Morbid Tales 1984

""Morbid Tales" offers the listener a type of old school thrash metal which would eventually be considered both a type of proto-black metal and proto-death metal (it is certainly very obvious where Obituary's main source of inspiration lies).

The production and performance are sloppy (but nowhere near Hellhammer sloppiness), which suits this type of raw and dark primitive thrash metal very well. "Into the Crypt of Rays" is a fast paced thrasher, while "Visions of Mortality" starts out at a slower pace, but picks up in tempo. "Procreation (of the Wicked)" contains some pretty heavy riffage, and there's an almost punky edge to "Return to the Eve" and the very fast and simple "Nocturnal Fear". "Danse Macabre" is weird and arty a sort of precursor to Celtic Frost's future avant-garde style.

"Morbid Tales" is an important heavy metal album and crucual in to the history of both death metal and thrash metal, so I think it should interest fans of those genres. Also, if you like dark and primitive thrash metal, "Morbid Tales" is the way to go.

(review originally posted on metalmusicarchives.com)"