NW Metalworx Music

Brand new CD compilation - METAL MELTDOWN V - from P.I.G. Records from 2025. The return of the popular series by Ever Rat Records from the `80s!

TRACKS:
1. Mudd Bucket - "Salt Shaker"
2. dr. Unknown - "Making Room"
3. Re-Activate - "Meticulous Murder"
4. Heir Apparent - "The Fifth Season"
5. Mistrust - "Can't Run Away from Love"
6. Action Buddie - "Def B-Boy"
7. Thrash Forward - "King Scepter"
8. Devol - "Rock Starting"
9. Section 8 - "Deep In Your Dreams"
10. AMQA - "Bowling Balls"
11. BigTop - "Born To Raise Hell"
12. Psycho Bitch - "Psycho Bitch"
13. Death Squad - "Excusable Homicide"
14. Randy Hansen - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed War Pig"
15. Xenn - "Napalm"
16. LSD RexXx - "The Cosmic Forces of Creation"

The Metal Meltdown compilation series is specific to Washington State metal bands of all genres. The first four volumes came out consecutively in 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989, representing the best metal bands from the preceding year. Funding caused the series to cease and desist for 38 years. Rising interest in the previous four volumes and a new age of reissuing historic and somewhat obscure independent bands resurged. Hence, the timing for Metal Meltdown Volume V emerged. A desire to pick up where the series left off led to the time flux for this volume, which begins in the latter half of 1987 and takes us through 1995. Naturally, many bands of the day were excluded with the expanded number of years, but some iconic ones are included.

Volume V begins with ‘Salt-Shaker,’ a well-produced hard-rock track in the vein of Guns ‘n’ Roses by Muddbucket. Heavy guitar lines and the sensational vocal style of Doug McCamley shine throughout. Diving into the grungier metal category, ‘Salt-Shaker’ is followed by dr. UNKNOWN’s ‘Making Room.’ dr. UNKNOWN was a great band with an all-star local cast, including Matt Fox from Bitter End, Derek Peace and Ray Schwartz from Heir Apparent, and Jeff Carrell from Diamondback. Re-activate follows, speeding up the pace and the heaviness by way of “Meticulous Murder’ as they lead into Washington Legends Heir Apparent. Many have heard ‘The Fifth Season’ by Heir Apparent before, but this is an exclusive new ass-kicking version. Mistrust pumps the brakes a bit, launching into their 80’s metal cut ‘Can’t Run Away from Love.’ The band had two singers, Jeff L’Heureux of Culprit and David Gray. Mr. Gray is the singer for the Metal Meltdown V track. Note, Chris Gohde from My Sister’s Machine drums for Mistrust. Action Buddie restores trust with ‘Def-B-Boy,’ a funky metal song by one of Seattle’s most adored bands.

Six songs into the Meltdown, it starts to sink in that you’re only a third of the way towards nuclear meltdown. It’s time Thrash Forward, to their song ‘King Scepter,’ considered by many to be one of the best in Thrash Forward’s repertoire. It was mentioned earlier that Culprit singer Jeff L’Heureux was not on the meltdown. Yet, Culprit guitarist John Devol is with his follow-up project, Devol. ‘Rock Starting’ would’ve also made a great opener, but it fits in well here and takes us to Section 8 to get ‘Deep in Your Dreams.’ Vocalist Kaisa Forrest shows off her youthful range before AMQA bursts in with their comical metal style singing about ‘Bowling Balls.’ At one time, AMQA was the toast of Tacoma, Washington, and we’re internationally recognized. It’s good to see the name lives on. While Tacoma is the biggest city South of Seattle, the biggest city North of Seattle (Everett) is hoisting the BigTop with a slamming rendition of ‘Born to Raise Hell!’ But we can’t stay up north too long. Time to head back to Tacoma for Psycho Bitch with their self-titled track ‘Psycho Bitch.’ And since we’re back in the south end, we might as well head further south to the Capital, Olympia, patrolled by one of the Northwest’s earliest death metal quartets, Death Squad. (r/i/p Tom Kisor.)

RANDY ‘Jimi Hendrix’ HANSEN picks up where AMQA left off, appropriately returning to the humor vibe. The guitar aficionado, who brought us the music behind Apocalypse Now, the man who plays Hendrix in the Devo video, casts yet another masterpiece. ‘Rudolph The Red Nosed War Pig’ medley combines Sabbath with a Christmas legend. Perhaps the highlight of the album. Randy Hansen was initially supposed to close out the album, but when the producers found out they had four more minutes to work with, two more tracks were quickly added. Xenn and their short song ‘Napalm’, as well as LSD ReXxx’s ‘The Cosmic Forces of Creation.’ After the breakup of Xenn, most of the members went on to play for Potbelly. LSD ReXxx was a studio project that included the likes of the Mascara Snake from Captain Beefheart, Infra ED from the Dehumanizers, Paul Hinklin from Sadhappy, and legendary producer Adam Kasper.

Overall, Metal Meltdown V is a great collection of Washington State Metal. Seventeen songs make it one of the longest CDs in my collection and a great value for the cost. Metal Meltdown VI is supposedly in the works and will cover the time frame from 1996 to 2000, once again, exclusively Washington State bands.

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