Check out this small sampling of the killer heavy metal tapes that we have in stock today!

	WASP - Live . . . Animal - Cassette As was the case with Prince's notorious Black Album, the hype surrounding this controversial debut four-track EP from W.A.S.P. far outweighed the title track's offensive content or musical merits. At least it served to make this release a collector's item, though, which sold thousands of copies via mail order throughout the '80s. Musically speaking -- the interesting cover of Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" aside -- both "Animal (F**k Like a Beast)" and "Show No Mercy" would have fit snuggly on W.A.S.P.'s debut album, and "Hellion" actually made the cut. The infamous "Animal" is now also featured on the band's 1993 career retrospective, First Blood...Last Cuts.
	Voivod - The Best Of - Cassette tape on Futurist Records Voivod (singer Denis "Snake" Belanger, guitarist Denis "Piggy" d'Amour, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin, and bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault) was one of the first thrash bands out of Canada to gain popularity outside of their home country. From their beginning in the early '80s, their main goal was to be different from anyone else, and thus they incorporated odd musical tempos and futuristic story lines into their songs, often dealing with technology taking over the world. Voivod opened the way for other Canadian thrash bands and for metal bands with their unique styles of performing and writing.
	Sleep - Holy Mountain - Cassette tape on Earache Records Setting heavy metal's evolutionary clock back to the stone-age days of Saint Vitus with their debut Volume One was seemingly not enough for San Jose's Sleep, who decided to time travel all the way back to the pre-historic days of earliest Black Sabbath with their second album, 1993's Sleep's Holy Mountain. Indeed, while Kyuss' Blues for the Red Sun and Monster Magnet's Spine of God are more frequently cited as the most influential and important albums in launching the American stoner/doom metal scene, not even these landmark releases compare to Holy Mountain for sheer devotion to unadulterated doom and copious weed consumption. In fact, as monolithic opener "Dragonaut" descends into a bass solo at its conclusion, one would be forgiven for expecting the band to segue straight into "N.I.B." -- such is their similarity to classic Sabbath. Instead, they grind into "The Druid," which despite a quick nod to the Sabs' "Electric Funeral," actually begins to establish Sleep's personality, as riff upon massive riff in the form of songs like "Evil Gypsy/Solomon's Theme" and the groove-heavy "Aquarian" flow from the speakers like molten lava. In an age of machine-gun double-bass drums, Sleep's most startling quality had to be their seemingly endless patience. As they slowly embark upon the mammoth power chords of the title track and "From Beyond," they also prolong the buildup of tension before delivering a final release of cathartic proportions. Besides greatly inspiring next generation doomsters like Electric Wizard, such unwavering dedication to weed would also set the stage for their controversial and unfortunate swan song Jerusalem -- featuring a single, mind-bending 52-minute track.
	Prong - The Peel Sessions - Cassette tape on Strange Fruit Records Rising out of the expansive early '90s thrash metal landscape, New York's Prong carved a niche all their own with their minimalist urban take on the genre. After years working as a soundman at New York's CBGB's Tommy Victor (vocals/guitars) drafted doorman Mike Kirkland (bass) and ex-Swans drummer Ted Parsons to form Prong in the mid 80s. The trio's early independent releases -- Primitive Origins and Force Fed -- were extremely raw and betrayed their hardcore roots. By the time the group signed with Epic for 1990's Beg to Differ though, Victor and company had transformed into a highly-technical thrash metal outfit, shelling out clinical staccato riffs and start-stop rhythms peppered with subtle melodies and occasional bursts of speed. The album's title track was a minor hit, helping to put the band on the map once it received regular exposure on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.
