The Heavy Metal Thread
Various Artists - "Metal Massacre" (1982)
The legendary first Metal Blade compilation that spawned early recordings from bands like Metallica, Bitch, Ratt, Steeler & Cirith Ungol & played a key role in the rise of the American metal scene. It's a very rough sounding record to be honest as their wasn't a huge financial commitment made by the sounds of it. The tracklisting is incredibly top heavy too. In fact, I like every track on the A side but don't have much time for any of the tracks on the B side (including the early version of Metallica's "Hit The Lights" as James' vocals are bloody awful & Lars' drumming isn't much better. Mustaine was clearly the star of the show at that stage as he totally shreds). This one is really only for the completists amongst you as a lot of this material was re-recorded in a more professional manner later on.
For fans of Malice, Metallica & Ratt.
3/5
Here's the new Top Ten Metal Releases of 1978 list I've created this morning which has considered any release currently listed as a metal release on the Metal Academy database :
01. Judas Priest – “Killing Machine”
02. Judas Priest – “Stained Class”
03. Scorpions – “Taken By Force”
04. Centaurus – “Centaurus”
05. Sorcery (USA-IL) – “Sinister Soldiers”
06. Rainbow – “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”
07. Black Sabbath – “Never Say Die!”
08. Sorcery (USA–CA) – “Stunt Rock”
09. Zarpa Rock – “Los cuatro jinetes del Apocalipsis”
10. Heavy Load – “Full Speed at High Level”
And here's my Top Ten Metal Releases of 1979 list too:
01. Judas Priest – “Unleashed In The East”
02. Motorhead – “Overkill”
03. Mythra – “The Death & Destiny” E.P.”
04. Motorhead – “Bomber”
05. Legend – “From The Fjords”
06. Scorpions – “Lovedrive”
07. Saxon – “Saxon”
08. Riot – “Narita”
09. The Hand of Doom – “Poisonoise”
10. Motorhead – “On Parole”
And my Top Ten Metal Releases of 1980 list:
01. Diamond Head – “Lightning To The Nations”
02. Motorhead – “Ace of Spades”
03. Saxon – “Strong Arm of the Law”
04. Motorhead – “The Golden Years: Live” E.P.
05. Black Sabbath – “Heaven & Hell”
06. Judas Priest – “British Steel”
07. Witchfynde – “Give ‘Em Hell”
08. Iron Maiden – “Iron Maiden”
09. Samson – “Head On”
10. Trust – “Repression”
And finally, my Top Ten Metal Release of 1981 list:
01. Motorhead – “No Sleep Till Hammersmith”
02. Iron Maiden – “Maiden Japan” E.P.
03. Black Sabbath – “Mob Rules”
04. Krokus – “Hardware”
05. Def Leppard – “High ‘n’ Dry”
06. Ozzy Osbourne – “Diary of a Madman”
07. Motorhead & Girlschool – “St Valentines Day Massacre” E.P.
08. Venom – “Welcome To Hell”
09. Iron Maiden – “Killers”
10. Tygers of Pan Tang – “Spellbound”
Exodus - "1982 Demo" demo (1982)
I originally picked this crude demo tape up through the tape trading scene back in the day. I'd consciously sought it out (along with the band's other demos) as I'd fallen hopelessly in love with the first few Exodus records, particularly "Bonded By Blood" & "Fabulous Disaster". Sadly, I recall being disappointed with this particular release & didn't return to it until now when I've completely forgotten why I disliked it in the first place. It pretty soon became apparent as to why a young thrasher like myself would have found little appeal in it though as this is far from the early thrash/speed metal release it's often made out to be.
What we get here are three traditional heavy metal tunes that are much more in line with Iron Maiden & Motorhead than they are with Metallica. That's not an issue as such as I don't mind me some classic metal but the muted, distant & unproduced sound quality is also very poor & doesn't do the pretty decent song-writing any justice. The musicianship is very good throughout & it's clear that Exodus were always capable in that department, particularly guitarists Gary Holt & future Metallica axeman Kirk Hammett who absolutely shred & give Dave Mustaine's early works a serious run for their money. In fact, it's very clear why James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich cherry-picked Kirk as Mustaine's replacement because you can easily identify his trademark chops here & the wonderful dualing guitar solos are the clear highlight of the release. This demo also features bassist Jeff Andrews who would be replaced by Rob McKillop prior to "Bonded By Blood" & would go on to play in an early version of Possessed in 1983. Legendary front man & general nut case Paul Baloff's vocals are much more traditional than you might expect here. They're nowhere near as out of control as you'll find on the debut album which proves that much of his divisive delivery was intentional. He's serviceable enough without ever really competing with his guitarists for the limelight which might be why he opted to go for a more psychotic approach in the future.
