seriously. Look at this shit:
“The coffin is sealed on your rotten corpse
You lie in darkness, death corrodes your face
You are rotting, maggots in your coffin
Worms in your head – Soon they’ll be dead
Nothing to feed on in your empty skull
Hell is where you are, your tortured soul is scarred
For years you’ll rot in pain, lonely and decayed
You are rotting, maggots in your coffin”
‘Nuff said.
Cover Art
8. Its a fucking rotting head. Nothing else.
Logo
7.5 Not bad for an early death metal logo. Not as good as Death’s or Master’s but still pretty badass.
Booklet
9. Pretty cool layout on the Relapse re-issue (I don’t have the original), hard to read some of the little things they put in though. Nice liner notes. This is what all booklets should be like.
Overall and Ending Rant
“Horrified” is a metal classic. Despite its short comings, this record (alongside “Altars Of Madness” and “Scream Bloody Gore”) laid the foundations for what death metal and goregrind were going to do. Just look at all the bands that have covered Repulsion songs. Get this record.
- Information
- Released: 1989
- Label: Necrosis
- Website: www.repulsion.net
- Band
- Scott Carlson: vocals, bass
- Matt Olivo: guitars
- Aaron Freeman: guitar
- Dave ‘Grave’ Hollingshead: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. The Stench Of Burning Death
- 02. Eaten Alive
- 03. Acid Bath
- 04. Slaughter Of The Innocent
- 05. Decomposed
- 06. Radiation Sickness
- 07. Splattered Cadavers
- 08. Festering Boils
- 09. Pestilent Decay
- 10. Crematorium
- 11. Driven To Insanity
- 12. Six Feet Under
- 13. Bodily Dismemberment
- 14. Repulsion
- 15. The Lurking Fear
- 16. Black Breath
- 17. Maggots In Your Coffin
- 18. Horrified
