ROSS BAY CULT ETERNAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAZnHJ9-0EA

Blasphemy are one of many bands that people take an abject obsession to, going so far as to make embroidered bomber jackets with their art on them. I can't say I disagree with them. I bought the original Die Hard version of their reunion live set from NWN! Prod. (#33/666) when I was a kid. There's something nasty, evil, rudimentary, crude, and inherently foul about the sound of Blasphemy that you can't wash out of your mind. Maybe it's the military drum fills, the gross vocals, the fact that they held black masses in the catacombs of the probably haunted Ross Bay Cemetary up in Canada... they just have a vibe that hits the "repulsive metal" bone in people and makes them go apeshit over them. Currently I'm on a run of listening to them almost nonstop and I figured I'd talk about 'em. Fallen Angel of Doom is their least adept release, with some serious mistakes and a sense of looseness that somehow makes the feel of it even more insane. It's like Reek of Putrefaction by Carcass made by Satanic alcoholics, basically. The intros are a rare instance in metal: THEY ACTUALLY WORK! Providing lots of atmosphere and quite well done, they kind of sew the album together between tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpkcoWtKDj4

...and here we have the follow-up, the slightly tighter, more coherent Gods of War. The barbaric relentlessness is still in full effect but we lose the muddy production and (some of) the sloppy playing from the previous album. They skipped labels from the extremely dubious Wild Rags to the slightly less dubious JL America (they were based in Indianapolis, what do you expect) but with funding from the great Osmose Productions, who continue to pump out the greatest metal and, on occasion, hardcore punk ever. That pretty much sets the tone for the album really -- a step up, but more horizontal than vertical in nature, with songs recycled from their Blood Upon the Altar demo, which funny enough ended up being bonus tracks on most copies of the album, including this Youtube file. The demo is produced better than the debut (!) but the feel of the disgusting vocals and bass-heavy crunch is missing. Plus "Ritual" is slower. Take your pick.

Anyway, despite the fact that 300,000,000 bands have directly ripped them off, Blasphemy still has the ability to warm the cockles of an underground metal fan's heart years after their grave was raided. There really isn't any exception when it comes to an originator. And your band doesn't have members named Ace Gustapo Necrosleezer and Vaginal Commands or 3 Black Hearts of Damnation and Impurity either, or a black guitarist in a horribly racist scene who knocked out some asshole from Destroyer 666 when the guy asked "what's with the nigger". Blasphemy fuckin rules.

Paul Chain and Violet Theatre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVC0dJnz-ho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSBE-KdI_AE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxmSjijpQAA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Maluflb50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDLBLvx-fRQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibWVPQmiEO0


Since I posted Black Hole just now I would be remiss to not post some links to the god of Italian doom metal PAUL CHAIN. He was in the band Death SS (meaning In Death of Steve Sylvester, who was the singer) back in the late '70s and eventually quit to go solo, taking several members, after he cut his eye out in a Satanic ritual (!). After that he reportedly went Jehovah's Witness (!!!) but continued to make the darkest and weirdest doom metal of all time, singing in his own self-created phonetic language when other members weren't singing for him. The earliest stuff here is thee darkest and creepiest and very, very foreign... not just to Americans but probably anyone who hasn't experienced the grave itself. Later on he did a lot of LSD-drenched improv guitar stuff, some noise, some organ material and some great doom/stoner rock with members of Cathedral. Check this out first and see what you think. Like the Black Hole there are moments of sheer '80s metal (especially "Electroshock" where he actually gets thrashy) but the great deal of it is grim as hell. "I remember a black mass..."

- Curt

Black Hole - Land of Mystery

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tlkPxq1BZaE

Found this album again on a tape after not hearing it for a couple years. Some obscure Italian doom metal from '85 with droning organs, weird changes that are somewhere between Trouble and a prog band, and a general old metal vibe that matches up with greats from the same country like the incredible Paul Chain (and early Death SS, natch) and the only slightly less incredible Dark Quarterer. Best enjoyed with a full bowl, darkened lights, and an open window. Or just in your car with shades on looking at an awesomely overcast skyline.

- Curt

A few more things

If some of that comes off as incoherent with me referencing other people, the whole thing was written for and on the Death Valley Driver Review message board, so take in mind. I am not insane and writing about people who don't exist. I swear...

http://www.deathvalleydriver.com

More to come: show reviews, film reviews, rants and raves, etc. Hope you dig it!

- Curt

LUCHA SET DISC 10

El Brazo, Brazo Del Oro y Brazo Del Plata vs. Hombre Bala, Pirata Morgan y El Verdugo (10/27/89)

Yep, this is pretty workrate-y, and it drags in spots (especially at the start of tercera caida) but it's a very entertaining introduction to los Brazos. A young, spry Super Porky is just the best. His charisma is so natural -- no one expects him to do the things he does -- and he uses it to a tee. The spot with him falling on all three Bucaneros, covering them up for a pin during an elaborate three-man submission, the monkey flips... it's amazing. Not like anyone else here was a slouch either. The first dive was probably the best and craziest and sadly wasn't topped. There was also a part where two of the guys did I believe a monkey flip spot and then did it IN REVERSE. That said this is what it is, a technical spotfest that feels like it falls in the dead middle of the pack. I would have liked to see at least a little hate to build to the next matches between these guys.