Ultimately, "1982 Demo" is nothing more than an historical showcase of the early workings of a band that would go on to bigger & brighter things. There were loads of much more substantial heavy metal releases floating around at the time & if it weren't for the Exodus name then I doubt anyone would even have heard of this little cassette. The band must have transitioned to their faster & more intense thrash metal sound very quickly afterwards given how important they're regarded as having been in the early Bay Area scene, especially since Metallica's "No Life 'til Leather" tape would be released in July of 1982. I'm afraid this is another one for the completists only.
2.5/5
Death SS - "Evil Metal" single (1983)
The first official release from this underground occult metal band from Italy. The three tracks are all very different from each other with the lengthy opening track (& clear highlight of the release) "Chains of Death" starting off as an excellent example of the early traditional doom metal subgenre & morphing into a more conventional heavy metal sound during the back end. The B side kicks off with a fast speed metal number by the name of "Inquisitor" before the tracklisting is closed out by a genuinely avant-garde metal song in "Schizophrenic". The doom metal tag that this record generally draws (in conjunction with heavy metal) is a little ambitious as there's really only a few minutes of proper doom on offer here. I think heavy metal is as good a tag as you're gonna find in this case as there's an element of it on all three tracks even though it may not be the primary genre for any of them. Sadly, the quality is really confined to the A side even though Death SS are undeniably an interesting act with a sound that combines the classic heavy metal of Black Sabbath/Mercyful Fate with the speed metal of Bulldozer & the traditional doom metal of Black Hole.
3/5
Bitch - "Be My Slave" (1983)
This is a pretty decent & very consistent debut album from a lesser known Los Angeles four-piece that features a leather & bondage-obsessed female vocalist as the main focal point. Bitch's sound sits somewhere between hard rock & heavy metal with a bit of punk thrown in for good measure. The song-writing is ok without being anything special but it's the performances & execution that are the real highlight here as Bitch are tight as hell, know how to write crunchy hard rock riffs, feature some great guitar solos & possess a very energetic & engaging lead singer. Think Girlschool, Plasmatics & Rock Goddess.
3.5/5
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - "Trilogy" (1986)
I think it’s fair to say that Swedish guitar virtuoso Yngwie J. Malmsteen played a significant role in my teenage years. I can’t say that his brand of neoclassically inclined metal music ever really crossed over with my taste profile particularly but his dazzling chops were pretty much unequalled at the time & that was enough to keep this budding young shredder interested. I’d first come across him in 1989 when I discovered the track “Heaven Tonight” on the cover CD for the first edition of a monthly Australian metal magazine called Hot Metal. It left my jaw sitting on the floor to such an extent that I found myself purchasing the 1988 “Odyssey” album on cassette a short time later & followed it up by exploring all three of Yngwie’s previous albums, the last of which would be his 1986 third album “Trilogy”. I’d also invest in the guitar tablature books for all of those albums & would continue to follow Yngwie’s solo work religiously until 1995’s “Magnum Opus” when I’d decide that I had enough Yngwie in my life & moved on. It’s been many years since I’ve listened to “Trilogy” now though & I think it’s about time that I gave it a rating.
Yngwie’s 1984 “Rising Force” debut album was historically the one that I spent the most time with which was mainly due to the fact that I preferred a purely instrumental brand of guitar shred music at the time but several decades have seen my enjoyment of the neoclassical structures Yngwie employed earlier on waning a bit & I’ve eventually come to the realisation that I regard 1985’s “Marching Out” sophomore album as Yngwie’s best work these days. It saw him opting for a much greater ratio of vocal tracks & is more of a classic heavy metal album with neoclassical guitar solos than it is a genuine neoclassical metal album. “Trilogy” saw him taking that concept a little further by adding a touch more commercial accessibility with an all new line-up. Front man Jeff Scott Soto & bassist Marcel Jacob had both departed with Yngwie taking on the bass duties himself & future Ring Of Fire & Royal Hunt vocalist Mark Boals taking over the microphone. (Note: Scott Soto & Jacob would form hard rock outfit Talisman a few years later while Jacob would also pop up with progressive metallers Space Odyssey in the early 2000’s.) The Johansson brothers are still onboard & provide their usual high-class contributions with their jazz fusion-influenced styles providing a wonderful foil for Yngwie’s neoclassicisms, whether that be through Andres’ creative use of ride cymbal or Jens’ spectacular keyboard solo trade-offs with his band leader.
