The ultimate Marmite band in Metal. Adored by hordes hated by more and that’s the way uhuh uhuh they like it (I am sure) .
The Hadleigh Horrors ™ are many things but they can never be ignored , whether they are releasing new material, treading the boards with Behemoth in Europe , swapping members like kids used to swap Pokemon cards or releasing long since thought lost demos.
Dani recently got back in contact with fellow founder member Paul Ryan after 14 years of no contact and , upon finding some original tapes of the TFD demos realised that they needed to see the light of day. I managed to speak to Mr Filth himself so will allow Dani to introduce it himself.
“It was suggested that we release it through Mordgrimm records which is run by Nihil who used to run Cacophonous so it has all come full circle really . It’s the third demo we did that helped us get signed and get together with a company called the syndicate which got us on tour with Cannibal Corpse and also play with Cancer – how we met Nick Barker. Total Fucking Darkness also features the only surviving track from Goetia which was recorded for a label called Tombstone – who were shit and refused to pay for the album and the tapes got wiped. This release is a collective with loads or unreleased music and photos – remastered and repackaged”
For more of this interview check out the podcast on www.planet-loud.com in July!
Onto the review !
The whole sordid affair kicks off with Spattered in Faeces the aforementioned survivor from Goetia. A gothic intro and then things get brutal pretty damn quick. Two tone vocals – gruff and gruff pave the way alongside dirty riffs before keys sweep in showing how forward thinking COF back then. There are hints of early Anathema in there (hardly surprising) and old pals Paradise Lost as well. This segues beautifully (well beastily) into The Black Goddess Rises. This track has a reverential place for many COFfers (just made that up – good eh?) People have long talked about the better versions that they had heard on demos than the one that was featured on Principle of Evil Made Flesh” . There are two versions of the track on this release one is obviously a rehearsal room demo and is my fave of the two . It carries such an evil home taped sound and all the instruments sound as if they are on the verge of collapsing under the strain. Dani Filths vocals are more grind than Death or Black Metal here and I was reminded of Cock and Ball Torture in the way he contorts his larynx.
Deep as Any Burial follows . There is a real chug to this track and true evidence of the elusive “Necro” that Troo Kvltists seek. More of the same on Unbridled at Dusk and some Arabian keys which hint at romanticism to come in future releases. This release shows the past influences of the Filthers and the direction which they would go to which so divided listeners. For an objective listener Total Fucking Darkness replete with the original logo gives a chance to listen without prejudice to quote George Michael. TO forget the brand and the hype machine and listen to a burgeoning young band as they gave it some welly!
Raping of the Faith is next with a strange Dalek strain on the opening vocals. The riff here is reminiscent of early Bolt Thrower and gallops along like a Suffolk Punch on crack. A further demo of this track and Unbridled at Dusk are also featured .
Fraternally Yours 666 and Séance and Mandrake are instrumental pieces masterminded by Ben Ryan the keyboard maestro and brother of Paul. The first of these is an atmospheric gothic piece which would be well suited to any Hammer film. Séance and Mandrake however sounds like something from a montage from a Jean Claude Van Damme movie , one where his brother or mentor is mortally injured. Kickboxer or Bloodsport or summat. This could have stayed on the cutting room floor.
Devil Mayfair (Advocatus Diaboli) is raw as a freshly grazed scrotum. A pure death metal sound mixed with pent up blackened rage.
The whole kit and caboodle is put to bed with one last instrumental Hekate Enthroned which is bit end of the pier Wurlitzer for me but I am sure will go down well with people called Neville who marry women 60 years their senior.
All in all this is a great showcase for one of Britains finest metal exports and will please current haters who “only liked em before Vempire” , completists , Filth Maniacs alike as well as offering the rest of us a great snapshot of extreme metal in the early 90’s.
Suffolk n Good
(8/10 Matt Mason)
http://theorderofthedragon.com
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