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booga B
booga Sep 18, 2008 00:58:39
Replying to Moon Cat

Moon Cat wrote:
This is for fellow saddoes. A few years ago a fellow old skool metal head chum and I had a reminisce about about old issues of Kerrang and, in particular, the old ads for the semi-legendary Shades Records in Soho's Wardour Street. We waxed lyrical about how they would say things like "Angelwitch! Huge! Buy or Die!" or, "NEW! Jaguar! buy or FOAD!". And, if a new example of a particular sub-genre came along that they rated they'd say stuff like "Candlemass! The most immense doom album ever! Delete Witchfinder General!"
Hahahahaha yes, I remember all of that so well. I loved the "last weeks band? where the hell have you been?" ness of it all. When this extended to the thrash genre, it was a total free for all. Check this out -

SPEED KILLS - The Very Best in Speed Metal! Featuring:

HALLOWS EVE ("legendary")
EXODUS ("raw energy... music to nuke cities to")
DESTRUCTION ("speed, total speed... amazing!")
BULLDOZER ("total Venom clones, but better production!")
METALLICA ("best track on 'RTL'; no commercial wimp-out here!")
SLAYER ("Speed's greatest demi-gods")
POSSESSED ("the new gods; total Thrash mayhem-- intense!")
EXCITER ("Canada's No.1 Power Metallers")
VENOM ("a classic; total mayhem!")
VOIVOD ("raw total Death; love it or f.o.a.d.")
MEGADETH ("progressive Thrash, technical fave")
CELTIC FROST ("Euro Thrash kicks serious ass!")

The Shades ads and the above, were all the work of Dave Constable, Shades staff man, and joint founder of Metal Forces fanzine. He went on to manage Candlemass 8¬)

I IanB
IanB Sep 18, 2008 13:35:27
Replying to booga

booga wrote:
Moon Cat wrote:
This is for fellow saddoes. A few years ago a fellow old skool metal head chum and I had a reminisce about about old issues of Kerrang and, in particular, the old ads for the semi-legendary Shades Records in Soho's Wardour Street. We waxed lyrical about how they would say things like "Angelwitch! Huge! Buy or Die!" or, "NEW! Jaguar! buy or FOAD!". And, if a new example of a particular sub-genre came along that they rated they'd say stuff like "Candlemass! The most immense doom album ever! Delete Witchfinder General!"
The Shades ads and the above, were all the work of Dave Constable, Shades staff man, and joint founder of Metal Forces fanzine. He went on to manage Candlemass 8¬)
I'd forgotten about Metal Forces.

Young Dave Reynolds used to come into the office in Broadwick Street a lot on his way to and from the store. Really nice bloke. Genuine enthusiast. As people they had more in common with the writers on say Blues and Soul and Echoes than the regular music press. Though that's another thread for another day.

The best thing about that scene was the aspect of self-reliance. It never really assumed Fugazi / Dischord proportions but still, a lot better than all the horrible synth pop bands, sucking up to a&r scouts and doing anything short of whoring out their grans to get signed to major.