As with “Marching Out”, I struggle with the idea of labelling “Trilogy” as a “neoclassical metal” release as I don’t think it possesses anything particularly classical in the song & riff structures. It’s really just Yngwie’s solos that provide the neoclassical links & I don’t think that constitutes any need for its own distinct genre when the majority of the album is made up of traditional heavy metal song-writing. Lengthy instrumental closer “Trilogy Suite: Op 5” is the clear exception & it sounds quite similar to the material that made Yngwie an instant star with the “Rising Force” album. The other instrumental track “Crying” takes more of a new age approach that reminds me heavily of Marty Friedmann’s early 90’s albums before heading into a neoclassical hard rock direction during the second half. Neither of these instrumental tracks do much for me to be honest. They’re both very high on technique but quite low on musical substance. There are a couple of genuine power metal tunes on offer too in the fast-paced “Liar” & “Fury” & they provide further proof of just how influential Yngwie was on the early European power metal movement. The remaining five songs all fall into the heavy metal bucket & this is where I feel “Trilogy” is at its strongest with anthemic opener “You Don’t Remember, I Never Forget” & doomy Dio-era Black Sabbath sound of “Dark Ages” being the clear highlights of a tracklisting that’s not without blemish but where the wins comfortably outweigh the losses.
You won’t have to spend too much time guessing which decade “Trilogy” hails from because it sounds very much of its time. Yngwie’s thin rhythm guitar sound isn’t amazing while the drums have that distinctly artificial 80’s timbre & the keyboard work can sound pretty naff when used for atmospheric accompaniment. Boals’ vocal performance is excellent throughout & you can easily see why Malmsteen liked him given his lifelong obsession with Rainbow as Mark’s tone is very similar to Ronnie James Dio’s. Yngwie’s lead solos don’t offer anything drastically different from what we’d heard on his earlier releases however here we see him taking his trademark runs & signature arpeggios & combining them into ridiculously technical hybrids that see him jumping from one technique to another very quickly & with seamless efficiency. I often like to imagine Jason Becker, Marty Friedmann & Vinnie Moore sitting in one of their bedrooms getting high while listening to each new Malmsteen record. I picture them all & rolling on the floor in fits of laughter at the mind-blowing new level’s Yngwie was taking lead guitar to with each subsequent release.
“Trilogy” is another more than decent Malmsteen record but I do think of it as the weakest of his 1980’s solo albums. It was certainly a step down from the very strong “Marching Out” but compares more favourably when placed alongside “Rising Force” although it contains a little more filler & probably doesn’t include as many highlights either. I’d suggest that most fans would have jumped onboard regardless though & I don’t think “Trilogy” was done any harm by the attractive fantasy cover artwork as it was certainly a drawcard for geeky teenage shred wannabes. There will undoubtedly be those that hate on “Trilogy” for being too accessible but most of those people probably had no business checking out an Yngwie record in the first place in my opinion.
3.5/5
Anvil - Forged In Fire (1983)
I remember back in the early 1980s Anvil were quite often featured in mags like Kerrang!, but back then, being a lot younger, I was apt to make harsh and completely unbased snap judgements about things and had decided early on that Lips looked like "a bit of a twat" so promptly ignored anything that Anvil put out. I did see the documentary about them, The Story of Anvil, and it did end up with me rooting for the dogged Canadians, but it is only recently however, over the last couple of months in fact, that I have finally checked out any Anvil releases and I guess it's me who is the twat because I have thoroughly enjoyed their first couple of albums (although the debut is lyrically quite embarrassing) and so I have missed out on many years of Anvil enjoyment.
So to album number three, 1983's Forged In Fire and, for me, this is the best one yet. Anvil strike me a little as how Venom may sound if they were better musicians and ditched the horror/satanic imagery - and I mean that as a compliment as I love Venom. Most of the tracks are highly-charged, speed-driven rippers with some really cool riffs and impressive lead work from the unjustifiably maligned (by me) Steve "Lips" Kudlow that owe a fair bit to post-Killing Machine Judas Priest. Opener Forged in Fire includes a Stargazer-like section where Lips let's loose with a soaring solo and the following track, Shadow Zone, has another brilliant extended solo during it's latter section that show exactly how egregiously I had misjudged poor old Lips who, it turns out, is one hell of a metal guitarist.
