▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Slaughter ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Strappado █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2012 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-12-14 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Marquee Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Remastered ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Slaughter plays extreme thrash metal, in the vein █ █ of many of the South American extreme thrash bands █ █ like Sarcofago and the Chilean Pentagram (but █ █ predating them). With a punk-influence, it's raw █ █ and primitive as fuck noisy thrash. █ █ What makes Slaughter so special is the animo with █ █ which they made their uncompromising █ █ speed-assault. When Slaughter plays, both they and █ █ the audience are having fun. Each song is █ █ recognizable simply because of a signature riff, █ █ or the lyrics. "Make way for the INCINERATORR!!" █ █ or the riffs for Tyrant of Hell. "TALES of THE █ █ maCAbre" with that typical vocal-line is my █ █ personal favorite, although it's the slowest song █ █ on here. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ Canadian cult legends Slaughter are one of ôthoseö █ █ bands. You know the sort û the ones that would █ █ have been a hell of a lot more rich and famous if █ █ we lived in a fair and just world. Ah well, I █ █ guess thatÆs just the way it goes sometimes. At █ █ least with the benefit of retrospect the world can █ █ appreciate that Slaughter are one of the single █ █ most important bands in the history of Death █ █ Metal. Think IÆm exaggerating? Well, consider this █ █ - although the first release of this album was █ █ delayed until 1987, it was originally recorded in █ █ February of 1986. That means these utterly brutal █ █ recordings actually pre-date such genre landmarks █ █ as Pleasure to Kill, Reign in Blood and Scream █ █ Bloody Gore. ThatÆs no small feat. Aside from a █ █ collection of demos dating back to 1984, Strappado █ █ was their only proper release but it was a ripping █ █ firebrand of an album that still slays to this █ █ day. ItÆs proto-death metal at its finest. Fast, █ █ brutal and with a surprising knack for groove that █ █ makes it hopelessly catchy and memorable. I wonÆt █ █ say too much about the album itself here though, █ █ because I want to talk about the jaw-droppingly █ █ stunning reissue package we have been treated to █ █ here by Marquee Records. █ █ Strappado has been reissued several times since █ █ its initial release, and having owned some of █ █ those releases, I feel I can safely tell you that █ █ this latest 2012 reissue is far and away the █ █ greatest ever release of this album. It features █ █ pretty much everything a budding Slaughter fan █ █ could want from a single release, with 2 █ █ absolutely jam packed discs featuring a whopping █ █ total of 55 tracks. Yes, 55! This is the be all █ █ and end all of Slaughter releases. Disc one █ █ features the Strappado album in two forms. █ █ Firstly, you get the original 1987 LP track █ █ listing, which is a really cool novelty because it █ █ hasnÆt been featured on any release of this album █ █ since the LP itself was issued. This will be the █ █ first time many fans get to hear the songs █ █ presented in this particular running order. Next, █ █ of course, you get the CD release which features █ █ an altered track listing and includes the 4 extra █ █ tracks that were recorded during the sessions but █ █ not included on the LP. This is the track listing █ █ I myself am familiar with, as I have only ever █ █ owned the album on CD, so I have to say this is █ █ the one I prefer. Aside from the obvious benefit █ █ of the four extra songs, I feel like the track █ █ list flows a little better. That may just be █ █ familiarity, but I suppose thereÆs a reason they █ █ changed it in the first place. Finally, the first █ █ disc also contains 5 previously unreleased live █ █ tracks performed in Ontario in 1986, before the █ █ album was even released. █ █ As if all of that were not enough, believe it or █ █ not what really makes this package so great is the █ █ second disc. It features 3 full demos recorded █ █ prior to the original release of Strappado. Many █ █ of the tracks contained here are simply earlier █ █ versions of the final album tracks, of course, but █ █ they are still an excellent insight into the █ █ development of these classic songs. The real █ █ highlight is the 1984 Meatcleaver demo which █ █ features an array of songs that û to the best of █ █ my knowledge û have not seen the light of day in █ █ any way, shape or form since the cassette trading █ █ days. The tracks here have an extremely raw █ █ recording quality and they lean closer to the █ █ Thrash side of things than the Death Metal side, █ █ as you might imagine given the original year of █ █ release. None of this reduces their importance in █ █ the slightest. Despite their sometimes amateurish █ █ nature, these long-lost tracks help to paint a █ █ picture of this band that was so important to the █ █ development of Death Metal. As a Slaughter fan, I █ █ can honestly say IÆm thrilled to have these songs █ █ on disc. █ █ ThereÆs not much left to say other than ôBravo, █ █ Marquee Recordingsö! I wish every album reissued █ █ could receive the love and attention given to this █ █ release, especially when the album in question has █ █ already been issued as many times as this one. █ █ TheyÆve really gone the extra mile with this █ █ package, and thereÆs nothing more a fan could ask █ █ for that hasnÆt been included. ItÆs pretty much █ █ perfect û I canÆt see why a different release of █ █ this album would ever be necessary. █ █ █ █ CD1: █ █ tracks 01à09 û original LP mix 1987 █ █ tracks 10à22 û original CD mix 1993 █ █ tracks 23à27 û live @ Concert Hall, Toronto, █ █ Ontario, Canada on July 4th, 1986 █ █ █ █ CD2: █ █ tracks 01à10 û Meatcleaver demo, August 31st, 1984 █ █ tracks 11à15 û Bloody Karnage demo, December 31st, █ █ 1984 █ █ tracks 16à28 û Surrender or Die demo, April 1985 █ █ █ █ "Instro-Metal" and "Annihilation" on disc 2 are █ █ listed as separate tracks but they are actually █ █ one track. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ CD 1/2 : ░ ░ 1. Strappado 1:30 ░ ░ 2. The Curse 1:45 ░ ░ 3. Disintegrator 1:05 ░ ░ 4. Incinerator 2:53 ░ ░ 5. Parasites 2:04 ░ ░ 6. F.O.D. 3:54 ░ ░ 7. Tortured Souls 2:51 ░ ░ 8. Nocturnal Hell 3:30 ░ ░ 9. Tales of the Macabre 4:06 ░ ░ 10. Disintegrator 1:00 ░ ░ 11. Incinerator 2:58 ░ ░ 12. Nocturnal Hell 3:29 ░ ░ 13. F.O.D. (Fuck of Death) 3:55 ░ ░ 14. Tortured Souls 2:52 ░ ░ 15. Parasites 2:05 ░ ░ 16. The Curse 1:46 ░ ░ 17. Strappado 1:30 ░ ░ 18. Maim to Please 2:24 ░ ░ 19. One Foot in the Grave 1:06 ░ ░ 20. Tyrant Hell 2:22 ░ ░ 21. Death Dealer 1:59 ░ ░ 22. Tales of the Macabre 4:06 ░ ░ 23. F.O.D. (Fuck of Death) (Live Toronto 4:00 ░ ░ 04-06-86) ░ ░ 24. Nocturnal Hell (Live Toronto 04-06-86) 3:53 ░ ░ 25. Electric Death (Live Toronto 04-06-86) 5:06 ░ ░ 26. One Foot in the Grave (Live Toronto 1:27 ░ ░ 04-06-86) ░ ░ 27. Tales of the Macabre (Live Toronto 4:47 ░ ░ 04-06-86) ░ ░ CD 2/2 : ░ ░ 1. Age of Deception 2:14 ░ ░ 2. Eve of Darkness 1:39 ░ ░ 3. Surrender or Die 3:29 ░ ░ 4. Children of the Fire 3:27 ░ ░ 5. Hell Hath Returned 2:14 ░ ░ 6. Meatcleaver 4:18 ░ ░ 7. Slaughter-House 2:31 ░ ░ 8. Instro-Metal / Annihilation 4:38 ░ ░ 9. Strappado 1:52 ░ ░ 10. Total Retribution 7:40 ░ ░ 11. Disintegrator 1:34 ░ ░ 12. Incinerator 3:16 ░ ░ 13. One Foot in the Grave 1:51 ░ ░ 14. Forged in the Furnace of Hell 2:37 ░ ░ 15. Bloody Karnage 2:30 ░ ░ 16. Disintegrator 1:51 ░ ░ 17. Incinerator 2:57 ░ ░ 18. Maim to Please 2:49 ░ ░ 19. Tyrant of Hell 2:38 ░ ░ 20. Shadow of Death 2:50 ░ ░ 21. Death Dealer 2:15 ░ ░ 22. One Foot in the Grave 1:24 ░ ░ 23. Surrender or Die 1:31 ░ ░ 24. Eve of Darkness 1:57 ░ ░ 25. Massacra 2:17 ░ ░ 26. Strappado 1:39 ░ ░ 27. Tales of the Macabre 3:26 ░ ░ 28. Cult of the Dead (Instro Mental) 2:47 ░ ░ 150:34 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░