Damn, this is an official reissue of Armagedom's legendary 1986 LP put to CD by Japan's Speedstate Records. I think the mastering could be a little bit louder, as the output volume is lower than average, but considering that it was remastered from a vinyl copy because the original master tapes were lost, it sounds pretty good. The recording's a bit dated, understandably, but for its age it sounds fine. My chief complaint is that the vocals are too far out front, which can make the killer guitar distortion fall towards the back too much, but fuck it, it sounds good enough to me. From S?o Paulo, Brazil, Armagedom formed in the early 80's and on this record played aggressive hardcore/punk with crusty chord progressions, a moderate level of speed, and pissed off vocal yells. There wasn't a great deal of variety, the vocal patterns are succinct and repetitive (not unlike Discharge), and the drumming was especially stagnant, but there are still a number of bands playing this exact same style of hardcore today. Most of the tracks are pretty short and straightforward, with a few breaking off into some noisier passages and caustic leads ("Politicos, Militares, Religiosos", etc.), while others get a bit more metallic and hint at some early thrash influences (the excellent "Mutila??es" and "Total Aliena??o"). Side B of the LP was definitely more energetic and provides greater diversity, so the disc ends on a very strong note. The layout includes the original cover artwork, several band photos, and all of the lyrics in Portuguese, English, and Japanese... which is an awesome touch! The lyrics are all fairly bleak and deal with political corruption and greed, the suffering of the poor, the cycle of work, war, and the hardships of life in general. The content is all fairly brief and to the point, and the band absolutely addressed issues very specific to their own country's condition at that time. Now, I personally don't find this record to be an essential classic per se, but I can certainly appreciate its relevance, and it still stands up well to this day. So pound for pound this is an awesome reissue that has been done justice in its professional treatment here. Oh, and the label sells these releases for $12.50ppd worldwide... all the way from Japan. Excellent. Keep an eye on Speedstate Records for sure.
[Speedstate]
Running time - 28:45, Tracks: 14
[Notable tracks: Torturam os Pobres, Asilo na Exist?ncia, Mutila??es, Total Aliena??o, Mortos de Fome]
Speedstate Records - http://www.speedstaterecords.com
