Tattoo - Blood Red (1988)

When I first saw this album back in '88 I jumped to the conclusion it was gonna be some average sleaze metal act. If anything this is a Fastway style of fiery rock, vocalist Gary Stewart reminding me of Dave King, particularly on 'Top Of The Rock' which features some pretty bombastic guitars courtesy of Glenn Miller and Joe Minor. It's a shame these Chicago metallers disappeared without a trace, one only has to hear a track like 'She's A Rocker' with its chugging guitars to wonder how and why bands like this were never recognised. Was it the band name? The album cover? Or just maybe the scene at the time was swamped with so many bands, but Tattoo are consistently good in every department driving headlong into the ears with their brand of metal. Maybe tracks like 'Red Light' didn't do enough in the originality department to garner any attention, but 'Blood Red' is still a robust record I'd recommend. 7/10