Forum.RttP{Wargasm/Mid East in Sept}

T H E K O F F I N - # 10 (Part 2)
October 10th,1996

WARGASM - "Suicide Notes"
(Transmission 1996)

You know, I spent seven long, cold years in Boston. Looking back on that
time, my fondest memories are of my pilgrimages to The Rat in Kenmore Square
where, on a regular basis, I could see hometown heroes Wargasm deliver their
intense brand of thrash metal insanity to throngs of loyal fans. Shamefully
overlooked by the metal media, screwed over by the music industry (thank you,
Profile Records!), and largely shunned by the rest of the free world, Wargasm
were worshiped in Beantown. Hundreds of people would turn out to every gig,
our voices joining big Bob Mayo's on every song and our bodies careening
about the club with reckless abandon. Hell, I saw 'em so many times that I
felt like I grew up with those guys.
Needless to say, I was devastated when, in February of 1995, the band
announced that they were hanging up their implements of aural destruction for
good. 'Twas a sad day indeed.

Fortunately, 'Gazum left us with a posthumous treasure, a monstrous slab of
plastic entitled "Suicide Notes". Recorded in October 1994, this release
finally saw the light of day earlier this year when Transmission Records (a
tiny Euro label) decided to release it. "Suicide Notes" is a triumph, a
defiant middle finger thrust in the faces of the corporate powers-that-be
which destroyed Wargasm. Though this album strays a bit from the pure,
unadulterated thrash of 1988's seminal "Why Play Around?", it ain't no
sellout. 'Gazum pay homage to their thrash roots on triple-time speedfests
like "Not Forgiven, Not Forgotten" and "Tear Down". Elsewhere, the tunes are
mid-tempo-to-thrashy on the ol' rockometer, with a noticeable (but not
annoying) groove element displayed on cuts like "Engine" and "Meat". Rich
Spillberg's riffs are fresh and crushingly heavy, brother Barry's drumming
pounds the senses with all the subtlety of a Panzer division, and Bob Mayo's
bass rumblings still do a
number on the sternum. The lyrics, too, are fascinating, as Mayo explores
his tumultuous decision to leave the band on tracks like "Jigsaw Man" ("I am
imperfect/ I am broken inside"), "Underground" ("Think you know me my friend?
Guess again") and "This May Not Be Hell" ("Been shaken from my sleep/ And now
it's over, it's over, it's over").

The most remarkable aspect of this album lies in the boys' ability to wed
power and passion, muscle and melody in every cut. While the tunes are
immensely heavy, you'll find yourself humming songs like "This May Not Be
Hell . . .(but you can see it from here)" and "Fire Away" incessantly.
"Jigsaw Man" may be the best song 'Gazum ever wrote. Mayo's voice has
improved dramatically over the years, with a little tasteful backing vocal
assistance from the brothers Spillberg. "Suicide Notes" is a loud'n'proud
metal disc, yet it is diverse, modern, melodic, and cathartic, in addition to
being shreddingly powerful. In short, this is the album I thought Metallica
would make after ". . . And Justice for All". While Larz & Co. took the
low road to commercial success, Wargasm honed and refined their speed-metal
attack into something far deadlier on "Suicide Notes". The sad thing is that
most metal fans will likely never hear it. You, the dedicated Koffin reader,
would be well-advised to hock your gold fillings for some cash, call up your
favorite import store, and demand that they track down a copy of "Suicide
Notes" for you. Remember, Dreadnaught Day is coming . . .
http://members.aol.com/Leech97/koffin102.html