BORN TO SHRED!

A Lavern Clewley special - 91 MC short run tank

Another of the contributors to GT is Jim Nickles of North Tonawanda (suburb of Buffalo)NY. Jim was a founding member of LEVIATHAN (which also had Chris Barnes of CANNIBAL CORPSE & SIX FEET UNDER fame) , then moved on to become an original member of MALEVOLENT CREATION along with Phil Fasciana and Brett Hoffman.

Original MC lineup shot courtesy of Jim Nickles

Jim, like so many from the Malevolent camp, moved down to Florida as this sort of 'mass exodus' occured when MC decided they were going to relocate to what then was being termed (rightly or wrongly enough): The Death Metal Capital Of The World.

 
MC roadie Brad Smith's 21st celebration (white cut off shirt), members of MC, Joewitch from Hellwitch, even one of the GT editors, plus assorted fiends and family that made the move down to FL (note Phil's Van of debauchery in back).
Pic: Alan Moses

This was a behaviour that wasn't that much out of the ordinary, considering one of the editors did just the same thing, taking on a couple 1000 extra miles onto the itinerary to do so.
Having left MC to joing for a short period of time the equally well known underground unit Hellwitch, long running due to the never-give-in attitude of Pat Ranieri (also a GT contributor)Jim turned back to NY and set up SHREDLY STUDIOS and his new current band VILE VINDICTION.

VILE VINDICTION LOGO BY MARK

VILE VIDICTION originally formed in 1989 and opened for such acts as PRIME EVIL & CANNIBAL CORPSE. Founding guitarist George Grant could not keep a stable lineup so the band was shelved for several years before being revived. With the addition of Jim Nickles on guitar VILE VINDICTION has released a limited EP and full length CD.

Jimmy with VILE VINDICTION December 2009 Pic: Brian Pattison

Grab these recordings while they are still available (see VV myspace url )

We have to thank Jim again for his input, adding special sentiment that normally would be unavailable, not to mention some almost ancient photos that show the whole then-baby-faced gang of miscreants which really were some of the funnest people to hang with of all time.

The short lived band THAW partying with Phil, the last year Spring Break was hosted in Ft. Lauderdale 90 Pic: Alan Moses. Below: 2 Specii = transatlantic drunkfest one of the editors with Jeff 'Hawk' Hawkins.

Jim Nickles with his piece of photographic history

The not so gentle giant, Mark Van Erp, who did a year long stint on bass with Malevolent beginning in 1990 - had provided quite a bit of sentiment that we just couldn't find a way to include unless doing a section on Cynic (perhaps, if there is a next time pal!).

 Mark Van Erp (then MC bassist) & Pete Sandoval outside the Rockit Club in Tampa before MC played, one of the few gigs where all of Morbid Angel showed up to support.

Between Vile Vindiction - which you can learn more about at www.myspace.com/vilevindiction and ordering their 2008 EP and 2009 CD, and SHREDLY STUDIOS which Jim is preparing for (we hear) a remastering of the 'original Malvolent demo' (the demo recorded in North Tonawanda, NOT the demo that got them signed years later) - it's surprising he would MAKE the time for us and have such a great input in our book.

Rich Z & Dennis John @ The VV gig Dec 2009 with GT. Pic: Brian Pattison

Just recently as of Jan 1 2010 Jim's been with GRAVE DESCENT featuring Dennis John Glinski (formerly of TIRANT SIN), Rich Zielinski (formerly of TIRANT SIN), Mike Green (formerly of LEVIATHAN), ANOTHER Buffalo death metal stalwart in the form of Jimmy Link on drums and a little help from VILE VINDICTION guitarist George Grant on a 3 song CD that is shaping up to be a real killer too! We can't wait to hear more of what will be coming out of SHREDLY, and suggest whole heartedly that you investigate VILE VINDICTION.

INVESTIGATE FURTHER HERE:

VILE VINDICTION: www.myspace.com/vilevindiction

GRAVE DESCENT: www.myspace.com/gravedescent

SHREDLY STUDIOS : www.myspace.com/shredlystudios

COME TO ME, LORD OF FILTH...

Two Brazilian shirts survived ! Pic: Alan Moses

Morbid Angel features dominately in our book, naturally, and we had way too many killer photos to choose from, so picking what to include was a total nightmare. Photos that have remained unseen since the golden age still remain that way because we just couldn't use everything. In any event, then we'd have had a Morbid Angel photo book which as you may well understand, would be an entirely different creature on so many fronts, we don't ever forsee a book like that being undertaken by ANYONE, let alone someone who used to work for them.

