I'm not sure what to call this album. Thrall-Demonsweatlive contains three listed studio tracks, and four live tracks. I guess it's a modern EP, but I'd be more inclined to call it a maxi single just because of the amount of time the music actually takes. It is over thirty minutes.
According to aritcles found on the internet, the studio tracks were tracked live and then completed by the band in a single day. Part of me says you can tell. The other part says, who gives a shit and don't knock a man for trying to do something that most bands, especially now a days, wouldn't have the balls to do.
The first song in the set of three studio tracks is It's Coming Down, it's okay but a bit typical of Danzig at that time and easy to overlook. It's not a bad song. Just not a song that I don't pay much attention to.
I feel kind of the same about The Violet Fire. It's a little more catchy and enjoyable, but it seems a little basic. I think part of the problem may even be the production. It's sounds a little more demo-ish and less completed studio.
The last studio track is Trouble, and this is the first track on the album I really dig. It's pretty much a standard Blues riff wrapped in Glenn Danzig's trademark demon lyrics, but it works for me. It's very Jim Morrison sounding to me. Like one of those lost tracks from The Doors. I guess it should also be mentioned that this isn't a Danzig song either, it's actually a cover of an Elvis Presley song.
Snakes Of Christ is the first live track. While I'm not a huge fan of this song, I do find it totally kickin' and love this recording of it. The passion, the technique, the rawness mixed with an audience that wants to participate makes for a great track.
After that it's pretty much straight into Am I Demon. Another great high intesity track, that I find blistering on this live section of the album.
Sistinas follows that up, slowing down the live set just a little, but I've always found this song rather pretty so I don't mind. I mean this is a really classic sounding song and enjoyable on a multitude of levels.
The official album then finishes up with a live version of Mother. This is bad ass, and even cooler is listening to my son quietly sing the "Mother!" while playing video games. Actually, he seems to know most of the words. Thank you Guitar Hero. As for this live version, it's Mother live. So it's hard, heavy and quicker than normal. I would have liked the recording of this to have been of better qaulity, but for a huge smaller band this 1992 live recording isn't bad. Not everyone had Metallica's budget.
After that it's on to 85 tracks of nothing that lead up to Mother '93, a remix that six minutes and sixty-six second later on track 93. While I do enjoy hidden tracks. All the blank tracks suck when my CD player is running on random. As for the song itself. Well it's actually the version you know best, as it's the one the music video was made from. Which means crank it up and rock it out.
All in all this isn't a bad album. It's not an album I would suggest to just anybody, but if you really like Danzig or happen to find Thrall-Demonsweatlive used for five bucks or so, then sure, why not pick it up.
Also I'm not being cute with the rating. The content is good, just not great. The production passes, but it's nothing to write about, and I personally am just okay with this album.
6/10 - content
6/10 - production
6/10 - personal bias
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