TOP 20 albums that influenced "Sonic degeneracy"

"Sonic degeneracy" was conceived from the get-go as a gargantuan work with musical influences all over the place, as long as still rooted within the field of underground sonic extremism.

Are you curious to know which records in particular are to blame for shaping "Sonic degeneracy"'s multifaceted sound? Here's an exhaustive TOP 20 for y'all!

Merciless - The awakening (1990)

My favorite swedish album ever, one of the absolute peaks of primitive death/thrash, and also the first record to be released by Deathlike Silence Productions - i.e. the well-known underground label founded by some guy named Øystein Aarseth.

The album's formula, made of hyper-chaotic blasting and ultra-minimal yet insanely effective razorblade riffage, has inspired me to write so many pivotal tracks for "Sonic degeneracy" such as "Denial of nature", "Without dogmas" and "The serpent's speech".

If you know this record only thanks to the "Lords of chaos" movie, you're not worthy of hearing it.

Schizo - Main frame collapse (1989)

Best album ever to come from my home country - and one of the purest, most uncompromising works ever conceived within the realm of extreme music in general.

Ultra-violent and apocalyptic, inhumanly raw yet endowed with a strong personality, influenced not only by thrash but also hardcore, proto-grind and post-punk, all coming together in a raving assault on the senses that leaves no escape.

One of the biggest influences on "Sonic degeneracy", both for S.B. Reder's trademark riffing and ultra-raw guitar tone, and Ingo's hysterical vocal performance, here at the peak of its psychotic wickedness.

Necrodeath - First two albums (1987-1989)

Another cult staple from Italy: two malignant, chaotic, hellish records, made unforgettable by Peso's hyperactive drumming and (yet again) Ingo's uniquely malevolent vocals.

The gloomy, serpentine riffing, along with the labyrinthine, non-linear song structures, supplemented the Merciless lesson in a crucial way for me - giving songs like "Denial of nature", "Organic machine" and "Surrogate" a more decisive death metal imprinting, less bound to the conventions of classic thrash.

Carnivore - Retaliation (1987)

The quintessential thrashcore/crossover record, back when Peter Steele (long before becoming a goth icon with Type O Negative) was still crawling in the gutters of the NYHC scene, struggling with depression and writing the most controversial lyrics imaginable (ask Agnostic Front about that).

In my view, "Retaliation" has always represented the peak of the crossover thrash subgenre as a form of expression, incarnating the term "crossover" in its literal sense, by fusing metal and hardcore in the broader way possible for the time. The emotional range encompassed by the songs is extremely varied as well, though always rooted in feelings of the negative kind (anger, hate, frustration, insanity, depression, simple desire to shock and provoke...) - anyway, all of them expressed in the most heartfelt, poignant way possible. No wonder I was so crucially influenced by this record for "Sonic degeneracy", both musically (on tracks such as "P.S.S.", "This state sucks" and "Sardonic face") and in general attitude.

At the time of its release, Peter used to speak of "Retaliation" as "the Sgt. Pepper's of thrash". The Green Man might not have been the humblest guy on the planet, but I think he had a point on this one.

Sodom - Obsessed by cruelty (1986, Metal Blade version)

Sodom has always been my all-time favorite extreme metal band, and "Obsessed by cruelty" (in the FIRST of its two versions, the one originally released in the US) is without a doubt the most influential record from their catalog on the musical style of "Sonic degeneracy".

Perversely raw, obsessively blasting, and insanely primitive (playing mistakes abound indeed), featuring inhuman vocals beyond any divine grace (just hear the title-track!) - and most importantly, a squealy, almost "noisy" guitar tone (at least on this version of the recording) in stark, uncanny contrast with the relative elegance and craftsmanship put into many of these riffs: this latter aspect in particular did propel me in my attempt to eviscerate and exacerbate the latent "noisiness" of this formula, on songs like "Cult of fornication" and "Empty idealism".

A cursed, hellish masterpiece in both versions - but the Metal Blade one remains invaluable for me as a source of inspiration.

Kreator - Early albums (1985-1995)

Mille Petrozza is one of my riff heroes, and his influence on "Sonic degeneracy" has been vital.

Without an album like "Endless pain", I couldn't have written "Sybaritic metal". Without the twisted riffing from "Terrible certainty" and "Coma of souls", tracks such as the "After the impact (day 5)" instrumental or the "Jesus Christ pornostar" suite would've sounded far less technical and multifaceted. Even the experimental leanings of "Renewal" and "Cause for conflict" might have inspired me in some way.

Kreator has now de-evolved into a safe, crowd-pleasing thrash/melodeath/power metal hybrid, but their legacy lives on, and I'm striving to do my best to honor it.

Sepultura - Early albums (1986-1991)

And right after Petrozza, Max Cavalera is another one of my riff heroes.

The proto-death metal compositions of "Morbid visions" (where, to be fair, Jairo Tormentor played a key role as well) had an enormous impact on "Sonic degeneracy" - while "Schizophrenia", "Beneath the remains" and "Arise" were key references in their flawless synthesis of rhythmic intensity and melodic eloquence, influencing my riff-writing on tracks like "Uncertain future".