Battlescarred from life in the USA under the flag of the Ancient Ones! Pic: Alan Moses

pic - David Vincent supporting Skull 'zine 1991 (Julio Skull - Skull 'zine, Brazil)

A logo such as Morbid Angel's, thesedays, is basically a corporate trademark, therefore as the hey dey of our zine lives are well and truly over, one can't just print with impunity. SO: Glorious Times has no band logos, to keep uniformity of presentation and avoid nasty 'imperial entanglements'.

pic - Richard Brunelle, April 19 1991, Recife, Brazil (by Magno Flor, long time trading friend and GT contributor to our Sepultura section)

Some of our Malaysian supporters (namely Wan and Ahmad) have been after specific details as per a 1991 Morbid Brazil tour itinerary with dates and venues. Well, Covenant Of Death never did get such a lisiting from management back then, thus the newsletter never got to include the dates, so if anyone out there has a complete list, please do send those in email. The lads there would surely appreciate it.

Rare to find outside of South America - original Brazilian pressings licensed through Dynamo Brasil/Visceral C.I. & Back To Basics Communications respectively. Pics: Alan Moses.

pic - Unknown, David, Phil (then soundman) and Pete, bringing true blasphemy to the streets of Brasil!

Inspired by the request for help, and in keeping with the concept of Glorious Times, we figured we'd share some pix NOT in the book or in the old Covenant Of Death newsletter/booklets (well, except for the killer shot of Richard here). They are all from that debut Brazil tour which was a landmark tour for extreme music let alone Morbid Angel. Heralding things to come from this band and it's mega-efficient management juggernaught, which would soon change the face of music forever.

pic - Club Dinamo 'Meet & Greet' upon the very 'stage' they would play that evening. Missing is Trey.

Again we'd like to thank those that provided sentiments, so that we didn't have to resort to writing our own hehehe, because no matter what, a book like this HAD to have something dedicated to the life-changers! Thanks to GT contributors Richard Brunelle (best man to one of the editors first time marriage), Mike Browning and Bruce Davis (Ripping Headaches 'zine - Tampa) And to the photographers, whom sent these photos to the Covenant in 1991 for possible printing in our newsletter, they can be seen NOW after 19 years!

GT ROLL OF HONOUR

Pic: Brian Pattison

GT ROLL CALL:

Where’s The Pope?

Vomit

Unseen Terror

Tirant Sin

Soothsayer

Sepultura

Ripping Corpse

Revenant

Prime Evil

Possessed

Paul Speckmann

Paineater

Nuclear Death

Nocturnus

Napalm Death

Morbid Angel

Massappeal

Massacre

Malevolent Creation

Lethal Aggression

Insanity

Incubus (Opprobrium)

Incantation

Hideous Mangleus

Hellwitch

Groovy Aardvark

Dream Death

Disharmonic Orchestra

Derketa

Deicide

Deceased

Death

Cannibal Corpse

Brutality

Baphomet (Banished)

Autopsy

Acheron

There's alot of bands we couldn't fit for lack of stories, lack of hi-resolution pics, hell - LACK OF RESPONSE, as well as the usual time management clashes which caused some people to be missing from the roster.

If we get a reprint (in any language) we will have addition bands in special sections which obviously won't be in the 153 hand numbered limited edition we did DIY recently.

We've pooled a crap load of old time resources we've had in the past to pull this off, and had some awesome flyering campaigns undertaken - a photo here of two brothers - Jason Kiss (Advent Abortus)

 and Tom Stevens (Nokturnel) doing some solicitations on our behalf not too long ago.

Thanks lads, and to all of you who've made flyers or accepted us mailing them to you for distro at gigs and in your outgoing snail mail. Check out what's going on with Tom Stevens here:
 

VISIT NOKTURNEL OFFICIAL MYSPACE HERE

ULTRA-RARE EQUINOX (FL) MERCH AVAILABLE!

Pete Slate shouldn't be a name that's unfamiliar to you, too much underground history there from this man, so we'll cut right to the meat of this:

He has what's left of some killer rare merchandise (t-shirts) and cd's (yeah GT ate up ALL the vinyl 7"s he had left, so those are like our book: HISTORY!).

Do yourself a favour - if you are into some unique and killer old world blackened death you can order using PAYPAL and send funds in US DOLLARS. Contact Pete directly through his personal myspace below.

Journey Into Oblivion CD - 8 copies left - $12

The Immortal Kind CD 1st self pressing - 13 cd's - $6

The Immortal Kind cd Metalbolic release - 20 cd's - $8

The Moon Swallows the Sun cd - 75 cd's -$12

Equinox T-shirts (Black Fucking Death design) 4 Large, 2-XL, and 2 XXL. only

few left. $15

EQUINOX merchandise samples - grab 'em before they're gone! Pic: Alan Moses

We suggest you contact Pete over at his personal myspace page, to ask about availability and international shipping @ www.myspace.com/equinoxpete

Pete did a killer job, contributing to some sections in Glorious Times and has supported us all the way back to rock star haircuts in the Howard Brother's family apartment at the dawn of the 90's, so check out what he has left and snatch up some music and/or a shirt before they are gone for good.

