Dr. Know

Dr. Know - This Island Earth

Dr. Know - Wreckage In Flesh

After having released several albums and EPs on Mystic Records, Dr. Know signed to the Metal Blade subsidiary Death Records in 1986 and released their debut for the label (This Island Earth) later that year. This Island Earth is more hardcore than metal, but by the time the follow-up Wreckage In Flesh was released in 1988 they were a full-on thrash metal band. I love it when punk and hardcore bands go metal. Metal Blade's house engineer/producer Bill Metoyer even did the recording of Wreckage In Flesh. These are by no means classic releases, just rad mid-80's punk/metal albums from one of the best 80's labels, Death/Metal Blade who's roster at the time was un-fuck-withable (Cryptic Slaughter, C.O.C., D.R.I., The Mentors, Ugly Americans and Beyond Possession).

Annihilation Time

Annihilation Time - I

Annihilation Time - II

Annihilation Time - III: Tales Of The Ancient Age

Annihilation Time were a hardcore band from California with some serious rock leanings whose sound reminds me of Black Flag mixed with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead. They broke up a couple years ago, which is a total bummer. The guitar work from this band was fucking awesome and there is some serious riffing on these albums. Lots of songs about partying and getting totally rad, which I can relate to (full disclosure: I get totally rad). I'm not sure what the members are up to now but hopefully they're getting another band together. If you like RKL, Suicide File and Turbonegro then you'll no doubt be into Annihilation Time.

Dr. Know

Dr. Know - The Best Of...

Dr. Know is best remembered as the band that child-actor Brandon Cruz (The Courtship Of Eddies Father, the Jello-less Dead Kennedy's reunion) fronted for a minute. The thing about Mystic Records best of's is that they aren't really the best songs, but all the songs the band released while on Mystic. That being said here is everything Dr. Know recorded for Mystic. After their tenure on Mystic Dr. Know went full-on thrash and signed to Metal Blade Records (I can post some of those albums too if anyone is interested). Classic nardcore that is crude, rude, fast and furious.

Bullet LaVolta - Gimme Danger EP

Bullet LaVolta - Gimme Danger EP

This EP was released by Metal Blade Records in 1990 and it features a totally rad live cover of "Detroit Rock City". The two new originals on here "Every Hungry Rabbit" and "Transparent Man" rank up there with some of the best songs the band ever wrote. Punk metal at its finest.

Skunk - Laid

Skunk - Laid

Skunk was Matt Sweeney's band prior to Chavez. This is their only full-length album, released in 1991, and it's pretty rad. Skunk sounds like Hüsker Dü and Dinosaur Jr. mixed with 70's hard rock,and Matt plays some seriously great guitar on this thing. Skunk were signed to TwinTone Records out of Minneapolis, Minnesota which was once the home of The Replacements and Soul Asylum.