El Brazo, Brazo Del Oro y Brazo Del Plata vs. Hombre Bala, Pirata Morgan y El Verdugo (Super Libre) (11/10/89)

I dig the feeling of the tide turning in the second fall because los Bucaneros got clowned through the whole first. And what a clowning it was! They open with Porky splatting Morgan in the corner and I said out loud to myself "just end the fall now". He proceeds to die several more times, they repeat the Plata deadfall splash from the last match, Verdugo channels Johnny Valentine falling face first on the mat and all three of them scuttle like roaches to escape further abuse. Tremendous. After he falls to the fat of Porky again (with the great image of them dragging him off to the corner) they decide to bring the pain. Bala's all "you fucked with my brother" and he whoops the piss out of Porky. That is some stiff shit for lucha. Then they isolate Brazo and he's bleeding like a stuck pig. We get a repeat of all of the Brazos spots from the last match but Bucaneros add in their own that we didn't see yet to balance it out. Ending is kind of weak but goddamn, what a match this was.

Pirata Morgan vs. Brazo De Oro (11/17/89)

I wasn't too hyped to see this when I read it was a clean title match, I wanted hate and blood, guess that comes next match. Still it's perfectly fine stuff. Pirata's subtle cheating and more than that his selling are the best. Things get suspenseful in the final fall with both guys having damaged legs, which doesn't stop Oro from busting out a huge plancha that has him sliding down Morgan's torso like a slip'n'slide. Emilio Charles is a good second and earns his stripes by eating a Morgan tope (and having the funny Marlboro logo towel). Oro keeps hurting his knee with ill-advised offensive moves and finally Morgan locks in a Cobra Clutch, slowly falls back with it and twists which looks nasty enough for the chokeout win. I would have preferred him going back to the legs but it looked like a legit finisher. Not sure where this fits into the big title fights picture right now but it was solid.

El Brazo y Brazo De Plata vs. Hombre Bala, El Verdugo (Hair vs. Hair) (11/17/89)

Let's see if this is what I've been waiting for. I'm already psyched because los Brazos are wearing the Japanese headbands and Porky doesn't even raise his hand when he's announced, he just stares ahead stoically, ready for the fight. Of course the rudos jump immediately for the beatdown. It isn't long before the red red krovvy starts flowing and Hombre Bala is spitting it in the air like his brother. When Brazo first blades there is this awesome shot of him puffing his cheeks out and the blood dripping onto his arm which is even better than the spitting. It looks so dramatic. He gets back on offense while Verdugo takes a tumble into the seats and Brazos take it with two splashes and a cool senton assist from Brazo onto Porky's own back. Tercera is high speed fun with everyone just bringing it, including five huge dives (Porky apron splash vs. Bala rolling senton is the question of which is best). Brazo finally steps it up to win with a pair of rollups and one guy literally jumps out of his seat at the three-count. He weeps and crosses himself while Porky raises dollar bills to the sky in celebration. Fuck, you can just end the set now, that would be such a great note to go out on. Then Porky brings presumably his daughter into the ring and raises her up while the rudos get shaved, to make it even better. This will go irrationally high for me.

Emilio Charles Jr., MS-1 y Tierra, Viento y Fuego vs. Atlantis, El Dandy y Mascara Sagrada (11/24/89)

I like the simple, hateful open of two guys piefacing each other, gradually leading up to pushing and then confrontation. TVF sells a Dandy punch like a spastic. In fact, everyone's selling each other's strikes like world-beaters. The part where Dandy sidesteps MS-1 to sucker punch Charles is just the best, it reminded me of Kawaka kicking Misawa off the apron. I also love Charles ducking two huge swings from Dandy only to bail and give up the fall. If I was his partners I'd be pissed, they just got beat in technical fashion and now this guy turns chickenshit. In fact they do seem pissed! Atlantis countering a backdrop into a hiptoss while him and MS run the ropes is just a thing of beauty. The yin to that yang, of course, is Dandy pissing blood out of his head while Charles beats the shit out of him. You know it's heated when Dandy is kicking back from the floor. Finally he gets one good lick in, the tide turns and he goes all "DIE CHARLES DIE". However, Charles gets in the wheelbarrow slam reversal and it's all over. This was one of the great feud-building tags on the set that feels like it might be better than the blowoff. Also, someone needs to count how many times these guys fall out through the bottom ropes, it's got to be over a dozen.

El Dandy vs. Emilio Charles Jr. (12/1/89)

Matwork at the start is fast and furious with the first fall having a good callback to the last match as Dandy loses to the same wheelbarrow slam thing. I'm getting behind the idea that these guys can beat the shit out of each other all they want, but for the belt they need to prove it as tecnicos. Short segunda and some clipping, then we get a long figure four spot with Dandy in agony. Ref has to break the hold and Charles looks like an angry Lou Ferrigno. Then he goes into the Scorpion to increase the pain. Dandy mashes some fans after a dive and this is just kind of rambling along. Am I crazy or does Dandy bust out a Tazmission here? They go back and forth some more until it looks like Dandy eats floor off a tope suicida. Finally Dandy wins with la Magistral, which is a good end for the kind of match they were bringing to the table. Still, it wasn't awesome or anything. The first fall cut a good pace but they couldn't get out of second gear for the rest, and it suffered from what I see as the lucha psychology of "try something, that doesn't work, just try something else".

