Fans that joined the party after blackthrash metal mainstays Toxic Holocaust’s Relapse Records debut might be surprised to learn that babyfaced Joel Grind, he of the boyish good looks and nuclear fixation, has been toiling away in the underground trenches for almost two decades. The project took its wobbly first steps back in 1999, and with new compilation From the Ashes of Nuclear Destruction, Grind returns to his roots (not that he’s ever felt much need to stray too far). The album offers a hodgepodge of material dating back to 2003’s Evil Never Dies full-length and spanning nearly 15 years of splits, albums, EPs, and rarities, all wrapped up in a neat little package for those who’d prefer not to spend their days combing through trade lists in search of that four-way split with Vomitor, Bestial Mockery, and Nocturnal.
Grind has long been a star pupil in the school of no mosh, no core, no trends, and it’s no secret he's never been much of an innovator (though his music is a lot of fun). He’s said in interviews many, many times that his band is a studied reflection of his own obsession with old-school black metal, thrash, and punk, and dude doesn’t just wear his influences on his tattered denim sleeves; he may as well have invested in a English Dogs chestpiece and Venom throat tattoo for all the gleeful lack of modernity his songs show.
On this collection, he’s culled 22 tracks’ worth of rough, primitive blackthrash, D-Beat, speed metal, and just a little sleazy rock‘n’roll from his extensive catalogue, and thrown them to the wolves as both a gift to the diehards and a history lesson for the newbies. His gravelly yelp narrates tales of apocalyptic destruction and metal hell while nimble fingers tease out furious, effective thrash riffs and howling solos and sloppy D-Beats keep atomic time. Rudimentary exuberance explodes out of tracks like “Metal Attack” and “666” as “Suicide Eye” rolls through with a sly swagger, and even the demo versions of more recent songs like “Bitch” (off 2011’s Conjure and Command LP) offer a tad more venom than their more polished end results.
The production values here are uneven at best (duh-- it is a compilation!), ranging from raw demos to a slightly-- slightly-- cleaner tone, but that only adds to its charm. If you want crystalline clarity, call up Stratovarius. This one’s for the heshers, the hellions, the unwashed, and the unworried. It may not be essential, but it’s one hell of an enjoyable listen, and deserves a spot next to Körgull the Exterminator and Speedwolf on your shopping list.
My only gripe? The omissions of the band’s excellent Venom, Bathory, and Bulldozer covers, though honestly, the songs jammed onto this disc come close enough to that same poisonous, tapped-out vein that you barely miss ‘em. Whilst Grind and his bandmates hole up in the studio and hammer away at their next LP, this compilation will do just fine to slake your thirst and, hopefully, remind you that it’s about time you dusted off that prized In League With Satan single from 81 and revisit past glories.
