#darrell harris

Black Death - Black Death (1984) review

If you’ve ever spoken to me about music for more than five centiseconds, you’re probably aware that I have a raging ear-boner for the recordings of Black Death. If you’re not familiar, they were a heavy metal group from Cleveland, Ohio (and quite possibly the first all-black metal band ever) headed by guitarist/vocalist Siki Spacek, alongside guitarist Greg Hicks, bassist Clayborn Pinkins, and drummer Phil Bullard. Pinkins was shot and killed in 1979 and was replaced by Ed Goodan, who in turn was quickly replaced by Darrell Harris. Sadly, one LP, a few demos, and a spot on a Cleveland metal compilation were Black Death’s only existing recordings before they mysteriously (and, as far as I can tell, without clear reason) dissolved in 1988. Earlier this month, Spacek chose to unexpectedly release a compilation of never-before-heard Black Death recordings, news which has kept my aforementioned ear-boner fully erect for more than four hours. Frankly I could ramble more and cover their entire history in this review, but let’s get to the actual album!

So first off, holy SHIT does this thing ever wear its influences directly on its flame-decal-bedecked sleeve. This album is positively dripping with the mark of Priest, UFO, even some Sabbath here and there. If anything, this relatively wide range of influences gives you a good idea of how genuinely VARIED the album is, as in 40 minutes, Siki and co. cover thrash, doom, NWOBHM, and even a melancholy ballad without ever once losing sight of their style and sound. The album opens with a punchy, energetic foot-stomping pseudo-thrasher and closes with a crushing nine-minute doom metal epic; if anything, Black Death’s lack of recorded material is compensated for by the variety that their limited discography holds. Later re-releases would include a bonus disc that houses three extra songs, including two of my favourites from the band: Retribution, a galloping number soaked in UFO’s hot seminal fluids (the chorus riff is, almost note-for-note, the same as Doctor Doctor’s), and Until We Rock, a long solo-laden piece that seems to derive influence from, of all things, Kiss and Thin Lizzy. If you somehow track down this album physically (good luck lmao), DEFINITELY don’t hesitate to throw on the bonus tracks assuming they’ll be sub-par (as most bonus tracks are), these songs are just as powerful as the other seven on this album.

The instrumentation is top-notch. Spacek is a guitar god, and has more talent contained within his Crimson Underwear of Power™ than any mortal human being could ever hope to attain. His blistering solos fly all over this album, essentially weaving in and out of every song, never really going away for too long (think Hendrix, how most songs would be constantly punctuated with mini-solos and leads, but in a metal context); dude has pure shred coming out of every available orifice at all times. As a vocalist, he more than holds his own, utilizing traditional thrash shouts, deep guttural growls, charismatic mid-range wailing, and notably a VERY distinctive, if grating until you get used to it, high-pitched Halfordian scream, featured perhaps most extensively in the closing seconds of bonus track Retribution. As for Greg Hicks, Spacek alleges that he played just TWO solos on this record (Hicks states otherwise), but I’m unable to tell by ear which are his, so I’ll have to assume he’s damn good too if he’s keeping up with Spacek that well. Darrell Harris’ bass playing is very intricate and brings some fantastic bulldozing low-end to the mix, including a nice mini-solo in the opening seconds of When Tears Run Red. Spacek states he taught Harris how to play bass not long before the recording of the album, and if this is true, I have nothing but respect for the man for getting that damn good that fast. Phil Bullard rounds out the lineup with a pummeling, fill-heavy swing style, never overpowering the guitars but creating a rock-solid foundation for the band. His playing is somewhat dampened by the production, but more on that later.

Lmao okay it’s later, and the production, frankly, isn’t great. Right off the bat, one will probably notice the vocals being VERY loud in the mix (which gets most grating when Spacek unleashes one of his head-splitting banshee screeches), and conversely, the drums are very quiet. Not so quiet that they’re inaudible, but if you told me Bullard set up his kit inside a dumpster, closed the lid, and played in his dark Sensory Deprivation Trash Booth while the rest of the band recorded it through an answering machine outside, I’d believe you. To top things off, one guitar is distinctly much quieter than the other at certain points, such as the opening lead in Retribution (Sorry to constantly bring that song up but DAMN it’s good), which is really cool but barely audible unless you’re really listening closely. Ultimately, this sounds more like a demo recording than a proper studio mix. In fact, their demo recordings generally have better sound quality, as seen in utterly fantastic tracks like Breaking the Chains of Hell and The Last Prophet of the Rise of the Beast, which never made it onto the album for reasons unknown. That said, the flawed production does NOT take away from the songwriting and impressive performance courtesy of this godly (satanly?) talented group.

If you’re looking for new bands to listen to, make one of those bands Black Death. These guys were beyond talented, full of energy, and never got the recognition they deserved, even a full 33 years after their first (and final) album. Once you’ve heard the album, check out the bonus tracks, the demo tapes, even Spacek’s new projects, since basically everything this guy touches is gold (including, if his word is to be believed, Cyndi Lauper’s tit!). Also, bonus points for stating that Dreamer Deceiver is his favourite Judas Priest track, anyone who says that is cool in my book tbh