Niagara - Now Or Never (1988)

It's the sort of late '80s album that, judging by the cover, may have been a bit of a wet lettuce, and yet hidden within are powerhouse vocals, searing hot guitars and the same quality one might find on albums by Shout and the likes. This is a good little record featuring some real sprightly numbers and V.M. Arias' guitars are simply wicked, anyone a fan of White Lion's Vito Bratta will find much shredding to savour here. Sure, the crystal clear and almost pompous vocal croon of Tony Cuervas is typical of its time but this is a solid effort featuring the fiery ramble of 'I Should Be Stronger' and the synth-drenched crunch of 'I Will Be There' with its sultry, pop edge. Typically late '80s yes, and that's why it's good. And that's a lot of hairspray use on that cover!
7/10

Crillson - Coming Of A New Age (1993)

Another of those bands stuck in the '80s and thankfully oblivious to the major shifts in metal during the grunge-infested early '90s. These Canadian's vomit out raging power metal with a strong thrash edge. It's all very macho, muscular and high-pitched and reasonably heavy too thanks to the dense guitar sound of Daniel Miller. Admittedly, the production is pretty poor and whilst vocalist Jesse Rezendes hits the right notes quite often, much of this sounds like it was recorded in a basement, giving it a mid '80s type quality. There are some moments of note despite the obvious negatives, album opener 'No Cure' is a rollicking listen, whilst 'The Chosen One' desperately tries to sound epic - Jesse is on fire with this one, his wails give the track a strong epic power metal feel. 'Destiny' and 'Veils of Darkness' are also excellent offerings, 'Coming of...' is certainly an obscurity well worth checking out if you like the mid to late '80s style of chest-pounding metal, just a shame this was swallowed up, the title of the record seeming a little ironic...the atrocious cover makes this opus even more charming.
6.5/10

Rage - Reign Of Fear (1986)

One of my favourite German metal bands, Rage were most certainly underrated, and yet churned out consistently good records, 'Reign...' being their debut opus. These guys bridged the gap between U.D.O./Accept-style metal with more technical power thrash, evident on album opener 'Scared To Death' which is rampant with pace. Peter 'Peavy' Wagner's vocals have always been a pure metal rasp, but it's the twin guitar attack of Schroder and Gruning which win me over. The thrashier numbers such as 'Deceiver' are pure metal heaven, burning rubber with the pace and venom - these guys should have dominated the '80s, but alongside the likes of Helloween, Running Wild et al, they floundered, if only slightly under the weight of the US thrash scene, but I'd recommend these sort of albums any day. Blessed with a great cover, 'Reign...' is a mighty fine debut - the band would, as they matured, become more experimental, drifting into Coroner realms with the excellent offerings 'Secrets in a Weird World' and 'Perfect Man.' 1986 - what a great time for metal.
7.5/10

Wench - A Tidy Sized Chunk (1991)

I recall first seeing this opus and thought it was some kind of grunge-infested, scatty road trip - something akin to the loony tunes of the Lunachicks - but this is rather deceiving as far as the cover goes. For the most part, Wench play solid metal - quite gnarly, reasonably heavy and if anything quite thrashy. They say never judge a book by its cover, but I do wish this all girl group had given us more of idea as to what lurked within because many may have missed this little gem. Tracks such as 'Sins' are full blown chuggers although the vocals are slightly off-key, but the majority of this album is good, 'Mercy', 'Forced Labour' are all solid tunes that sound as if they've crawled from some basement, but again, don't expect some goofy sub-pop platter, Wench don't do what it says on the tin - this is most certainly one female thrash-orientated act you wouldn't have heard of.
6.5/10

Uncle Sam - Fourteen Women (1993)

Intriguing band who never made the grade - Uncle Sam, or so I thought, might have slipped, with some relative comfort into the grunge area, because their sound was an almost loose amalgamation of grunge-tinged rock, sleaze, garage groove, but it wasn't to be. Uncle Sam's last opus (with its rather odd cover) was 'Fourteen Women,' a hooky hard rocker featuring the infectious glory of 'Fallout Shelter' with its pop-tinged rhythm and gritty vocal. Hard to describe these rockers really, certainly a touch of the alternative about them although the look was very much off the sleaze wagon. Mind you, the guys had a knack for combining that garage flavour with the hair metal scene, and maybe it was too niche but I always found them appealing and easy on the ears. Something obscurely cool about this record, just a shame not many got to hear it, but I also recommend the feisty stomp of their 'Letters From London' opus with its punky edge.
7/10

