White Lion - Big Game (1989)

Yes, opener 'Goin Home Tonight' does sound a bit like Bryan Adams, but the kings of catchy, melodic rock roll out another magic carpet ride of AOR, fronted by the mercurial Mike Tramp, the golden-maned rock star of velvet tone. A dash of funky strut, a bouquet of light-hearted sleaze, and always that trademark cool and swaying rock which sadly never drew the masses in like it should have. Although 'Big Game' lacks the sheer wonder of 'Pride', there's still a hell of a lot of soft, cushioned rock to get your hands on, from the wistful 'Little Fighter', the heavier 'If My Mind Is Evil', the hair metal whisper of 'Don't Say Its Over' and scarf waving 'Cry For Freedom'. Consistently classy hard rock that back in the '80s didn't get the credit it deserved but so many years later it continues to impress.

7.5/10

Stryper - To Hell With The Devil (1986)

The kings of 'God Rock' return with an album, that, despite its holier than thou persona, would have still appealed to the metal kids because let's face it, anything with 'hell', or 'devil' on the front was a selling point. Stryper were keen to spread the word of God and of course, they were panned for it, understandable when you hear the pomp rock of 'Calling On You' and 'Sing Along Song' which sound like Cliff Richard songs! I own the Spanish version of the vinyl, which opens out, and of course the back sleeve sees the band in their yellow and black suits which wrestlers would go on to fashion. Musically, it's all pretty standard, slightly whiny metal mainly due to Michael Sweet's rather meek and watery delivery over those weak guitars courtesy of Oz Fox. Some may see a handful of these cuts as hymns in fact, again, we go back to the almost Eurovision type warbling of 'Calling On You' and vomit inducing 'Honestly'. However, Stryper still had to exist within the realms of metal, and despite the criticism and sounding rather dated, it's all part of metal's magical history. Cracking album cover but music to wet the bed to.

6/10

Madame X - We Reserve The Right (1984)

The band look like they've been dragged through several hedges backwards - especially the rather terrifying bass dude Chris 'Godzilla' Doliber who writes most of the songs. Sisters Roxy (drums) and Maxine (guitar) Petrucci have something rather sexy about them, even if they are on the cover in their mum's leotard's, but I'm digging the huge hair and the ballsy metal contained within. Not quite the shock rock glam of say, Twisted Sister, but there's plenty of metal to put in your kettle, vocalist Bret Kaiser has a decent amount of power in his pouch, and the bubblegum metal stomp of 'High In High School' attempts the type of rebellion so many kids were looking to in the '80s, giving the album a hefty style of Joan Jett for the ears, especially with the glam plod of Slade mosher 'Come One, Come All'. I would have loved to have seen these guys live, just to have smelt the hairspray, and it's certainly the sort of album cover your mother would have taken away from you - the sleaze stomp of Madame X is so blatantly in your face that you can only sit back and take it all in and be transported back to a time when this type of metal was probably the 'in' thing, but the reality is this type of anthemic glam had its day in the '70s but, if, like me, you have this album, then when the clock strikes midnight you can revisit time and time again...if you're slightly bonkers. So c'mon, sing along, "She's hot tonight...she's cookin' tonight...she likes her meat well done". Imagine a basement version of Crue's 'Too Fast...'

6.5/10

Exciter - Long Live The Loud (1985)

As a thrash unit Exciter are one of my favourites, even if they are often forgotten when it comes to metal conversation. The only frustration with these guys, especially as a live show, being that their drummer (Dan Beehler) sings...oh well, mustn't grumble because the metal is molten hot, from the Gothic opening of 'Fall Out' to the sweltering title cut. I've read several negative reviews of Exciter, but I adore this brand of steely thrash metal, from its powerful chords, crashing drums and screeched vocals, it epitomises the mid '80s thrash scene even if this type of record had begun to fall into the shadow of records like 'Ride The Lightning'. Okay, so most of the cuts are all too keen to just rattle the windows at an all consuming pace, but that's what Exciter are all about - god knows how this guy managed to play drums and wail like that at the same time! 'I Am The Beast' gives me a sore throat just listening to it! Jaw ripping guitars courtesy of John Ricci and this is the type of pure metal us headbangers wanted at the time - great album cover too, Exciter being one of those bands who bowed to the importance of the record sleeve. Favourite cut 'Victims Of Sacrifice' a descent into '80s metal magic - smell the leather and the fire.

7.5/10

Bengal Tigers - Metal Fetish (1984)

Who ? I dunno! This is another of those mysterious releases from the Heavy Metal Worldwide label (see Geisha as another example of strange, obscure but cool '80s metal). I picked this up for a couple of quid a while back and quite enjoyed it. 'Metal Fetish' only offers us five tracks, making this more of an EP. It's standard metal I guess but there's always something endearing about something so obscure, in fact I think these guys hail from Australia, and it's certainly competent in what it offers, solid guitar work courtesy of a Barney Fakhouri, the only irritant being Gordon Heald's slightly wobbly vocals, but on opener 'Break And Bend' the band strut a glam-based heavy rock and elsewhere are keen to keep the heat up. It's certainly not dire for its time as side two's 'Pounding Energy' proves with its Priest-like rage. Bengal Tigers are for metal collector's everywhere and I think five tracks was enough.

