-4th full length recording.
-Mastered and pressed on c-108 red chrome 24Cr tapes. Packaged with is a Scorched-Earth 1' logo pin and 4X4 patch(of "Mars" cover album artwork)
-Inspired by: The old school spirit, a filthy sound, and an unrelenting black/thrash attack. Think Venom, Bathory, Motorhead, Destroyer 666, Blasphemy.
-Available: 40/100 copies.
-Price: $10.00world. $1 more for Paypal.
Price is postpaid.
***ACCEPTING PAYPAL, MONEY ORDERS AND OR CASH.CONTACT FOR ORDERING INFO AND AVAILABILITY*** novisiblescars@gmail.com
Copies can also be purchased from
Hells Head Bangers:
Ominous Domain:
Iron Bonehead(Germany)
Legion Of Death Records(France)
Rockstakk Records(Japan)
Scorched-Earth had its origins in the one-man band project Nazgul, founded by Terry McCorriston in 1994. After one demo, "Under Blood Red Eyes", the band's name was re-christened "Scorched-Earth" in 1995 and McCorriston set out to form a full band to fully express S-E's Metal Of Extermination. After several line-up changes, their first CD "Thy Kingdom Crushed" was recorded in 1999 with the line-up of Terry on guitar and vocals, Scott Sanders on drums, Mike Kapsiak on guitar and Sanford Johnson on bass. Released in early 2000, it met with favor in the underground and is now sold out. Drawing from the cult thrash feel as well as modern Death Metal influences, "Thy Kingdom Crushed" stood alone in its uniqueness and ruthlessness.
After going through some lineup changes, the band recorded and released "Gods, Kings, and Conquerors" in 2003. This time out they were a three piece, with new drummer Joshua Hanenburg stepping into the fold. "Gods, Kings, and Conquerors" was even more vicious than the previous CD, and fans received it like rabid wolves. Scorched-Earth then played many shows in the US and Canada in support of this album, alongside the likes of Impaled, Exhumed, Dragonlord, Nevermore, Severed Savior, Anal Blast, Dreams Of Damnation, Serpens Aeon, and Drawn and Quartered. Ted Cohn was then recruited to join in on guitar, and the band set out on desecrating the West Coast on the Swarm of Eternal Blackness tour with Kult Ov Azazel, Teratism, and Sumeria.
Scorched-Earth's third album entitled "Devils In Iron" encompassed all the death/thrash traits that the band is know for, but also included new, pervading senses of Doom and Black metal throughput. Songs such as "Gods. Kings & Conquerors" and "Gormenghast" are of epic length, while songs like "Scorched-Earth, Black Wind & Hell Fire" and "War Is Hell(but Combat's a Motherfucker)" are short, direct assaults on the senses.
NVS is proud to announce the release of "Mars" as a limited edition pro-done cassette. Look for "Mars" on CD in early 2010 via the bands own label!
Scorched-Earth is:
Terry McCorriston - Guitar/Vocals
Sanford Johnson - Bass
Joshua Hanenburg - Drums
Ted Cohn - Guitar
Oct 2010 interview at Metal Maniacs: http://www.metalmaniacs.com/2010/interview-with-scorched-earth/
Scorched Earth - Mars (No Visible Scars)
February 6, 2010
Bill from the No Visible Scars label noticed some of my reviews and my bio here on Hellride and thought that I would really dig this release, he thought right. Described as a Venom sounding band, but to me that description deosn’t do it justice, these bastards sound like a killer hybrid of old school thrash, fused with old school death via early Morbid Angel/Malevolent Creation and than throw in some doom elements in terms of slow riffs with a Sabbathy/Pentagram 70’s twist. The ideal sound this label is going for, along with the bands they sign, is the old analog sound of chrome cassettes and vinyl from the tape trading heyday of true heavy metal. These guys hail from Seattle, Washington, home to some killer underground metal acts right now, but have actually been around since ~1995.
These guys have toured with the likes of Kult Ov Azazel, Drawn and Quartered, Exhumed, Impaled, Serpents Aeon, Anal Blast…. They are said to draw their sound from early cult thrash and death metal, and that’s a damn good description of it. If you like it old-school raw, but with quality musicianship, addictive rhythms, diversity in tempo,etc. this is an essential to at least hear, but I’d say get the fucker before it disappears like their other releases have.
In fact one of the songs I’m currently listening to (“Out of the Violent Planet) has this amazing horror-surf style tremolo/reverb intro that just goes into this great guitar jam, and then the vokills come in and it just makes you want to jump around and tear things apart. With that being said, there shouldn’t be anyone out there whose mouth isn’t watering and their ears aren’t itching in anticipation of this stuff.
