Compiling a two disc collection of re-recorded material, featuring songs that originally were released on what is now out of print and extremely hard to find records from the early days, with songs that date back a decade or two, at the time when "Ample Destruction" was what they were pretty much known for; not to mention some recently written cuts.
Some cuts have the same production quality as the original versions, but yet for the most part, the whole updated sound of nearly two decades of evolution imprint the overall sonics of this record. Having spent the past decade as one of Metal's reining bands, releasing records such as the
Fourth Judgment, The Age of Mastery, Thane to the Throne, and
Mechanized Warfare, establishing themselves for elaborate namesake with the balance of virtuoso musicianship and songwriting skills, creating songs that range from conceptual opuses to progressive thrash cuts; with their sound, that does not stray too far from classic Maiden and Priest as well as being aligned with contemporaries such as
Iced Earth and Blind Guardian.
But for this particular release, the sound of a more old school Metal flare combined with the modern day Panzer sound creates a dynamic compilation of twenty diverse tracks. Yes, it really has the "compilation" feel to it, the tracks do not flow from one to the other with consistency,
Decade of the Nail Spiked Bat does not really have the structure of a regular record, but that is not the point or the purpose of this record.
With that said, the music on this record is heavy as expected, and all expatiations from the band are fulfilled, trust me you won't be disappointed. For one the production on this record is more dry sounding, using less reverb, but yet sounding more live, organic, and raw, just like many classic Metal releases, making this their most stripped down record to date. The influence of Maiden is easily apparent in cuts like
"Eyes of the Night" and
"Battle Zones" not to mention the "Painkiller-era" Priest inspired track
"Metal melts the Ice."
Other stand out cuts include the aggressive tracks
"Warfare," "Generally Hostile," and
"Black Sunday." The first disc tends to keep a straightforward thrash approach whereas disc two has the most diversity spawning more progressive laden cuts such as
"She Waits" not to mention ballads (
"Spirit Suicide"). Included within the liner notes is commentary on each individual cut from guitarist Mark Brody.
One thing is for sure, this release is not "throw away" material, and is not at all to be considered just any old "b-side" collection, for which it is not. After listening to this you will be amazed that it has taken you this long to hear these songs, due to the rarity of the original releases, so don't be surprised if you find yourself searching for the originals.
Written by
Hashman Monday, October 20, 2003
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