It's not all a complete love-in from me though and Forged In Fire does contain a couple of clunkers, the worst of which is Never Deceive Me and, to a lesser extent, Make It Up to You, both of which sound like possible attempts at producing tracks for radio play. Butter Bust Jerky has a really odd-sounding chorus too, otherwise it is great with more red-hot soloing from old Lips. The middle section of the album does hit a bit of a plateau, but the closing duo of the searing Motormount and Winged Assassins ensure that the album ends on a high.
All in all this was a very satisfying listen and a really great slab of classic metal that I was a fool to overlook first time around.
4/5
While I agree that "Forged In Fire" was certainly the best of Anvil's first three records, they'll forever be a band that's simply not for me. 3/5
Q5 - "Steel The Light" (1984)
There was a bit of a minor scene happening in Seattle in the mid-1980's with bands like Q5, TKO, Culprit, Nightshade & Mistrust all floating around & often sharing members. "Steel The Light" is the most highly regarded release to come out of that lot & sees Q5 approaching NWOBHM-style heavy metal & an AC/DC-inspired brand of hard rock in equal measure. Jonathan Scott K's powerful vocals are well suited to this kind of music & the presence of guitarist Floyd Rose (yes, the man behind the locking nut/floating tremolo system) won't be lost on the guitarists out there. The album is very much a tale of two halves with the majority of the metal material appearing on the A side & the more commercially accessible tracks filling the B side. That B side does include a couple of duds in the AOR-infused glam metal ballad "Come & Gone" & the generic AC/DC-plagiarizing "Rock On" but the rest of the album is quite entertaining, particularly the classic title track which draws upon lumbering Dio-fronted metal anthems like "Heaven & Hell" & "Holy Diver" for influence. I also really enjoy the catchy closer "Teenage Runaway" which sees the album finishing on a high & will have you singing along in your head for hours afterward. If you like heavy rockers like Krokus, Pretty Maids & Culprit then you'll no doubt find a bit to like about "Steel The Light".
3.5/5
ADX - "Execution" (1985)
The 1985 debut album from French metal establishment ADX represented somewhat of a gap in my metal knowledge as it's quite highly regarded, particularly in their home country. ADX are still running strong after twelve albums & 41 years in the business but I'd previously only heard their 1990 fourth album "Weird Visions" & it didn't exactly set my world on fire to be fair. "Execution" is a much stronger effort though with the band showing off some highly accomplished chops & benefiting from a raw yet razor-sharp production job that perfectly accentuates ADX's strengths.
ADX's sound sits somewhere in between the high velocity speed metal of Savage Grace & the NWOBHM-influenced French heavy metal of H-Bomb & early Sortilege, perhaps being a little closer to the heavy metal side of the equation when examined closely. There's a great energy about everything the band do here with the shredding guitar solos being the clear highlight for me personally. The weakest link is an inconsistent performance by front man Phil whose voice isn't the strongest you'll find & probably isn't helped by his opting to perform in his native tongue either. The instrumental component manages to cover for him for the most part though with only the unintelligent closer "Caligula" falling short of par for me personally. It's also the most popular song on the tracklisting though so go figure. My favourite number is heavy metal anthem "Prière de Satan" which features some lovely melodic guitar work & is easily Phil's most effective contribution with some highly memorable vocal hooks. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that it's a French metal classic.
So "Execution" is a pretty decent listen overall, even if it's fallen well short of the classic status that some would have you believe it to be worthy of. It's probably the most high energy release I've heard from the early French scene though which differentiates it from other respectable records from bands like Blaspheme, High Power, Trust or Warning. In fact, I'd imagine that most speed metal freaks will probably get a lot more out of "Execution" than I do as speed metal doesn't tend to be a genre that I find myself connecting with as readily as your traditional brand of heavy metal.