Now I’m listening to “The Knights of the black Cross vs. the Reavers of the Red Death”, it has a great buzzsaw riff throughout sort of like old Darkthrone then fused with Sabbath, then it starts back into that great tremolo picking surf blistering sound again. This album is relentless, get off your ass and get this shit NOW!!!!!! But don’t blame them when you burn the place down in a frenzy while giving it it’s de-virginizing spin. This stuff is hotter than Hell in terms of everything a good metal album could have, and will spit out flames as it plays. The album is on red Chrome cassette and comes with mini LP style artwork, a great silk-screened patch and pin, it makes me feel like a kid again buying music. This is not only a band to watch for, but the NVS label is truly an underground force that will probably keep dropping releases that measure at a 9 on the metal Richter Scale, although if you play these loud enough they might measure enough on the real scale too. For analog recordings this stuff is clearer and more solid sounding than anything digital and is one of many reasons that I’m scrounging up cash to get my analog system together again.
If you dig any of the following and especially the idea of the best elements of each thrown in a stew of noise, you MUST get this one: High on Fire, Kreator, Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation, Autopsy, Exodus, Venom, Celtic Frost,Slayer, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal, this SOB has it all and many to add. Smoking like a burning Christian corpse at Satans Luau, and reeks of malice and perverted intent!!!!!! Honestly, this thing slams, jams, grooves, kills, slays, bulldozes, stomps….By now you probably get the idea.
http://www.hellridemusic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21905
Diabolic Conquest Webzine(review by KING CRIPPLE)
I recently received, Mars, the fourth full-length album by the Seattle troupe, Scorched Earth. I could name drop with ease here with bands that span Destroyer 666 and Morbid Angel to Celtic Frost and Pentagram, but, quite frankly, I think such descriptions are too difficult to compute and often times sound like a big, jumble-fucked mess. In this instance, I think it is simpler and more effective to describe the band as playing a primitive form of black thrash that also employs old-school death metal and odd, yet effective doom-inspired bits. I have not heard previous output from Scorched Earth, so I cannot speak as to whether they had the "jumble-fucked" sound their lengthy and diverse list of influences might suggest, but the songs here incorporate the influences listed yet have been largely honed to a razor-sharp and deadly point.
Like I said to begin, the backbone of the material here is black thrash with death metal also having a healthy role in the bludgeoning. While Scorched Earth may not contribute new ideas musically to either genre, the thrash here is reminiscent of the early days in the scene. It is chaotic and sloppy, though likely done so intentionally, yet the thing I like most about it is the youthful thrash energy. The superior musicianship and recording capabilities of today usually makes it tough to re-create this type of energy, but Scorched Earth has done it with moments on"Warlords of Mars", "Devils in Iron" and "Hell on Mars" only the slightest nudge away from total self-destruction. I bet this material stirs a hell of a pit.
The counterpoint to the thrash here are smatterings of old-school death metal and occasional doom-inspired dirges. The death metal bits certainly add to the aggressive tone on the album with songs like "Spearhead From Space" being a quick, two minute death metal blast to your gut, but it is the doom that is the most surprising here. The instrumental "No Blade Of Grass"brings about the first doom-y exploit, but it is not in the style you might expect. The bass of Sanford Johnson bounces and plods away underneath big distorted chords, sprawling solos and the occasional textural bit with a 70s doom approach. It is unexpected, but surprisingly effective. Johnson has a rather large presence throughout the album but is most notable during the doom-y moments where he really drives those sections - as a good bassist should. The doom sections, though few and far between, also serve as a nice reprieve from the heavier, up-tempo material. This approach works well on "Out Of the Violent Planet" where its doom-y, reverb slathered intro is slightly altered and used later for a brief interlude with effective results.
The major issue I had with the album is there were a couple times where I felt certain thoughts went on a bit too long. The nearly ten minute "Warlords of Mars" is the best example of this. I realize part of the length is due to the attached intro, but the song also has three different solos, albeit none of them overly lengthy. While textural bits are added, the up-picked addition towards the end is a welcome change, I think the song would have been stronger had a minute or so been absent. A similar argument could be made for the doom-y mid-section on "The Knights of the Black Cross vs. The Reavers of the Red Death". I get the point and it works, but it also lingers too long.
Scorched Earth has thoroughly and relentlessly beat the hell out of my ears since the first day I got my hands on the cassette. I know there are a lot of people that find the notion of cassette releases to be useless and outdated. Those of you with this mindset can pick up a copy on CD through the band's website. I will make a case for the cassette in this instance, however. If you are able to get by with cassettes, the label has also enclosed a 1" logo pin, a 7" vinyl-size copy of the badass, old-school artwork and a 4X4 patch of the artwork. NoVisible Scars also seems like a label that really supports its bands - a rarity these days and a cause I think we all can get behind. But regardless of format, there is one constant: Scorched Earth crushes.