6/10

Dokken - Tooth And Nail (1984)

This four piece, fronted by the squabbling vocal god Don Dokken and guitarist George Lynch, were one of those huge acts who made their living in the '80s by rattling out pretty powerful headbanging rock. I'm not sure how metal history will place these guys, maybe they didn't have the pompous identity of some acts, but their metal speaks for itself, mainly due to Lynch's ferocious guitar playing which lifts up the title cut and enables it to ascend into the metal heaven's as Dokken's smooth delivery empowers it. Dokken have such a rich sound, one moment rattling chains, the next hitting the radio airwaves with those ballsy pop-metal numbers such as 'Just Got Lucky', I'd pick this over Van Halen anyday. The Dokken story is one of heavy metal cliches, but that's what it's all about - at least the band can look back on this and say they've been there and done it, but ego aside, and believe me, there were big ego's here, musically it's solid, effortless and worthy of your attention. For easier pickings I suggest you purchase 'The Best Of...' but whatever you're looking for in metal, make sure Dokken is in there somewhere.

7/10

Trash - Burnin' Rock (1985)

This is an odd one. Okay, so it's natural alot of metal bands are gonna sound like Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Zeppelin, Kiss and Sabbath, as these were the big boys who started it all. However, it appears that a lot of Swedish bands sound like AC/DC, and opener 'Boogie Woogie Man' is straight from the AC/DC school of rock, but I'm not complaining, it's just that the weird quib I have is that the second cut 'Burnin' Rock' sounds like a different band - this time Trash opt for a soft rock, keyboard-infested Van Halen/Whitesnake type swagger, and then we're back to the AC/DC plod of 'Rock Me...' but bathed in a Dave Lee Roth vocal, especially on that chorus and y'know what, it's all so nicely accessible, reminding me also of Scorpions. Trash are accomplished metalheads clearly influenced by several bands and they wear their influences on their sleeves. Mocadem and Ball's guitars have clearly read, and re-read the AC/DC manual, 'Night After Night' isn't just sub-standard metal though, and Trash know how to rock, even if they never establish their own identity, but my opinion is that if you're brand of metal works then good for you.
7/10

Uncle Sam - Heaven Or Hollywood (1988)

I've included the child friendly sleeve although I'm sure some of my more perverted readers would have wanted to have seen the cover showing the lady bereft of knickers! Anyway, what a strange breed Uncle Sam are - the back photo suggests these guys might be some type of sleaze band, but the opening cool jerk skiffle of 'Live For Today' sits somewhere alongside the punkoid cool of Dead Kennedy's with its jittery vocal and those buzzing guitars. I don't know how these guys were marketed, because there's nothing on display here visually that enables the buyer to understand it - and yet it's so catchy in its garage-based noise, whether its bouncing with The Stooges, cavorting with The Cramps or acting like some unknown kin to the Stones. It's a compelling record but I refuse to believe that the guys on the back are the same guys grinding out that almost violent punkoid metal! This is the sort of sound that doesn't want to get big because it's so used to playing clubs beneath the sewers, and that's what real rock 'n' roll is all about. Somebody help me out here because this is a hard one to review! Ten tracks of eye-scratching bubblegum punk metal and 'The Candyman' is just a sinister yet great track.

7/10

Gypsy Queen - Gypsy Queen (1987)

When I first laid eyes on a heavy metal mag I was quite surprised at the lack of hot women within the scene - Lita Ford certainly turned a few heads, The Great Kat was too scary, and Wendy O Williams....get outta here, but I also recall a rather Page Three looking Lisa Dominique and of course Gypsy Queen, being the sisters Paula and Pamela Mattioli, and they were genuinely hot. Sadly, most metalheads weren't interested in the music of Gypsy Queen, in fact a lot of metalheads weren't interested in many female metal bands, probably because most of the women dabbled in rather light rock. I avoided Gypsy Queen's music yet rather hypocritically had a poster of them on my wall - I guess every teenage boys fantasy was to see these two sisters get it on even though that would have been bloody incest - oh how the naive mind used to work! Anyway, I finally got hold of this record and was pleasantly surprised by it - but of course it does actually help that the girls are attractive, because let's face it, the guys backing them aren't, but musically they are more than adequate and a dark, pop streak runs through opener 'Love Is Strange' with its instantly catchy chorus, and this theme exists throughout the album. The band barely loiter in the metal zone but do manage a steamy, late night soft rock, a bold mix of Bonnie Tyler, Heart, Cher, Pat Benatar, et al. The album has some dramatic keyboard hooks courtesy of Tim Divine, and the bubblegum pop streak of 'She Can't Help Herself' and feathery stomper 'Radio', make this album a rather charming listen even if it's riddled with tales of love...love and looking for love but the sisters, particularly, Paula, know how to write a catchy tune. Throw the Devil horns up at this one and the world will laugh at you!! I wonder what Gypsy Queen look like now ?!

