Lords Of The Crimson Aliance - s/t (1986)

Anyone with a band name like that deserves attention! Okay, so LOTCA are not some secret government project and neither are they a clandestine Satanic sect eager to kidnap your children, but they are a pretty cool metal band from the '80s who would have been ignored back in the day, but with that name and cover how could such a band slip by ? Well, truth is there was so much metal in the '80s it was difficult to hear about every gem, and whilst so many bands made a success of their career it didn't mean of course that all these bands were good, in fact most of the obscure acts stayed very much in the foggy realms of folklore, these guys a prime example of that despite their buzzing riffs and high octane energy. When you hear a track like 'The Sorcerer' with its eerie organ and clattering drums you'll wish you were still in the mid '80s, kicking back in the darkness and banging along. The vocals are classic metal, nothing more to be said really as they remain pure amidst the metal mayhem, although on 'Dragonslayer' they go so high that you'll be hiding the mirrors. As in the case of so many '80s metal bands of this ilk, there are a few doom-laden stirrings too, '...Morpheus' has a Zeppish yet mournful strut. LOTCA are long forgotten by many, but not here, and their ability to pump out fiery metal is what makes them essential. We don't care if the sound isn't original, it's metal and it melts the ears and eyes, and sometimes that's all that matters.

7/10