UMUR "Songs for the Ugly" is the second full-length studio album by Canadian thrash metal act M.A.D. (aka: Mutually Assured Destruction), but now working under The Mad monicker. The album was released through Epidemic Records in 1992. It´s the successor to "Taboo of the Western World" from 1991 and it would be the band´s last album as they disbanded in 1994.

Stylistically the material on "Songs for the Ugly" is still US influenced thrash metal, but as a sign of the times the band have now opted to include a few alternative metal ideas. Lead vocalist/guitarist Rob Johnson still sings using the same shouting staccato delivery his did on "Taboo of the Western World", and it´s still one of the weakest links of the album. The high level instrumental musicianship is on the other hand one of the greatest assets of the album.

The songwriting is a bit all over the place, and The Mad have a hard time deciding which way to go, and therefore "Songs for the Ugly" comes off inconsistent and aimless. The sound production is decent enough, but not really great, and upon conclusion "Songs for the Ugly" is a step down in quality from "Taboo of the Western World", which itself wasn´t the greatest thrash metal release, so a 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Taboo of the Western World" is the debut full-length studio album by Canadian thrash metal act M.A.D. (aka: Mutually Assured Destruction). The album was released through Fringe Product in 1991. M.A.D. formed in 1987 in Ontario, Canada, and they released two demos before being signed for the release of "Taboo of the Western World".

Stylistically the material on "Taboo of the Western World" is a direct continuation of the US influenced thrash metal style of the 1989 "Generation Zero" demo, and indeed several of the tracks from the demo have been re-recorded and included on "Taboo of the Western World". Lead vocalist/guitarist Rob Johnson still sings using the same shouting staccato delivery his did on the demo, and the vocals are unfortunately pretty unrekarkable. Very standard for the genre. The musicianship is otherwise on a high level on all posts, which isn´t surprising if you´re familiar with "Generation Zero", which also featured some great instrumental performances.

The songwriting is fairly standard for the genre, and "Taboo of the Western World" isn´t an album which screams that it´s a M.A.D. album. It simply doesn´t have a unique sound. When that is said it´s still a good quality thrash metal release, featuring strong musicianship, decent songwriting, and a decent sounding production. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Generation Zero" is the second demo release by Canadian thrash metal act M.A.D. (aka: Mutually Assured Destruction). The demo was independently released in May 1989. It´s the successor to the "Decisions, Decisions" demo from 1988. M.A.D. formed in 1987 in Ontario, Canada, and they released two demos and two full-length studio albums before disbanding in 1994.

"Generation Zero" contains seven tracks and total playing time of 38:39 minutes, and although it´s labelled a demo, it features studio album sound quality, and I wouldn´t be surprised if this was an aborted attempt at recording a full-length album release. M.A.D. probably recorded "Generation Zero" but couldn´t find a label to release it, and then opted to release it as a demo instead.

Stylistically this is relatively aggressive US influenced thrash metal, which isn´t particularly different from other contemporary artists, but it´s certainly both well written, well performed, and well produced. There´s a great energetic rawness and intensity to the recordings, which are quite charming. Lead vocalist/guitarist Rob Johnson has a rather typical shouting staccato delivery and a pretty unremarkable voice, so it´s not in that department that M.A.D. shine. The instrumental performances (including the great lead guitar work) are what keeps this demo interesting.

Upon conclusion "Generation Zero" is a good quality thrash metal demo from the last years of the heyday of thrash metal, and M.A.D. definitely shows more than a little promise, and honestly I find it a bit odd that these guys weren´t signed and "Generation Zero" released as their debut album. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.