6.5/10

Skin & Bones - Not A Pretty Sight (1990)

What makes me chuckle more than anything about these sleaze bands is the fact we've got the singer and two guitarists with names ending with Bones, Vamp and Pagan, and yet the drummer and bass player have simply opted for their own names....duh! Make it one or the other guys! Anyway, Skin & Bones never stepped into the big league, in fact they never got close but I ain't gonna deny that opening cut 'Nail It Down' is blessed with a dark, killer riff and an almost Bon Jovi meets Poison chanted chorus which sticks in the head as that wicked guitar lurks ominously behind - cracking stuff. 'Resurrection Love' isn't quite as mysterious but the "Oh oh oh...." backing is quite effective and the band do know how to write a half decent tune without resorting to too many cliches. Oops, I spoke too soon, as 'Cover Me With Roses' slides in on a snakeskin bed, all dressed up with no place to go, but hey, there were so many bands around at the time creating similar pompous rags to riches rock, but I have to laugh at the lyrics, and we know what to expect, but at least it's not as weak as rats piss and delivers some type of fire behind the smoke. 'Hey Stupid' and 'Nymphomania' up the hip shakin' to see us out of side one, the former is a Faster Pussycat style jig with Johnny Vamp gettin' all catty on his vox as Gregg Gerson trashes the drums. These New York boys were never masters of their trade, but the thundering opening of 'Kiss This' and swagger of 'Out With The Boys' enables Skin & Bones to emerge with a smatter of respectability. Ooooo yeah!

6.5/10

Samson - Calm Before The Storm (1982)

So, chief warbler Bruce Dickinson leaves Samson for some band called Iron Maiden...and the rest is history of course. Samson enlist the chubby credentials of Nicky Moore, and despite being wrapped in one of metal's greatest album covers, 'Calm...' simply plods without real effect. Maybe it's Moore's pub rock vocals or Samson's dinosaur stomp on opener 'Dangerzone', I dunno, but I sense a lack of fire here and this continues with the mediocre 'Stealing Away', Thunderstick plodding merrily away on the skins, my yawn however consuming the band in one instant. The rest of 'Calm...' follows suit, and no matter how hard I stare at that album cover, I can not evoke any further images of fantasy from the music held within and I'm sad about that. 'I'll Be Around' is so middle of the road, I'm sure that it's been flattened a thousand times by oncoming traffic, and 'Life On The Run' seems a continuation of this dour gallop. 

Apparently this album, on vinyl, isn't that common, and I've seen it being sold for between £8.00 and £30.00 second hand, and must say that none of these prices are worth it, but if you can just steal the cover then do, because the sound itself doesn't reflect the foaming sea, the bloodied warrior, and rising serpent on the sleeve. No hint of a storm, and no real calm, just a non event sadly.

5/10

Nuclear Assault - Handle With Care (1989)

The high standard of furious thrash churned out by Nuclear Assault enabled the band to sit pretty high in the major thrash league. In the '80s, alongside the likes of Testament, Death Angel, Exodus, Overkill, Nuclear Assault spearheaded the art of mosh without withering in the shadow of bands like Slayer and Megadeth. Nuclear Assault have always littered their brash sound with humour and a hardcore slant, mainly in the vicious vocals of John Connelly. Some found the harsh delivery of Connelly a little too shredding on the ears, but amidst Lilker's thudding bass and the crunching guitars of Bramante, the cauldron the band stirred was one of some heat. The songs flash past at quite a speed, and rarely drop lower than hyper, but the band do on occasion let themselves drift into an Anthrax chug or Slayer burst. The big songs on 'Handle...' are the forceful 'Critical Mass', 'Emergency' and fist pumping 'Search And Seizure'. My only quib with Nuclear Assault being their tendency to include too many comedy moments, for example, the pointless insertion of 'Funky Noise', yet something which so many bands at the time were doing, even for fun, to give a nod to the irritating funk metal movement. However, if you're after an abrasive introduction to '80s thrash then you could do a lot worse than Nuclear Assault. 'Handle With Care' was rather underrated, my personal fave of the band being the fantastic 'Survive' album, but 'Handle...' still goes a long way in the thrash department.

7/10

Outlaw Blood - Outlaw Blood (1991)

This slipped under the sleazy radar didn't it! Not a bad record at all although I know very little about these American cowboys. It's all dressed up like some kinda swaggering, cigarette smoking, whiskey swigging sleaze rocket, but there's a bit more behind the black eyes. Not an alternative streak to it but elements of Kik Tracee fused with the more recognisable LA Guns et al. Some very catchy tunes on offer, not as ballsy as say Shake The Faith, but injected with enough hooks to enable a few listens. There must have been a lot of bands out there like this who slipped by the wayside and now lay dead in the cemetery of lost sleazy souls, but it's a highlight of a day, month, or year, to find something like this which clearly strives to be melodic and above us decent amidst a heaving crowd of other bands striving for the same strip club image.

6.5/10

Kings X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska (1989)

Okay so this is as pure as alterno-metal (or whatever you want to call it) gets. Pinnick and co transcend all trends, ascend above all genre and just flow over the boundaries to far away planets. Kings X released a batch of classy records (this is their second) which existed outside of the box in the same way, but on the other, darker side, Faith No More did. Imagine a funk fuelled (real funk though!) cauldron of uplifting colours, innovative angst and beauty, and musicianship of the highest order but whether you can take it all in is another matter. Living Colour, The Organization, Fishbone, Prince, Kravitz, Beatles, FNM, total progressive rock that strides outside of the metal zone and stands alone. 'Over My Head' is the cosy crowd pleaser, a potential chart topper with its sassy rhythm and 'Everybody Knows A Little Bit Of Something' has that Fishbone vibe in its summery stature. Pinnick is a soulful entity whose vocals glide over the structures, creating wondrous soundscapes which somehow, in their accessibility, remain inaccessible, the layers stripped away to reveal so many further levels of intricate and sugary nature. The mood of 'Summerland' reminds me of Tracy Chapman somehow! 'Pleiades' floats as a mesmerising vapour into a Beatle-esque psych laced with a dark riff. It's all so majestic in its maturity, these guys no spring chickens but a group who clearly assembled on some unseen cloud and planned their invasion of Earth via the creation of album. 'The Burning Down' is a cosmic fantasy a track whilst 'Mission' zones in on an organ wheeze that melts into a spaced out psych guitar. Too clever for sure, but Kings X couldn't exist in any other way. Be brave and give it a try....we promise a lovely journey.

8/10

Pet Hate - The Bride Wore Red (1984)

Fans of Hanoi Rocks and '80s punk glam goth with a Stones lick will worship this trash can sleaze of no fixed address or budget. It swaggers in its bubblegum pop rock splendour, and spits some venom with punkoid thrasher 'Caught (Red Handed)', but the big cut of the record is 'Moya's Coming Out Tonight', a crash diet anthem for the z-generation, loose, stinking of piss and born from the gutter. Terry's vocals turn this record into a Ramones type jig but with far more lipstick and attitude. Far more oomph than a gallon full of Hollywood acts, this doesn't try to be cool, it just is, even if it's got holes in its shoes as well as its arms.

6/10

Shotgun Messiah - Violent New Breed (1993)

Clearly the alterno-metal injection into a dying scene made a big impact on a lot of bands. It produced a huge wall - many bands failed to climb it, others marched into the '90s with new vigour and venom, although whether this was a good thing I'll let others decide. Skid Row, Mindfunk, Dangerous Toys and Shorgun Messiah, just a handful of acts who revamped their sound to move with the times, not all succeeded. Shotgun Messiah were a pretty dull sleaze band who threw themselves headlong into '93 with a rather colossal record that would have probably killed off any last remaining fans of their brand of bar room sleaze metal. Now the band are painted grey, snarling at the cage and churning out a smorgasbord of industrial rock, somewhere between Skid Row's pounding 'Slave...' record and the more mechanical thumping of Ministry and even Faith No More. Some may find such a direction change ultimately cringe worthy, others may feel that these sort of bands deserve a second chance although maybe they should have changed their name. The once sickly vocals of Skold are now harsher tones, killer chugs are bound together by metalized and mutated clanking and the drums almost have a machine feel to them. Respect to the band for this transformation, 'Monkey Needs' certainly scrapes the skull with barbed wire elegance, and although this cyber stomp grates after a while, I guess this was the only way the band could progress. Strangely, it would take Guns 'n' Roses an eternity later to structure similar throbbing soundscapes, although Axl and company did it on a far greater and more accomplished scale.

6/10

House Of Lords - House Of Lords (1988)

How I adore this sort of pompous hair metal. Exceutive producer Gene Simmons on board, not sure what sort of knob twiddling he did, but this is every bit as hairy-chested, leather crotched, big haired, hip gyrating as Kiss. Lush keyboards, massive production (as if they are the biggest band on the planet) and apart from the bar room twaddle of 'Lookin For Strange', this debut is choked in hairsprayed curls, puffed shirts, and some huge mid-tempo satin anthems. 'I Wanna Be Loved', 'Love Don't Lie', 'Call My Name', ooohhh yeeeaaahhh. baby, get on the bed...although I doubt many a flimsy headed blonde would have fallen for such rock lullaby's, even so, the five piece do a great job at those ballads, drenching them in Giuffria's keys whilst the guitars soar into the night like doves! Yep, it's a little cheesy, but at the end of the day, these type of bands still wrote solid rock songs and I'm all for a bit of metal love with that Whitesnake pout and those hoochie koochie vocals courtesy of chief hair monger James Christian, so light those candles, just be careful you don't set fire to that hive of a haircut dude!

6.5/10

Law & Order - Guilty Of Innocence (1989)

There's been a fine line in the past between some so-called 'hair metal' and the late '80s, early '90s wave of 'alterno' metal. The hair metal tag was also a damning tag for some bands, Saigon Kick, one fine example of a truly great act who were wonderfully intelligent yet painted as pretty boy rock. Law & Order come from the same dreamy breeze as SK, 'Guilty...' being one of those delightful records that slithers in and out of the nooks and crannies of the categories applied to it. Swooning vocals, funky jams, bright sunshine rhythms, cool water guitars, catchy hooks and some great choruses, this is somewhere between SK, Kik Tracee (especially in the velvet tones of Shane) and that type of band. 'Soul Inside' a mystical trip through rock's more inventive avenues. Again, this type of band were criminally ignored, but this type of record and style breathed so much new life into metal which bizarrely would die a death due to the injection of dreary grunge. Law & Order may not look like what they sound on the back of the vinyl, but it's what's inside that counts and the sugary 'We Don't See God', and elegant 'I Think It's Gonna Rain Today' are so thought provoking as they wistfully soar above the clouds, taking metal to new dizzying heights. Many would have missed the Law & Order bus, but these are the sort of albums people would have ignored expecting some type of pouting metal, but miss this at your peril.

