Num Skull - Ritually Abused (Relapse) 1988
1. The End (0:16)
2. Ritually Abused (4:42)
3. Death and Innocence (4:59)
4. No Morals (2:26)
5. Friday's Child (4:55)
6. Off with Your Head (3:35)
7. The Henchman (4:47)
8. Pirate's Night (4:39)
9. Turn of a Screw (4:13)
10. Kiss Me, Kill Me (5:02)
11. Rigor Mortis (2:50)
12. Murder by the Minister (3:46)
Num Skull was an American thrash metal band and are accredited as being one of the earliest death-thrash acts, along with Possessed. Actually, their sound isn't that far off from Possessed with a bit of Slayer thrown in for good measure. I don't really hear much "death metal" in this album. In fact all I really hear is straight-forward thrash metal. The only thing that might be more raw than the bands that preceded them is the vocals. Skip McGullam's vocals are raw and aggressive. However, for 1988 they are no more raw than bands like Vengeance Rising had at the time. Regardless, "Ritually Abused" is the debut full-length studio album from Num Skull and is packed to the brim with speed-laced riffs. From front to back, it's loud! It's aggressive! It's fast! It's thrash metal! It is an underground classic for a good reason.