3.5/5
King Diamond - "Fatal Portrait" (1986)
I've always enjoyed the more classic King Diamond & Mercyful Fate releases but recently realized that I'd never actually heard King Diamond's highly regarded debut album & decided to fill that gap post haste. Unlike most people, I've always slightly favored the King's solo material over Mercyful Fate & "Fatal Portrait" again showcases the reasons why with guitarists Andy LaRocque & Michael Denner contributing dazzling performances that steal the show from their theatrical front man. The lead guitar tone is nothing short of wonderful & the solos are pushed way forward in the mix for obvious reasons which is a major drawcard for this old shredder. The rhythm section of Timi Hansen & Mikkey Dee are pretty sensational too as they effortlessly pull off some pretty classy instrumental nuances so efficiently that a lot of the more technically impressive touches probably go unnoticed by most listeners. I can generally take or leave the King's operatic vocal style to be honest though. He can be pretty amazing on the super-elite classics but doesn't really do much to draw me in on the rest of the material & I kinda feel that I've heard it all before from him at this point in my life.
Despite a few flashy flourishes here & there, I'd suggest that "Fatal Portrait" is probably a little less progressive than some of the King's other albums & thankfully isn't as neoclassically influenced either. The highlight tracks like "The Candle", "The Portrait", "Charon" & "Haunted" are all very strong heavy metal anthems in their own right but I'm not sure I can say that any of them are genuine classics for me personally & I think the King is the limiting factor there as I really do need to be able to connect with the vocal hooks in your more traditional heavy metal space. There are plenty of outstanding riffs but I think they've been done a minor disservice by not being afforded a more prominent position in the mix to be honest. I would have liked to see them being more of a highlight alongside the solos.
At the end of the day "Fatal Portrait" is a pretty good King Diamond record that ticks all of the boxes that diehard fans could want. I'm not particularly interested in the lyrical themes & I think that's to my own detriment when it comes to the King as it seems to be a large part of his appeal. There's only the one weak track in the disappointing "Dressed In White" but it was just enough to see me dropping my score a touch. That being said, I'd suggest that this record might still just slip into my top five King Diamond-related releases & I'd actually take it over more highly regarded albums like "Don't Break The Oath", "Them" & "The Eye" so it's definitely worth a few listens, particularly for fans of occult-themed heavy metal bands like Mercyful Fate, Ghost & Death SS.
3.5/5
Sortilège - Larmes de héros (1986)
My previous experiences with premier French heavy metal outfit Sortilège have never been very enjoyable to tell you the truth. I spent a fair bit of time with their supposedly classic 1983 self-titled E.P. & their 1984 debut album “Métamorphose” back in the mid-2010’s as a part of my research for the Metal Academy podcast but discovered that I struggled to connect with either. I found the overly theatrical French-language vocal delivery of front man Christian Augustin to be quite a challenge at times (particularly when he bordered on power metal schmaltz) while the song-writing could verge on the cheesy at times too. They certainly weren’t the heaviest or most aggressive of metal bands either so the result of the exercise was that I ended up placing Sortilège in the “none of my business” box alongside bands like Anvil, Helloween & Loudness. Admittedly, the more complex song-structures of “Métamorphose” did show more promise than the blatant NWOBHM worship of the E.P. though so the completist in me could never quite shake the feeling that perhaps Sortilège’s highly regarded 1986 sophomore album “Larmes de héros” would be the one that finally saw my eyes being opened to the wonders that the rest of the global metal scene were already so aware of. So here I am… leaving myself open & vulnerable… the fate of my morning at the mercy of five mysterious yet highly capable French chaps.
You know what though? “Larmes de héros” ain’t half bad if I’m being honest. The added technicalities of “Métamorphose” have been left behind in favour of a stronger focus on song-writing which sees Sortilège reaching a new level of maturity in my opinion. There are still a few obvious filler tracks included but, unlike the band’s previous efforts, the wins easily outweigh the losses & I’ve been left with a positive feeling overall. The weaker moments definitely line up with the more up-tempo & generic NWOBHM inspired material while the best tracks are clearly the ones where Sortilège slow things down a bit to give them more room to move with Augustin’s undeniable vocal talents reaping far more reward with a little space around him. Just check out his stunning harmony work in “Quand un aveugle rêve” for example. Or try to stop yourself from banging your head during the doomy Black Sabbath inspired album highlight that is “Marchand d'hommes”. Not to mention the impeccable talents of lead guitarist Stéphane Dumont who can match it with the best shredders around.
