Bolt Thrower — In Battle There Is No Law! (1988)

intothewellsabyss
Jun 12, 2023
3 min read

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

On this day (June 12) in 1988, Bolt Thrower released their debut full-length studio album, “In Battle There Is No Law!” via Vinyl Solution.

Background:

Bolt Thrower were formed in September 1986 as a Grindcore band, influenced largely by bands such as Slayer, Crass and Discharge. The band was founded by bassist Gavin Ward and guitarist Barry Thomson in a Coventry pub toilet during a hardcore punk gig. Shortly thereafter Andrew Whale and Alan West joined on drums and vocals respectively. In April 1987 the “In Battle There Is No Law” demo was recorded with this line-up.

Their second recording was the “Concession of Pain” demo, which they made in September 1987. Gavin had switched to guitars and they recruited Alex Tweedy to play the bass. However, Alex did not show up for the recording, and so Gavin played both guitar and bass for the demo. Two weeks after the recording session, Gavin's girlfriend Jo Bench replaced Tweedy.

With this line-up they recorded their first Peel session on January 3, 1988, with John Peel, the alternative disk jockey of BBC Radio One. He had received their second demo and became enthusiastic about the band. They recorded four tracks for it, resulting in a deal with Vinyl Solution to release one album.

Just before the recording of their first full-length album, they replaced their singer with their driver Karl Willetts. Their debut LP, “In Battle There Is No Law” is only a half hour in length and has a primitive and raw sound.

The album was recorded at Loco studios by Andrew Fryer, and mixed at Clockwork by Alan Scott.

The sound of the album dominantly featured characteristics of Grindcore, with lyrics socio-politically charged as the members had roots in Hardcore Punk, and created a sound that was heavily influenced by their roots.

Release Editions:

It was released on Vinyl Solution as Sol 11 in 1988 and re-released on Vinyl Solution as Sol 11 in 1992, with a different album sleeve. The album was again re-released in 2005 with the old album sleeve restored.

German Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore act Heaven Shall Burn used the same album title for their debut EP as a homage to Bolt Thrower, claiming that the band had a huge influence on their music.

Critical Reception:

In his review for AllMusic, Gregory Heaney writes;

“Before they became the Death Metal juggernauts they were destined to be, Bolt Thrower's rawer, crustier beginnings were captured on their debut album, “In Battle There Is No Law!” Aided by its cavernous and muddy recording, the album is a frenzied mass of chaotic guitar riffs and thunderous drumming, making it a far cry from the lumbering brutality of their later work. While “In Battle There Is No Law!” makes for an interesting look at the band's more elemental beginnings, anyone new to Bolt Thrower would be better off starting out with some of the group's later work.”

Click this link to follow the unofficial Bolt Thrower page on Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Bolt-Thrower-140019009401045/

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells