Disclaimer:
Please don’t unleash years of suppressed anger and throw a hot cup of coffee in your dog’s face if you don’t see (insert band name) at (insert position) or any such situation. This feature is based on the opinions of an author that writes, primarily, based on experiences and makes no claims that the collection of releases you’re going to be reading about is certified by God, Satan, Rick Moranis, or any other extremely prominent deity. Enjoy.
Intro:
We can now say, safely and formally, that the explosion of the death metal is in full effect. Especially within the United States metal scene, with many familiar large-scale names getting their start in 1987. While you won’t see much death metal or black metal in the top 25 albums of 1987, the surge and uptick in extreme music at a demo level is unmatched here.
No doubt, thanks to tape trading, the evolutionary leap between The Top 25 Metal Demos of 1986 and The Top 25 Metal Demos of 1987, is a huge one. You’ll see on the list for 1986 only proto leanings in effect, with acts such as Nuclear Death, Morbid Angel, and Death fleshing out their signature sounds at the demo level, but still the list is dominated by speed metal, crossover, and especially, thrash metal. For 1987, those leanings into death and black metal, not only vastly expanded, but they now dominate the list entirely. Granted, there’s still plenty of high-quality thrash bands on this particular list, but the rapid and violent explosion of death metal really cannot be understated.
As far as global spread is concerned, the United States dominates this list with 13 contributions in total, with Sweden being the closest to that mark, with 3. The Netherlands, Brazil, France, Great Britian, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Chile all made contributions to the list.
In 1987, Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall, and stammered out the words: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, world-famous and ultra-wealthy Televangelists, were finally exposed as crackpots and their false empire began crumbling live in front of the American public. Aretha Franklin was somehow inducted into the rather pointless Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The average monthly rent was $395, and a gallon of gas would set you back a whopping 89 cents. The world wasn’t terrible per se, but it’s hypocrisy at the cultural and societal levels were on full display.
Go grab something to drink and plop down on your shitter, here we are: The Top 25 Metal Demos of 1987.
I hope your bowel movement is fulfilling.
#25: Morbid (SWE) – December Moon
Label: Independent Release
Debut demo of the legendary Swedish black/thrash metal band, featuring the notorious Dead on vocals. Dead’s near whispered vocals are rounded out by grinding guitars and pounding drums, wrapped up in a grainy analog fog. Morbid would release another demo in 1988, essentially being the end of their overall musical output. Dead would eventually go on to join Mayhem as their vocalist.
#24: Nuclear Death (USA) – Welcome to the Minds of the Morbid
Label: Independent Release
Featured at #19 on our The Top 25 Demos of 1986 list, Nuclear Death return in 1987 to unleash their Welcome to the Minds of the Morbid demo tape. More spastic grinding chaos in near shapeless form, the Lori Bravo-led trio continued to terrorize the grind and death metal world with their warped contributions. Their demo-level output would continue throughout the 1980’s, culminating with the release of the notorious Bride of Insect in 1990.
#23: Mutilator (FRA) – Omens of Dark Faith
Label: Independent Release
Grimy, grinding death thrash from France. The only release from Mutilator was the single demo tape of reverb-drenched guitar, boxy drums, and scowling vocals. The band eventually changed their name to Mutilated, where they released two more demo tapes before calling it quits for good. One of the earliest examples of French proto-death in existence.
#22: Impetigo (USA) – All We Need is Cheez
Label: Independent Release
Debut release of the legendary grindcore/death metal unit Impetigo. This demo was recorded live in Normal, Illinois in October of 1987. The three-piece ripped out sloppy grindcore with death metal tinges, with muted guitars, flat drums, and off-the-wall vocals, delivered in a somewhat comical and light-hearted manner.
#21: Hellwitch (USA) – Mordirivial Disemanation
Label: Independent Release
Progressive/technical thrash/death metal trio Hellwitch laid down a quick twelve minutes of highly competent and technically minded thrash with some proto-death metal leanings. Phenomenal production for a demo tape, clear powerful riffs are accompanied by full-bodied drums and well-balanced vocals.
#20: Hobb’s Angel of Death (AUS) – Angel of Death
Label: Independent Release
Playing like a cross between early Slayer and early Sodom, Hobbs Angel of Death delivered everything from rapid-fire high-speed thrash to more tempered riff-centric mid-tempo writing. Our only Australian contribution to the list, this debut demo was called ‘virgin metal,’ by main man Peter Hobbs, a moniker designed to denote ‘pure’ or ‘true’ heavy metal. Peter Hobbs passed away in 2019.
#19: Obliveon (CAN) – Demo #2
Label: Independent Release
Known as Oblivion between 1987-1989, Obliveon played a blend of technical death metal and thrash metal early in their career. This Canadian trio’s second demo tape of 1987 shows competent metal that’s well produced and years ahead of many others in the scene.
#18: Pentagram Chile (CHL) – Demo #1
Label: Independent Release
The only Chilean entry on the list, Pentagram Chile played an early version of thrash metal that leaned heavily into proto-death territory. Not the only South American entry on this list but Pentagram Chile displayed the more tempered side of South American metal unlike many others in the mid-1980’s scene.
#17: Midas Touch (SWE) – Ground Zero
Label: Independent Release
Midas Touch played technical thrash metal with speed metal sensibilities on this debut demo. The band recorded this demo and one full-length before calling it quits. Exceptionally well produced and well mixed demo tape considering the time period. Very articulate production on the drums, arguably one of the best sounding demos on the list.
