Description
“Stillbirth Machine” has long been heralded by many as the greatest OFC release. So highly regarded is it that some have referred to it as the finest work of extreme metal ever produced. Irrespective of such sweeping assertions, no convincing argument could be made which would deny this album a place alongside other classic metal albums of the highest order. After releasing a series of demos and the infamous “Will to Power” EP, OFC unveiled their first full-length album in 1993 on Decapitated Records amid a storm of controversy regarding the legitimacy of its alternate release on the notorious Wild Rags label. Now, 15 years later, the legacy of this album has been well-established and NWN! is proud to release the definitive vinyl version of “Stillbirth Machine” produced with the full permission, cooperation, and collective input of each of the members of OFC. To say that this album is flawless, could possibly be considered an understatement. It is a perfect unification of control and chaos, devastation and superiority. “Stillbirth Machine” opens with a long intro that, on any other album, one might be tempted to skip. Here, however, this passage merely cultivates a neurotic tension in anticipation of the onslaught that ensues when Chuck Keller’s guitar pierces the aural fabric during the initial seconds of “The Edge of Forever” before the frenetic drumming of Mike Miller and the sadistic and wrathful vocals and bass playing of Pete Helmkamp lead the listener into the depths of war. Throughout the remainder of “Stillbirth Machine”, OFC sustain an energy level unrivaled by nearly any other album. Their style, an amalgamation of elements of black, death, and thrash metal, is among the most distinctive and powerful musical concoctions ever produced. Featuring such vessels of annihilation as ‘Power Elite’, ‘Iconoclasm Conquest’, and ‘Blood and Thunder’, “Stillbirth Machine” set a standard that has yet to be attained by any other album.