New material is being written as we speak that pertains to this amazing old-school outfit, and Pete also has another project under his wings which is more in the vein of Winter/Autopsy and Celtic Frost...shaping up to be an interesting year from that neck of the woods!

Pete's GT Family Photo Album shot (notice the ACES RECORDS sticker!) Pic: courtesy Pete Slate

I HAVE JUST DIED...

Long time friend, artist Lori Bravo, has been no stranger to the editors of Glorious Times.  In a unique show of strength, comradery and kinship to our concept, we managed to be able to include the full line up of one of the most controversial acts from the pioneering days in our book.

Special fond sentiment packed to the gills with never seen photos, our NUCLEAR DEATH section has proven to be one of the standout hits amongst those lucky enough to have a copy of this book (originally only 2 were going to be produced.)

http://www.myspace.com/loribravoraped  THIS IS THE PAGE TO COME TO if you want to delve waaaayyy outside of the box, to get a taste of what Lori is up to TODAY. A far cry from a shotgun marriage to the devil, Lori has been betrothed since an uncanny childhood prophecy, and walked a walk in the company of few at best.

The material on offer thus far is era or phase based, when despair threatened to fulfill the promise of corruption and gift of death. Now, since a victory over the flesh, and a return into the fold of some dear friends who didn't take the easy way out, NEW material is being worked on as we speak that is proving to be revolutionary even to the standards Lori sets for herself.

Impossible to pidgeon hole, we are not even going to try.

You'll know if you are adventurous spirit, and if you've followed Lori's development and understand her influences (even in part) - we think you'll be pleasantly surprised. This is stuff that just does NOT fit into your preconceptions, so you can choose to accept the challenges lying in wait or not, by visiting the LORI BRAVO RAPED myspace page and sampling some depression that isn't even listed in Mim's Psychoactive Drug Treatment Dosage Protocols.

And from that state what happens next? To be continued....

NOCTURNAL CULT WEBZINE & METALCORE FANZINE ONLINE

That's right folks - good old Brad Smith, webmaster of the now well infamous NOCTURNAL CULT WEBZINE (http://www.nocturnalcult.com/), has had posted for some time now a VERY extensive interview with the GT editors. This was during the phase where we were getting our materials together to see just exactly what we had on the table to possibly use.

Even though the interview is basically an old one, it's still totally relevant, and this way those of you not on myspace or farcebook can learn about it and visit the site yourselves, without relying on word of mouth.

Just enter the site, click on 'interviews' and then click on 'Glorious Times (Book)' and you'll get there. Brad has a fair history with one of the editors, so he goes into a tangent questioning format for a moment, then regroups strictly about the book. It's certainly the most imformative piece written about the editors, the why's and why not's concerned.

Brad can be pictured here with his copy of GT (yeah, and some editor traded Sarcofago original vinyl).

JUST RECENTLY - pioneering spirit Tom Stevens (pictured in his sexy tux clutching his copy of GT elsewhere on this blog) from NOKTURNEL, SPIKED LEATHER etc has had a VERY long and informative interview posted by none other than zine stalwart Chris Forbes, in the online edition of his mega-long-running zine METALCORE (http://www.metalcorefanzine.com/).

Just click 'interviews' and then click 'Tom Stevens' and you'll be right there!

We believe this is perhaps the most instructive of any interview Tom has done in the history of his antics within his long underground career, as to his bands, spiked leather line of goods, to even his snake raising business and wife Eloisa's line under the monicker of Sinful Nightware.

Remember that Brad, Chris,Tom and Eloisa are vehement supporters of GT and it's concept, so do yourselves a favor and check out what they have to offer!

So if you feel that way inclined, and want a good read of some well documented backgrounds on these individuals and their projects, please do visit the sites.

THE BOOK

Holding much more blood sweat and tears than content hahaha (over 28,000 words and 204 photos never before seen) - this book is really a family photo album, consisting of ultra rare and for the most part never-before-seen photographs.

Cementing this together are testimonials and personal memories from many of those stalwart legendary figures who WERE THERE!

NO rehashed interviews, NO impersonal synopsis, JUST the real thing here folks.

GLORIOUS BLOGGING?

Check for further updates - currently we have an official myspace (www.myspace.com/glorioustimesdeathbook) and a FARCEBOOK account, which revolve around the DIY book 'Glorious Times: A Pictorial Of The Death Metal Scene (1984-1991)' which was published by Brian Pattison and Alan Moses.

As time and energy permits, we'll use this blog to further promote and advertise what's happening with our projects, as the initial book idea has been accepted so well by the small fraction of die-hards out there in the mass of extreme music 'fans' and has now hit a certain nerve with people whom respect the old pioneering time of extreme music.

So watch out - there'll be updates and info here from time to time concerning the book and other projects which are being worked on.