Invisible Oranges(Anthony Abboreno)
"Like heavy metal, the planet Mars has power that doesn’t wither. Fools say metal and Mars have nothing to offer, save irony and frozen water. The informed know better. On Mars (NoVisible Scars, 2009), Olympus Mons houses ancient theocracy, the canals run with blood, and the music mixes double amounts of Slough Feg and Sodom with the Realm of Chaos the cover implies.Few bands meld classic and death metal yet remain this breathless. The melody in these songs is never pretty. Tracks like “The Gods Themselves” charge forward with double bass and saber-wielding Celtic riffs. People are subjugated and rebellions are quelled. Elsewhere, death and thrash take precedent, and the results are equally powerful. “Spearhead from Space” is a blitzkrieg for the heart of Mars: it only lasts two minutes, yet mangles its victims for life. The album seldom relents. Occasionally, the music lapses into doom, as though surveying the landscape in horror, but it always recovers and rushes onward.Crucially, Scorched-Earth refuse to treat the concept as a joke. The idea of war on Mars is adolescent stuff, and that’s part of its appeal. Mars could have been condescending bullshit, full of apologetic winks or cheap intellectualism. Instead, Scorched-Earth take their concept seriously and deliver soulful metal. Like great science fiction, the story feels relevant but resists allegory. An ancient civilization entices a young and naive one into imperialist war. Humans and Martians are both villains. Oligarchy reigns, and the sane die."
Antichrist 'zine in Ukraine:
SCORCHED-EARTH “Mars” 2009 TAPE
Novisible Scars Productinos
Novisible Scars prods is coming from USA, they release professional Tapes with obscure bands. This time again I have earlier unknown for me band from USA… SCORCHED-EARTH was formed back in 1995 and have had more-less active life so far; they have about 4 releases. Well, first, about release, this Tape made ltd to 100 copies(!) and comes with pin, patch and wrapped in ala 7”EP booklet, and finally – have pretty good old-school artwork! And what the kind of music falling upon me? Huh, this is totally great meeting I have to say, as SCORCHED-EARTH plays purest old-school Metal of Death! Fuck, shit, it was just amazing listen to this Tape for about 25 times!? And I want listen to it again and again. Musically here’s some kind of rolling death metal, made with influences from ancient metal/rock and from 80-s… So you should wait for only next – do you like fast fucking rolling and twisted guitar riffs? Do you like such massive thrashing rhythm section? Do you like mad pick solos? Do you like just music inspired by such bands like MOTORHEAD, VENOM, early BATHORY, DESTROYER666 etc?! If you like all of afore-mentioned things than SCORCHED-EARTH is fucking totally for your soul! I was impressed by this straight-forward nuclear way which made these Americans. The music is sick, raw, dirty and fast, and fucking destructive. All of those rolling guitars which from time to time come with excellent guitar solos and dense drumming, obscure vocals and just extremely catching songs structure…. Argh! This is hellish beast comes upon the earth and he’s ready destroy everything appears on his path.
Deaf Sparrow
Maybe, if the cassette culture will once again thrive in the metal scene (as it seems to be happening) it may be because of labels like NoVisible Scars who are doing their best to stretch the format’s typical presentation. Seattle’s Scorched-Earth (not sure why the hyphen) just had their latest slab of thrashy death metal released by this label and the cassette version comes graced by cover artwork the size of a 7-inch sleeve. The quality of the artwork surely merits the blown up size.
To make the format more appealing, the cassette version of Mars is limited to 100 copies, comes with a 1” logo pin and a patch of the cover artwork, which was done by Sean McGrath, a dude widely known in metal circles for his participation in bands like Disgorge, Impaled and Ghoul.
I am still in amazement at how many quality bands have been around for a while and I hadn’t noticed. And I always fancied myself the super informed dude. Mars is Scorched-Earth’s fourth full-length after three recordings that came out independently. Why no label until now has snapped these Seattle-lites is beyond me. The death metal they make is utterly rambunctious, and sloppy.
In other words, despite being inherently metal, Scorched-Earth’s music is also as punk as say, early Venom was. Here, there are none of the low tones of the Florida or Swedish movement. Partly, that’s what makes this recording so vibrant. Another reason being the raw high vocals of guitarist Terry McCorriston, who no doubt is more a fan of Cronos and Quorthon than say, David Vincent.
The riffs are bad ass. This is totally noticeable despite the intentional purity of the recording, which strips the instruments to its bare tones. In other words, like with most quality black metal there isn’t much heaviness, just deafening guitars that thrash around, fly by in spirited war fashion and that truthfully may be too detailed for the general population, but just about enough for those into deep listening experiences.
http://www.deafsparrow.com/index.htm
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