FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
On October 28, 1989, Death Metal/Grind lords Bolt Thrower released their second full-length studio album Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness (MOSH13) via Earache/Relativity Records.
It was recorded at Loco studios in April 1989 and engineered by Tim Lewis. It was mixed at Slaughterhouse Studios in July 1989 and engineered by Colin Richardson. It was produced by Bolt Thrower and Digby Pearson. The whole album is closely tied to Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 game background and Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness was the title of a gaming book by Games Workshop released in 1988.
Realm of Chaos displays a progression from its previous output in speed and riffage. There is a strong focus on blast beats in many of the songs, with chaotic guitar soloing. Nevertheless, the signature heavy riffing is also apparent.
Note:
In 2005 a re-issue was released via Earache, featuring new artwork. The band advises not to buy the re-issue, as they have not been involved and will not gain any royalties.
Background:
According to some sources, “the production of their second album Realm Of Chaos was poor, though it was stated as an improvement on previous attempts”. I find the criticism of the production of Death Metal (or even Thrash) from this era unwarranted. Death Metal for example, was still in its pre-pubescent stage at the time of the release of Realm of Chaos. And as such, labels were either ill-equipped to handle bands of this genre, or unwilling to invest enough money for these bands to afford quality production. Those days are a far cry from todays production capabilities, where everyone and anyone can make and record an album, with the availability of PC’s (or laptops) equipped with Pro Tools and many other forms of recording software at their disposal. Now, artists can make an album from the comforts of their living room (or bedrooms 😜), and make them sound professional. Whereas, 30 plus years ago, bands like Bolt Thrower (and many more) had to rely on the label, their funds and a studio to hopefully create a quality recording. With all of this taken into consideration, I think Realm of Chaos is a classic Death Metal offering. — E.N. Wells
And the artwork… Who could forget the outstanding album art? The albums artwork was created by John Sibbick under contract for Games Workshop for the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook released in 1987.
After Games Workshop heard the recording of the songs for Bolt Thrower's second Peel session, which was recorded on November 6, 1988, they offered to do the expensive artwork for Bolt Thrower's album, an offer the band quickly accepted. The record was released in 1989 with the title of Realm of Chaos and with the subtitle Slaves to Darkness. Most of the lyrics to the songs were also influenced by the game, but not merely because of the deal with Games Workshop. Karl, Andy and Gavin were very much into the games Games Workshop produced and they wrote a couple of songs about these games. Some obvious examples are Plague Bearer and World Eater. Most lyrics can however be projected on war, the general theme Bolt Thrower uses. After the recording of Realm of Chaos, they went on the Grindcrusher Tour with labelmates Napalm Death, Carcass and Morbid Angel.
Bolt Thrower:
• Karl Willetts - Vocals
• Gavin Ward - Guitars
• Jo Bench - Bass
• Baz Thomson - Guitars
• Andy Whale - Drums
Production & Layout:
• John Sibbick - Cover Art
• Colin Richardson - Engineering, Remixing
• Mark Leary - Layout (Vinyl Reissue)
• NS - Mastering (Vinyl)
• Mark Craven - Logo
• Kevin Walker - Artwork (Genestealer)
• Andy Jones - Photography
• John Blanche - Art Direction
• Dave Lund - Design
• Tim Lewis - Engineering, Mixing
• Digby Pearson - Producer
Recording:
• Recorded in April 1989 at Loco Studios, Wales.
• Mixed in July 1989 at Slaughterhouse Studio, Yorkshire, England.
• Produced by Bolt Thrower and Dig.
• Black vinyl, gatefold cover, white inner sleeve, 8-pages 10" black and white insert with lyrics and Warhammer drawings.
• Earache Records sticker on back cover ("Play loud" and stuff).
• Also released on limited edition coloured vinyl.
Critical Reception:
AllMusic’s Jason Anderson was very critical of Realm of Chaos, stating; “The second full-length from English Death/Grindcore outfit Bolt Thrower, Realm of Chaos hardly qualifies as one of the band's best, but the differences between each recording from the war-obsessed Brits are barely distinguishable. Their wash of sludgy, detuned guitars and bass, punctuated with hyper-kinetic drumming and hoarse vocal grunting, is a career constant and very much present on this 1989 Earache/Combat offering. Earlier efforts like Realm of Chaos possess a pronounced Death Metal flavor that some fans might prefer to the mid-tempo Grind of later issues from the group. There are no real highlights on this disc, as each track is nearly identical. The performances are spirited but a little sloppy, adding to the music's anonymous quality. Listeners curious about Bolt Thrower would be wise to check out the band's mid-'90 releases before entering the Realm of Chaos.”
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
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