Dr. Varg's Train Wreck Mixtape vol. I

So I made this mixtape in 2013, mainly of stuff that I'd recently started getting into. My intention was to regularly release mixtapes however that hasn't eventuated. Anway, here I present:

Dr. Varg's Train Wreck Mixtape, vol. I

1. Holy Terror - Evil's Rising
   From the 1987 album 'Terror and Submission'
   I tried to start the mixtape with something a little difficult that maybe not everyone will get. I remember hearing that was a good idea. The thing that really makes Holy Terror for me is the interesting vocals. I remember hearing about this band ages ago but never got around to checking them out.
2. Skull Fist - Heavier than Metal
   From the 2010 EP 'Heavier than Metal'
   I don't recall how I stumbled across Skull Fist; maybe on last.fm. But anyway, Canadian metal! what more needs to be said?
3. Midnight - Lust, Filth and Sleaze
   From the 2011 album 'Satanic Royalty'
   I did this mixtape probably a month or two after seeing Midnight live for the first time. I firmly believe they're possibly the most dangerous rock'n'roll band on the planet. This track is ridiculously sexist though.
4. Angel Witch - Atlantis
   From the 1980 album 'Angel Witch'
   I'd heard of Angel Witch from Dave Mustaine endorsing them on 'Cliff 'em All' video which I first got to see around '97/'98. But anyway, once I finally got around listening to them I could totally see how much influence this was.
5. Razor - Tortured Skull
   From the 1985 album 'Evil Invaders'
   I was listening to the Razor track 'Evil Invaders' on the 'Speed Kills II' compilation back in 1998 but like so many artists on that compilation series it wasn't until much later that I started to appreciate them. I have this album on vinyl now. Canadian metal!
6. South Central Riot Squad - Disgrace
   From the 'Wassup Rockers' soundtrack
   I became really obsessed with this soundtrack for quite a while after watching the movie (which I recommend). I wanted to include a punk song on this compilation to boost my 'metal-punk' credentials. I've listened to some other S.C.R.S. stuff since then and it has a really shitty fake bass drum sound, but this track is good, with a right-on message.
7. Hirax - Call of the Gods
   From the 1985 album 'Raging Violence'
   Hirax have a sound that I find difficult, but I like this track. And it's short, which is always good for mixtapes.
8. Jag Panzer - Warfare
   From the 1984 album 'Ample Destruction'
   Did I find out about Jag Panzer from Fenriz' 'Metal Merchants Festival DJ Set vol. II' compilation, or did I stumble across them myself? Extremely likely it was some sort of tip-off from Fenriz at any rate. I really dig this album for some reason. Even have a patch of it on my jacket now.
9. English Dogs - Enter the Domain
   From the 1986 album 'Where Legend Began'
   Fenriz promotes this on the video that accompanied Darkthrone's 'Circle the Wagons' album. That's probably around the time I started listening to this, but again, 'The Eye Of Shamahn', another killer track off this album, was on 'Speed Kills III' compilation that I was listening to back in 1998.
10. Manilla Road - Necropolis
    From the 1983 album 'Crystal Logic'
    So yeah, like everyone else I first heard about Manilla Road from that Darkthrone song, but it wasn't until years later it occurred to me to listen to them on Youtube. This was literally the first song I chose, and I was instantly hooked. Still my favourite track of theirs. I have the vinyl and the patch on my jacket. Such a killer album.
11. Heavy Load - Run with the Devil
    From the 1983 album 'Stronger than Evil'
    I actually got into this from listening to Nosferatu's cover of 'Stronger than Evil', which I think I only came across because it's on a split with Deathhammer, who had been recommended to me. Anyway, the sound of Heavy Load and Nosferatu is more to my taste.
12. Nosferatu - Full Moon Night
    From the 2009 album 'Returning to the Slaughter'
    It took me a while to track down this rare Brazilian album, but it was worth it. I assume that this is all there is from this band unfortunately, as I really like their sound and would like to hear more.
13. Mercyful Fate - Black Funeral
    From the 1983 album 'Melissa'
    This is the only Mercyful Fate / King Diamond album that I've really got into. So many great tracks, but obviously this is a stand-out.
14. Piledriver - Sex with Satan
    From the 1985 album 'Metal Inquisition'
    Yes, it's another track name-checked in 'Canadian Metal'. Sounds like a hammer from hell, etc.
15. Agent Steel - Bleed for the Godz
    From the 1985 album 'Skeptics Apocalypse'
    Agent Steel have an interesting sound; I can't say it's like really one of my favourite bands but I like this song. Definitely one of those bands that Fenriz plugs a lot, and was on 'Speed Kills II' compilation.
16. Witchgrave - The Virgin Must Die
    From the 2013 album 'Witchgrave'
    This was probably my favourite album of 2013. Thrashed it so much. I have it on vinyl now, and it's not often I buy stuff from contemporary artists.
17. Em Ruinas - Morbid Pits
    From the 2011 album 'From the Speed Metal Graves'
    I like speed metal. This Brazilian band is awesome. The album also has a cover of Violent Force, who I didn't get into until much later.
18. Destruction - Bestial Invasion
    From the 1985 album 'Infernal Overkill'
    I love this song so much. When I first heard it I was like "these riffs are so familiar" and it's because this track is on the 'Speed Kills I' compilation. But also because this is so influential.
19. Ghoul-Cult - Fucked by the Living Dead
    From the 2004 album 'Ghoul-Cult'
    I just put this on the mixtape to end on a note you're likely to remember. It's a great little album though, with quite an interesting variation of old-school thrash/black/death metal styles.