Fuerza Guerrera y Rocky Star vs. All Star y El Hijo Del Santo + Fuerza Guerrera vs. Rocky Star (12/1/89)

Fuerza really threw me off with his mask, that is NOT the same and I've never seen him wear anything different. Maybe that's just me not seeing much of his work or this is a crazy one-off. I guess he's trying to color-coordinate with Rocky Star which is a bad idea. This is a bunch of tepid brawling which especially doesn't mean much when you know one of the two Stars is losing their mask and neither is very good. Rocky busts out a good tope which I guess is a mark in his book. Actually everyone minus Fuerza bust out a dive so at least they're trying, plus there is some mask ripping which I don't really care for without any blood. Wait, is Rocky bleeding? I can't tell. We get another sideboard posting and I am happy to see that happen one last time on the set. God, the crowd really doesn't give a shit about this match. Neither should you. I have the feeling that Rocky Star lost his mask because he had to pay off a gambling debt and Fuerza said "it's cool bro, I'll get the seamstress to make me a similar getup, maybe they'll even throw us some pesos". Then he turns into a complete dick and rips the mask off himself because the bookies told him to.

Pirata Morgan vs. Ken Timbs (12/8/89)

This is like someone spliced Pirata Morgan into a mid-late Global main event. Don't tell me Blondy doesn't fit right in with the likes of the Davis Brothers or Hollywood John Tatum. Morgan would have had a better match with Raven or even Buff Bagwell. I had more fun writing this than I did watching the match.

Fuerza Guerrera vs. El Hijo Del Santo vs. All Star (Mask Match) (12/8/89)

So the rules are, everyone has a coin toss, Santo and Fuerza win and All Star gets whoever survives their singles match. You already know who's going to lose as in the previous Relevos match on this disc so your mileage may vary. I don't see the heel Santo stuff, is there something I'm missing? I didn't really feel it even in his definitive heel turn against Casas later on either. We get a short fall where Santo falls to his own finisher and then get with the mask ripping and blood. Sadly the crowd can't very ignited for this and neither could I. Fuerza does his schtick but it's all for naught. Finally we get Santo coming back to face All Star (goddamn these are some weird rules) and apparently they are working this 2/3 falls as well. Santito submits to one of the few Tapatias on the set, which is nice to see. Then we get back to All Star biting and doing his shitty heel work. He will murder people flying into the crowd which is always nice. Damn, I guess the crowd really doesn't like Santo, this is strange. I think it's a Cena reaction, to coin a term. There is a really horrible spot where Santito barely runs into the turnbuckles and sells it and now I feel like the crowd turning on the match. Then, wow, we get a poor countout finish but el Hijo turns into a complete asshole kicking the shit out of All Star, trying to rile up the crowd, and acting like a fucker during the de-masking. That alone is worth watching even if the match itself isn't. That is a heel turn, you actually feel like the guy's real attitude is showing all of the sudden and he is just a prick. Good job ending the set on that.

DISC 10

1. El Brazo y Brazo De Plata vs. Hombre Bala, El Verdugo (Hair vs. Hair) (11/17/89)
2. Emilio Charles Jr., MS-1 y Tierra, Viento y Fuego vs. Atlantis, El Dandy y Mascara Sagrada, (11/24/89)
3. El Brazo, Brazo Del Oro y Brazo Del Plata vs. Hombre Bala, Pirata Morgan y El Verdugo (Super Libre) (11/10/89)
4. El Brazo, Brazo Del Oro y Brazo Del Plata vs. Hombre Bala, Pirata Morgan y El Verdugo (10/27/89)
5. Pirata Morgan vs. Brazo De Oro (11/17/89)
6. El Dandy vs. Emilio Charles Jr. (12/1/89)
7. Fuerza Guerrera vs. El Hijo Del Santo vs. All Star (Mask Match) (12/8/89)
8. Fuerza Guerrera y Rocky Star vs. All Star y El Hijo Del Santo + Fuerza Guerrera vs. Rocky Star (12/1/89)
9. Pirata Morgan vs. Ken Timbs (12/8/89)

Obviously the Brazos disc and they deliver in spades, with #1 being an easy top five pick for me. We also get more Dandy vs. Charles action and of course los Bucaneros acquit themselves expertly as the foils for los Brazos. Morgan/Timbs was the pits and will probably be next-to-last in my rankings and dead last for most. A lopsided disc but the treats are super sweet.

LUCHA SET DISC 9

Blue Panther, Emilio Charles Jr. y Hombre Bala vs. Blue Demon Jr., Javier Cruz y Hombre Sin Nombre (8/4/89)

Demon Jr./Panther isn't much to talk about. Charles/Nombre (apparently they just stick someone at random under the Mascara Sagrada hood and costume like WWE does Sin Cara nowadays) is pretty cool though with a mix of amateur and lucha grappling. Cruz flustering Bala to the point where he goes out in the crowd to bitch out the fans is neat as well. Despite the cool roll-up the first fall feels kind of standard and I agree that Cruz is clearly head and shoulders above anyone else with his speed and crispness, which is hard to say when you have a match with Blue Panther in it.