So look, Sortilège is never gonna be one of my favourite bands but closing out my knowledge of their big three releases has proven to be a worthwhile experiment. “Larmes de héros” may not possess a glossy high-budget production job but the song-writing is strong enough to overcome the fact that the rhythm guitars sound thin & are too far back in the mix. Don’t be put off by the lacklustre opener “La hargne des tordus” or the very ordinary “Mourir pour une princesse” or “La huitième couleur de l'arc-en-ciel”. Have some faith & give the record time to dig its claws in. You may just find that it offers some quality heavy metal, particularly if you dig NWOBHM-influenced heavy metal artists like Ostrogoth, Stormwitch or fellow Frenchmen Blasphème who all tap into a similar vibe.
3.5/5
Sacred Blade - "Of The Sun + Moon" (1986)
The sole proper release from Canadian metal band Sacred Blade seems to have become somewhat of an underground classic over the years although this is my first time experiencing it for myself. I’ve always found the idea of this record intriguing as it’s generally regarded as one of the earlier examples of genuinely progressive metal to surface from the global scene along with other mid-80’s releases from bands like Fates Warning, Watchtower, Queensryche & Siren. I’ve read next to nothing about the finer details of the release over the years though so I had no idea of what to expect going into “Of The Sun + Moon”.
Sacred Blade went with a four-piece line-up for their debut full-length with front man Jeff “The Pilot” Ulmer also handling a number of instrumental bits & pieces including percussion & keyboards. Their sound is quite varied & I’m tempted to describe it as combining the progressive metal of Fates Warning with the US power metal sound of Crimson Glory only the prog comes from more of a prog rock direction than a prog metal one in a similar way to early US heavy metallers Legend. The guitar work is a touch more aggressive than any of those bands though, occasionally veering into speed metal & thrash metal territory. Now, when I say “progressive” I don’t mean “technical”. I’m really referring to Sacred Blade’s more expansive take on the heavy metal sound with lots of creative elements being thrown into the mix to provide additional highlights above & beyond the usual US power metal trappings. For example, there are a number of short(ish) interludes that veer away from metal as well as plenty of acoustic guitar flourishes & interesting layering of instrumental parts.
It's pretty clear that Sacred Blade are capable musicians on the evidence here but what’s also evident is that they weren’t exactly cashed up because the performances aren’t amazing. The skill sets are obvious but there are a number of mistakes that have been left in, presumably through a lack of the required studio time to redo them. The production job is actually really good for the time though & Sacred Blade generally sound pretty heavy. Their Achilles Heal is certainly in the vocal department though as Ulmer simply can’t sing to put it bluntly. “Of The Sun + Moon” could potentially have been a pretty awesome record if not for his off-key inadequacies which have been placed surprisingly high in the mix too. I’m shocked that the producer wasn’t aware of this failing & didn't try to hide it a little by pushing him back in the mix a touch. I mean, those attempts at high-register Rob Halford screams in “Salem” completely ruin it for me. Thankfully the tracklisting ends with what I regard as it's two best inclusions with heavy metal number "In The Light of The Moon" possessing the hooks to overcome Ulmer's limited range & lengthy (& perhaps not surprisingly mostly instrumental) progressive metal closer "Moon" being my clear album highlight.
All things considered, “Of The Sun + Moon” offers some really ambitious & creative US power metal style heavy metal that could have been something really special with a little more attention to detail. As it is though, I still find it to be an interesting listen, just not one that I can see myself returning to due to the vocal deficiencies. It would seem that many people are able to look past those in claiming the album to be a genuine 80’s metal classic though which I find hard to fathom.
3.5/5
Stormwitch - "Stronger Than Heaven" (1986)
I first encountered German heavy metallers Stormwitch during my research for the Metal Academy podcast back in the mid-2010’s with their 1984 debut album “Walpurgis Night” being the release in question. It wasn’t awful but didn’t offer much more than poorly produced & executed NWOBHM worship, often crossing the line into Iron Maiden plagiarism at times. I got the feeling that the best may yet to come from Stormwitch though, particularly given the consistent praise I'd seen dished out for their 1986 third album “Stronger Than Heaven”, so I penciled it in as one to investigate in the future. That future may have ended up being many years later but here we are. Let’s see what Stormwitch at the peak of their powers sounds like, shall we?