You can get it from the /zips/mixtape.zip url of a certain domain. I was going to make Spotify playlist but half this stuff isn't on there. Because streaming music is shit and doesn't support the underground.

Midnight @ Kings Arms, 6th June 2013

To be honest I hadn't even heard of Midnight until the tour was announced, even though they're on Fenriz' Band of the Week list. But I checked them out and liked what I heard.

Anyway, I arrived at the venue in time to see one of the support bands, Bulletbelt, who are apparently reasonably popular in NZ these days. They describe themselves as some kind of crossover between black metal and thrash, and they were actually reasonably impressive. I mean, I'm almost never impressed by support bands. They had an interesting sound; the bass was very prominent and bright, kind of like how it is in Iron Maiden. I have to say their thrash parts were very good, the black metal parts not so much. If they got a different vocalist and only did the thrash bits I'd say they'd be great, but then I'm mainly interested in thrash these days so I'm probably biased.

After their set I checked out the merch table, and scored Midnight's limited edition hand-numbered tour 7" (every touring band should do this!) and a Midnight patch for my jacket, then went outside to stow them safely in my car.

Midnight arrived on stage suddenly. They don't have a elaborate stage show, but they get a lot of effect out of those hoods they wear, and they had a lot of energy, getting right up the front of the stage and into the audience's faces; ramming the necks of their guitars into the crowd.

By the second song the mosh pit was in full swing. It was only about 3 rows deep (there were probably only 100 people at the show), and everyone was in good spirits. A couple of people tried to crowd surf, but it kind of ended with them going nowhere and then getting put down again due to there being no crowd to surf on, and thankfully they gave up.

During Violence on Violence a young guy attempted a stage dive, unfortunately due the aforementioned only 3-row deep mosh pit, he went right over the pit and landed heavily on the floor. I went to the bathroom soon after that and he was in there. "That was an epic dive man" I said to him. He disagreed. Everyone in the bathroom was laughing at him.

The show went quickly. The singer reminded me of Fat Mike from NOFX when he'd say stuff like "I can't believe you guys came out to see these crappy songs". I'd checked on setlist.fm before the show to see what sort of setlist they would have, and knew it was only gonna be about half an hour long. About the second to last song was when the singer decided to smash a bottle into the crowd, which was quite close to hitting me. Some people did get hit. Not a good look exactly but very dangerous and rock'n'roll. In the last song the guitarist ripped all the strings off his guitar and threw them into the crowd. I got one as a souvenir.

After the show, some guy told me he'd been cut by the broken bottle, and seemed to think it was weird that someone near him had been complaining about getting glass in their eye. And some other people were complaining about the short set. But I was happy. It's not often that interesting underground metal bands come to NZ, and if they do they're usually boring grindcore/death metal shit.

setlist @ setlist.fm

Witchgrave

Yeah, so I just wanted to say that I'm digging Witchgrave at the moment. I know I'm not the first to say it, but yeah, definitely looking like a contender for album of the year. And that's up against Darkthrone's  Underground Resistance.