Vim Fuego
Acid Reign is one of those bands most thrash fans seem to have a bit of a soft spot for, and it’s not hard to see why. Five Yorkshire lads with no pretensions whatsoever, just playing the music they loved, and hit on a unique formula which brought them to the notice of the British metal media, and the wider metal world.
“Moshkinstein” was Acid Reign’s debut EP, a re-recording of much of their 1987 demo of the same name. As a debut, it showed this band was capable of producing some incredible music. First track “Goddess” is a serious thrasher. Immediately, it showed Acid Reign had an unusual sound. There always seemed like there was something slightly loose in there, rattling away in the bottom end of their music. The band’s big rhythm guitar sound was chunky, with an almost New York crossover thrash edge to it.
Second track “Suspended Sentence” showed the band understood melody and dynamics. The song chugs along quite comfortably, only occasionally bursting into full on thrash. The almost seven minute song perfectly showcases singer H’s incredible lyricism. Few other bands at the time wrote songs of such depth, intelligence, and introspection. H could be an amazing vocalist at times, but frustratingly, he also seemed a bit slap-dash and rough around the edges too. Sure, this was a band which was reasonably young, and were possibly trying to be spontaneous. Yes, there’s spontaneous, but there’s also having another go until you get it fuckin’ right! Never mind, the songs shine through.
Another highlight is “Motherly Love”. The song is genuinely creepy. The intro is a sample from the film Psycho II, with Norman Bates’ dead mother living on in her son’s diseased mind (“People say that I’m insane, Mother says I’m not”). Once again, H’s vocals wander around what seems like the correct notes, but this is a contemplative exploration of a schizophrenic persona, neither condemning nor glorifying.
“Respect The Dead” is a reminder that we’re all going to end up underground one day. What we do with our time before then is up to us, but do the dead automatically deserve respect? “Chaos (Lambs to the Slaughter)” examines terrorist bombings. Despite being written in the late 80s, it’s still sadly relevant today (“Sole existence is to waste/Waste life on command of others/Leaders lead by religion/Leaders blinded by power”).
This is quite a long release for an EP, clocking in at over 30 minutes, but it doesn’t seem to be overly long. Acid Reign’s two full length albums suffered from trying to pack in too much, and both lost focus. “Moshkinstein” stays focused, and does not outstay it’s welcome.