As much as regional DIY punk and hardcore are a driving force in my quest for sound, regional DIY metal has always felt a bit more elusive. It's rarely my primary focus when I'm on the hunt so there's no real mystery there, but metal bands are (were?) more likely focused on hooking up with a label or some other commercial construct and artifacts from the DIY world are somewhat more elusive. At first glance, ADVERSARY's 1990 debut Side Effects as a "pro" release - the whole tiny inset cover art, lots of copyrights and all rights reserved and everything, but I was in Albuquerque and I'm not going to leave a slab of New Mexico death metal sitting in a store if I can help it, so Side Effects came home with me. It was the right choice. Look at that art...and know that ADVERSARY sounds like that crude drawing in the best possible way. Raw, thrashing, primitive old school death/thrash. Shit is blown out like a rehearsal demo (or a NWN reissue) and the sound is like a hybrid of Florida DM and '80s Colombian ultra metal - settling into the recording is like reacquainting yourself with an old friend. No non-bangers, no filler, but the choice cut is absolutely "Process Of Deterioration." The hunt continues.
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