MELIAH RAGE – Before The Kill Early Years Compilation To Be Released

On August 31st, Metal on Metal Records will release Meliah Rage Before the Kill CD, a compilation of the earliest and previously unpublished material of these US power/thrash veterans, including songs from 1986, so from the time before the band got its name. 

Commented the label: “One day in the spring last year, Meliah Rage founder/guitarist, Anthony Nichols, found in his attic a rehearsal tape from 1986, when they still played without a band name and with another vocalist. He didn’t have to ask twice if we wanted to hear it! The energy emanating from this recording, the sheer enthusiasm pouring out with every note, and this special, exciting vibe of a young band playing their first songs (and being very tight at that!), all led to the decision it should not stay on that tape and our hard drives only. It deserved to be heard, even just for the four never re-recorded songs. It showed a bit more US power and classic metal face of the band, and it’s also interesting to hear the other four songs, which later became Meliah Rage classics, sung by a different vocalist, a very talented Mark Mastroianni. Anthony kept digging in his boxes and found also the very first Meliah Rage demo tape with 4 songs from 1987. The quality was decent enough, so we decided to add it to the rehearsal, and the compilation was completed with three live tracks from 1988 and Kill To Survive song from the band’s second demo. It clocks in at over 70 minutes, all audio has been digitally remastered, and in the booklet you will find many archival photos and an in-depth interview focused exclusively on the earliest period of the band’s existence. Needless to say, this compilation should be avoided by those who value good recording and production above everything else, but all collectors who are enthusiasts of US metal from the ’80s should definitely check it out.”

A promo clip for Before The Kill album, featuring fragments of two tracks, a pre-Meliah Rage song “The Eagle” and Meliah Rage “The Pack” from their first 1987 demo, can be watched on YouTube below: 

Before the Kill track listing:

Pre-Meliah Rage rehearsal 1986:
“Misunderstood”
“Beginning of the End”
“The Eagle”
“Stand Up”
 Warrior Lord”
“Enter the Darkness”
“Fight”
“The Pack”

Meliah Rage:
“Beginning of the End” (1st demo ’87)
“The Pack” (1st demo ’87)
“Enter the Darkness” (1st demo ’87)
“Kill to Survive’ (1st demo ’87)
“Bates Motel” (live ’88)
“Meliah Rage” (live ’88)
“Deadly Existence” (live ’88)
“Kill to Survive” (from the 2nd demo ’87)

Two songs from the album are available on the label’s YouTube channel (pre-Meliah Rage “Beginning Of The End” below and a music video for “Kill to Survive” in its first 1987 demo version, and in the Bandcamp player on the Meliah Rage page here, there’s an additional live track from 1988 “Bates Motel”.

The cover art was painted by the label’s owner, Jowita Kaminska-Peruzzi (Exodus, Manilla Road, Attacker, Witchburner, Forsaken, Deceased, Meliah Rage, Nomad Son, Arkham Witch, Metal Law…). More details about the album and high-res cover can be found on the page of this release (http://metal-on-metal.com/albums/meliah-rage-before-the-kill-cd/).

Meliah Rage “Before the Kill” CD can be pre-ordered with a discount from Metal on Metal Records’ website, while the digital download is available from Bandcamp.

These US power/thrash veterans probably don’t need much introduction, as classics like “Kill To Survive” or “Solitary Solitude” made their name well known in the scene. Formed in 1987 in Boston, MA, Meliah Rage soon signed a deal with Epic Records that released their first 3 albums (including the live EP). After some time off during the period when grunge was hip and good bands were being dropped one by one, Meliah Rage came back in 1996 to record another album and until now released 7 full-lengths, all through independent labels, the latest being “Warrior” (2014, Metal on Metal Records).