Maximum Metal Rating Legend

October 31 - Meet Thy Maker - 1999 - Reviewed by Nailer

Track Listing1. Meet Thy Maker 2. Just An Illusion 3. For There Is War! 4. Far From Danger Now (Parts 1 & 2) 5. Power And The Glory 6. The Verdict 7. Behind The Castle Walls

"Let me swing the big fucking sledge hammer through the skulls of all stoner rock faggots, gothic queers, black metal dorks, teeny bopper pussies, rapper jackasses, and most of all you cheesy heavy metal trendies!"

With liner notes like that, you can't say that drummer/vocalist King Fowley isn't an outspoken proponent of "true heavy metal". Personally, I think there's room for all the genres of metal and that variations not only expand the metal tree, they eventually remind you where the real roots are. But it's not my CD, is it?

Oct 31 backs up King's shit-talking with a great set of classic sounding U.S. metal, sounding a bit like early Overkill and some of the other bands that gave the NWOBHM movement more edge, with high-charging songs about death, war, power and everything else that makes underground metal rule. By the time I hit the extrordinary fourth song, "Far From Danger Now", I found myself raising the volume till the maximum redline was hit on my power meter.

King's vocals are a bit raspy and somewhat limited in range and dynamics, but knowing that they prefer the indy label and scene, I wasn't really bothered. I love this style of metal and Oct. 31 erased any negative preconceptions I may have had before I listened.

If Oct 31 can continue to make metal this good then King Fowley can say whatever the fuck he wants.

Bottom line: Classic U.S. metal with no pretentions and no bull shit.


--Nailer 02.23.04