Magnum - Kingdom Of Madness (1979)

I'm sulking because the cover here is nowhere near as great as my vinyl copy - Magnum once again enticing the listener into an alleged realm of fantasy - even if the album on the whole lacks the magic one would expect and succumbs to too many wanderings down keyboard drenched pathways. Sadly, the electronica bestowed upon the album prevents it from being even a half-decent rock record, the band clearly talented and effortlessly churning out gargantuan epics, but it's the more simple cuts such as 'Baby Rock Me' which remain refreshing, driving the same type of strut as a hard edged Queen whilst side two opener 'All That Is Real' I've often described as a bright and breezy pile of niceness! For me this is watery rock, with added cheese, 'Lords Of Chaos' a prime example as another no good piece of funky bubbly soup. Strong guitars are all too fleeting, the band opting for the wistful and at times too quirky to have any effect. I guess Magnum are not every one's cup of tea but I'd rather drink tea than sit through 'Kingdom Of Madness' again, because like 'On A Storyteller's Night', this flatters to deceive and hides behind a fantastic cover when the reality is it's like sucking a sponge full of water!

6/10

Masi -Downtown Dreamers (1988)

What the hell does opener 'God Promised A Paradise' remind me of ? Is it a metal version of Belinda Carlisle's '80s pop hit 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth' or some Bon Jovi-cum-Dave Lee Roth hair metal vomit ? It's all kind of mesmerisingly bad! Full throttle on the guitars - courtesy of said guitar wanker Mr Masi - vocally the chap named David doesn't have the beef as Bernie K who impressed on 'Fire In The Rain', but it's all still the same straight '80s metal evoking images of city lights and distant highways. 'Thunder & Lightning' - can it get more cheesy ? is enveloped in frazzling solos, a watered down Dio to some extent, and as Coverdale mimic Fefolt croons "I'm a lover...", and some sad decaying bimbo runs her fingers through his jungle of chest hair, we are reminded why this type of metal made the '80s so great but also why metal eventually got left behind when the serious grunge heads invaded. 'Foggy Day In Hollywood' showcases Masi's talent - just in case we'd forgotten, whilst 'hellraiser', 'State Of Rock' and 'Movin On' are token rockers perfect for every '80s metal pool party.

7/10

Deep Purple - The House Of Blue Light (1987)

I feel like I should downgrade this record just because it's a mundane, late '80s DP record - so fitting of its time, I can just imagine this being promoted on Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show! So, it's not a masterful record, and if you ask me none of their records were genius despite the acclaim given to some of the early records - and I've always found Gillan's voice soothing rather than hellbent on metal fury, but, there are some very cool moments on this record, for one, the killer riff to 'Hard Lovin Woman', pure Blackmore magic. The organ drenched 'Mitzi Dupree' showcases the smokey, blues atmosphere we've come to expect from the band over the years whilst 'Dead Or Alive' is a galloping rider of the darkest night! At times there's a maiden feel, and it's always typically mid to late '80s in its feel which is fine by me, and whilst I've always taken DP and their records with a pinch of salt, on certain nights of the year 'The House...' can be quite an absorbing experience.

7/10

Saxon - The Eagle Has Landed (1982)

Yep, it's Saxon and it's a live album. So what ? Ten tracks recorded across the valleys of Europe in 1981, showcasing the bands finest moments, 'Heavy Metal Thunder', 'Wheels Of Steel' etc. Not many live metal albums were spectacular...this isn't, but then again we don't expect gimmicks from Biff and company so if you like Saxon then just listen to it, and that's that. Bye!

7/10

Virus - Lunacy (1989)

A bruising slab of mosh metal that combines the hard hitting attack of early Suicidal Tendencies with a more urban, downbeat toughness. Heston's strained vocal delivery adds extra gravel to the baseball bat effect this record has on the bones - Anthrax on steroids ? Massive chugging assaults on opener 'Seeing...' followed by the Testament-like construction of the title cut, bolstered by McFinlay's raging guitar and those clattering Kaylor drums. 'Lunacy' doesn't set out to dazzle but as long as the kids are going mental in the pit and the sweat is flying then you know Virus have made a solid record.

7/10

DBC - Universe (1989)

Long before I listened to DBC (Dead Brain Cells in case ya don't know!) I always thought they were some type of moshing crossover act in the DRI vein, but after just one listen of this record one can't help be blown away. 'Universe' is a complex concept album of cosmic proportions that sounds as fresh today as the time it was made - a riveting experience with titles alone that suggest a mature, intricate dosage of jerking thrash. Opener 'The Genesis Explosion' wouldn't seem out of place on a Voivod record - DBC shock the ears with their almost original brand of technical moshing that mostly bewilders but always stays fresh in the mind. Dakin's choppy vocals make the listening experience even more jarring as the band pulverise the senses with myriads of rhythms and sprawling webs of intrigue - the jagged guitars of Shahini and Oullette take thrash to new levels, hardly headbanging material as it cavorts like some star-crossed dragon in contorted flight. This may appear somewhat alienating to those without an ear for such mesmeric meanderings, 'Heliosphere', 'Estuary' and 'Phobos &Deimos' all complex slabs of metal mastery that take more than a few listens to sink in. When I first heard this record many years ago I didn't expect the masterclass of precision metal that bewildered every sense - the perception and experimentation of the band enabling them to slot alongside Anacrusis for magical yet at times isolating listening. The Gothic swirls of 'Primordium' create visions of celestial stardust, DBC create their own universe not a million miles away from the dabblings of deathsters Pestilence or Voivod. 'Universe' may well have been one of the records the government employed as part of their space programme in order to contact extraterrestrials. How the fuck bands come up with this sort of stuff is beyond me, but if you want further proof that nu-metal shite like Slipknot is music for children, then grab a copy of 'Universe' and experience the equivalent of musical alien abduction. Brain frazzling!

8/10

Stevie Salas Colorcode - S/T (1990)

As the funk metal wave swept through metal city, far cooler bands carved their own soulful niche. Fishbone, Living Color, 24-7-Spyz and Stevie Salas were more than just imitators or cartoon punks. They never attempted to be metal - they weren't, but their hard driving levels of funk and soul just happened to get noticed by those fans eager to snap up the latest rock trend that was far removed from death, glam or straight edged metal. These bands seemed to deliver fresh messages although their words were fleeting. Stevie Salas and his band of merry funksters had enough funk to even make the likes of Prince proud, and then there's the lashings of Parliament, Lenny Kravitz, and that Hendrix groove going on. And not forgetting the darker stains of Living Color. Packed full of promise, this is a debut that rocks hard and cavorts like a serpentine mother ship, hell bent on simply creating dynamic funk with cutting guitars and steely chorus lines. There's so much sunshine soul on offer that any self respecting fan of bands ranging from Thin Lizzy to the already mentioned Prince, will find much to freak out to, or simply laze in the rays of this groover if you wish. 'Caught In The Middle' is pure pop rock, 'The Harder They Come' is cool funk with a Chili Pepeprs twist and personal fave 'Indian Chief' reeks of Hendrix. However, when one throws so many cool bands (okay, not including the Chili Peppers) in the mix, the influences are naturally going to shine, so if you fancy something far removed from '90s metal but still hard edged then this is a record to take you there.

7.5/10