BEOWULF - The Re-releases

BEOWULF
The Re-releases
I Scream Records
8.5/10




A lesson in old school crossover if there ever was one, this double reissue taking us all the way back to 1986, a time when more extreme forms of heavy metal were merely gaining their legs. Beowulf broke out of Venice with an OTT sound influenced by the likes of Motorhead and for that matter, Motorhead’s influence - alcohol.

Gathering upbeat intense rhythms in the vein of Uncle Lemmy, Venom and the more closely related Suicidal Tendencies (this initial album was, of course, originally issued on Suicidal Records), Beowulf musters up the perfect musical backdrop for a punk-as-fuck roadhouse, wailing guitars, grunted lyrics and all. Some comparisons may be drawn to bands like Angelwitch and Diamond Head as well, drawing a parallel to the style Metallica was brandishing around the same time. “Beowulf” actually has a very similar feeling to “No Life ‘Til Leather” in many moments, but its obvious that the Cali-based bashers were much less concerned with melody.

Vocally, Dale Henderson often relays a mixture of Lemmy and Glenn Danzig (The Misfits era). It’s a pattern that becomes more apparent on the group’s second record, “Lost My Head.” By this point the band sound a touch tighter, but they’re no less abrasive and determined. The record has a driving quality that also carried over to bands like Excel, but no other group in the prominent Venice scene achieved such rawness while maintaining a focused integrity.

For those that had experienced these two great records the first time around, this re-release should prove to be sufficient reason to pick up an oversized flannel a Dogtown skateboard and a can of silver spray paint, but more importantly, this release will provide an immense amount of perspective for those that were not around to hear it in 1986. Easily one of the most influential and coolest bands to rise from the golden shores of California during that time period, Beowulf literally made history with the 25 cuts that grace this crucial offering. Grab a six-pack and crank this one up. Either you’ll relive some great memories or you’ll be making some brand new ones.

By: Mick Griffin