Sadist - Above The Light (1993)

As far as befuddling techno-death metal goes, Sadist are up their with the most cranky. Hailing from Italy, these guys really know how to disorientate, their jarring, multi-layered brand of death metal a real eye and ear opener - the three piece not afraid to throw in all manner of experimentation, whether its floating piano, classic '80s metal, sadistic sounding black metal, mid-paced thrash, old school death metal, jazzy intricacies, or progressive rock. It's all in here, 'Above The Light' being a true well-stirred cauldron of emotion - Andy Marchini's vocal rasps are more of a throaty black metal gurgle, but boy do these guys know how to play, somehow drawing the listener in with accessible symphonies and then alienating with those discordant rhythms. 'Above The Light' is one of those cult records that all thrash and death metal fans need to own - especially if you've a taste for the more complex styles of extreme metal, Sadist inhabit the same inhospitable void as Atheist, Oblivion, Anacrusis, et al, but sound like none of these bands. Another five albums would follow after this, none of them sounding similar, but I'd recommend you start here.
8/10

Asphalt Ballet - s/t (1991)

Asphalt Ballet's 1991 opus is certainly the bands best - a bruising lil' rocker that combines the swagger of Guns n' Roses with the leather-clad attitude of Skid Row, with a touch of Love/Hate - and this trio of bands can certainly be heard on the muscular stomp of 'Hell's Kitchen' mind you my favourite track is the soulful, bluesy sway of 'Heaven Winds Blow.' Asphalt Ballet were certainly overlooked back in the day and ever got the recognition of the bigger bands, but these guys sit nicely alongside Sea Hags, Salty Dog, Law & Order and even the more alternative grooves of The Front when you hear the breezy 'Tuesday's Rain'. Intriguing band, worth checking this one out.
7.5/10

Ratt - s/t (1983)

Ratt's debut EP was a welcoming rocker boasting a great cover, although over the years these guys would, sadly pale in significance when compared to say motley Crue and the likes. Even so, Ratt were very much part of the '80s hair metal scene and the Pearcy/Crosby songwriting machine were certainly a duo to be taken seriously. Certainly this opus and the follow up, 'Out of the Cellar' were cracking little records that provided the best in sleazy glam metal, from the opening rattler 'Sweet Cheater' to the crunchin' 'You Think You're Tough.' Ratt were very much part of every metalhead's record collection back in the day and so I have great respect for them, but Stephen Pearcy was never the greatest frontman, in fact his voice, and looks for that matter, were very much of the ordinary, but there are certainly less enjoyable ways to spend thirty or so minutes of your life. Ratt's debut is essential heavy metal and these sorts of bands spawned a million imitators.
7/10

GZR - Plastic Planet (1995)

Unbelievable to think that we'd have to rely on a heavy metal stalwart to produce a decent alternative metal opus during a time when Satan and his minions had fled the nest after being driven out by the grunge kids. GZR is the child of Sabbath's Geezer Butler who somehow has carved out a record of urban toughness that would leave me salivating. Forget Biohazard, Korn, Machine Head et al, GZR were very much nu-metal before nu-metal - a mighty slab of streetwise metal that combined the weight and gnarly attitude of Faith No More with elements of grunge and to some extent, rap/metal crossover. Hell, even fans of early Fear Factory would find much to savour here (more so due to the fact that it's Burton C. Bell barking throughout) as Geezer and his bunch of metallic brothers pound the senses with an almost industrialised brand of metal. This is heavy stuff, the debut opus from a band who clearly know their stuff without buckling to trend. Butler wrote most of the lyrics here, and is accompanied by drum god Dean Castronovo who also worked with Ozzy, whilst the grinding guitars are the product of Peter Howse, a fellow Brummie and nephew of Geezer.

