1990

Under a layer of dark earth, a green leathery shell cracks and tears slowly open. A black, foul-smelling blob of flesh tumbles slowly out. It twists and stretches itself out, unfurling its black wings and filthy claws. This is the birth of doomdeath. CATHEDRAL's 1990 demo "In Memoriam" is the beast in question. Taking the awful, sick lurch of early SABBATH to new lows, Lee Dorian leaves the pre-grindcore speed of NAPALM DEATH to foster this new breed of crushing doom. Not at all for the feint of heart metal-wise, "In Memoriam" as well as the follow-up full length album "Forest of Equilibrium" is a study in painful sloth-speed doom; the perfect gift for that BRYAN ADAMS fan on your gift list.

The self-titled RIVERDOGS album from 1990 is a gem for any fans of ex-DIO, ex-SWEET SAVAGE axeslinger VIVIAN CAMPBELL. Fronted by the powerful vocals of Rob Lamothe, this is one of the few albums from the "shred guitar" era that is worth keeping. The songs are exceptional, and have a warm, acoustic depth that recalls stuff like FREE or classic NEIL YOUNG. Along the same lines, ERIC JOHNSON's "Ah Via Musicom" was finally completed and released after a four year EJ hiatus. Again, his diversity is amazing....the delta blues of "Song For George" and the blazing "Righteous" are terrific examples of this guitar virtuoso that only seems to improve with age.

Picks of the litter, 1990: