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Summon the Dead (1988)
Hailing from Greece, Flames was a band that struggled to find their identity. Their first couple albums weren't very impressive, but they embraced a darker and more intense direction on their third effort. Released in 1988, Summon the Dead is a great slab of hellish death/thrash. It seems as if they'd spent a lot of time listening to old records from Slayer, Possessed, Kreator, etc. and this evil style took hold of them. One can hear elements of Hell Awaits and Seven Churches in the blistering fast riffs and lead solos.
The vocals are a purely demonic, snarling approach that is reminiscent of Endless Pain and Obsessed by Cruelty. The rough production perfectly suits the primitive material. The first time I heard this, I had to double check where the band was from because they reminded me of some of the Eastern Bloc bands from the late '80s. A couple of the songs have stupid intros and titles, but everything here is really solid and the record is filled with killer riffs and solos.
It may be that their previous style was a good thing in the sense that they retain a good sense of songwriting. "Legend II (The Demon's Mind)" includes somewhat epic riffs that hearken back to "Metal Storm/Face the Slayer" from Show No Mercy, while "Slaughterhouse" sounds like the blueprint for the minimalist black metal that would emerge from the north a few years after this. "Legion of Death" seems influenced by Poison's Into the Abyss demo.
Neither before nor after was Flames ever this good, sadly. This record is packed with so many great and memorable songs that there's no point in picking highlights. Just listen to the whole thing. Summon the Dead is essential for anyone into stuff like Kat, Bulldozer, and Necrodeath. Highly recommended.
The vocals are a purely demonic, snarling approach that is reminiscent of Endless Pain and Obsessed by Cruelty. The rough production perfectly suits the primitive material. The first time I heard this, I had to double check where the band was from because they reminded me of some of the Eastern Bloc bands from the late '80s. A couple of the songs have stupid intros and titles, but everything here is really solid and the record is filled with killer riffs and solos.
It may be that their previous style was a good thing in the sense that they retain a good sense of songwriting. "Legend II (The Demon's Mind)" includes somewhat epic riffs that hearken back to "Metal Storm/Face the Slayer" from Show No Mercy, while "Slaughterhouse" sounds like the blueprint for the minimalist black metal that would emerge from the north a few years after this. "Legion of Death" seems influenced by Poison's Into the Abyss demo.
Neither before nor after was Flames ever this good, sadly. This record is packed with so many great and memorable songs that there's no point in picking highlights. Just listen to the whole thing. Summon the Dead is essential for anyone into stuff like Kat, Bulldozer, and Necrodeath. Highly recommended.
(18 May 2025)
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