So, what can we expect from this record - well, it is very heavy, very direct and tends to hint at Fear Factory and the likes with its crisp approach and concrete weight. In fact GZR fit perfectly within the mid '90s fold, nodding towards Pantera in their muscular flexing as well as taking on a bold Gothic dynamic with those epic structures. Sadly 'Plastic Planet' is the only full length release to feature Burton who would be replaced by Clark Brown. 'Plastic Planet' is a bruising affair that after a few spins does tend to grate simply due to its unrelenting aggression. However, there are some nice subtle touches throughout, but for the most part this is the sort of stuff that took over from 'heavy metal' in the '90s so it should appeal to most. Favourite track being the monolithic yet haunting 'Séance Fiction' with its Sabbath-esque chugging.
7/10

Venom - Calm Before The Storm (1987)

Venom enter the late '80s with a new found freshness - grabbing melodic metal by the horns and incorporating into their previously rusty sound. Long gone are the formidable and sinister soundscapes which suggested prime evil conjuring - only Cronos' vile vocals echo those frothing sneers of yesteryear. There is a crystal sheen to 'Calm...' suggesting that the storm has already passed in those days of 'Black Metal' et al. Now the band have seemingly enlisted a producer instead of using a dustbin to darken their sound. Mantas has long gone, strangely also pursuing more melodic heights with his 'Winds of Change' opus, and now we're treated to 43 minutes of black n' roll that at its heart is still very much Venom and ragin; albeit with less sinister intent. 'Calm...' is probably the first Venom opus to combine heavy thrash chuggin' with what could best be described as pure metal solos, 'Black Xmas' a prime example of how that Venom crust meets straight up metal. This is a straight up metal record that does nothing to distance itself from the hordes of acts that also emerged at the time - Venom should have stuck to their guns, some of their hardened fans no doubt would have found themselves cringing at 'The Chanting of the Priests' with Cronos' out of place "oh oh's" although his bass rattles hard throughout. Certainly not my favourite Venom album, but Cronos and company clearly felt the need to shift into the late '80s with a clearer sound, but the tragedy is, despite this being a solid affair, Venom have never found their feet since.
7/10

FM - Indiscreet (1986)

The epitome of British AOR music - 'Indiscreet' also sums up late '80s metal in some respect, perfect rock for the radio - drenched in keyboards, boasting sultry anthems. Forty minutes of middle of the road, whispering, steaming smoke-machine hard rock - made all the more soulful by Steve Overland's silky vocals and those dynamics are simply simmering. This opus, the band's debut, spawned a selection of minor hits including the infectious album opener 'That Girl' and the equally comforting 'Other Side of Midnight.' This is about as hard as a well used sponge, but through all its pomp it's still a nice little record but those expecting anything remotely heavy will have to look elsewhere. An acquired taste, most metal heads would have turned their nose up at such pomp, but more the fool them. Metal is a genre of so many layers, and bands like FM are very much part of a much hated underbelly which proved just how narrow minded most metal-heads were.
6/10

Acid Reign - Moshkinstein (1988)

I could've sworn I'd reviewed the mighty Acid Reign previously! Maybe not! Okay so if you're not in the know these guys were a cult UK thrash band who released a handful of albums including this debut mini-platter. Very much splattered with humour, Acid Reign were never fully taken seriously, but beneath the comedy there was a real talent for cutting thrash metal. 'Moshkinstein' featured six tracks including the epic 'Motherly Love', the perfect ode to fictional serial killer Norman Bates. Admittedly there was a low budget fell about what Acid Reign did and H's vocals were a touch primitive, and, dare I say it, amateurish in their joyous naivety. Acid Reign were not the most technical of thrashers, and were probably more famous for their rather dodgy album covers, but I recall buying 'Moshkinstein' in the legendary Shades record store in London and was always glad of the purchase. Like a lot of UK thrash these sort of albums were let down by the quality and almost grating guitar sound, but tracks such as 'Suspended Sentence' and the already mentioned 'Motherly Love' somehow made AR stand out from the crowd - these guys were certainly not reliant on the US thrash crunch and instead carved out their own merry brand of thrashcore. A trio of albums and these guys were done.
6/10

Toranaga - Bastard Ballads (1988)

Toranaga were British thrash hopeful's who, despite some good reviews didn't really live up to expectation. Mind you, decades after the release of this debut opus I'm finding myself hooked on their almost bland style of thrash which puts so many of the modern imitators to shame. 'Bastard Ballads' is a gritty six track affair that includes a half-decent instrumental entitled 'Bastard Ballad.' This quartet, fronted by Mark Duffy were very much no thrills thrash but they also displayed a lot of melody within their sound and alongside the likes of Deathwish, Slammer and Hydra Vein didn't get the credit they deserved and I also preferred them to Xentrix who seemed to want to sound too American. Very much solid thrash metal without any real identity, amazingly this doesn't sound dated, but still rocks hard. Just a shame the UK thrash scene was regarded so low considering some of the fantastic bands it churned out. Fave track on the album being 'Dealers In Death'.
7/10

The Quireboys - A Bit Of What You Fancy (1990)

Also known as the London Quireboys - these bar-room British brawlers were criticised for their brand of pub rock, mainly due to the fact that much of what they constructed was completely derivative, and yet somehow charming. Fronted by a Geordie named Spike, The Quireboys were simply the bastard offspring of the Faces, Mott The Hoople and goodness knows how many other drunken British bands. Spike was every bit the Rod Stewart rip-off with those gravelly vocals and with the twanging guitar, honky-tonk piano and songs of love and loss, it was all very archetypical but beneath the grit and grime there were a handful of decent tracks, such as the party stomper '7 o'clock' and minor hit 'Hey You.' The band also displayed their subtle, albeit boozy bluesy side with the wafting 'I Don't Love You Anymore' although for the most part this was very much an upbeat rock n' roll experience boasting the sort of songs and style that Black Crowes and the likes tried their luck at, and bizarrely succeeded. Certainly more rewarding than a whole host of US sleaze bands, this had a more authentic feel due to the down to earth nature of the band members, and although a little light in places it's the sort of album that acts well as a hangover soundtrack. For similar boozy rambling check out Dogs D'Amour.
7/10

Original Sin - Sin Will Find You Out (1986)

Okay, let's be clear about this - the all female group that is Original Sin (one of a handful of bands with the name) have got to be one of metal's finest all female bands. Seriously. This is bone-crumbling thrash metal that takes us right back to the heart of the fiery '80s, a record so powerful, speeding and wailing that I'm inclined to buy a cauldron and melt all my other female-fronted metal albums. Imagine the darkest corners of '80s metal, think Slayer at their most evil, a time when inverted crosses were all the rage. Don't be put off by that hair metal cover - this is blood-drenched female metal that even has the likes of Phantom Blue and Meanstreak running for their lives. Danielle Draconis is one ballsy female rocker who comes complete with true warrior pipes and Cynthia Taylors are utterly demonic. I once heard that the guy from Virgin Steel wrote the songs (although I've also heard that much of this album was constructed by those involved with Exorcist's 'Nightmare Theatre'), even so, this is a truly blazing record perfect for sinister nights in a darkened room, just check out the truly hellish opener 'Conjuration of the Watcher', the devilish 'Succubus' featuring some superb drumming courtesy of the wonderfully named Darlene Destructo. I'm transported back to the halcyon days when metal was dangerous, satanic and daubed in red light. The glorious chain-rattler 'Bitches From Hill' pretty much sums up these gals, and I'm still wondering why it was dressed in such a misleading cover because 'Sin Will Find You Out' is 100% hot-blooded heavy metal, a truly fantastic head-banging experience, even if it's all meant to be nothing more than a fake band.
8.5/10

Black Lace - Get It While It's Hot (1985)