MS-1 y Masakre vs. El Dandy y El Satanico (8/11/89)

I really love that confusion spot in the first fall, it's almost like El Dandy is doing the 'skin the cat' but in-ring, weird yet effective. There are also some great teamwork spots including the totally ridiculous double-team submission. Segunda starts with some great teasing and jawing and Dandy jumping Masakre. He also completely faceplants on an attempted flying headbutt which had to hurt. MS-1's splash is cool as Dandy is halfway across the ring and it looks like he really had to dive low to reach him, coming in like a missile. Los Infernales are such a pair of cocksuckers here, Masakre yelling at the crowd, MS-1 kicking Satanico in the face. I had a bad feeling about the ending and then they pull something off that could only happen in lucha but would work anywhere, just brilliant. Could have done with a longer tercera with more violence but the way it wound up is so damn good.

Super Astro, Atlantis y El Faraón vs. Fuerza Guerrera, Blue Panther y Emilio Charles (8/18/89)

I know Super Astro is short but he looks like a mini compared to the other guys in this one. Opening matwork is just as good as you would expect from these two maestros. Astro does a gorgeous rolling legscissors into armbar that I had to rewind. Love how he goes straight after a cheating Charles, the largest guy in the match, who begs off running all the way down the aisle! Then they replay the spot with Atlantis flat SPRINTING across the ring after Panther. We get more Panther/Astro and una caida ends spectacularly. Astro completely clowns all three rudos in a funny spot. Faraon acquits himself well briefly and we get a short segunda capped with a Scorpion deathlock. My god, the bit where Fuerza gets punched and runs full on into the post... it's almost as good when he gets knocked off the apron earlier and does this ridiculous Broadway musical sell of it. We need way more of him on this set. Atlantis and Astro both dive; Astro's tope reversa with Panther flying into the crowd is indeed "espectacular" and Panther actually gets stretchered off of it, which is just insane. I feel like if anyone needed to know what a classic lucha trios match is like, they should be shown this. Strong, high ranking match.

Atlantis, Mascara Sagrada y Super Astro vs. Hombre Bala, Pirata Morgan y Verdugo (September 1989)

This match is "relevo cuadrangular" which I guess means trios. Did I ever mention I love los Bucaneros' Rockettes-esque triple kick? Because I do. There is some really choreographed-looking shit with Sagrada taking on all three rudos but it is super entertaining and ends in one of them flying into the other two outside of the ring. Super Astro looks much more natural at this task, screwing up the pirates and making them dizzy. Like the last match we get another great Atlantis triple backbreaker spot and this time he accidentally does it to Astro as well and Sagrada is all "what the fuck, man?!" We get three dives to finish and Astro absolutely blows his last one out of the water, slingshotting himself over the top into a full-on rolling senton to the floor that I can only compare to the one Rey Jr. did to Psicosis in their title match a couple years later (if I'm remembering that correctly). It looks suicidal. That was short but what a tecnico showcase, and the rudo miscommunication spots with them bumping all over and outside the ring were great. I agree with Graham in that this is more fun than a lot of longer matches on the set.

Atlantis y Satanico vs. MS-1 y Tierra Viento y Fuego (Hair/Mask vs. Hair/Mask) (9/22/89)

We haven't seen Tierra Viento y Fuego (Earth Wind and Fire -- you're a shining star, buddy) yet. You would think maybe a blue/green/red colored outfit judging from the name but he's all yellow with red flames down the side of the singlet. It doesn't look much better than the alternative. Total rudo beatdown and dominance for the first fall. Satanico is pretty scrappy trying to fight back but it doesn't add up to much in his favor. Finally the tecnicos regroup but Satanico is covered in blood and there's this great moment with him slumped in the corner, exhausted, where Atlantis tries to tend to him and he jerks back with this startled gut reaction like someone is still trying to get him. Then the ref has to raise his arm for him. That is selling, that is pro wrestling motherfucker. Tercera caida and it's Satanico's Revenge with him still weary but ready to fight. Seems we miss when both rudos get busted open but Tierra's mask is a pool of blood. I don't think I can really do this fall justice with a write-up. Fuego loses his mask and he is PISSED. MS-1 looks like he wants to cut somebody. I want to watch this again right now.

I said "screw it" and just watched the match again. Top five, easy.

El Dandy, Apolo Dantes y Eddy Guerrero vs. Emilio Charles Jr., Pirata Morgan y Ary Romero (9/29/89)

It's surreal seeing Eddy with no facial hair. I kept looking and looking but no dice. Some decent matwork to start, tecnicos have some good legwork on Charles (who has a great high-speed scramble to the corner on the mat) and Eddy even does a standing frog splash on his leg. It's kind of weird how the tecnicos are cutting off the ring, switching up and double teaming like rudos. There is some really nice armdrag madness to start segunda but then it kind of bogs down when the rudos take over. Romero's schtick is pretty fun. At one point he kicks Dandy in the shin which nobody would see again until Dude Love came around. We end with a big dive from Eddy and martinete on Dandy. This dragged way too much, maybe if it was more of a sprint it would've been better. Everything was solid enough but it just didn't click. Good seeing Eddy though, always.

Blue Demon Jr., Super Astro y Mascara Sagrada vs. El Supremo, Espectro Jr. y Blue Panther (10/6/89)

Espectro Jr. has me wondering what the top ten barefoot wrestlers of all time were. Weird, I know, but it came to mind. The only people I can come up with off the top of my head are Kevin Von Erich, Jimmy Snuka, the Wild Samoans, and Antonino Rocca. Anyway that's for another thread.

Blue Panther tries to work his magic with Sagrada but man, that's just not him and Astro. I don't know what else is. Astro/Supremo is a little better of a pairing but it's not the same. Astro clowning the rudos with his little dance doesn't make sense -- why don't they all just jump him at once right there? It got some heat from the absolutely dead crowd but them bringing the ass-beat would have even more. We get five seconds of Panther/Astro and the fall ends super weak. Segunda caida is completely listless with a horrible whiffed strike from Supremo that shows more air than Alaska. There's a bit more chaos to the third fall and we get a reiteration of the beautiful slingshot senton to the floor from Astro, but man, this was seriously lacking.

Jerry Estrada, Ary Romero y Rick Patterson vs. Javier Cruz, Eddy Guerrero y El Dandy (10/6/89)

I already watched this once (in a less than sober moment) and dug it so let's give it another try and see what's up.

Rick Patterson is the former Corporal Kirschner/Leatherface wearing the Mr. Pogo/Gladiator makeup. He's a stiff bastard (as anyone who read about him trying to murder someone in Japan in the first Foley book can attest to) and after Eddy lands on his head off a clothesline he gives him a little receipt with a botched looking back body drop/powerslam thing. Jerry isn't much better considering what shape he was probably in so I'd much rather be in with Ary. Segunda caida starts and this is just a total rudo beatdown. All three guys look vicious. Eddy takes the brunt of the beating and the ref just gives up the fall to the tecnicos after the three-man stomping. Now people are throwing drinks at the rudos and the schtick reaches maximum level. They really work in an FMW heel team kind of way, maybe it's Rick's makeup or the fact that they are a low-grade group of rudos with broad characters. Finally Dandy and Cruz man up and start fighting back including a huge assisted plancha... then Jerry wins abruptly and the match fizzles. Eddy was really great here and I don't know why the hate is so high for the rudos. This was perfectly acceptable and fun IMO.

All Star, El Dandy y El Texano vs. Espectro Jr., Jerry Estrada y Rocky Star (10/13/89)

Jerry hangs with Texano on the mat in the first fall and I tip my hat. Cool reversal into knucklelock dude. It still makes no sense for him to take a back bump off a push that wouldn't back up a ten year old. 1a. Caida ends in overly choreographed fashion, then we get this amazing horror film camera shot of Espectro Jr. in the crowd that would scare the shit out of any young kid. Immediately after Jerry breaks the fucking middle rope. Good job. At one point he takes out somebody standing at ringside when Dandy is chasing him and it looks like Espectro grabs onto the guy to try and pull him off/defend Jerry which is really weird. We end with Rocky demasking All Star during a pinfall and I had to rewind to realize what happened. Mercifully short, this was interesting as an oddball pick but nothing more. Nobody really needs an All Star/Rocky Star feud in their bucket list of unseen matches.

Chavo Guerrero, Cien Caras y Mascara Ano Dos Mil vs. Lizmark, El Satanico y Rayo De Jalisco Jr. (10/20/89)

The beginning of this is the dirt worst. It's soooooooooo slow for the entire first fall but finally the heels eat it (including Chavo sprinting all the way around the ring to evade capture). Everyone is laying in their strikes but by god is it boring. I'm at tercera caida now and I have had nothing else to say. They all brawl to the outside aside from Satanico and Chavo and I have no clue what Satanico is trying for a submission, he just loosely holds him and pats him on the belly a couple times before they start hitting each other again. Then they do a piss-poor rope running spot where they hit each other and I am ready to throw the remote. It finally ends and I was saying out loud to myself "when is this going to end" well before it does. My active #100 and probably the only match I have been not only disappointed but mad at on the set. It's Hermanos, Lizmark, a Guerrero, and fucking SATANICO, how do you stink it up this hard. So lackluster. I didn't expect much from Rayo, his schtick is fine in small doses, but jeez. Nobody was trying here.

Jerry Estrada vs. Javier Cruz (Hair vs. Hair) (10/20/89)

This match won't figure into my ratings, it will be a "?" because Jerry is clearly too impaired to perform. Not that Jerry isn't there all the time, he is, but the moments where the somas and cheap whiskey drive this into the ground are too huge to ignore. Monarca tries to hold it together, and admirably Jerry does too because you can tell he knows he's fucked and is trying to, but I don't know where I could rate this. I don't even think the crowd knows how to, despite them throwing money.

EDIT: Fuck it, I'll be game with this. It'll go low but I refuse to give it a bump up the ratings because of the trainwreck aspect. I do things like Jerry does on a weekly basis, but I'm not going to give him points for such in a wrestling match.

DISC 9 RANKINGS:

1. Atlantis y Satanico vs. MS-1 y Tierra Viento y Fuego (Hair/Mask vs. Hair/Mask) (9/22/89)
2. Super Astro, Atlantis y El Faraón vs. Fuerza Guerrera, Blue Panther y Emilio Charles (8/18/89)
3. MS-1 y Maskare vs. El Dandy y El Satanico, (8/11/89)
4. Blue Panther, Emilio Charles Jr. y Hombre Bala vs. Blue Demon, Javier Cruz y Hombre Sin Nombre (8/4/89)
5. Atlantis, Mascara Sagrada y Super Astro vs. Hombre Bala, Pirata Morgan y Verdugo) (September 1989)
6. Jerry Estrada, Ary Romero y Rick Patterson vs. Javier Cruz, Eddy Guerrero y El Dandy (10/6/89)
7. El Dandy, Apolo Dantes y Eddy Guerrero vs. Emilio Charles Jr., Pirata Morgan y Ary Romero (9/29/89)
8. All Star, El Dandy y El Texano vs. Espectro Jr., Jerry Estrada y Rocky Star (10/13/89)
9. Blue Demon Jr., Super Astro y Mascara Sagrada vs. El Supremo, Espectro Jr. y Blue Panther (10/6/89)
10. Jerry Estrada vs. Javier Cruz (Hair vs. Hair) (10/20/89)
11. Chavo Guerrero, Cien Caras y Mascara Ano Dos Mil vs. Lizmark, El Satanico y Rayo De Jalisco Jr. (10/20/89)

You really can cut this disc in half quality-wise. Only #6, which so far got low marks from Tim and OJ, seemed like a bit of a stand-out to me from the second half. #11 is the dirt-worst and the less said about the infamous Estrada/Cruz match the better. Still the highs were super high, with that Relevos Suicidos being absolutely top shelf. #2 also came in higher for me than it seems like it might get rated.

LUCHA SET DISC 8

Pirata Morgan vs. El Dandy (Hair vs. Hair) (9/23/88)

God this is the third time I've watched this, and I'm (almost) as drunk as I was the first two. I have my bearings reviewing things despite my condition and I know I wouldn't watch something three times if I didn't enjoy it. I just don't think it might be as good as on paper... maybe a hangover from all the sick, grimy matches beforehand, blood-spitting or no. Let's see.

Sucking someone else's blood from their cut forehead and blowing it out in a spray into the air is maybe the most repulsive/admirable things I've ever seen in wrestling, and that covers a lot of ground. Hey CZW idiots, quit blowing spots and diving into glass, the real shit is right here... except there is probably a greater chance of hepatitis or HIV infection given the workers involved. Which is pretty bad considering this was Mexico in the '80s. Anyway! Ref irritates a bit switching between heel and face in his decisions taking heat off the workers but it's not horrible. Short first fall. Next one starts with Morgan straight pitching Dandy over the top rope outside which is so callous and dismissive. He continues that pulling up Dandy after pins. Finally Morgan submits immediately to the figure four after selling a diving headbutt like a gunshot, which is exactly how it should be. Now Morgan is SOAKED in blood for la revancha. Dandy kicks him and he yells out like his other eye hit the mat. The back-and-forth between these two is perfect, simple transitions and big selling, both men are amazing. Then the sudden comebacks come in and yeah... this will take you out of it. I can buy the final Magistral but if it went on any longer it'd feel like an ROH main event. Expectations are everything sometimes and I wanted this to be MS-1/Chicana, but it wasn't. It was like the pro-video, far less gritty version. Still, no real complaints.

Mogur vs. Mascara Ano 2000 (Mask vs. Mask) (9/23/88)

I've talked a lot of shit about mascara matches with no blood but this is the exception that proves the rule. What a fight. Both Mogur and Ano DOS MIL~! look like twins fighting each other with almost identical gear, and their fighting styles are similar too -- intensive selling, plus look for the big move and use it for the win. Mogur has the brutal Liger Bomb but MA2K has the Alabama Slams that will destroy you. Good short first two falls and we get a good stretch for the finish, which might just be the best in the set. Mogur jumps the gun on believing he beat Mascara with a sub and celebrates only to be absolutely MURDERED by back suplex. It's so final the ref de-masks him without letting him regain full consciousness and get his bearings, which is so incredibly humiliating. The slo-mo replay is the last nail in the coffin. I never thought I'd say this but you can take your gorefests and leave 'em at the door when there's this kind of work on hand. Man this was great. Crowd threw trash the entire time, so I don't know what they were thinking.

Blue Demon, Blue Demon Jr. y Ringo Mendoza vs. Emilio Charles Jr., Pirata Morgan y Satanico (11/25/88)

What a tremendously scummy trios combo the rudo team is. Might as well be another incarnation of los Infernales, which it kind of already is. This is a nostalgia match for an aging Blue Demon but with three super-workers plus a green, highspot-happy BD Jr. who probably blew off every move he knew in his first segment of the match. Mendoza is there to pick up the slack between the Demons getting beaten on and the rudos bumping all over the place. BD Sr. does throw some stiff strikes and is spry enough to acquit himself well for one of his final matches. Highly entertaining in its own way.

