Malevolent Creation - Fine Art Of Murder

Is it just me or does it look like the cover says "The fine art of Malevolent Creation"?

I snoozed at a chance of seeing these cunts in Cardiff recently, which was a bit silly because how often does something like Malevolent Creation come around 25 minutes from your house? I hate to be Mr. Has-an-excuse-for-always-missing-gigs (which I'm totally not; my bank balance and tinnitus will testify) but I'd been burning the candle at both ends, so standing through a death metal gig just sounded like hell to me during my lazy hungover Sunday. Anyways, it's my fecking loss, if this classic death metal recording is anything to go by!

Fine Art Of Murder is probably one of Malevolent Creation's more well know records, and with good reason. It's a punishing metal recording from start to finish, often without let up in the speed stakes. It's popularity also might have something to do with the fact that "Manic Demise" was featured on Bam Margera's CKY2K film. My favourite thing about this album, even though the drums are fucking shithot, has to be the guitar work. Everything from the menacing, clear-yet-crushing tone to the brutal yet subtly melodic delivery is absolutely perfect in every single way. If I could play guitar I would want it to sound like this record. 

This was released on a whole bunch of different labels from around the world, and is also available on a sexy picture disc vinyl. Here's the "Manic Demise" extract from CKY2K, so you not only get awesome death metal, but the chance to watch a bunch of twats hurt themselves for your amusement. 

CKY - Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild.

Man, now this is a blast from my past! I'd pretty much forgotten CKY existed for the last half a decade or so, until I saw this CD for sale for next to nothing in a charity shop. I forgot just how much I loved this band's first two records - I can't really speak much for the rest of the discography (An Answer Can Be Found was OK I guess, but Carver City does nothing for me at all) but this CD is an absolute classic!

After spinning this for the first time in probably 8 or 9 years, the first thing I notice is just how unique and odd CKY's guitar tone is. It is almost synthetic sounding, yet amply fuzzy and satisfying. "Escape From Hellview", "Flesh Into Gear" and "Sink Into The Underground" sound just as brilliant as I remembered them to. The rest of the album sails by really quickly, because CKY can't seem to write anything that lasts longer than 3 minutes or so. Not that I'm complaining, there are some great blasts from the past here, with the only song on the entire record I'm not at all fussed on being the closing track "Close Yet Far". 

If your OK with your rock and metal having singy vocals and a pop-sensability to the songs, then I strongly recommend some CKY for you, if you've not heard them before, that is. This version of the CD comes with a bonus DVD directed by Bam Margera (he had to fucking worm his way in somewhere) filled with music videos for every single song on the album. Now that's value for money.