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IOTV #1: Thrash 'Til Death

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE8aU86nH5Q

Much like a large portion of our readership, I often find myself in the wee morning hours combing for rare performances, obscure videos, and anything else music-related on our greatest modern archive known as YouTube. The pursuit to absorb said material attempts to fulfill the impossible: to enter a time machine and experience the spectacle of a transcendent moment unfolding with the beauty of hindsight on your side. That impulse truly plays like a drug on our senses, which when paired with both our prolific output as a species and our frightful need for documentation, condones an endless cycle of bleary eyes and repentant mornings. Unearthed footage will never cease, and metal, misunderstood by definition, will always demand further clarification. These are the videos reserved for IOTV.

THRASH ‘TIL DEATH

While Thrash ‘til Death is one among several documentaries that captured the emerging Tampa death-metal scene of the early ’90s, it stands apart by documenting its subjects in rare and somewhat personal environments. It’s filled with legends that, until now, were infrequently seen as normal, everyday people. For example, who knew that James Murphy and David Vincent both worked at the same record store, Ace’s Records, at the same time? Can you imagine their conversations? And what kind of employees were they? I imagine Vincent as the chronically late ladies’ man, while Murphy, the more knowledgeable and punctual of the two, relegated himself to younger brother status. As if seeing all those beautiful OOP records on the wall wasn’t torture enough . . .

Another facet given a face is the feud between Chuck Schuldiner of Death and ex-bandmates Terry Butler and Bill Andrews of Massacre, a chronically under-documented dispute. I’ve read snippets over the years of their disagreements but never had the pleasure to hear any party discussing the matter so frankly. Who knew that “Death” toured Europe without Chuck at the forefront? Who sang in his absence, and does any such footage exist? While somewhat less pertinent to the conversation, all I could see during Bill Andrews interview was that enormous zit on his forehead that dominates the frame.

The dichotomy of personality between legendary producers Scott Burns and Tom Morris warrants a novel-length investigation. The two could pass for siblings with Scott as the stoned dominant type and Tom, the brains of the operation, allowing himself to be led like the younger and less confident pup. Additionally, Burns badly needs a reserve of lip balm. Equally as interesting are the dynamics between Frank Watkins and Donald Tardy of Obituary discussing their songwriting growth between Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death. In addition to appearing absurdly stoned, I was struck by their maturity and awkward shyness.

It’s rare and rad to see live footage of Cynic at a time when they purely rocked, before robot vocals and new-age sentiments dominated their sound. Not that there’s anything clinically wrong with their current philosophy but it is refreshing to witness them thrash without regard for the higher ethos that has colored their discography. Less rad was the bizarre amount of attention paid to Iced Earth during the middle portion of the documentary that seemed to last forever. Outside of that minor fumble, Thrash ‘til Death is a compelling view that captures idiosyncratic aspects often ignored in other scene reports. It’s highly recommended for anyone who still finds this era’s creativity magnetic.

— Aaron Maltz

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