Cerebral Fix (UK)- Life Sucks... and Then You Die 12" LP

(Vinyl Solution 1988)

Before Cerebral Fix becomes the "Candlemass of death metal", they were pretty much the "Crumbsuckers of death metal", with the same snotty snub.  Just listen to the vocals and the hardcore treatment of many songs here, which is quite capable of upsetting the most ardent of doom death metal fanatics who are looking for more brutal fixture but  seriously meant for the not-so-serious dickheads who happen to flourish the late '80s when splatter humour became the fun of it all, and probably wouldn't mind naming it sick-geek-death-core. Back in those days, Vinyl Solution as much as it is the culprit for this trend (just look at Macabre) and responsible for unmentionable distasteful but enjoyable excrements offerings for the metalheads bored with the serious mills of life. But Cerebral Fix took their displeasure at life into an opus of twisted nihilism, with limited chemistry to complete that "twist", say the pundits of wicked Macabre or O.L.D., unless you count the comical coverart and such titles like "Skate Drunk" and "Zombie" the casbah. Instead, it is lending way too humane (and probably a little too down-to-earth) with their negative contextual mid-tempo death metal delivery, spoiling the "fun" a little. However, they made up with their ability to represent their multi-faceted song writings, from variedly different tracks like "Soap Opera", to "Life Sucks", to the epic that is "Cerebral Fix" (which can be fast at times, but brutality is the last thing on this record). Also the productions did a good job in making the songs a more enjoyable experience for the audiophilic metallers who laugh when somebody told him "life sucks". All in all a decent slab of hardcore death metal from high-brow Britain.

 

 

Cerebral Fix (UK)- Tower Of Spite CD

(Roadrunner Productions 1990)

 

 

By then bassist Frank Healy was replaced by Steve Watson, and he left to join Benediction. Another notable change was how Simon Forrest developed his vocal range into an irritating pitch, rasping in an impish way that makes "Tower Of Spite" spiteful for old fans. But it did a convincing improvement, with doom death metal that finds its way closer to traditionalists' hearts, no slouches when it comes to being "doomy" and critics of all choices prefer a Candlemass label, which sticks out of place like a middle finger with the rocking drummings. The fussy me chose midtempo doom deathcore and tracks from "Unity for Who?", "Enter The Turmoil" all the way to "Closing Irony" proves me correct, except for a really Sabbathy (and I mean that "Black Sabbath" track) "Feast Of Fools", which is mordant and mischievous in pretty much the same way. Approach with some cautions if you are not an eclectic listener.

 

 

Cerebral Fix (UK)- Bastards CD

(Roadrunner Productions 1991)

 

 

While I feel that Motorhead leaves a deeper impression and better contention for the "Bastards" title, Cerebral Fix sometimes deserve that bit of punishment for being tongue-in-cheek like a typical Englishman. Mongrelised technicality opens the title track with "what a riff" before doing their best bits of midtempo rocking rhythms treatment. The clever one goes to "Descent Into Unconsciousness", with the screeching vocalists drawing that deep breath of "oogh" machismo, that makes Glenn Danzig blushes (or Tom G.Warrior for that matter). There appears to be some kind of consistency since the "Tower of Spite" effort, with the band comfortable with that general hardcore rhythm of doom composure, as well as continuing their pretention of "ever more serious than before". The band paid tribute to their hardcore/punk influences by covering tracks from G.B.H. "No Survivors" and The Damned "Smash It Up" but they are more proficient with their originals. Scoff, scoff.