Super Halcon, Satanico y Masakre vs. El Texano, Lizmark y Rayo De Jalisco Jr. (3/17/89)

Halcon is new to the set and basically takes a Tarzan Goto approach yet he will back off and play chickenshit, which is a nice balance to him otherwise just plainly no-selling and beating the shit out of people. Him chopping Texano out of the ring in una caida is hilarious. Texano and Satanico end up facing off in a beautiful segment bookended by great brawling (and boxing) with a mean Cobra Clutch in the middle. Then they have another one shortly thereafter, fast as fuck with some great cackling and howling from Satanico. The two carry most of the match though the big storyline is Rayo and Halcon hating each other, which leads to some good brawling and mask-ripping. Lizmark sadly just shows up in brief bursts, one of which is him pretty much jumping Satanico which looks vicious. I think this probably ended up better than the apuestas match between the two captains.

EDIT: BY FAR.

Angel Azteca, Atlantis y Blue Demon Jr. vs. El Dandy, Super Muneco y El Texano (3/24/89)

Dandy did not have any good intentions behind that back suplex, no sir. And of course Demon Jr. just gets up right after it. I guess Dandy just thought "if this doesn't cripple him it'll teach him a lesson anyway" and went for it.

The crowd has X-Pac heat for Super Munico. It's like they want a straight maestros match and get him and Blue Demon Jr. involved instead. Still this has its high points: Texano is another dark horse of the set who can hang with anyone style-wise, even at such a young age. We also get more Atlantis than we got Lizmark last time (BOOOOOOO) but he's good in any amount anywhere by now. Probably finish low but still... TEXANO

Sangre Chicana vs. Satanico (5/26/89)

I refused to read anything but the first few lines or two from the previous reviews for this one. Don't think something this good on paper should be spoiled.

Mano a mano! This starts out really scrappy. Satanico is just grinding into Sangre and they keep splitting off until the crowd boos and Satanico points out there is ALREADY MONEY ON THE MAT, so it's time to give them what they paid for. A short headbutt from Sangre starts it off and now they're just beating on each other and grinding each other into the ropes. Satanico hits a punch/slap you can loudly hear over the crowd and Sangre takes those big turnbuckle bumps. Una caida ends with an armbar/side headlock on the mat? Weird. The receipt for that Satanico punch is even louder. He keeps egging on Sangre, going punch drunk, jumping him from behind and biting him. Tercera is the best as it breaks out in a full-on slugfest outside the ring and up the aisle, into the crowd with both guys whaling on each other and tripping over the seats. Finally the ref is fed up and counts them both out (empate?) and we have the setup for a probable hair match that nobody films. Goddammit.

Despite the slow pace this was a mean match. Satanico is so great demanding to be punched over and over and Sangre does not let up. Don't know where this stands but it's solid as hell.

Atlantis, El Dandy y Popitekus vs. Gran Markus Jr., Pirata Morgan y Ulises (5/26/89)

Popitekus is indeed one big bastard as I've heard. I was expecting someone masked and of a more Porky-esque stature, but he's built more like a brick shithouse instead. His name is also one of the most linguistically pleasing both spelled and spoken that I've yet to encounter in wrestling.

Despite that pseudo-Death Valley Driver the first fall ends pretty flat with flubs from both big men. After the enormous levels of hate on this set seeing something that is so "good clean fun" involving someone like Pirata Morgan is strange to the point of off-putting. Atlantis is flashy as usual but it doesn't really matter much. Right when you think tercera caida is going to pick up with some big dives it just ends and everyone has a love-fest. Going towards the bottom half for me.

Popitekus, Angel Azteca y Steve Nelson vs. Emilio Charles Jr., Gran Markus Jr. y Masakre (6/9/89)

I am shocked. I expected Steve Nelson (a big blonde juiced-up white kid) to have no place in the match and here he is trading holds with Emilio Charles Jr. on the mat and it actually looks good instead of a fish out of water, like I thought it might. He also admirably stacks up against Markus until Masakre kicks him in the teeth and, not soon after, the rudos finally decide to pounce. Their sudden decision to whoop some ass is pretty great. Masakre slaps the piss out of Nelson to emphasize him getting pinned and moments later Popi and then Azteca eat the boards. It's a fantastic little bit of sudden rudo dominance. Popitekus gets flash pins over Markus and Masakre to cement segunda caida which is killer, then gets a great control segment that would be your current Mark Henry tag part, but with high spots. Masakre is channeling his former teammate Satanico in his smugness and selling which is fantastic. Then we get a grand finish with some big moves and I am pleased. See, a little hate will add some heat to your boring random trios, you just got to let it in baby.

Javier Cruz vs. Hombre Bala (Hair vs. Hair) (6/30/89)

Given that this is a hair match I'm surprised at the seeming indifference of the crowd. First fall ends with a gorgeous missile dropkick and tope from Cruz, and I am psyched. It's one of those moments you are truly thankful for the slo-mo replay. Javier is selling all over the place for Hombre's gourd busters and suplexes until he's just dying on the floor. He still has some fight but a cheap shot to the kidneys puts him outside again. Unfortunately his comeback involves some really shitty kicks and a piss-poor bladejob by Bala. I think they realize where their bread is buttered by Javier getting back into tecnico mode and they have a great bit with some punter dodging Javier coming over the top into a backflip and tope by Bala. Both guys are bleeding now and Cruz eats a powerbomb off the top rope. If the crowd has seemed muted and weak the entire match it may be due to the audio because they come to the front for the cueballing of Bala and by god does he look like Jason from Friday the 13th 2 halfway into his cut. It doesn't help that the barber is missing a bunch of teeth either. Why anyone would want to leave before that is finished is beyond me.