Pretty standard although somewhat endearing heavy metal featuring the gnarly vocals of Maryann Scandiffio. It's certainly better than a lot of female-fronted metal, but what makes this band so meaty is the dense guitar sound of  Carlo Fragnito who turns seemingly formulaic rockers such as 'I Like To Rock' into rather sturdy numbers. I have to admit to preferring the bands 'Unlaced' platter, but there are some decent moments on 'Get It...' such as the middle of the road plodder that is the title track although Anthony Fragnito's vocals leave a lot to be desired. 'Speed of Sound' is another of the albums positives, again fuelled by the cool guitar sound, just make sure you don't confuse these meta-heads with the party duo of the same name!!
7/10

Morgoth - The Eternal Fall (1990)

One of my favourite death metal acts from the early days - Morgoth, who hail from Germany, bridged the gap between Death and Obituary with their technical prowess, meaty vocal delivery and sinister structures. The quartet were serious contenders for the European death metal throne - effortlessly shifting gears between frantic blastbeats and slower, doomier passages of old school death metal. It's strange how I can listen to this stuff all day and yet find a majority of modern so-called death metal bands absolutely soul grating. 'The Eternal Fall' came hot on the heels of the debut EP 'Resurrection Absurd', and whilst clocking in at under twenty minutes it was still a ferocious slab of metal featuring the immense drumming of Rudiger Hennecke and mind-bending guitar solos and structures of both Carsten Otterbach and Harald Busse. Formidable stuff, especially the vocal vomits of Marc Grewe who provided the bass too. The extraordinary 'Female Infanticide' a prime example of Morgoth's dastardly work. Well worth the money, and a great insight into old school death metal at its finest.
8/10

Banshee - Take 'Em By Storm (1993)

Almost laughable to hear such volatile metal during the fetid grunge invasion. Banshee's second full length opus is another hair frizzing experience that refuses to exist within the boundaries of a grunge-infested world - it's a record that stomps it's feet even though most of the world is not listening. 'Take 'Em By Storm' is certainly not the powerhouse of the debut mini-lp but it's still a driving juggernaut of a record that is hot and steamy down to the wire - once again bolstered by Flood's vocals and Dunn's searing hot guitars. 'Live For Music' is most certainly their anthemic two fingers to the early to mid '90s flannel-head music movement and proof that metal still lived and breathed despite the ignorance. 'Running Wild' is a true blaze of glory that worms its way through the minions of plastic people, and whilst 'Take 'Em...' is tinged with more melody than previous efforts, it's still the sort of album that should have set the metal scene alight, but it wasn't to be. Even so, Banshee find a middle ground between Dio, hard edged melodic hair metal, and ferocious power metal. Laugh all you want but it's more metal than you'll ever be.
8/10

Banshee - Cry In The Night (1986)

Possibly one of my favourite '80s metal obscurities - hot blooded American metal that just goes for the throat. This is a mini album boasting five tracks and some of the best metal vocals you're likely to hear, courtesy of the throat that is Tommy Lee Flood. If you're a fan of really fiery, pretty fast molten metal then you're gonna love this album - I'd put this up there alongside the smouldering Savatage record 'The Dungeons Are Calling' because this is so chest pounding and fire-breathing, and reaches a real heavy metal climax in the blistering title track which features some dazzling guitar work from Terry Dunn who has to be one of metal's forgotten guitar heroes. 'Back Your Way' is another stonking track with some distinctive clattering drums from Kent Burnham. I'd recommend this sort of metal to anybody - us kids in the '80s would've killed for stuff like this. And if you can't get enough of these power metallers then lap up their debut album from 1991 'Race Against Time'', and if that doesn't quench your thirst you'll be pleased to know they returned to the scene in 2012 with 'Mindslave.' Epic metal for long nights in by the fire.
8.5/10

Kublai Khan - Annihilation (1987)

Nice little thrash record from the late '80s, Kublai Khan (named after a Mongolian emperor) were a US thrash band of hopefuls fronted by guitarist Glen Handevidt who claimed he was in Megadeth for a very short time! It's formulaic, if somewhat speedy and raw thrash that is somewhat of a messy mix - if you can imagine it - between Possessed, Nuclear Assault, Suicidal Tendencies, Megadeth, Anthrax, et al. Although lacking an identity there are a few decent moments, particularly the Metallica-speeded up- thrasher that is 'Mongrel Horde' and the relentless thrashing of 'Death Breath.' Admittedly not the best thrash album ever and it fails in the production too but there's something rather stuffy about it all, some may even sense a hint of Sepultura in the raging 'Liar's Dice.' Not a bad little record.
7/10