7.5/10

Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force - Odyssey (1988)

When I first got into metal I have to admit I never gave this sort of guitar masturbating a glance. Many years later I've grown to appreciate the almost arrogant talents of these type of guys and with Joe Lynn Turner warbling over Malmsteen's impressive structures, I have to say that this is pretty cool molten metal. As a fourteen-year old I would have adored this fret burning, especially as lyrically it's all pretty metal in your face, from dungeons to darkness and all that sort of stuff and although a few instrumentals have been slotted in, the guitar work is simply mesmerising. The opening cut 'Rising Force' sounds like Manowar on speed, pure raging rock with a great hook of a chorus and those demon chords of Yngwie. Spectacular stuff, and on 'Hold On' one can only smirk because this is a fantastic metal track, bursting from the flames on a slow guitar chug and those soaring vocals which bleed into a great chorus - I can just picture the lighters glinting in the sea of sweaty bodies at the gig, superb. This is metal shredding at its most brilliant, and whether you can appreciate this sort of craftsmanship or not, 'Rising Force' is THE guitar album to own.Of course, most of us air guitarists could never mimic such quality, so instead we turn the light off and raise a fist to this type of fury. 'Heaven Tonight' has that great mid '80s metal feel, dark corridors and a cold wind in the hair, but again, Yngwie takes the solo to the extreme, blending it wonderfully with the structure of the rhythm and before you know it you'll be lost in the myriad of the strings as Malmsteen caresses the board with an elegance beyond his years, but never once sending the listener to sleep. There's too much metal on offer here for the album to fail and the production to the velvet vocal is of sterling quality. Malmsteen's finest hour if you ask me, a real shade of metal magic.

8/10

Annihilator - Never Neverland (1990)

Waters, the shred master brings a new vocalist into the fray and Annihilator become even more clinical, the guitar shredder inserting a few too many intricacies into the chug if you ask me but one can only applaud. This is high tech progressive thrash, a nod here and there to Metallica, Megadeth etc, as well as Maiden , Priest, etc, in its ability to construct Gothic realms of metal cacophony. The album tracks sewn together by dreamy acoustic passages, jerking complexities and a more aggressive vocal approach. 'Stonewall' was the big hit on the album although personal fave is the anthemic 'Phantasmagoria' with its killer chords and chanted chorus whilst 'Reduced To Ash' is a headbangers nightmare, one moment thrashing, the next spiralling into Water's whirlpool of solo's. Annihilator had quickly established themselves as a progressive thrash act of great technical ability and the records were selling well. Although the band never reached the heights of say Megadeth, the Annihilator brand of thrash metal is one to be admired the world over. 'Never...' is a thrash album all true metal fans should own because of its ability to swagger in its intricacy, but above all, rock big time. 'Impeled Eyes' a fine example a prime example of Waters' remarkable talents as an axeman.

8/10

Penance - Parallel Corner (1994)

These guys were much hyped by doom god Lee Dorrian (Cathedral) and clearly come from the same cosmic quagmire, but as 'Words Not Deeds' comes pounding down the mountain, we find this brand of thrashing doom even mightier than the sword that carves it. This is immense metal and not the sort of dreary doom many of us have come accustomed to over the years. With so many Sabbath imitations, or stoner bands, only a handful of acts over the years, after the birth of Sabbath, have carved their own niche or seemed to vomit out a sincere style of doom - i.e. Witchfinder General, Cathedral, Candlemass and now Penance. This rises like some sleepy serpent and causing havoc to the foundations from beginning to its hefty climax - the weight so astonishing and the grooves well ground out, the awesome 'Crosses' and 'Born To Suffer' such free flowing rivers of black that no town could stand in its way. The crashing drums of Smail sometimes reminiscent of other classy doom mongers Confessor in the way the whole sound writhes, contorts, spirals out of control and yet drags the listener into its mire by way of concrete tentacles. Blessed with infinite woe, Penance don't try to make us miserable, they simply hypnotise with their spellbinding brand of gloom before reducing our bones to a pile of rubble. A superb doom metal record.

8/10

Shake The Faith - America The Violent (1994)

Born into the wrong era, Shake The Faith come kicking and screaming into the grunge arena and beat the crap out of the dreary-eyed kids with their brand of nuclear sleaze. Guns 'n' Roses, Spread Eagle, Love/Hate, Faster Pussycat and even Beautiful Creatures come to mind on this pretty cool and violent rock 'n' roll album. 'Dysfunctional' has a down and dirty vocal sneer which litters the whole album, taking it beyond the realms of dreamy or dull sleaze and instead gives it a far sharper, more dangerous edge. Don't know how this sold - badly probably - but it's a pure rock 'n' roll record with attitude wrapped in a wicked album cover. Some big noise on offer, the punkoid 'Anti Heroes' unleashes all hell and fury and again you'll be wondering why this sort of band doesn't get the credit or success it deserves. Full on punky sleaze metal for those nights when you want to stay up all night.

