Reissue Liner Notes

RE-RELEASE SPECS 

• 19-track double CD package from cult US thrashers Atrophy featuring their first two classic full-length albums

• Featuring extensive liner notes from respected journalist Kevin Stewart-Panko, who conducted exclusive new interviews with vocalist Brian Zimmerman especially for the release.

• Housed in a deluxe digipak featuring two discs, this is a comprehensive document of one of Thrash Metal’s most revered cult bands, and is fully endorsed by Atrophy.

CD 1 features the classic debut full length ‘Socialized Hate’, originally released in 1988

CD 2 features the follow up ‘Violent By Nature’ originally released in 1990

Atrophy was founded in 1986 in Tucson, Arizona, and exploded onto the scene in the late ‘80s after signing to Roadrunner Records. They established themselves with relentless touring with the likes of Sacred Reich, Venom and Coroner and were managed by Gloria Bujnowski, later Gloria Cavalera, wife and manager of Max from Sepultura and Soulfly.

Atrophy reformed in 2015 and began touring and playing festivals in anticipation of recording their third album.

RE-RELEASE SPECS 

• 22 track double CD package from enduring Christian Metal act Barren Cross, featuring two cult albums from the late 80s.

• CD 1 features their second full length studio album from 1988 ‘Atomic Arena’.

• CD 2 features their third studio album ‘State of Control’, originally released in 1989.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1983, Barren Cross produced a powerful brand of classic metal that carried a strong Christian message alongside such contemporaries as Stryper, Bloodgood and Sacred Warrior.

Having independently released their debut EP ‘Believe’ in 1985 and quickly followed that with their first full length album ‘Rock For The King’ via Star Song Records, Barren Cross signed to Enigma Records.

Featured on the influential ‘California Metal’ compilation, the band delivered a classy release with ‘Atomic Arena’ that earned vocalist Michael Lee favourable comparisons to Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson.

Follow up album ‘State of Control’ saw the band tour heavily and cultivate a fanbase that went beyond the confines of the Christian scene as a result. This release features two bonus tracks, one of which, ‘Your Love Gives’, was originally only available on the version distributed to Christian bookstores.

This release features exclusive liner notes from respected writer Kevin Stewart-Panko who conducted a new in-depth interview with singer Mike Lee (now known as Michael Drive).

‘Atomic Arena’ has been named by Heaven’s Metal magazine as the No.11 Christian Metal Album of All Time, while ‘State of Control’ placed at No.32 on the CMR Top 100 Christian Metal Albums list.

RE-RELEASE SPECS

Originally released in 1998 EXHUMED's now-classic debut full-length 'Gore Metal' was a boundary pushing album of absolutely filthy grinding death-metal. Everything about it was over the top--lightning fast speed, blazing guitars, b-movie slasher-film inspired lyrics, disgusting album artwork, etc etc. This was a record that made Carcass look PG. In otherwords, a true underground classic! Not content to let the album rot away, EXHUMED returned to the studio almost 2 decades later to re-record their landmark debut. The filthy fury of the original version is still there, only tightened up by years of touring and with a greatly improved recording. Presented with completely new art-work that is even more disgusting than the original and a Hall of Fame-style interview piece featuring interviews with all members past and present who played on both versions of the album!

RE-RELEASE SPECS 

• 22 track double CD package from revered US technical Thrashers Toxik featuring their first two classic full-length albums

• Featuring extensive liner notes from respected journalist Kevin Stewart-Panko, who conducted exclusive new interviews with founding guitarist Josh Christian especially for the release.

• Housed in a deluxe digipack featuring two discs, this is a comprehensive document of one of Thrash Metal’s most revered cult bands, and is fully endorsed by Toxik.

CD 1 features the cult debut full-length ‘World Circus’, originally released in 1987

Decibel Magazine enthused about ‘World Circus’: “What we love about this record is its pure ambition, its urge to go faster and more manic, the spirit of hyperbolic ‘80s Thrash that it embodies”

CD 2 features the conceptual follow up ‘Think This’ originally released in 1989, which includes a Led Zeppelin cover.

Toxik was founded in 1985 in Peekskill, New York, and perfected a weirdly listenable blend of technically challenging but instantly catchy Thrash. They caught the attention of Roadrunner Records who signed the band in 1987. Though originally disbanding in 1992 after touring with the likes of King Diamond, Sepultura and Pantera, they reformed in 2014 and released a third album ‘In Humanity’

RE-RELEASE SPECS 

• Updated re-issue of Watchtower’s Tech Metal classic ‘Control And Resistance’, originally released in 1989, in a digipack sleeve with new liner notes by Kevin Stewart-Panko

• Acknowledged as a cult masterpiece that blended Metal, Prog, Thrash and Jazz- influenced elements, the album blazed a trail for a more ambitious brand of Metal alongside visionary acts like Cynic, Atheist, Death, Pestilence and Confessor

‘Control and Resistance’ was inducted into Decibel’s Hall of Fame series, described in glowing terms:

“Those who’ve heard Control and Resistance—whether 20 years or 20 minutes ago—are still scraping their jaws off the tiles and struggling to completely understand the majesty of this largely unheard cult album. Those same people are also trying to contain their metal boners upon hearing the news that Watchtower are back, playing shows and getting set to release the long-long-awaited third

album, Mathematics.”

Metal Hammer hailed Watchtower in its May 2021 issue at #2 in its list of ‘The 50 Greatest Cult Bands’, stating: “...they counterbalanced prodigious talent, erudite skill, and the cranial workouts of their compositions with trope destruction and a mile-wide irreverent streak”

RE-RELEASE SPECS 

• 29 track, 3 disc set from cult Chicago based progressive thrash act Wrath featuring their first three full length studio albums, originally released via Engima Records imprint label Medusa.

• CD 1 features their debut full length recording, ‘Fit Of Anger, originally released in 1986, while CD 2 features the quickfire follow up ‘Nothing To Fear’, originally released in 1987. The final disc, CD 3, features the band’s 1990 full length ‘Insane Society’.

Wrath formed in 1982 in Waukegan, near to Chicago, and eventually signed to the underground label King Klassic for the release of their debut album ‘Fit Of Anger’, by which point they had become a fixture in the local scene in and around Chicago.

The follow up album ‘Nothing To Fear’ was produced by Ronnie Montrose of Montrose fame, upping the game sonically, while the band toured with notable contemporaries such as Overkill, Testament, Danzig and Raven.

Wrath featured on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III soundtrack, before the band changed vocalists, enlisting Kurt Grayson for their third album ‘Insane Society’.

This release is complimented with the addition of liner notes from writer Kevin Stewart-Panko, who conducted brand new interviews with original band members Gary Modica, Scott Nyqvist and Gary Golwitzer, and includes photos and archive material from Modica’s personal collection.