Razor
Exhumed
[Fringe]


I waited for too long for the reissues of the classic Razor albums long enough from Hypnotic (are they even out yet? After being mentioned in mags for years now?) Well, this double cd comp gives relief. 23 out of 38 tracks feature Stace 'Sheepdog' MacLaren, one of the best screamers in thrash metal history! I wish he never quit the band!

First up are 2 tracks off the out of print (only 12000 made, and stupid me, I lost the vinyl many moons ago) "Armed and Dangerous" 7 song EP (May'84). The boys rip and clip at a healthy power metal, edging towards thrashing Motorhead/ Metallica/ early Anthrax pace.

4 songs from "Executioners Song" (March'85) see Razor go total thrash. One chick from New York I talked to called them 'happy thrash', meaning they're a band about drinking, screwing and violence, not satanic or political really. 2 rereorded songs Take This Torch, & Fast & Loud. still raw. Take This Torch will always be the Canuck equivalent to Metallica's 'Whiplash' (which was probably Metallica's response to Anvil's '666', or am I imagining things? Probably. I take a lot of over the counter drugs with beer).

6 songs from "Evil Invaders", (October 1985), Razor hit their peak! Heavy Slayer influence shines with some hardcore/punk rhythms. Not "crossover" though! But it did appeal to a wider audience with a thicker, polished sound, and Dave Carlo's riffs ripped your puny head off mortal! Shit dude, Sheepdog sort of croons/ growls like a wildcat Lemmy Jr.! If you ever get to see the video for "Evil Invaders" tape it for me! I 'll let you burn cigarrettes on my arms! (Or for a buck, I need the dough).

2 of the best songs from "Malicious Intent" (April'86) next. Decent lp. No lyrics included from those cheap douchebags at Attic records I remember. The guitars were RAW, but with a bigger studio budget/ more time, this could have been a good, instead of mediocre record. For awhile Razor were called 'assembly line thrash' cuz the records were being pumped out pretty quickly.

Their 4th lp, "Custom Killing" (July'87) almost destroyed Razor's career. Hated by a lot of folks, I loved it. Bad points? They changed their logo, cartoony cover art, bassier but drier production, and some lengthy Metallica-type tracks. I read Carlo said it's the one album he won't re-release (fine, give me Armed and Dangerous on cd mein freund! RAZOR fans fucking need it!!!!!) Though I'd love to see it remixed and remastered. I wish "Shootout" was put on this comp!! (As well, as the unreleased songs from the "Escape the Fire" demo, which turned into "Executioner's Song". Still unreleased are Frostbite, Ready for Action (..cruising down the street in my big black limousine...hahahahahaha!!!..that still cracks me up, and still totally rules!), Heavy Metal Attack, and I think Metal Avenger (?) Been so long it's hard to remember!)

5th lp, "Violent Restitution" (Nov.'88) was a return to thr heaviness of Evil Invaders, but fasssster!!! (When they played live, they played them even faster, and it sounded flat, and shit. Really boring actually at some shows . Wish I kept one show I taped as proof. Maybe Rob Raffan, ex-Sepultura has it. He was there and blown away at the time, but afterwards agreed the same type of boring pounding was used ). This debut on the Fringe label was the last for Sheepdog, and the first for drummer Rob Mills, who was in Beyond from the Toronto area (when they were cool and heavy with a Sodom/ Megadeth/ Death/ Nuclear Assault thrash attack sound).

After this, the comp goes downhill. I liked Bob Reid's raging vocals in S.F.H. (Sam Fucking Hain) but he doesn't fit with Razor. Maybe I'm jaded. But this isn't like Zetro Sousa replacing Baloff in Exodus. I eventually liked him, but Reid always sounds out of time, like a retard or something. Cool guy I imagine, and I heard a song off the S.F.H. lp in '96 and it was awesome, but I hated Razor's "Shotgun Justice" (March 1990) and "Open Hostitly" (Oct.'91) albums despite the smoking guitar riffs. No fan of the original band could be satisfied. My apologies to the band if they ever read this, I call 'em as I see 'em. Now, Take This Torch! Take This Fucking Torch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Exit stage left, cuz crazy Colin is coming to snort beer up his nose!!)


© 2000 mlotek