	Nuclear Assault - Handle With Care - Thrash metal cassette tape on In-Effect Records Nuclear Assault truly arrived on 1989's Handle With Care -- a record which stands the test of time as one of the East Coast's best offerings to the thrash metal genre. The development displayed on their previous effort, Survive, was honed to an even tighter focus here, resulting in the band's best and most powerful album. Outstanding thrashers like "Critical Mass," "F: (Wake Up)," and "When Freedom Dies" lead the way with the same bile and fury fans had grown accustomed to. But the band also displays an increasing appreciation for melody and straight-ahead metal riffs on tracks like "Inherited Hell" and the epic "Trail of Tears" -- no doubt upsetting those who preferred the rawer hardcore elements in their sound. And even though John Connely and Danny Lilker remain the band's prime creative forces, drummer Glen Evans also contributes some killer material ("Emergency" and "Search & Seizure"), making Handle With Care Nuclear Assault's truest band effort. Too bad this only presaged the splintering which would occur on 1991's disappointing (and appropriately titled) Out of Order. (Lilker's insistence on including pointless noise bursts spanning mere seconds, like "Funky Noise" and "Mother's Day," didn't help matters any.) Still, Handle With Care is a perfect introduction, and pretty much all one will ever need from Nuclear Assault.
	Mind Over Four - The Goddess - Cassette tape on Caroline Records The Los Angeles, CA-based alt-metal outfit Mind Over 4 originally formed in the late '80s, consisting of members Spike Xavier (vocals), Mike Jenson (guitar), Rich Castillo (bass), and Mark Fullerton (drums). Often compared to such fellow challenging outfits as Faith No More and Prong, the quartet issued a total of five releases 1987's Out Here, 1989's self-titled release, 1990's The Goddess, 1993's Half Way Down, and 1995's Empty Hands before splitting up.
	Morbid Angel - Formulas Fatal To The Flesh - Cassette tape on Earache Records Although the band hasn't actually changed its modus operandi, Morbid Angel has been able to strengthen and deepen their death metal over the years. One listen to Formulas Fatal to the Flesh makes that clear. At its core, it's death metal, but the group demonstrates more imagination and pure force than almost any of its contemporaries. Not only is Trey Azagthoth's guitar monstrously powerful, but the rhythm section of drummer Pete Sandoval and new bassist/vocalist Stephen Tucker manages to be simultaneously nimble and pummeling. Also, the group has written some of their strongest songs to date -- nothing here relies on pure riffage alone. The end result of the musical and writing vision is one hell of an album and possibly their best record to date.
	Lita Ford - Black - Cassette tape on ZYX Records One of two solo stars to spring from the ashes of the '70s all-girl hard rock band the Runaways, Lita Ford has long been a more frustrating, contradictory proposition for critics than former colleague Joan Jett. Ford is subtly feminist in her musical approach, displaying guitar heroics on the level of any male metal hero; the mere fact of her existence in the otherwise testosterone-driven heavy metal genre has made her a hero to some, but her persona has often been criticized as calculated to appeal to male adolescent sexual fantasies, simply embodying the standard wild-girl stereotypes of many male metal artists' lyrics. When she has the material to back her up, though, Ford is inarguably capable of rocking out aggressively and assertively.
	Fudge Tunnel - The Complicated Futility Of Ignorance - Cassette tape on Earache Records The final release from Fudge Tunnel, Complicated Futility of Ignorance comes off like a modern, slightly mechanized Motörhead, comparable to late Prong perhaps, but more dynamic and without any of the industrial gimmicks. This record drips with the blood of calloused hands shredded in an attempt to extricate every ounce of heaviness from the many angular and distorted guitar riffs. Not one to ever hold back, guitarist/vocalist Alex Newport leads his band (that also includes David Riley on bass and Adrian Parkin on drums) through one relentless and violent metal groove-fest after another. The quality is consistant throughout this recording, but the doom-inflected "Six Eight" and the ruthless opener "Random Acts of Cruelty" are subtle standouts. Fans of sludgy, extreme metal not yet familiar with the influential Fudge Tunnel would do well to acquaint themselves with Complicated Futility of Ignorance, perhaps the best of this group's many fine offerings.
	Dangerous Toys - Pissed - Cassette tape on DMZ Records Dangerous Toys was founded in Texas in 1987 by vocalist Jason McMaster along with guitarists Scott Dalhover and Danny Aaron, bassist Mark Geary, and drummer Mike Watson. They released the follow up to Dangerous Toys, Hellacious Acres, in 1991, and while the album sold reasonably well, it didn't match the groups initial success. After getting dropped from Columbia, the original lineup slowly began to dwindle. Danny Aaron left before their third album, Pissed. Mike Watson left before recording The R'tist 4'merly Known As Dangerous Toys in 1995. Although the band officially broke up in the late '90s, they released a live album in 1999 and occasionally reunite for a few shows.