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The rules have been disturbed - Metal Rules (USA) |
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Thursday, 31 August 2006 |
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Waspman
Anyone remember Mandator? They were one of the many European thrash bands plying their trade at the tail end of the '80s, managing to release two full-lengths, one of which, PERFECT PROGENY, is a long-lost classic. Well, prior to that, this band from Holland went under a different name, the much more arcane, Mysto Dysto. Yeah, I've never heard of them either. Anyway, now thanks to Dutch-metal historians Rusty Cage Records, Mysto Dysto's even more long-lost output is available, featuring their only full album, plus two songs from their subsequent single.
From listening to THE RULES HAVE BEEN DISTURBED, you can hear that this band was definitely the progenitor of Mandator. The same full-on speed thrash attack is in fine form, even in 1986 (original release date). Sure, it's badly produced (no re-mastering here folks), but the appeal of primitive speed metal on tracks like "Tarantula" and "Atilla the Destructor" is irresistible. In fact, a full 2/3 of the album whizzes by at hyper speed. However, the band does slow it down to a more mid-pace on the closing "One Night Stand" and "Visit of the Vikings". In fact, "One Night Stand" sounds like the boys were trying their hand at hair metal but couldn't bring themselves to go all the way it. What comes out is a bizarre hybrid that is somehow catchy in spite of itself. Actually, "bizarrely catchy" is a good catch-all for the album on the whole – it flies by at record speeds, but the riffs are good enough that they stick with you once they're gone. A lot of the credit has to go to vocalist Peter Meijering, whose dog-whistle emoting lends a human quality to the assault. It's unfortunate he was gone before Mandator made an impact.
The two bonus tracks (taken from the NO AIDS IN HELL single) are more warp factor-8 speedsters, with the instrumental "Demiurg" being particularly interesting with its obvious early-Megadeth influences.
Kudos to Rusty Cage records for unearthing this lost gem - and the many others they've excavated. It's great that someone is giving metalheads a second chance to appreciate under appreciated albums like THE RULES HAVE BEEN DISTURBED.
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