7.5/10

Shotgun Messiah - Shotgun Messiah (1989)

Considering all that had gone before it, bands like Shotgun Messiah should have learned a quick lesson at the time that this type of formulaic sleaze rock gets nowhere without an identity. Slightly irritating in the vocal department, too sickly I guess - vocalists in sleaze bands always trying to sound like the most extreme case of a cat getting killed!  It's all too corny, 'Shout It Out' - "na na na na na", pass the sick bucket. 'Heartbreak Blvd' beefs things up a little but this is so limited and drowns in a sea of other sound-alikes but hold on...a few years later these guys would transform themselves completely, so check out the review of their about turn 'Violent New Breed' for a path of darker progress.

5/10

Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)

For many headbangers this was the last great Maiden album. I was immediately put off by the awful, non-metal cover, and believe me, back in the '80s album covers meant alot! Even so, beyond the Egyptian bollocks, 'Powerslave' is a very good record even if I preferred the mysticism of 'Seventh Son...', which for me was the last decent Maiden record. 'Powerslave' however does boast the last batch of Maiden classics, from the rattling anthem 'Aces High', the potent '2 Minutes To Midnight' and of course the timeless '...Ancient Mariner'. The band are on top form here, there's no doubt and even the less known cuts have the ability to get their hooks in, the title cut is a monster and 'Flash Of The Blade' equally vital to metal history. Sadly, the band would go on a downward spiral rather rapidly after this, although the already mentioned 'Seventh Son...' and cool live record 'Live After Death' kind of rounded of a period of time before the watery 'Somewhere In Time' kicked in. For me, 'Number Of The Beast', 'Piece Of Mind' and 'Powerslave' are the bands finest records and encapsulate the whole sound and magic of a band I quickly grew out of.

8/10

Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (1980)

And so it was born. The logo, the mascot, that Harris bass line, and the legend. Iron Maiden's debut record, straight out of the New Wave Of British Heavy metal, destined for massive stadium's and millions of record sales, although I doubt they knew it back then. Paul Di'anno on the vocals, more aggressive and street wise than Mr Dickinson who would take over the reigns, but in front of Murray and Stratton's lethal guitars, this is a classic metal assault that would be a huge foundation for a band that would become one of the world's biggest. Eight tracks, including the classic 'Running Free', 'Phantom Of The Opera' and 'Charlotte The Harlot', the band assembling an almost creepy alleyway of an atmosphere on this record - helped by the killer sleeve, designed by Derek Riggs, who would become a legend in his own right for creating the images of Eddie, the band mascot.

The album opens with the superb 'Prowler', setting the metal scene, whilst 'Remember Tomorrow' slows the pace, a street light flickers, a cat slinks through the dark, and the cut builds into a menacing stomp as Di'anno unleashes fury into the night. Clive Burr's drums are solid, in fact the guy's performances weren't given enough credit and after a handful of records he would be replaced by the drum loon Nico McBrain, but all the players have become a vital ingredient in Maiden's history. I was never a massive fan of the band, reaching 'Powerslave' then growing tired, but there's no denying the effect these early albums had on metalheads nationwide, and this debut, alongside follow-up 'Killers' have stood the test of time, although many of the classic cuts have been improved upon by the far superior croon of Bruce Dickinson, but it's also important to enjoy Di'anno's earthy wail amidst the Gothic chords. Stare at the cover and lose yourself.

7.5/10

Def Leppard - Adrenalize (1992)

Whilst the metal genre was getting busy getting alterno, Def Leppard continued their 'Hysteria' saga with 'Adrenalize'. Soft rock indeed, selling by the bucket load despite the critics panning such stadium rock. The band never cared, and I guess I can see their point because if it's bringing so much success why change it ? Leppard have enjoyed huge sales not just in the UK but the US and Europe too. Many may find this watery, love-sodden style of breezy rock all too cheesy, but the band have their own sound, even if it's shifted from the early days. 'Hysteria' was the real breakthrough record, and there are a few cuts on 'Adrenalize' which sound like poor imitations of tracks from that record, 'Stand Up', being one such feeble offering. Of course, the band rarely offer anything we haven't heard before, the big hits come in the shape of 'Let's Get Rocked' and 'Make Love Like A Man', but put simply, you either like this band or you don't, and I refuse to slate them because of they style of music they play, because it's still rock, even if the magazines find it uncool to put them on the cover. Def Leppard are far better than Bon Jovi, and whilst not strictly metal, I find it almost like an easy listening experience.

