Friday, December 2, 2011

Poison - Sons of Evil (1984)


Released in 1984, Sons of Evil is the first demo recording from the malevolent and sinister German entity known as Poison. The sounds contained on this demo tape are not for the weak, by any means. As primitive and barbaric as a Stone Age gang-rape, this tape is possessed by total darkness and evil. This evokes the kind of hellish feeling that Venom feared to toy with and that Hellhammer simply was not capable of conjuring up.

Musically, this runs the gamut from morbidly mid-paced to intense and somewhat insane. It bears no real similarities to any of their German counterparts, such as Sodom, Destruction or Kreator. The slower parts sound very reminiscent of Hellhammer, with one very important exception: this is darker and more evil than Mr. Warrior and his cohorts ever could have hoped to be. The vocals of Virgin Slaughter are exactly what Tom should have been doing on releases such as Satanic Rites. Possessed and maniacal, at times, his demonic voice actually accentuates the dark mood of the music, rather than detracting from it. As for the rest of the songwriting, this is like a war on the senses. Primitive and violent in nature, the riffs saw through you while the drums pound your skull into oblivion. It is almost difficult to believe something so bestial and grotesque existed back in 1984.

The terrible production is one of the only real setbacks. It is not as though the sound does not fit the music, as it really does. The problem is that the material could have had much more of an impact with a proper studio sound, even if it was still raw and unpolished. The sound is on the same level as the Death By Metal demo, from Mantas, and makes the old Venom and Bathory records seem like they were done in high-dollar facilities. This is still able to be enjoyed, though things get muddled during the faster parts. It is interesting to imagine what Poison would have sounded like, had they recorded in a studio, rather than in their garage.

Sons of Evil is a monstrous offering from a band that had truly tapped into something dark and aggressive. This is what Hellhammer should have been striving for. As rare as this recording is, one must take it however it can be obtained, so do yourself a favour and seek this out now.