Sarcófago - I.N.R.I. (1987)

One of the most violent, chaotic, primitive, hellish works from the brazilian underground scene of the 80s: its obsessive, near-mechanical minimalism, complemented by Wagner Antichrist's tortured vocals and D.D. Crazy's pounding blast-beats, have been a precious influence on "Sonic degeneracy" - culminating in my personal antichristian outburst called "Law against christianity".

One of the greatest masterpieces from the first wave of black metal.

Mutilator - Immortal force (1987)

This album represents the quintessence of the so-called "Cogumelo sound" - i.e. the ultra-raw, sloppy death/thrash sound of the brazilian bands that released albums on Cogumelo Records back in the 80s.

"Immortal force" is a pure masterpiece of reckless, careless violence: the visceral, chaotic, nihilistic fury conveyed by these tracks knows little equals, and could never be topped by any band with bigger technical ambitions. To me, of course, it was of vital importance to recapture that same primal energy with "Sonic degeneracy" - thus, bypassing the technical/audio "advancements" of modern metal.

Another band that does successfully pay tribute to the Cogumelo sound is Bloody Vengeance from Germany, currently signed to Nuclear War Now! Records.

D.R.I. - Dealing with it! (1985)

The bible of primordial thrashcore. Rapid, fast, minimalistic micro-songs, yet extremely poignant and impactful in their sardonic portrayal of the disillusionment faced by Gen X in mid-80's America - influencing countless thrashcore/fastcore/grindcore bands to come. "Sonic degeneracy" wouldn't be quite the same, without the influence of "Dealing with it!" shining through short irreverent bursts of speed such as "Social media misanthrope", "Legalized corruption" and "Kill your hipster neighbor".

S.O.D./M.O.D. - Early albums (1985-1989)

Billy Milano is the king of tongue-in-cheek crossover thrash - so of course he had an enormous influence (both musical and conceptual) over "Sonic degeneracy": I've always found his thrash/hardcore mid-tempos to be irresistible (inspiring me to write songs like "I'm so offended", "Bipolar christianity" and "MeTaL iS dUmB"), and of course his tongue-in-cheek attitude expressed in numerous joke songs, skits and interludes can be heard all throughout the extended digital edition of "Sonic degeneracy". Demented humor is also an integral part of the stream of consciousness I wanted to convey with this record.

Napalm Death - First two albums (1987-1988) + Utopia banished (1992)

Needless to say, both "Scum" and "From enslavement to obliteration" represent the archetype of grindcore - with their minimalistic, noisy riffs (infused with the most disparate influences ranging from Siege to Swans to Celtic Frost) and, most of all, Mick Harris' trademark hyper-chaotic blast-beats (in my opinion, way more extreme than many "faster-than-thou" champions from today's extreme metal scene), a drumming style so peculiar that it has inspired me for songs like "Fake news apocalypse", "T.W.H." and "Bipolar christianity".

From "Utopia banished" (and bands that followed in the same vein, such as Brutal Truth and Lock Up) I've been inspired in the vaguely "dystopian" feel of some riffs (of course, integrated within Rotgod's way less "modernist" and much more primitive formula), a feel that I hear re-echoing particularly on some tracks from "Sonic degeneracy" such as "Torn between two sides" and "Sardonic face".

Blood - Entire catalog

My all-time favorite grind band. From the noisy cult classic "Impulse to destroy" (1989) to inhumanly morbid, horrific death/grind opuses such as "Christbait" (1992) and "O agios pethane" (1993) to the masterpiece of supreme violence "Gas. Flames. Bones." (1999), these german madmen have influenced me during the songwriting for "Sonic degeneracy" in so many ways that I'm not even going to list them all. Just listen and catch the small details.

Nuclear Death - Early albums (1990-1992)

The sickest death/grind band of all time. Every work from "Bride of insect" to "All creatures great and eaten" is a crescendo of noise, primitive and uncanny atmospheres, less and less intelligible riffs, more and more chaotic compositions, with more and more inhuman, beastlike vocals.

An influence that can be easily detected in the more noisy, chaotic, atonal tracks from "Sonic degeneracy".

Cripple Bastards - Your lies in check (1996)

The first, and most underrated, Cripple album.

Remembered by many only for a few hits such as "Italia di merda" and "Polizia una razza da estinguere", the album's power is actually better conveyed when listened in its entirety: a compilation of 69 TRACKS (!!!) ranging from ultra-short, hyper-chaotic noisecore bursts to fairly catchy hardcore/fastcore tracks and everything in between - including a couple of unexpected Beatles/King Crimson covers. Raw, minimalistic, spontaneous and heterogeneous, this record was highly influential for "Sonic degeneracy" - if not strictly in style, at least in attitude.

This might be a bit of a hot take, but "Your lies in check" is truly one of my favorite grindcore albums ever, second only to "Misantropo" within Cripple's catalog: yup, you heard me - I'm putting this WAY above more recent and popular Cripple records such as "Variante alla morte".