Well, the production job is certainly better than the crude, distortion-drenched debut which is certainly a positive but the music is still pretty unintimidating & melodic, a little too much for my taste to tell you the truth. It’s a very German record in that regard. The Maiden worship is still present but it’s been toned down a little & we’re starting to hear the building blocks of the European power metal movement with some almost poppy choruses & a focus on a more epic atmosphere creeping in at times. That may mean that Stormwitch are starting to mature & find their own sound but they’re also drawing a little further away from my taste profile & I have to say that I preferred it when they were simply copying their NWOBHM idols if I’m being completely transparent.
The lead guitar work has improved remarkably in the two years since the debut as we now see Lee Tarot pulling off some much flashier solos that often represent the high points of some of the songs. Front man Andy Aldrian is serviceable enough but I still can’t say that I see him competing with the big boys of the heavy metal genre. He’s certainly got enough chops to pull off a memorable chorus or two though. The problem is that there aren’t very many decent ones here with album highlight “Slave To Moonlight” being the only one of the eight tracks with strong enough song-writing to see him being given the chance. The rest of the album simply falls a bit flat without ever descending into the genuinely horrible. Some tracks ruin some solid lead-up work with a dull chorus while others simply veer too close to power metal excess for me to really take seriously.
I’m surprised at just how popular “Stronger Than Heaven” is to be honest, especially given just how awful it’s front cover is. I can only imagine that it’s received more attention than it’s worth due to it’s influence on the early German power metal scene. I haven’t read anywhere that that was the case though. It’s just a hunch I’ve got as the band’s sound seems to possess many of the traits that we’d see popping up from Stormwitch’s countrymen in the coming years. It’s far too clean-cut an album for my taste though & if pushed I’d probably take “Walpurgis Night” over it which isn’t much of an endorsement for its quality & appeal. I'm sure that fans of bands like Sortilege, Oz & Running Wild will likely disagree with me though so if that sounds like you then you may find a lot more appeal in "Stronger Than Heaven" than I have.
3/5
Funny enough, I managed to come across Stormwitch in 2018 with their newest album Bound to the Witch which was...okay at best, but it had a few songs in there that I thought were genuinely good. That's coming from a Power Metal fan, though, as it was still very much generic and forgettable at the end of the day. Never decided to go back to their earlier material, so you've got me a little more interested now? I'm sure it won't be anything mind-blowing, especially since 80's Heavy Metal can be hit or miss for me since I can't say I've ever had too much of a soft spot for classic Heavy Metal in general, apart from the obvious giants of the era. You'll most likely be seeing an early Stormwitch song in the Guardians playlist next month, I'm sure I've had their stuff on there before but not with any sort of consistency.
I don't think that front cover is all that bad Daniel. I've certainly seen a LOT worse.
I don't think that front cover is all that bad Daniel. I've certainly seen a LOT worse.
Ben, I think you mean "Daniel, I find those women attractive even though the one on the left looks like Ozzy Osbourne."
I don't think that front cover is all that bad Daniel. I've certainly seen a LOT worse.
I feel like this statement is cheating somehow.
For the record, before I just now got a good look at the cover, I assumed it was a Twisted Sister kind of thing.
Hey, it really does look like Ozzy Osbourne! I think that says as much about Ozzy's style choices as it does this witch's appearance.
Sword - "Metalized" (1986)
Canadian heavy metallers Sword weren’t exactly a household name around my parts when I was a kid but they seem to have gone on to build a strong following over the years, mainly off the back of their 1986 debut album “Metalized”. I’d certainly been aware of it for many years but had never considered actually exploring it until recently when a couple of very well informed Twitter accounts that I follow started frothing about it. I wondered whether I’d been missing out on an underground gem of sorts so I decided to add it to this month’s playlist.
The early moments of “Metalized” left me feeling a great deal of hope that it might actually be the underground gem I’d been led to believe it is with opening cut “FTW – Follow The Wheel” being the highlight of the album. The production job is remarkably chunky for a mid-80’s debut release & the band’s approach is unapologetically metal with a strong focus on some genuinely heavy riffs & flashy, well-constructed guitar solos which appeals to me greatly. Vocalist Rick Hughes is a very talented front man too so all of the ingredients were there to see “Metalized” justifying the hype. Sadly though, it wasn’t quite able to follow through on its early promise with a consistently impressive tracklisting.
