Andrew Earles

Because it’s the perfect form of procrastination at this particular life-juncture. Check this out:

I recently acquired a record that represents an early stab (pun intended) at making death metal. Though released in 1990, it represents the then-common practice of giving a previously released cassette demo (in this case, 1986) a new life in the more official format of vinyl or CD. Naturally, you are wondering to yourself, ”Wow, in the mid-to-late 90′s, what dramatic challenges were in place for an underground metal band to need almost half a decade to see a demo come to fruition on the CD, vinyl, or factory-made cassette formats?”

(be advised that I meant “to yourself” in the literal sense…like I always say, “others can hear you when you speak”)

Well, curious reader, I’ll tell you…whoa, whoa, whoa…I’ve got my little life-editor on one shoulder (species of representative spokescreature TBD) slapping some sense into me. The sole purpose of this post was originally to provide some context around my transcription of this album’s liner notes and to INTRODUCE A FUN CONTEST! The first person to use my cruel and unusual idea of a clue to e-mail andrewearles@gmail.com with the correct name of the band will receive random grab bag of crap. Well, not really CRAP, but things that need to disappear from my immediate surroundings. Def not crap, actually, just casualties of the massive clutter reduction scheduled for next weekend. I will seal one end of a large Priority Mail Flat-Rate box and stuff it with books, records, comic-irony wall candy, magazine back issues, back issues of The Cimarron Weekend.  The liner notes:

“In 1986 there existed an evil group of subversive youth whose sole purpose was to show other about the beauty of death. As time passed, they discovered that music was the best form to show others the beauty of death. As time passed, they discovered that music was the best form of expressing the evil that they had learned. These youth became what the leaders of the underground know to be [band name removed for contest!]. As the underground became less underground people thunking they were cool began to flock to the [band name removed for contest!] rituals (concerts) with the bones of the newly dug-up they knew existed within the otherwise sleepy region. And, it wasn’t long before the commercial society figured out they could capitalize on a new evil. They sent the subversive musicians into a studio and were amazed at what grundgy and disgusting sounds could be cunjured up within the walls of a recording facility! Thus, censorship was born! The sessions were too evil and the tapes were mysteriously taken away into the night in order that a new and improved Necrophagia could emerge. [Album title removed for contest!] did appear and the original were lost untill recently when a funeral parlor went up for sale. In the basement, hiden away (perhaps by a former road crew member), lay the banned recordings. They are presented here in their original form.

Wow guys, your generosity is contagious…it influenced me to present your liner notes in…..that’s right….in THEIR ORIGINAL FORM. Anyway, I’m not here to stress on some spelling errors of quarter-century vintage. Name this band. Remember, or understand (didn’t finish the thought up there): Recording date: 1986 Release of vinyl, cassette, and CD on what I like to call “the poor-man’s Metal Blade” since you might need what I like to call “another hint.” Frequently Answers to Incorrectly Anticipated Questions:

No, I will not tell you where the band originated from.

Proto-death metal is the best I can do. Like Possessed but better-equipped at giving the giggles rather than the chills or creeps.

Last clue: Along with 4,189 other metal records released and distributed over the past thirty-years, this one pays a subtle, gotta-look-for-it homage to one of  America’s first celeb serial killers (threw his party way before these guys were born).