"Mass Appeal Madness" is an EP/mini-album release by UK grindcore/death metal act Napalm Death. The EP was released through Earache Records in 1991 and notably it´s the last release to feature drummer Mick Harris. Harris was the last musician left, who played on Napalm Death´s debut full-length studio album "Scum" (July 1987, Earache Records). Harris and bassist Shane Embury didn´t agree on the future musical direction of Napalm Death, with Harris pushing for the incorporation of more experimental musical ideas, while Embury wanted to keep the experiments within the band´s core grindcore/death metal style. Harris also had personal issues with both lead vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway and guitarists Mitch Harris and Jesse Pintado.

The EP bridges the gap between Napalm Death´s third- and fourth full-length studio albums "Harmony Corruption" (July 1990, Earache Records) and "Utopia Banished" (June 1992, Earache Records).

"Mass Appeal Madness" features four tracks and a total playing time of 8:53 minutes. "Mass Appeal Madness" and "Pride Assassin" are new original compositions while "Unchallenged Hate" and "Social Sterility" are both re-recorded tracks from the "From Enslavement to Obliteration" (September 1988, Earache Records) album. The new compositions are in the death metal style of "Harmony Corruption", but the more raw and unpolished sounding production on "Mass Appeal Madness" still makes them sound quite different from the material on the preceding album release. Both "Pride Assassin" and "Mass Appeal Madness" could well have been written around the same time as the material on "Harmony Corruption".

"Unchallenged Hate" is one of the standout tracks on "From Enslavement to Obliteration" and it´s therefore fully warranted that Napalm Death have opted to re-record it with a sharper and more brutal sounding production (although the original is great too). "Social Sterility" also sounds great in this new version. It´s still a mid-paced grindcore track, but with Barney´s brutal death metal growling vocals it becomes a much more potent and aggressive track than the original. Upon conclusion "Mass Appeal Madness" is worth checking out if you´re a fan of "Harmony Corruption" but could have wished for a more raw and unpolished production job. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

"Barely Alive" is a one-track digital single release by US death metal/deathgrind act Kill Division. The single was released through Redefining Darkness Records in August 2022 and it´s the second single released to promote the forthcoming release of Kill Division´s debut full-length studio album "Peace Through Tyranny" (September 2022, Redefining Darkness Records). "Barely Alive" appears as track number 11 on "Peace Through Tyranny".

Listening to the material on "Peace Through Tyranny" it soon becomes apparent that Kill Division are highly influenced by Terrorizer (and to a lesser extent an artists like Misery Index), and the link to Terrorizer becomes even more apparent as "Barely Alive" is a Terrorizer cover. If you didn´t know it you wouldn´t really notice it though, as it seamlessly blends in with the remaining material featured on "Peace Through Tyranny". High quality deathgrind, which may not be groundbreaking, but is solid and well performed. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

"Surrounded by Filth" is a one-track digital single release by US death metal/deathgrind act Kill Division. The single was released through Redefining Darkness Records in July 2022 and it´s the first single released to promote the forthcoming release of Kill Division´s debut full-length studio album "Peace Through Tyranny" (September 2022, Redefining Darkness Records). "Surrounded by Filth" appears as track number 2 on "Peace Through Tyranny".

The choice to release "Surrounded by Filth" as the first single from "Peace Through Tyranny" is a good one, as the deathgrind style featured on this song perfectly presents what you´ll be exposed to when listening to the full-length album. Strong musical performances, powerful and effective songwriting, and a well sounding production job. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

"Primordial" is the second full-length studio album by US stoner/doom metal act Telekinetic Yeti. The album was released through Tee Pee Records in July 2022. It´s the successor to "Abominable" from March 2017 and there´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as drummer Anthony Dreyer was fired in 2019 and guitarist/vocalist Alex Baumann has instead hired Rockwel Heim to fill his place. So the duo format is continued on "Primordial" which again features no bass. Just drums, guitars (downtuned 7-strong guitar), and vocals. The firing of Dreyer was quite dramatic as Dreyer initially refused to stop using the Telekinetic Yeti name, and therefore two versions of the band existed until Dreyer opted to rename his version of the band Twin Wizard.

Stylistically the material on "Primordial" continues the heavy and psychadelic tinged stoner metal of the debut album. Despite no featuring any bass "Primordial" is a very heavy release featuring driving organic beats, and ultra heavy stoner metal riffs, and a varity of psychadelic guitar effects. The vocals are sparse, and when they occur they are relatively low in the mix distorted shouting. I´m slightly reminded of Electric Wizard when the vocals appear.

"Primordial" features a heavy and organic sounding production, where the guitar is front, left, right, and center and the drums sometimes feel like they are an afterthought. They are simply buried in the fuzzy heavy guitar riffs. "Primordial" is a relatively well composed release, although the tracks aren´t the most memorable and almost all tracks feature the same basic elements (and some are a bit repetitive in their psychadelic haze). There´s something incredibly authentic and organic about the way the band play and it´s their greatest strength, but they could reach the sky with some more memorable songwriting and stronger vocals. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

"Personal Hero" is an EP release by German power/thrash metal act Subcutane. The EP was independently released in 2007 and was originally meant to be a promo to shop for a new label to release the band´s planned fourth full-length studio album with the tentative title "The Ghostship". That never came to be though as Subcutane folded in 2008 and therefore "Personal Hero" became their last release in their original run.

The EP features four tracks and a total playing time of 18:10 minutes. Stylistically there´s been some changes, but they were actually already initiated on "Shadoworld", as Subcutane have left most of their thrash metal roots behind (although the EP certainly still features heavy riffs) and now instead produce a heavy progressive power metal style. It´s not the most complex progressive metal, but it´s more in the aestethics department that Subcutane land in the progressive metal camp. There are some relatively technical playing on the EP, but it´s a means to an end rather than technical playing for the sake of it. If I have to make comparisons if would probably be to an artists like Engine (which features Ray Alder on vocals).

"Personal Hero" is a well produced release, and the sound production manages what the best sound productions do, which is to help make the material shine. Upon conclusion "Personal Hero" is probably the most well sounding, most well composed, and most intriguing release in Subcutane´s discography and it´s a real shame they disbanded just before they maybe could have produced something which made an impact. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.