Murder Bay - Never Was An Angel (2012)

Now, here's a turn up for the books. This US hair metal rockers were causing a stir back in the '80s and yet never made the big time, or any time for that matter, but decades later their old recordings have been put out and boy, this is a real insight into what it was like back in the good ol' days. Murder bay come across like Steel panther's serious older brother, sporting big tunes, cool and catchy choruses and plenty of fluff in the vocals of Paul Trombetta. There's nothing fake about these guys, it's all from the heart of the '80s, from the "Whoaaa...it's not the way we planned it..." cheer of 'Outta Line' to the hypnotic strut of album opener 'Land Of Plenty' with its sleazy groove, this is well produced hair metal that deserves a second chance. The title track is a soulful croon, lyrics straight from the '80s once again, and yet somehow bereft of cliche, Trombetta giving a sultry performance as Karafilis' smooth, bolshy guitars cast a spell, I'm finding myself smothered by this big sound in the same way I was hooked on Treat's record reveiwed not so long ago. The funky strut of 'Honey Child,' is typical of some long lost hair metal classic, and for those whow eren't there, when lycra and bandanna's were all the rage, then take a trip to Murder Bay but this ain't just about nostalgia, this a refreshing slab of old school rock. 7.5/10