October 31

October 31 is a prototypical US underground metal band, the sort of band who'll never become famous due to their sticking to their traditional metal roots rather than chase the current trend of the day. Led by King Fowley (who also runs Deceased), the band formed in 1995 and has released a few albums along the way, alongside several singles and compilation appearances. The album reviewed here is Visions Of The End, originally released as an EP but later re-released with several bonus covers such as Jag Panzer's "Harder Than Steel" and Warlord's "Child Of The Damned" among others, with these two tracks giving a fair initial impression of the general direction of the band. Yes, it's traditional 80's metal all the way, without a single nod towards modern trends. Fowley is an adequate vocalist at best, and the general sound here is of an underproduced 80's album, lacking the polish and sheen that a lot of the new European "true" metal bands have these days, though October 31 is also heavier and less formulaic than those bands. Fowley and crew are to be commended to playing on their own terms, and 80's traditionalists could do far worse than pick up these guys.

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Discography

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