6.5/10

Ratt - Ratt And Roll 8191 (1991)

If, like me, you prefer Ratt in small doses, then the best way of getting all their 'best' stuff is on this compilation album. The '8191' in the title is nothing mystical but simply lets you know this album covers their career from 1981 to 1991 doh! Anyway, I've never been a huge fan of the band, but would point people in the direction of the bands self-titled debut and the follow up 'Out Of The Cellar', or, like I say, just buy this compilation of fourteen tracks, featuring the 'classics', such as 'Round And Round', 'Shame Shame Shame', 'Lay It Down' and 'Lack Of Communication'.

Strangely, I put Ratt alongside Kiss in terms of the effect they had on me - none whatsoever and I was kind of bewildered by the fact, especially with Kiss, that they sold so many albums. Ratt don't grate quite as much but there has always been a lack of identity, especially after lending my ears for so long to the lipstick swagger of the mighty Crue. Pearcy is a very average frontman and the songs the band Rattle ('scuse the pun'!) out are at times so watery that even the hair metal scene seems too sleazy to hold them. I dunno, I just don't get it all that well but do appreciate their place in metal but I can live without them.

6/10

Metallica - Metallica (1991)

Right, where do I start on this one ? Argue with me all you like but Metallica were one of metal's biggest ever sell outs, FACT. When you consider how acts like Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth (once Metallica's biggest rivals) have all stuck to their guns in some way or other, Metallica became R.E.M. with a chug! Yep, it's that harsh. The look, the whole denial of their roots on the continuously bad output, and yet fans kept coming back - my opinion being that the old metalheads probably stuck around expecting the band to find it within themselves to churn out another 'Master...', but certainly, Metallica had become a household name, and the second 'Enter Sandman' stirs in its mediocre lair, a whole new set of fans emerges, many completely unaware of who Cliff Burton was or what the band did previously to structure metal and thrash, and of course most of these dumb fans didn't care. 1991 saw bands like the Chili Peppers break big, and suddenly MTV-orientated rock was in your face, and whilst Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax continued to put out quality metal, Metallica had already sold their souls. '...And Justice For All' being the first nail in the bloated coffin with its laborious riffs and one pace attitude. The 'black' album, as some like to call it, is another unimaginative affair, only bolstered by the fact the band took on Bob Rock to produce if after they heard what exceptional work he'd done on Crue's 'Dr Feelgood', but believe me, give me Crue any day. 'Enter...' has to be one of rock's most predictable tracks, lyrically and musically, and 'Sad But True' continues the '...And Justice...' trend as it plods without any effect except to dull the senses. The bite of Burton not even a loitering ghost as dour thrasher 'Holier Than Thou' rattles past with no presence. There's such a familiarity in everything Metallica do, casting the side the magic they produced on those early albums. The acoustic passages are sleepy, Hetfield's hefty tone drags one into quicksand, the band unaware of the quagmire they've become. Sure, it's heavy at times, but so uninspiring, 'The Unforgiven' is woeful in its plodding manner, and yep, the theme continues throughout, unless of course the band want to chuck in another thrasher as if to remind us (or themselves) of what they once were, even thought that's completely lost. Is it the the fact they've become so successful ? Do they consider it immature to write songs about Cthulu ? What is the point behind such a trudge through the murky depths of commercialism ?

Hardcore Metallica fans may debate until they are blue in the face, but as Hammet's solo twirls somewhere in the mire of 'The Unforgiven', I can't help but chew my nails with stress and find myself eager to slap the next track on, only once again to be met by repetition. 'Wherever I May Roam'. More slow motion drama which never rumbles beyond a plod. However hard I try to like the record I simply seep back into the past and the joys of 'Welcome Home...', 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' etc.Those who own the double vinyl will probably find the album even more irritating, three tracks aside, but this all melts together like some bloated heavy metal version of U2. Despite so many negatives, this is the last 'proper' Metallica record if you ask me, the band quickly becoming a joke, although 'Don't Tread On Me' is as laughable as anything the band have done since. The track pretty much symbolizes what the band have come, something so bereft of edge and so dour in the fact it lacks a chorus, and this glaring error litters almost every cut. 'Through The Never' attempts to liven up the proceedings, Ulrich rattling away, Hetfield finally wrenches himself away from the swamp of before, but then we are back to the formulaic 'Nothing Else Matters', cue acoustic intro, chug-chug plod-plod, Hetfield's morose growl, or is that a yawn ?

'...And Justice...' was a big enough struggle to get through, and here the familiarity of it all weighs one down. I sense the band don't care, their ego's have flown the thrash nest long ago, now they fill stadiums and appeal to people who don't really have a big interest in music. Tiresome, and yep, indeed very black, just like that cover, as if the band were so aware of the doom-laden product they'd created, but hey, this is no Trouble landscape, but instead a chasm of emptiness, 'Of Wolf And Man' just not good enough to sit alongside anything the band recorded on those first three albums. Sure, this self-titled wreck is several years on from 'Master...' etc, but I have a right to compare such records, especially when the band have built such a huge wall between such outings, and I'm wondering as well if they've built a huge wall between themselves and their fans too, because I refuse to believe that any self-confessed metalhead would find 'Metallica' as half decent, or maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's just me, but as 'The God That Failed' plods just like everything else on the album, I have to say that Metallica have failed, miserably. This black, blubbery beast is too one dimensional to exist as a force, but it would never prevent Metallica from becoming an even bigger, more successful band, and as 'The Struggle Within' labours to the finish line I can only express a yawn as long as this record, my mouth as black as that cover and eager for some soul food of more energy and passion.

