Razor was seemingly losing the initial vision which it so proudly espoused and practiced both in actions and words.ĭave Carlo came to the realization that it was time once again to refocus and move on to the next level. Ironically, despite its poor commercial success, it was the band's most profitable record yet due to their independent stature. In contrast to the short bursts of intensity for which they were best known, "Custom Killing" featured several long, drawn out epics, complex in nature, yet not entirely memorable.
Razor would now be free to explore new directions, and that they did with "Custom Killing", a self-financed recording which included the most experimental material they'd written. This, and a lack of a domestic release in the United States on Attic's part led the band to request termination of the contract agreement, which Attic tendered graciously. While the songs were strong, the record suffered slightly from problems internal to the band that were starting to well up. Its airplay on MTV (USA) and MuchMusic (Canada), along with support from college radio, resulted in greater exposure and name recognition.Ī year later, "Malicious Intent" appeared on music store shelves with the intent of maintaining the momentum achieved by "Evil Invaders". A music video was produced for the album's title track, possibly the first speed metal video ever recorded. The band toured heavily at this time with the likes of Slayer, Motorhead, and Venom, both in Canada and the United States, the only countries to have seen Razor to this day, despite the more favourable European and Japanese markets. "Evil Invaders" (1985) barraged the listener with a more controlled, more focused attack, of particular mention Stace McLaren's soaring vocal delivery and Dave Carlo's increasingly engaging hooks and razor-sharp riffs.
These fans wouldn't have to wait long before the band released the first in a series of evolutionary steps it would make. It proved successful with fans of raw, aggressive music. The first of the three Attic records, "Executioner's Song", came out shortly after signing, the material having mostly been written during the "Armed and Dangerous" period. This was all that was needed to secure a recording contract with Canada's Attic Records, with whom Razor would record their next three albums. Their first outpouring of energy manifested itself as "Armed and Dangerous", a self-financed seven-song EP that would garner them underground acclaim via the 1200 copies pressed, and countless tape trading.
All of them fans of the then-new resurgence of heavy metal, they became hungry to inject the genre with a bleaker view of the world and its inhabitants: in essence, a cold, calculated assault in both melody and lyrical imagery. The vision began with four young men from Guelph, Ontario: Dave Carlo on guitar Stace "Sheepdog" McLaren on vocals Mike Campagnolo on bass and Mike "M-Bro" Embro on drums. This they have undoubtedly achieved, and continue to foster to this day. No mere bandwagoneers, this quartet were out to permanently fuse metal with insane aggression and violence, pummelling listeners with aural and mental fists. 1984 - Armed and Dangerous - Escape the Fire (Demo) + 'Live at the City of Damnation', Live Toronto 10.5.85 - Evil Invaders ġ985 - Executioner's Song - 'Legacy of Doom', Live Toronto 1985 - 'Slicing Through Canada', Live Toronto 03.08.85 + Montreal 03.25.85 - Malicious Intent - Custom Killing - Pre-Violent Restitution Rehearsal - Violent Restitution - Live Toronto 1989 - Shotgun Justice - Open Hostility - Decibels (Demo) - Decibels - Demo-Tape () - Live in Montreal at Le Spectrum, Quebec saw the birth of Canada's finest extreme metal outfits, a band whose ideals would not permit compromise, whose conviction would lead to eight releases, and an equal number of years fighting an uphill battle.