April 16th - Sleepwalking (1988)

The sleeve artwork could suggest a thrash band, but no - April 16th are a standard UK metal act, but there's something enchanting a out the whole affair. Okay, so the cover probably helps, but overall it's typically British, quite gritty yet with a hint of mysticism, these guys reminding me of the sort of band who'd appear on the legendary Friday Rock Show. Admittedly for the most part this is an unremarkable album, blessed with melody although vocally rather mundane, especially on the opening title track which is a good driving rock track dragged down by the voice. The intriguingly titled 'Clapham Wood' (no doubt based on the mysterious woodland situated in the county of Sussex) is a slightly more atmospheric affair, it builds slowly into a nice rocker, but album fave has to be 'Illusion' with its strong guitar intro. So, overall, not a fantastic opus, but quite a rarity and one still worth owning especially if you're one of those Brit rock fans. Typically late '80s but better than a smack in the face.
7/10

Imperium - Too Short A Season (1993)

Compelling techno-thrash from Holland - Imperium never quite made the boat, probably too clever for their own good whilst the rest of the world were bathing in the grease of retarded grunge metal. Imperium are at times bewildering and yet bridging the gap between chugging thrash and progressive metal to form what can only be described as jarring dynamics. Sure, there's something rather remote about proceedings, even the vocal attack of Andre Vuurboom refuses to rest, couple this with Remco Nijkamp's jolting bass and you can somewhat imagination this chaotic soundscape. Whether it's the complex chug of 'Chemical Season' or the elusive strains of 'Silenced,' Imperium still remain accessible in their mysticism - fusing together a cold steel style of metal, classic at times, but always stretching the boundaries - even bringing to mind the thrashy grooves of Mordred and Toxik, but thankfully not quite visiting the alien shores of the deathlier Atheist et al. Even so, it's still a cosmic experience that'll twist the spinal chord.
8/10

Thunderfire - s/t (1983)

My goodness this has one of the scariest intro's ever - think Sabbath's debut as far as dungeon-esque horror goes, but musically it's more standard metal, the sort that I love, although this has more a doom-laden feel than say Stainless Steel and what really separates this from the rest are the gargoyle-styled vocals Freddy Fiskens, who is the bastard offspring of Lemmy, and has really oily textures to his vocals. This is very direct metal but heavy at its heart, harbouring a NWOBHM feel alongside a deeper bluesy guitar sound which comes courtesy of  Danny van Poucke and the rhythm of Malcolm Murray. This about as dense sounding as metal gets, hard to believe this comes from Belgium, but if you're after primitive wildman metal then you'll find this chest-thumper a real treasure. All I can say is if AC/DC, Venom and Sabbat were thrown into a cauldron then no doubt Thunderfire would emerge.
7.5/10

Attila - Rolling Thunder (1986)

Another laughable brilliant gem from the 1980s, Attila live up to the name of their album. I know nothing about these guys, but who cares, it's very much in your face metal that can at times be so aggressive that it could almost pass for lukewarm thrash, but for the most part it's standard yet blazing true as steel heavy metal that I'd happily put into the same stuffy basement as Stainless Steel et al. What I find amazing is that in the modern day hordes of bands are trying to sound like this and yet sound so dull, and yet back in the '80s, with so many acts plying their metal trade, this sort of stuff sounded so sincere, maybe because back then metal felt more real than ever, and it was new. Attila are simply the sort of metal merchants you'd be hoping to hear if you bought this sort of opus. I'm pretty sure these guys are American, Vincent Paul's vocals are not the strongest but he does add a nice dose of melody to tracks sucha s the chugging 'March of Kings.' Sure it's formulaic but there's something so honest and fiery about it all and I could, and do say the same about so many of these type of bands from back in the day. Well worth checking out although I'm guessing that originals will be hard to track down at a cheaper price.
6.5/10

Crossbones - s/t (1989)