On reflection, 'Metallica', despite being saturated with faults receives a higher mark but only as my way of saying a farewell to them.

7/10

King Diamond - Conspiracy (1989)

As someone who always found King Diamond's album covers so wonderfully Gothic, I was slightly disappointed to see King's made up mug on the front of 'Conspiracy', but that aside, this is another wonderfully constructed theatrical nightmare of heavy metal. The saga of Missy continues, ten tracks of Gothic grandeur, bolstered by the wizardry of Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk, and Dee's galloping drums. As I always state, King Diamond's albums are an acquired taste, because vocally this shreds ear drums, but if you can put up with the glass shattering moans of the great man himself, you'll find yourself absorbed in his dark poetry and graven images of haunted houses, blood-red skies and creaking coffins. Musically, 'Conspiracy' is simply molten metal, and you always know what you're going to get in those terms but it's the eerie atmosphere the band creates which keep me coming back for more. Whether its demonic cackling voices, or the number of characters King creates, the whole fusion makes for a truly visual experience as well as something which blisters the ears. The opener 'At The Graves' is a bit of a thrasher whilst the complexities of say, 'Victimized' enable the cut to come across like some Victorian horror novel. One part Norman Bates, the next Rocky Horror, this destroys anything theatrical Alice Cooper has ever done, because it never surrenders to the commercial and instead paints itself as a warped, sinister carnival of the bizarre and the curious. The furious 'Sleepless Nights' begins with some extraordinary guitar work that runs wildly from searing riff to dreamy acoustic as King warbles "I cannot sleep at night...".

Every King Diamond album is a cauldron of the insane, and whilst I openly admit to not originally liking the band when I first ever heard them, I soon found myself hooked and part of the asylum, and you will too....

8/10

Anthrax - Persistence Of Time (1990)

The last record to feature the throat of Joey Belladonna, the band would go on to construct 'real metal', which left me completely cold, especially the powerful yet dour vocal delivery of John Bush. However, I guess some things have to come to an end and the great moshin' days of Anthrax were up after this record, one which has never been given the credit it deserves. The previous record, 'State Of Euphoria', had an almost punky edge and elements of comedy, and apart from the out of place cover of 'Got The Time', I find 'Persistence...' to be a rewarding opus, and one a little dark around the edges. I wonder what would have happened if Joey had been given the chance to stay, because after the classic second and third records I still believe Anthrax were a huge force in the metal industry, and this record proves why. The band have upped the anti, creating a more industrialised vision, which once again makes the cover version of Joe Jackson even more awkward. Belladonna is on top form and that classic Anthrax chug is in full flow, but with darker dynamics. After the madcap antics of 'State...' a serious side emerges, opener 'Time' rattles in at almost seven minutes, Bello's bass clattering the speakers behind Ian's mighty, and oh so recognisable chug. 'Blood', another seven-minute face smasher follows suit, as does another seven-minute scorcher 'Keep It In The Family'. The chanted choruses still exist, but with a melancholic and at times angry edge, Anthrax sounding pissed off at the world, a killer riff ensues accompanied by Benante's earthquake thud. 'Keep...' remains one of the bands best cuts to date, cutting lyrically and doom-laden in its heaviness. 'In My World' keeps the mood but ups the pace...slightly, a memorable chorus and gargantuan plod and 'Gridlock' closes the side. Side two, with the exception of 'Got The Time' keeps its poker face. 'Belly Of The Beast', 'H8 Red' et al, proving to be the bands gloomiest, stark and most monstrous structures. I don't know if the the band knew Joey was going to to split, but the attitude and swagger on 'Persistence..' suggests some type of inner conflict, but for me one that made the sound stronger, but I guess it affected the relationship of the members.

Of course, after several albums without Bush, Joey would return to the fold and Anthrax were once again part of the Big Four of thrash metal. 'Persistence...' merely proof that the band weren't just about skatebords and bermuda shorts.

8.5/10

Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1 (1987)

For me, this was one of those records that epitomised the late '80s metal scene. Great cover, half-decent mystical band name, and yet somehow I always felt let down by the sound. Helloween were never up to scratch if you ask me, although 'Keeper...Part 1' is probably their best album. They began life as a German speed metal act and slowed the tempo to become an almost Euro-Maiden clone, mainly due to Kiske's almost operatic vocal assault. Certainly very adequate musically, the European acts always fulfilling potential on that side, but I just can't put my finger on what's missing, but even so, it's pretty clinical metal which reaches a euphoric climax with the thirteen-minute extravaganza 'Halloween'.

I don't think Helloween ever reached the heights they should have, and despite their immense talent, their career reminds me of Metal Church, who for some strange reason, despite their near perfect brand of metal, just couldn't rise high. I was enveloped in the cover art, reminding me heavily of Tolkien's classic 'Lord Of The Rings' books, but once I'd stepped inside the Gothic building I always felt a little at unease, and I guess I've also experienced the same atmosphere on so many Maiden albums. The quality can't be denied and yet it still grates.

7/10