METAL TOP 10

Way Off The Mark Or Dud Comebacks

They evoke memories, enliven sentiments, arouse vivid emotions and controversies as well. This, what seemed until recently impossible, today is easily explicable and “absolutely justified”. Coming back years later – a phenomenon that for good appeared in our reality becoming an integral part of contemporary music scene. They badger us regularly but only a couple of bands manage to achieve the fully successful and credible comeback. We’ve already forgot about nonentities. However, it’s difficult to forget about those presented below. Here you have the alphabetical list of definitely far-fetched comebacks of recent years.

ANTHRAX
On April 1, 2005, a vocalist John Bush gets to know that he’s not necessary anymore as his fellows from ANTHRAX are going to have an anniversary party with Joey Belladona. They also plan a great tour and recording an album. It’s not April Fools’ Day but Scott Ian’s sneaky plan who realized that he can make good money on it. He hoped to get a sum good enough to give his old fellow a kick without scruples, jawing about their friendship and fans demanding this comeback. In fact, Anthrax’s concerts in original lineup were very popular and the band had tight schedule for the next few months. But when they returned, the band’s members couldn’t reach an agreement on their work on the next album and as a result Joey Belladona quit at his request. Mad fans started to demand Bush’s comeback but he didn’t give a shit about the whole case. Sneaky Scott was trying to have Corey Tailor from SLIPKNOT join the band but it didn’t come off. The new frontman became nobody-known Dan Nelson.

ASSASSIN
„ We won’t work in haste. It will take as much time as it has to take since we don’t want to provide you with scribbled shitty riffs. This album is going to be a powerful metal strike…” – in such words the ASSASSIN’s members commented on the third upcoming production of this German thrash-core legend. As always, the comeback after a long-term parting with scene was explained with their passion for music and a great desire to play. “The Club” was released in 2005 by means of…..band’s official website. It’s not known if the band was mean enough not to give the rights to the content to a label or maybe ”The Club’s” content was too weak for anyone to take risk. The latter is highly probable. After excellent "The Upcoming Terror" and "Interstellar Experience" such a miserable low-budget production simply had to disappoint. Currently ASSASSIN is lagging behind the contemporary scene. What for?

CANCER
CANCER is undoubtedly one of the most interesting British death metal bands of the early 90s. Their excellent debut “To The Gory End” was warmly received on both sides of the Atlantic and attracted to British Isles the Great James Murphy whose awesome solo parts you could admire on their second album “Death Shall Rise”. Murphy couldn’t carry on with this cooperation due to the distance but the band pressed ahead releasing in 1993 their third album “The Sins Of Mankind” which drew attention of the Warner Music’s headhunter. “Black Faith” released under this major label (in those times it was a great stunt for a metal band) turned out to be the end to the band’s activity. Exactly 10 years later Adders (bass), Dave Leitch (guitar), Carl Stokes (drums) and John Walker (vocs, guitar) announced the reactivation of CANCER. The album “Spirit In Flames” preceded by EP “Corporation$” was so pathetic that a few months after its release CANCER stopped to exist and Dave together with Carl set up a new project HALL OF FIRE.

CREMATORY
In Feb.2001 German CREMATORY starts to promote their newest album „Believe”. It coincides with the 10th anniversary of band’s presence in the metal music branch. During this very tour the band makes a surprising decision to stop their activity. The reasons are health, financial and personal matters. There are tears, despair and deep sorrow. It’s a tough decision but, according to CREMATORY members - inevitable. The band releases farewell “Remind” in order to comfort their fans a bit. Few months later Nuclear Blast contacts the bandsmen and asks if they wanted to play a tribute-cover for METALLICA, just “for fun”. There appears Crematory’s version of “One” and its great reception results in the band coming back to life. Subsequent mediocre releases add to this pathetic show. The playing level is of course the same as 10 years ago.

DARK ANGEL
Everyone has been slavering over their comeback for a long time. After all, it’s one of the biggest American thrash metal stars. They recorded as remarkable albums as „We Have Arrived” (1984), „Darkness Descends” (1986), „Leave Scars” (1989) or „Time Does Not Heal” (1991). For almost 10 years DARK ANGEL members remained completely deaf to their fans’ pleadings. However, there came the turning point in 2002. Band members met in studio again to record their own version of “Creeping Death” for METALLICA’s tribute album. Although Jim Durkin quit shortly after his decision of returning to the band (or rather he was got rid of), the band was going to continue their activity. In 2004 there was to appear their official DVD release as well as their newest album. And nothing happened. At present DARK ANGEL suspended their activity so probably the plans to “bring the world to its knees” - as they promised, will come to nothing.

DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
At the beginning of the 90s DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA next to PUNGENT STENCH and DISASTROUS MURMUR constituted the power of Austrian metal scene. Among those mentioned above, the trio from Klagenfurt was considered the most daring and eclectic. Their first achievements featured an uncompromising death metal with grindcore elements. In this period the great „Expositionsprophylaxe” was released (1991) which kind of crowned the first stage of the band’s activity. Their next albums are more harmonic, often described as brutal but intelligent and technically advanced death metal. After „Not To Be Undimensional Conscious” (1992) and „Pleasuredome” (1994) release the band suspends their career for almost 8 years. Their comeback in 2002 promises well. The deal with Nuclear Blast, new album… Unfortunately, experimental “Ahead” has almost no repercussions, despite the heavy promotion. Since then Austrian rebels haven’t released anything new and although there were no official information about their breakup (even on their website), you can rank DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA among stiffs.

IRON ANGEL
Another fallen angel. German speed-thrash representatives gave up the ghost short after releasing their second album "Winds Of War" (1986). Since then the guitarist, bass player and recently also drummer Mike Matthes was doing everything to unite the broken crew. Last year, when together with Dirk Schröder he recorded demo “Back From Hell”, he was the closest to his plan’s realization. Both of them were trying to keep it going together with other instrumentalists but, as Mike admitted, „IRON ANGEL was not only a band but also a group of 5 good friends. Something which can’t be rebuilt even with the best musicians. No one, even if he is the best guitarist all over the world, won’t take place of Peter Wittke. It’s a shame because Thorsten Lohmann was ready to get in it, as well as Sven Strüven who is clean again at last…” Nevertheless, band members put the personal matters first. So what’s that all about? It’s about the already written album "Metamorphosis" which probably will be recorded by Mike’s and Dirk’s new project.

NUCLEAR ASSAULT
January 2002. 10 years after “Something Wicked" release, John Connelly (guitar, vocal), Anthony Bramante (guitar), Danny Lilker (bass) and Glenn Evans (drums) decides to come back to play four concerts on the East Coast. The reception is good enough for the band to get convinced for further gigs. As a consequence, in 2003 they release quite decent live album "Alive Again". However, the real test for reactivated NUCLEAR ASSAULT’s abilities is to be the studio album. And it is – released in 2005 "Third World Genocide" is proclaimed to be the worst material in their career. The band ran out of steam and its new compositions sound anemic and bland. However, Lilker states that “It was the best album we could record” and it’s the most scaring in the whole thing…









POSSESSED
Not long after the release of EP "The Eyes Of Horror" Jeff Becerra, Mike Sus and Larry LaLonde decide to forget about playing in POSSESSED. The only one willing to continue is Mike Torrao who despite the official breakup still writes new compositions for POSSESSED. Being a guitarist he takes the role of vocalists as well. In the meantime he urgently looks for people who he could record and show on pics with. In 1991 he announces the official reactivation. The lineup makes up of Bob Yost (bass), Walter Ryan (drums) and Mark Strausberg (guitar). The quartet records 2-track demo. Yost quits the band and Paul Perry takes his place. The new demo appears (3 tracks plus new version of “The Exorcist”). After a few concerts and hardly any interest POSSESSED, reactivated by Torrao, ends its activity. We’ve been waiting several years for the next resurrection, this time on Jeff’s initiative together with his fellows from SADISTIC INTENT. Nobody knows what the end to the story is…




TERRORIZER
For over 17 years TERRORIZER remains the band of one excellent album. Later, however, Pete Sandoval decides to raise the band from the dead in conviction that it’s able to record even better - and still different, as he admits – album than the cultic “World Downfall”. At the beginning of 2006 Century Media officially confirms the band’s reactivation and signing the deal. Besides Sandoval, in the lineup appeared guitarist Jesse Pintado, guitarist/ bass player Tony Norman and vocalist Anthony Rezhawk. Half a year later „Darker Days Ahead” is released and received with a great moan of disappointment. The band didn’t manage to turn people’s attention from the first album and the comparison of “World Downfall” to „Darker Days Ahead” is for the latter devastating. 13-minute tracks and the piano is still weirdness for the grindcore legend. Some time later Jessie Pintado takes TERRORIZER to the grave.