Metal Maniacs: Andrew Marsh

On this new segment on the Heavy NFLD blog, we’re asking local metal and punk musicians to tell us about ten albums that influenced them as both a musician and a music fan. For this first installment of ‘Metal Maniacs’, Andrew Marsh of the bands Winterhearth and Dead Inner Youth, who originally came up with the idea for this segment, will kick things off!

Hey everyone! This is Andrew Marsh from WinterheartH! Today I have picked 10 albums that have undeniably influenced my musical playing as well as song writing executions. I have excluded anything from the local scene in Newfoundland as well as Atlantic Canada as I don’t want to seem biased because we have an amazing scene with amazing talent. I have also included 10 other honorable mentions that I just had to list and not say “man…. should have at least acknowledged that album as well”. So here we go!

Black Sabbath – Never Say Die

I know some people may be surprised by this choice. Last album to feature Ozzy (until 13 came out). The title track is one of my all time favourite Sabbath songs. So energetic I hope to cover it myself one day. If I’m having a hard day, that song will always turn my spirits around. “Johnny Blade” is quite the journey as well. “Air Dance” is also a really awesome track and so is “Over to You”. It’s just an album you wouldn’t expect from Sabbath and sadly you can feel a sense of change now looking at what album came after. Sabbath was the working class band in the 70’s. Was recorded in Toronto too I do believe!

Diamond Head – Lightning to the Nations

Legendary debut album from a legendary NWOBHM band. I have 2 copies of this album. It’s literally taking Sabbath, Zeppelin and Deep Purple and mashing it altogether. So many amazing riffs. “The Prince” is such a killer song. All the songs I can listen to on repeat for hours and never be tired of it. Brian Tatler is a huge reason why I love Flying Vs so much (along with Schenker, Mustaine and Amott to name a few others in that department). You listen to albums like Kill ‘Em All by Metallica or Countdown to Extinction by Megadeth, they’re basically sped up Diamond Head albums. This album in 1980 was definitely a foundation / blueprint of what was coming next!

Dissection – The Somberlain

Dissection are notorious for a unique blend of technical and melodic black metal. Jon Nodtveidt is definitely considered a controversial person. You can hear the darkness of his soul in his music. Dissection has a sense of nihilism I’ve never heard in other bands. Unfortunately he made some choices that had massive consequences and ultimately when he got out of prison he eventually committed suicide. Considering Dissection are a Swedish black metal band you can definitely hear a precursor to what would morph into the Gothenburg melodic death scene here. Slaughter of the Soul by At the Gates would definitely be considered ground breaking in that department to.

Sepultura – Beneath the Remains

Moving on we have arguably the most successful metal and rock act to ever come out of South America. This was also the album that gave Scott Burns his start as producer. Scott Burns and his Morrisound Studio would become a champion in death metal production. The musicianship of the Cavalera brothers as well as Paulo’s bass playing and Andreas’ amazing lead skills are all over this album. I can see how people in countries in South America as well as places like Spain or Mexico would be so into Sepultura. Their music spoke to those who thought their voice never mattered. I always saw Sepultura and Sarcofago as the warriors of, for lack of better words, “third world countries”.

Carcass – Heartwork

On the topic of producers who defined a genre we have Heartwork. Produced by Colin Richardson. Another world renowned producer. Heartwork was easily 15 years ahead of it’s time. Carcass being known as grindcore with gore influence as you seen from precious albums like Symphonies of Sickness. Now you have an album that uses borderline radio song writing formula but still have fantastic extreme metal riffs. It’s also complimented so well with Steer and Amott’s bluesy 70’s metal style solos. Another album that laid the blueprint for melodic death metal and even what became 2000’s metalcore. Phenomenal album.

Venom – Black Metal

What can I say about the first two Venom albums that hasn’t been said? Legendary is just putting it lightly. Venom, when I was a kid, actually used to scare me. I remember having “Sacrifice” on as a teen and my mother flipping out cause of the lyric “lightning strikes, a virgin dies, Satan smiles”. Venom in their day, there was nothing heavier and more sinister happening until you started to hear the likes of Hellhammer and Bathory. Like you had very sinister songs like “Heroes End” by Priest or “Baphomet” by Angel Witch but not a whole album of pure sinister evil. To this day the hair on my arm stands as soon as I hit play. The album defined a subgenre!!! Who else did that besides Possessed with the song “Death Metal”?

Immortal – At the Heart of Winter

Finally moving into the notorious Norwegian black metal scene. This was the fifth studio album by Immortal. It’s such an amazing blend of unique ambiance, meets second wave black metal meets the kind of riffs you’d expect Randy Rhoads or Ritchie Blackmore to play if they were black metal musicians. Abbath and Demonaz never get the credit they deserve for their musicianship and song writing. You can listen to this album without one word being said and you will understand what the music is portraying. For the “true raw” fans of the genre you may not like this album as much as Pure Holocaust but the riffs and structures are second to none.

Mayhem – Live in Leipzig

Another album from the notorious Norwegian black metal scene and the only live album on the list. What a raw lo-fi album from the legendary tour Mayhem did with Dead. This album will always make me wonder how different Des Mysteriis would have been if Dead never committed suicide. Dead wasn’t playing a character, that is who he was. Also, listen to “Necrolust” on Deathcrush then listen to “Necrolust” on this album. Manheim was a great drummer but what Hellhammer transformed the song into here was incredible. Easily one of the greatest drummers in Metal history.

Windir – Sogneriket

The only demo on this list. This demo tape really changed how I constructed music back in my teenage years. Windir was such a one of a kind in black metal  I’m all about a mixture of amazing soundscapes with catchy riffs. This demo has it all. Valfar was as young as 16 when he released this demo tape. Listen to “Norron Seier” and you will understand what I’m having a difficult time explaining why I love this demo tape. It hits me in the heart like no other.

Mercyful Fate – Melissa

Here we have the authors of metal rhythm guitar if you will. This album is truly incredible like all Mercyful Fate or King Diamond. The structures are like taking metal and giving it a classical spin without the classical flashy lead playing. It’s progressive without being a 20 minute opus. This band also use to scare me as a kid with King Diamond being a member of Church of Satan. When you know that you feel the music itself is more than just Halloween. I would get a spiritual sense from some of the tracks. The twists and turns in songs like “At the Sound of the Demon Bell” or “Satan’s Fall”. You’d get riffs that were harder than Priest and then BAM, a really cool bluesy rock riff. Shermann and Denner are an unbelievably underrated guitar duel. More people need this album in their life. The title tracks is an eerie ballad about a witch being executed!

Well I hope you enjoyed my take on 10 albums that greatly influenced my music. Here are 10 more albums that I have to mention! Even now I’m rotted because I never mentioned a Kreator or Sodom album!

Ozzy – Diary of a Madman
Kat – 666
Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
Metallica – …And Justice For All
Master’s Hammer – Ritual
Cardinal Sin – Spiteful Intents
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion
Slayer – Show No Mercy
Bathory – Blood Fire Death
Tormentor – Anno Domini

~ Written by Andrew Marsh
~ Edited by Akhenaten