Thunderstick - Beauty And The Beasts (1984)

Well, this record had all the imagery of something pretty sinister. For the most part this lives up to expectation, 'Beauty...' being a rather rollicking listen that combines the classic New Wave Of British Heavy Metal sound and an almost sleaze-edged vocal display courtesy of femme fatale Jodee Valentine. The band were known more so for including drummer Thunderstick (ex-Samson skin basher), a masked menace who gave the album added flavour with his mysticism. Overall though it's a melodic affair that effortlessly fuses a Maidenesque gallop, and poppy edge, particularly on cuts such as 'Rich Girls' with its infectious, albeit odd chorus, whilst 'Heartbeat (In The Night)' speeds things up. A lot of this NWOBHM is pretty strange stuff, often quite creaky in its nature, and Thunderstick are typical of the era, providing the listener with a few Gothic ramblings alongside a more innocent groove. 7/10