Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

And here’s one straight out of the tales of the unexpected… Four legendary Metal veterans, six songs, two “projects” and seven years ago… IR8 vs. Sexoturica—no it’s not the latest wave in futuristic Japanimation desecration; instead, it’s hailed as “old school” Metal music of a roots-driven kind.  

IR8 features the trio of Jason “See, I CAN sing!” Newsted on bass and vox, “Strapping” Devon Townsend doing the six string and “Toxic” Tom Hunting on drums.  Newsted’s work with Echobrain, his first project since his split with (the band formerly known as) Metallica, who wanted more than his then mates were willing to offer, was okay enough; the music didn’t have quite the density many fans had hoped for, and the record’s probably better judged with the passing of time.  

Townsend’s work with Canada’s Strapping Young Lad is well documented in Metal circles, while Hunting’s thrash fits behind the kit takes many a headbanger back to the glory days of a formidable bay area scene and the mighty Exodus.  And there we have IR8… and yeah, they sound it.  

Originally recorded in ’94 and finally creeping through the dark as Chophouse evolves from studio to label… and soon, we’ll all be dead, “Colossus,” “Nothing” and “Black On Black” are three original tracks of a slightly better than demo quality.  Newsted wastes no time barking from the belly in full-blown brunt for the unexpected grind of “Colossus”—I did say he could sing before didn’t I?  

Townsend, now a Strapping 30-something Lad, does some lightning fast riffing and rugged chops throughout, particularly on the last two tracks, vintage Thrash Metal rage at its finest with Hunting’s ain’t dead yet beat blasts.  Sexoturica was deployed only a year later, same place, same rules, same guys, only the Kisser’s changed… That would be Sepultura’s guitarist Andreas, replacing Townsend for three deeper, darker and doomier cuts which owe nothing to any of their then individual bands.  

“Alone’s” got an early H/C feel to it at the onset, very agnostic and aggressive; “Zone Of Death’s” a creepier Venom-like vibe which opens with Newsted’s stalking bass line and torturous pace throughout; “Dead Soul At Sleep,” the last, is a cross between Motorhead’s “Orgasmatron” and Six Feet Under—definitely more groove inspired than the others. 

 Sexoturica—Sepultura-Exodus-Metallica… equals clever.  Actually it’s some hard and heavy shit that conjures images of the occasional Anselmo step out amongst the doom, gloom, and dark.  True Metal fans don’t wanna miss this.  These two sessions are, at first, incomprehensible, but after a short stretch in the slaughterhouse, pretty damned impressive.