Cerebral Fix - Life sucks... and then you die! (1988)

A little thrashcore gem coming from Birmingham, right around the time Napalm Death were starting to get big. A perfect synthesis between the american thrashcore sound (D.R.I., Cryptic Slaughter) and the trademark british crust/proto-grind sound (Hellbastard, Sacrilege, Napalm Death, Unseen Terror, Deviated Instinct) - almost like some sort of "Dealing with it!" on crack, even more depressive and nihilistic, while also a bit grotesque and absurdist like many other records in the genre. A dangerous cocktail indeed.

I consider this to be one of the ABSOLUTE closest albums to "Sonic degeneracy", both in spirit and general musical approach. Cerebral Fix (whose moniker comes from a Bauhaus song, go figure) has maintained the same depressive, crepuscular mood even on the following works, which featured a slower, gloomier sound - especially the very underrated "Death erotica" from 1992.

Type O Negative - Slow, deep and hard (1991)

An album born from the leftovers of what was supposed to be Carnivore's followup to "Retaliation", instead becoming the greatest experimental metal/hardcore record of all time.

Of course the sound of "Sonic degeneracy", as varied and adventurous as it may be, can't still compare to the vast array of influences (goth, industrial, doom, sludge...) displayed on Type O's first work - however, the tormented spirit and unorthodox musical approach of this masterpiece have guided me like a beacon while crafting the darkest, most unsettling episodes of my own album, such as "Reawakened too late", "And evil smiled at me" or even certain sections of the "Jesus Christ pornostar" suite.

Today is the Day - Sadness will prevail (2002)

The most "modern" album on the list (if such a term can ever be applied to the music I make). A merciless, gargantuan 2-CD assault on your nerves: 30 INFERNAL TRACKS for almost TWO HOURS AND A HALF of psychotic sludge/noise/core hysteria with abrasive razor-sharp chords and hyper-distorted vocals - going from sudden bursts of deconstructive anti-musical fury to experimental, uncanny musical numbers well outside the realm of heavy music, yet no less terrifying and distressing.

Simply the best double album of all time, a pure masterpiece of sardonic, grotesque sonic horror - and of course, a gigantic conceptual influence on "Sonic degeneracy" (at times even a musical influence as well, as testified by the slower, noisier sections from "Inner crisis", "Jesus Christ pornostar" and "Reawakened too late").

Swans - Early albums (1983-1984)

Early Swans are absolute noise/industrial giants, and they also inspired many metal/hardcore-adjacent acts such as Napalm Death and of course Godflesh. Their clanging, harsh brand of noise has been a noteworthy source of inspiration on "Sonic degeneracy" as well - giving me the idea to sample some industrial sounds the old way to include them on tracks such as "Teleological nonsense", "Hell from within" and even "The serpent's speech".

The Jesus Lizard - Pure (1989)

One of the best noise rock bands in general - but this first EP has always stood beyond any paragon to me. Maybe it's the drum machine, maybe it's the more mechanical, "abstract" style compared to the rock 'n' roll swing of the band's other records, maybe it's the riffing that sounds even more dissonant than usual, maybe it's the screaming that sounds even more possessed than usual - whatever it is, I simply fucking love these five little tracks, and they've always been my primary source of inspiration in the usage of dissonance in my own riffs (along with Steve Albini's work in Big Black of course): countless tracks from "Sonic degeneracy", including "Cult of fornication", "Betrayed generation", "New age mumbo-jumbo" and "Empty idealism", draw heavily from this EP.

BONUS SURPRISE

Incinerator - Uh!?! (1989)

I know, the title says "20 albums" - but I couldn't leave out this weird little thrashcore gem from Catania's 80's scene, which fully encapsulates (together with Schizo's aforementioned "Main frame collapse") the burning creative ambition animating underground circles in this rotten city, at the time. An ultra-raw, blasting, frenzied sound (drums are utterly manic in their crude minimalism), though with some odd, dissonant, near-voivodian touches added to the mix, handled with great confidence by a band that, despite the inherent rawness of their sound, knew their shit damn well already - bringing to mind their canadian contemporaries Dead Brain Cells in their supposedly oxymoronic marriage of crude thrashcore and wacky technical thrash experimentation. Unfortunately, as it's often the case, audiences are drawn in by easy gimmicks and nothing else, which is why nowadays most people remember this record solely for opening joke song "Umbari chi spacchiu si" (a hilarious sicilian tarantella piece gone metal) - but the really cool stuff starts on track 2, offering an enigmatic, multifaceted, undecipherable sound swinging constantly between primal thrashcore rawness and odd-timed, jittery, slightly uncanny sections, aiming to put you in a constant state of alienation and unease, always catching you by surprise and leaving you with the same reaction suggested by the album title ("uh!?!", indeed).

A masterful work that was highly influential for my musical upbringing, and in developing a creative voice for myself. To this day, Schizo and Incinerator represent the only real "Catania scene" I feel influenced by, and I've always tried to carry on the legacy of these bands with the same burning creative spirit. "Sonic degeneracy" is the product of this attitude - the same attitude that supposedly birthed an album like "Uh!?!", back then.

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