More - Warhead (1981)^{Release ID: 6082}

More were an unfortunately titled five-piece NWOBHM act that formed in London, England in 1980 & went on to release two records during 1981 & ‘82 with their debut album “Warhead” being the more well-known of the two. Why anyone would think that “More” was a good name for a heavy rock band is anyone’s guess but their main claim to fame was that vocalist Paul Mario Day sang for Iron Maiden in one of their earlier incarnations. They were a pretty decent band in their own right in my opinion though & “Warhead” showcases plenty of hard rock energy & electricity. In fact, the word on the street is that More were quite an amazing live act & that their recorded output doesn’t quite do them justice. Strangely, they were picked up very early by major record label Atlantic Records which I can only think was the labels attempt to cash in on the blossoming NWOBHM scene of the time. It’s not really surprising when you hear More’s sound though because they’re all about the sort of catchy melodies & vocal hooks that tend to be a stable part of the major label playbook.

I’ve read quite a few people stating that the production on “Warhead” is below par however I don’t prescribe to that opinion. Actually, the production sounds very good when compared with other similar releases of the time. The band are very tight & there’s an overall professionalism to the song-writing & performances that reeks of major label backing. Like most of their NWOBHM counterparts, More’s sound sits somewhere between hard rock & heavy metal with AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple & even the Southern rock of Lynard Skynard being as much of an influence as Black Sabbath was. The closest points of reference that spring to mind when listening to ”Warhead” are NWOBHM contemparies Saxon & Samson although there’s also a little bit of the USA’s Riot to their sound. There’s even a cover version of a track from the classic 1968 self-titled debut album from English psychedelic rockers The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown which is certainly interesting if not particularly strong.

Vocalist Paul Mario Day is a talented & powerful front man & I wasn’t surprised to read about the Iron Maiden link because I really enjoy his performance here. There’s quite a bit of Jimmy Page to the bluesy lead guitar work which can’t be a bad thing either. Even taking More’s obvious hard rock credentials into account though it’s still the more metal numbers that I find to be the clear highlights here & the album is really carried by the three best tracks; all of which I consider to be very strong examples of the NWOBHM sound. The rest of the tracklisting can fall a little flat with the song-writing not quite strong enough to demand repeat listens although there’s nothing particularly poor on offer & thankfully the album’s highlights are strong enough to carry the weaker tracks.