You see, despite the fact that “Metalized” ticks all of my boxes from a sound & performance perspective, the song-writing simply isn’t strong enough to see the album fulfilling its potential. The opener “FTW” is certainly a great way to kick off the record but we don’t see another genuine highlight until the middle of the B side with the very solid heavy metal number “Where To Hide” being a particular favourite of mine. The rest of the album is generally pretty enjoyable with only the very dumb glam metal number “Stuck In Rock” being a clear failure but unfortunately I don’t think that any of the other tracks manage to reach the top couple of tiers of the heavy metal ladder. There is an appropriate level of variety on offer to be fair though. Sword’s main sound is heavily influenced by the US power metal scene with Metal Church, Jag Panzer & Armored Saint appearing to be amongst the major influences but you’ll also find the odd track that changes things up a bit like the Accept-ish “Stoned Again” with its hard rock beats & tempo or closing number “Evil Spell” that sees Sword drawing upon Black Sabbath's "Vol 4" album in what could only be described as an early example of the stoner metal genre. “Outta Control” even takes things up a notch to the speed metal velocities so you won’t get bored through any lack of ambition.
At the end of the day though, there’s a reason that the tier on heavy metal acts have never been matched & it comes down to song-writing. There have been many talented challengers who have taken aim at the stardom of the Iron Maiden’s, Judas Priest’s & Motorhead’s over the years but rarely have they been able to be matched from a pure memorability point of view. Sword are a prime example of this as their sound makes me really WANT to love them but I'm eventually forced to accept that their debut album is more of an also-ran than a genuine contender.
3.5/5
Heir Apparent - "Graceful Inheritance" (1986)
Seattle-based US power metal outfit Heir Apparent are one of those bands whose name you’ve seen floating around a lot in the metal scene over the years but who very few people you know have actually heard. They seem to have gained somewhat of a cult following for one reason or another but I wouldn’t have had the slightest clue about why before giving their 1986 debut album “Graceful Inheritance” (not a terribly metal title it has to be said) a few spins this week. Having spent a bit of time with it now I feel like I’m starting to get it though.
You see, Heir Apparent are the sort of metal band that appeals to the metal purists out there. They tick a lot of boxes as they’re unapologetically metal, possess some serious chops & are ambitious enough to draw in the prog crowd as well. I’m not sure I buy the whole “US power metal” thing though. One or two tracks of the thirteen tracks included are chunky enough to justify those sort of claims but the vast majority of “Graceful Inheritance” sits pretty close to Iron Maiden’s more progressive mid-to-late 80’s material & the production doesn’t see the album’s overall heaviness doing much to eclipse the NWOBHM in terms of aggression either with the guitar sound being fairly thin even if it is clear & effective. The traditional heavy metal tag would seem to be a btter fit for Heir Apparent in my opinion with three or four songs also meeting the criteria for legitimate progressive metal. I can only assume that it’s the higher register vocals that see people immediately making the connection to US power metal although the added weight of album highlight “Another Candle” & the fairly flat speed metal number “Nightmare” may also have contributed to this misconception.
There’s a general class about everything Heir Apparent do here with all three of the instrumentalists proving themselves to be very capable exponents of their craft. Guitarist Terry Gorle absolutely slays with a whole slew of impressive guitar solos & lead runs throughout the album while bassist Derek Peace (who would also feature on Savage Grace’s 1987 “Ride Into The Night” E.P.) makes full use of a Steve Harris-style position in the mix by showcasing his ambitious & creative technique. Front man Paul Davidson has a pretty good voice for this type of music too but I’m not sure you’d say he competes with the top tier. I could kinda take him or leave him to be honest but he’s not gonna disappoint too many fans of the classic heavy metal sound either.
There’s certainly enough quality on “Graceful Inheritance” to warrant investigation as it’s a very accomplished effort for a debut full-length to tell you the truth. One gets the feeling that Heir Apparent had been very active in honing their craft for the three years leading up to its recording as they offer a level of sophistication that very few US metal bands could match in the mid-1980’s. In saying that though, the song-writing is a little inconsistent as the album isn’t short of filler material, even if there’s nothing truly awful included. Those weaker moments tend to marry up with the occasions when Heir Apparent find themselves settling for more commercially accessible chorus hooks or simpler riff structures a lot of the time too as their strength is in their superior chops & expansive instrumental experimentation. Nonetheless, “Graceful Inheritance” is definitely worth a few listens for fans of Crimson Glory, Fifth Angel & Queensrÿche as it never sounds like the product of a band that deserves to drift off into the distance with very little fanfare.
3.5/5