This sounds like it was recorded a few yearsd earlier - this is very much 'hair metal,' pompous in its anthems and vocal strut, but heavy enough to not sink into glam/sleaze territory. I have a feeling these guys are Italian, vocalist Giorgio Veronesi has a melodic set of pipes, and the whole album has a crystal sheen about it, but the great thing about this obscure band is the injection of the keys but also the guitar work of Dario Mollo who one moment is struttin' like Vitto Bratta (White Lion), the next really camping it up like all hair metal guitarists should - anyone not left nodding by the infectious 'Fallen Angel' is clearly dead already, this is a mini hair metal classic that gets its paws on the ears with it's almost pop-tinged chorus, cool stuff. Tracks like 'Iron In The Soul' are harder at their heart, providing a more Gothic stance whereas 'Cry From The Heart' is a true sultry rocker, but once again the guitars shine - as solos go, there's none better. In a sense, Crossbones are shred heaven but also effortlessly ply their trade by writing melodic rock monsters that are better than a majority of more successful bands.
7.5/10

Stainless Steel - In Your Back (1985)

More obscure German metal - this gem reminds me of Judas Priest in every sense, the way it drives hard at quite a pace and offers us such anthems as 'H.M. Bomber' featuring some fantastic guitar work from Muller and Barton, whilst Ralf Scholz vocals are very much in that Rob Halford vein. There is a strong under-produced feel to this which gives it its charm, but you can't go wrong witht he formidable 'Angel of Death' and super charger that is 'Hell On Earth.' There's something very aggressive about the whole record, rarely does it drops its pace, and whilst it does nothing to stand out from the crowd it's simply another of those long lost metal abums that, should you be able to pick a copy up, will provide at least half an hours entertainment on a dark and stormy night.
7/10

Axe Victims - Another Victim (1984)

Another mini-classic from the dusty vaults. the wonderfully named Axe Victims are a German quintet who once made their living out of poker faced metal, straight down the line, nothing fancy but always blazing. Vocalist Frank Fanfare (great name dude!) is the archetype '80s metal frontman, and he rattles more than adequately on gems such as 'Shoot From The Stars,' 'Heartbreaker' and 'Man of the Dark.' The album boasts some pretty devilish guitars, just check out the simmering chug of 'Heartbreaker,' a mid-paced stomper, but five tracks in you know what's coming next, but I guess that's the charm of these sort of straight forward metal albums - there's no shortage of fiery anthems on offer. Sure, it sounds a little dated now, but the '80s was where it was at for us denim-clad guys and these are the albums that made it.
7/10

Exxplorer - Symphonies Of Steel (1985)

If any of you metalheads out there are loking for some pure metal armageddon, then you can't go wrong with Exxplorer's 'Symphonies of Steel.' Although it doesn't quite match Attack's 'Destinies of War' for all out power metal orgasm, this is still the sort of album that'll have you doning armour when sitting down for dinner. Ther only slight negative on this opus is Lennie' Rizzo's vocal warble which lacks the balls to make this album a real hi-fi metal supernova but his cracked performance is still enough for 'Symphonies...' to be an essential record. It's very much fiery, epic sounding mid '80s metal that you can't get hold of nowadays, this sort of stuff was made for vinyl, check out the blazing twin guitar attack from Ed Lavolpe and Kevin Kennedy who'd been given the apt nickname of 'Koncrete'! 'Symphonies...' is classic metal in the sense that it finds comfort in whatever mood it takes, just check out the wilderbeeest that is the epic 'Objection Overruled: a) Guilty As Charge, b) Phantasmagoria' (yes, that's the actual song title, a hell hath no fury of a track that displays the band as a raging demon as well as subtle creature. Jimmy G. Gardener provides that bone-shuddering bass as well as some vocals. There are some fantastic tracks on offer here, from the cold steel assault of opener 'City Streets' to the thunderous 'X-Termination,' the former displaying some truly memorable thrashing chugs and scything solos. Some albums need to be owned,a nd some are more expensive than others, but alongside 'Destinies of War,' 'Symphonies of Steel' is another of those long lost gems that'll have you rockin' on forever...
8/10