When they say everything old is new again, they also mean digging out old demos and repressing them onto wax in an obscenely limited number.

Hell Headbangers brings us Leviathan, a New York thrash outfit that was once the throaty home to Chris Barnes, one-time Cannibal Corpse vocalist. I must admit I’m not a huge fan of the Corpse per se, but when I heard this Leviathan demo again after receiving it many years ago in a tape trade (yes, those where the days!) I was blown away. It’s known I’m a product of the 80’s scene with a genuine affinity towards the underground of this period, but I also recognize clunkers and flat-out crap bands, and Leviathan was certainly one of the bands that has me scratching my head with wonder as to why they never stuck around and caught the thrash wave for a longer ride.

The Legions of the Undead demo from 1987 is the first side of the LP and the minute I popped it on to the turntable I was blown away! The sound, while dated, primitive and thin, is amazingly clear and vibrant for an 80’s underground remastered demo. I’ve often heard this recording compared to Kreator, and yes, I can certainly hear some Flag of Hate all over this, but I also hear some Dark Angel Darkness Descends spitting out. Barnes definitely has Mille and Don Doty covered in his delivery, but it’s far from imitative parody; this LP is for the truly hardcore contingent that relishes a trip back in time to the period when trash and death metal lyrics were two notches above cheese and a million-and-one under MTV commerciality. This is thrash metal at one of its finer hours. I might be in the minority, but I prefer this effort to anything Chris Barnes has done after. That’s not to say I don’t like some C.C., but Barnes’ humble beginnings are more to my personal liking.

This demo isn’t for the cerebral relevance in terms of lyrical prowess; the very mid-80’s feel is all over this, complete with satanic, bloodthirsty lyrics that hammer like a nail into the septum. Often we can overlook such trivialities within the music due to it being enjoyable in other facets, namely the structure of the music and/or vocal delivery; the horribly trite lyrics to “Leviathan” aren’t going to win a Grammy anytime soon, but they don’t make one laugh as much as they just find the dented niche left by some of the more memorable 80’s thrash units and digs into the wood a little deeper.  “Violent Slaughter” is a true testament to the wondrousness of such a special time in metal history and to a band that was nearly lost to the annals of time if not for a famous ‘name’ singer. That would be an unnecessary and, sadly, typical loss.

Aside from the demo, the second side of the wax has an old rehearsal that is really a posterity piece; the crudity and muddy sound might make it a key addition to the record in terms of filler, but it is interesting, and if you have never heard it before (as I hadn’t) you would be just as well off hearing it in all of its generic glory. I like it just to hear the speedy brutality in its raw, unpolished form, but after hearing it once I may leave it to the memory banks for a while and revisit it only now and again. I will say that the demo side has been in constant rotation these last couple of weeks. 

To hear Leviathan shred its way through four very strong songs after so many years was a welcome treat that another lucky 149 people can enjoy; the initial pressing is 150 copies, complete with a wonderfully sturdy album jacket, rare photos, lyrics, and some notes from Barnes himself about the Leviathan era, albeit a short and ugly one. I’m very glad HHB stepped up and issued this gem because bands like this need to be remembered as more than just a notation on Encyclopaedia Metallum, regardless of the later merits of one of its members. It’s a great album, aged warts and all.

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

Side A:  1987 Demo
1.  Violent Slaughter
2.  Destructive Aggressor
3.  Lamentation of Death
4.  Leviathan

Side B: 1987 Rehearsal Demo
1.  Asphyxiation
2.  Tormented Nightmare
3.  Blood Feast
4.  Apocalyptic Rain
5.  Bestial Decapitor

Total playing time:  30:00

Release Date: May, 2011
Label: Hells Headbangers

Leviathan - Rapacious Cadaver

Reviewer: Chris

May 22, 2011