This was short but very good, it had some parts that I can see people left cold on and it has its weaknesses, but the glory of the caida endings is not to be dismissed.

Watching this a second time and I think I'm underselling it. This is fuckin' amazing. There is a bunch of cool postings and count-out spots, and the selling is off the chain. Bala also has weird reddish hair dye like any number of middle-aged Latino women to emphasize his perm. The silver bullet on the back of his gear just adds to the sartorial splendor. I love how he pins Cruz with his leg at one point because he's so exhausted. They hand Javier fucking cash at the end and I don't blame them. Might be #1 or #2 on this disc.

Emilio Charles, Fabuloso Blondy y Pirata Morgan vs. El Dandy, Atlantis & El Faraón (7/21/89)

We open up and Emilio Charles Jr. just starts beating the piss out of people, audibly. Blondy does a dual-handed throat chop and I did the Tenzan Mongolian Chop hiss out loud like the drunken fool I am. You can tell he is really not in his element as he basically pins himself in una caida -- at least there is some decent begging off to go with his ineptitude and horrible makeup. Meanwhile, Atlantis makes everything he does look effortless and you wonder how. Eventually the rudos take over and Charles looks to take Dandy's scalp home with him. Pirata ends it with a fantastic Rey Jr.-esque splash. The big story here is Emilio vs. Dandy and eventually the former is drizzling blood down his chest. They get upstaged by Atlantis busting out a quebrada which is a first for the set. Emilio and Dandy trade a bunch of falls until Dandy finally gets blasted with el martinete to pick up the win. Blondy was visibly out of his league but otherwise this was a nice setup for the apuestas match to follow, with some nice highspots and matwork to keep it flowing.

Emilio Charles vs. El Dandy (Hair v. Hair) (7/28/89)

Charles comes into this sporting a fro that isn't quite Mocho Cota level but is still pretty rockin'. When you beat out El Dandy's hair in a hair match then you're doing pretty good for yourself. It's funny seeing all the Alabama Slams on this set since Cody Rhodes just brought that one out of mothballs. Dandy sells so good (including a Johnny Valentine face flop) and his punches are just vicious. Charles will just not let up on him after the huge splash that ends una caida: full-contact stomping his head, biting him, fishhooking him. Of course this is Dandy we're with so in moments he's drizzling blood all over himself. He comes back with some sick baseboard postings where Charles get blasted and is just hanging there kind of convulsing. Then we get the Majistral of all Majistrals, El Dandino, to end segunda caida. There's a great moment where Dandy gets posted and flies toward the camera, which then gets a good closeup of his bloodstained white trunks. By this point both guys are just throwing everything they can at each other, Dandy misses huge on a diving headbutt, hits a German, misses a senton, both guys dive bigtime. Finally they're just duking it out until Dandy kicks Charles right in the back of the head and hits a CRAZY no-hands tope completely clearing the top rope. They start duking again but the ref abruptly stops everything and says "you both lose!" I thought it was lame until I saw the replay with him clearly counting them out from the time Dandy hits the floor. A fan actually tries to pull him to the floor to avoid the cueballing.

Damn this was good. All three falls end huge and they literally pull out all the stops on each other. I didn't really notice any rudo ref stuff either. Going high, this one.

1. Mogur vs. Mascara Ano 2000 (Mask vs. Mask) (9/23/88)
2. Javier Cruz vs. Hombre Bala (Hair vs. Hair) (6/30/89)
3. Sangre Chicana vs. Satanico (5/26/89)
4. Emilio Charles vs. El Dandy (Hair v. Hair) (7/28/89)
5. Pirata Morgan vs. El Dandy (Hair vs. Hair) (9/23/88)
6. Super Halcon, Satanico y Masakre vs. El Texano, Lizmark y Rayo De Jalisco Jr. (3/17/89)
7. Popitekus, Angel Azteca y Steve Nelson vs. Emilio Charles Jr., Gran Markus Jr. y Masakre (6/9/89)
8. Emilio Charles, Fabuloso Blondy y Pirata Morgan vs. El Dandy, Atlantis & El Faraón (7/21/89)
9. Blue Demon, Blue Demon Jr. y Ringo Mendoza vs. Emilio Charles Jr., Pirata Morgan y Satanico (11/25/88)
10. Angel Azteca, Atlantis y Blue Demon Jr. vs. El Dandy, Super Muneco y El Texano (3/24/89)
11. Atlantis, El Dandy y Popitekus vs. Gran Markus Jr., Pirata Morgan y Ulises (5/26/89)

This disc is just plain loaded. I mean Pirata Morgan spitting blood mist is NUMBER FIVE, come on. More cool discoveries here with Texano, Popitekus, Hombre Bala and Masakre stepping it up a notch, and again another dark-horse match to come out on top of the pack. I get the feeling I am greatly underestimating Satanico/Chicana and that might bite me in the ass later.