Hellfire – Death to Death

Hellfire
Death to Death
1987 Jeru-Slam Records (001)
Stirling City, California, USA

Robert Wolff – Guitars, Drums
Squid (David Joo) – Vocals

Side 1:

1. Abolish Legal Murder
2. Satan’s Children
3. If Tomorrow Comes
4. Hopeless Child
5. Little Ones
6. Take My Hand
7. Burn the Porno Magazines
8. Hellfire
9. Throw the Rope
10. Death to Death
11. God’s Not a Joke
12. Jesus Is the Only Way
13. Nuclear War
14. Stop Now

Side 2

1. We Need Jesus
2. W.C. (Pray Without Ceasing)
3. Born in the Shade

I see this album listed frequently as one of the worst demos ever. I would disagree with that – I have heard much worse. The problem here is that this is about as lo-fi as you can get. It sounds like a jambox set to record in a room with dude playing through a full distortion guitar amp, singing death metal vocals loud enough to be heard over the amp. The drums don’t even sound like drums all the time – more like someone beating on various common objects on the other side of the room (well, okay – sometimes it does sound like drums). No bass guitar as well. If you listen to the songs, these are some good thrash/death metal riffs. Although the solos are a bit painful to listen to. If this had been recorded in a decent studio with a full band, it would probably be considered a top level demo. Non-existent info in the j-card, but many websites have players and song titles listed. Also of note is how some actually recorded a note at the end of side 1 telling people to fast forward to the end of the tape and listen to more songs on side 2. David Joo also did two industrial tapes under the moniker of “Man & Hammer” that I will need to document here. Jeru-slam Records also distributed an experimental tape by Deth Door. Unfortunately, it looks like both members of this band have passed away – David not too long after this tape came out, and David more recently. David Joo also had an underground zine called “Zine of the Times”, or ZOTT. Below is a review from White Throne that I found online as well.