Septic Death - Now That I Have Your Attention... (1986)

Typical of its time to some extent, Septic Death's 'Now that...' is a classic mix of punk, hardcore and attitude with a killer snare drum and some dirty grooves to boot. This cult band were fronted by Brian Schroeder, best known as Pushead who not only produced the fantastic sleeve art but also worked designed covers for the likes of Metallica, and the lesser known Kinghorse.

This chaotic little was the first full-length release by the band, featuring such killer cuts as 'Change' with its fuzzoid guitar, the raucous 'Silence' and the hostile 'Terrorain'. Eighteen solid tracks of riotous punk rock, it's an album that's difficult to argue with unless you want to lose all of your teeth.
7/10

D'Molls- s/t (1988)

One of m favourite glam rock albums from the '80s, this severely underrated group should've experienced the same success as bands such as Poison but probably took too long in releasing their debut platter despite being around years previous. The band were fronted by Desi Rexx (who also played guitar) who was accompanied by Lizzy Valentine (bass guitar), S.S. Priest (guitar) and Billy Dior (drums). The debut platter, one of only two they would release, mixed cheeky pop-tinged melody with plenty of lipstick and hairspray but beneath the glam and glitter were a set of fantastic tunes such as '777', 'Dressed to Thrill' and 'D'Stroll' all delivered with grace but also the cheery disposition of say, Cheap Trick.

It's a cool debut opus that really deserved the promotion but by the time the band's second opus, 'Warped' had come round metal had moved on considerably. It's a shame because this opus puts a lot of other glam bands in the shade - proof that there was a lot more to this scene than just pout. Extremely catchy throughout, this is one glam metal album you should own.
8/10

Crowley - Whisper of the Evil (1986)

A true metal gem if you ask me, this Japanese troop didn't do much else apart from this platter which featured a wonderfully amateurish cover to scare your parents. Musically though it's al guns blazing pacey metal showcasing some fine guitar solos from Yoshinori Kokune and when you have track titles such as 'Woman In A Black Cape' and 'Stalker' you can't really argue with them, and for the most part the squealing vocals of Takashi Iwai are also noteworthy. At times bordering on thrash, this thunderous albeit slightly amateurish attempt at dark metal is certainly one for collectors. 666!
7/10

White Night - Death Rendez-vouz (1985)

A creaky platter from '85 - White Night (unusual spelling!) were an obscure quintet who only released this plodding yet pitch-black EP which featured a T. Satanson (geddit?!) on vocals. Traditional metal it most certainly is, with slightly strained but convincing vocals over some decent ominous riffs and not so weighty drums. Of the three songs on offer, 'Wild Night' is certainly the best and has the feel of a flatter Mercyful Fate or maybe that's just my imagination running wild in my candle-lit dungeon. Even so, a half-decent EP that's worth your time although I'm pretty sure my nan drew the cover!
6.5/10

Heather Leather - Princess Leather (2005)

I was slightly confused by this record when I first heard it because I thought I'd stumbled on something from the '80s and was then shocked to find that these gals are a recent act to some extent although their first stirrings took place in the mid '80s. This Texan trio consist of vocalist Ruth Garza-Newcomb, who also plays bass, guitarist Sylvia Garza and drummer Margaret Cortina. Oddly this sounds like a weird mix of traditional metal with a crossover feel and pop-edge if that makes sense, but if your their anthem 'We Came To Destroy' you might understand what I mean. there is certainly a bubble-gum edge to proceedings and the vocals are often out of key but it really does have an endearing punky edge particularly on 'Undercover' with its catchy riff whilst 'Let's Rock' has a driving guitar and drum and a demo quality, and after I've spun the eight tracks I'm rather confused by this cheeky little record, but I'm bemused enough to like it because it's so damn catchy.
6.5/10

Sacred Blade - Of the Sun + Moon (1986)

Yep, we're still stuck in 1986 wit a reasonably meaty offering - and their only album - from British Columbia's Sacred Blade who I believe are still going but under a different name. Listen, I'm not going to argue with metal that is as punchy as this. I was actually introduced to this brand of fist-clenching metal via one of the 'Metal Massacre' compilations, and it's the sort of record I would have loved to have picked up in the '80s mainly due to Jeff Ulmer's (R.I.P.) vocals which are a mix of gravel and ball-breaking high-pitched squeal. A number of good and intelligent numbers on this opus, ranging from the title track through to 'Salem' and my favourite rocker 'Master of the Sun.' Good solid melodic metal.
7/10

Legion - Legion of Death (1986)

A foggy obscurity comes via Ohio trio Legion who were probably one of a hundred other bands with the same name, and musically they were nothing spectacular meaning that their lifespan was incredibly short. This four-track EP was their only release and boasted rather weak sounding vocals courtesy of Dave Belanger whilst the guitars were pretty watery too although that could have been down to the poor production which made the drums of King Douglass sound as if he was tapping a desk with his fingers. Of course, amidst the flaws there were a few attempts at metal majesty with 'The Weak Must Die' and 'Good-bye' but these are fifteen minutes of your life you won't miss, but again, like so many other records, the lukewarm 'Legion of Death' deserves its exposure to the light after being in the basement for so long.
5.5/10