#16: Poison (DEU) – Into the Abyss
Label: Independent Release
Poison made their first appearance on our The Top 25 Demos of 1986 list, appearing at position 23. This is one of the last demo tapes the band produced, and one of the final releases for the band until 1993’s Into the Abyss full-length. On this particular demo, the band continue to refine their death thrash sensibilities that had been in the works since 1982.
#15: Malevolent Creation (USA) – Demo
Label: Independent Release
First strike of the legendary New York/Florida death metal band, the first Malevolent Creation demo was unquestionable death metal. The five-piece put out a tape that was well-produced and didn’t flirt with other genres or lean too heavily into thrash like many other bands did to crutch their sound. The objective here was an extreme sound and that objective was met in full.
#14: Merciless (SWE) – Behind the Black Door
Label: Independent Release
Debut demo of cult band Merciless is grinding death thrash with a heavy bass guitar presence. Rhythm-based compositions play host to cyclical riffing like the bravado of early Venom meeting the song compositions of early Slayer.
#13: Necrophagia (USA) – It Began with a Twisted Dream…
Label: Independent Release
Not to be confused with the Necrophagia from Ohio, this California-based unit excelled at thrash with a crushing delivery that bordered early death metal at times. This was the final release by Necrophagia before they changed their name to Nekroholocaust 1987 and broke up in 1989. The band was resurrected in 2014 under the name Nekroseizure.
#12: Aftermath (USA) – Killing the Future
Label: Independent Release
Grinding thrash from Chicago, Aftermath’s Killing the Future was well-produced for a demo and loaded up full of riffs in a wall of sound delivery.
#11: Ripping Corpse (USA) – Death Warmed Over
Label: Independent Release
New Jersey’s Ripping Corpse played blistering high-speed thrash on their debut demo. This release set off a chain reaction that eventually led to the release of the highly regarded Dreaming with the Dead in 1991. Pre-Erik Rutan.
#10: Sarcofago (BRA) – Christ’s Death
Brazilian insanity. Very few bands were this fucking nuts in 1987. A band whose early cult status is fully deserved. Four track analog chaos that served as a blueprint for an entire generation of extreme music.
#9: Atrophy (USA) – Chemical Dependency
Label: Independent Release
Arizona-based Atrophy played ultra-fluid and precise thrash metal on this debut demo. Well-produced and boasting compositions far surpassing many other on this list, at least in terms of thrash metal.
#8: Carcass (GBR) – Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment
Label: Independent Release
An audio mound of rancid meat. Pure grinding filth.
#7: Bolt Thrower (GBR) – Concession of Pain
Label: Independent Release
Much like countrymates Carcass, Bolt Thrower excelled at vicious grinding power. Another legend of the English grind scene, these vicious tracks served as a precursor to the career launched properly by 1988’s In Battle There is No Law.
#6: Amon (USA) – Feasting the Beast
Label: Independent Release
Pre-Deicide. No introductions needed. Feasting the Beast was the launching point of one of the greatest death metal bands of all time. This was pure demonic death metal.
#5: Pestilence (NLD) – Dysentery
Label: Independent Release
High-quality thrash metal from The Netherlands, this legendary band had a destructive run that lasted until 1994 before disappearing for a number of years. Well-produced and fairly clean for an analog recording, this was some of the all-around best in terms of thrash demos in 1987.
#4: Macabre (USA) – Shit List
Label: Independent Release
Criminally underrated, Macabre played feral grindcore with death metal tendencies at a level of competency that was next to unrivaled in 1987. Dennis the Menace’s performance behind the drum kit was the stuff of legends, very few drummers were up to this level of playing.
#3: Necrovore (USA) – Divus De Mortuus
Label: Independent Release
A gem and a certain influence on many within the early black metal and death metal scenes in the United States. Necrovore had a very limited discography consisting of Divus De Mortuus in 1987, and Demo 1988, and that was it, the band released nothing else.
#2: Autopsy (USA) – 1987 Demo
Label: Independent Release
Another band that debuted as an unquestionable death metal act, Autopsy ditched some of the speed in exchange for heavier doom-ier sections at mid-tempos as opposed to other bands. Pound for pound, one of the best demos of the 1980’s early surge of death metal.
#1: Morbid Angel (USA) – Thy Kingdom Come
Label: Independent Release
The legends of Florida death metal came out swinging on their 3rd demo tape, the last one before the release of the epic Altars of Madness full-length. Thy Kingdom Come is also the first appearance of David Vincent in the Morbid Angel line-up. The guitar duo of Trey Azagthoth and Richard Brunelle were unstoppable.
As discussed in the introduction, there was a noticeable difference in the footprint of death metal and grindcore between 1986 and 1987. There were definitely proto-death metal elements at work with certain studio albums in 1986, but those numbers are small compared to the demo-level output in 1987. All it takes is a single year for an idea to spread globally by nothing but a network of tape trading, correspondence, and word of mouth.
There was a noticeable drop off in thrash metal demos in 1987 as well. Granted, there are plenty on the list, but not flourishing at the same rate they were in 1985 and 1986. One opinion could be that thrash peaked with the rash of top-notch studio albums that were released in 1986; Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood, Pleasure to Kill, and so on.
There was also a noticeable drop off in traditional heavy metal demos.
Grindcore and grindcore’s influence was also spreading, as heard within the music of Carcass, Bolt Thrower, Macabre, and Impetigo. With some grindcore, such as Napalm Death and Cryptic Slaughter, already tearing up the scene at the studio album-level, an entire wave of new bands were brewing up right behind them.
What did you think of the list? Would you have made any changes? Let me know in the comments. And, as always, thanks for reading.
-AJK
apanthropy 
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