Originally, I had planned on keeping everything within the realm of 1979-1982, the true "glory days" of the NWOBHM, but as this thing evolved it became apparent that some bands have ten or fifteen year stretches between their best albums, so why put a time limit on it? Once NWOBHM, always NWOBHM, know what I mean? Anyway, below you'll find a list of bands that managed to bang out two solid-gold biggies.
SOLDIER
"Live Forces", 1983: Sure, we can talk up the SAXON, the ANGEL WITCH, and the TANK, but when someone brings up Northamptonshire's SOLDIER, you know you're dealing with a NWOBHM connoisseur. If only their luck had matched their staggering talent, they could have been at the forefront of every British metal discussion. Sort of like LEGEND, this band had a knack for weaving dramatic epics with touches of psych, and heavy riff thunder that falls away into aching, gentle melodies frosted with Garry Phillips' Peter Gabriel-like vocal style. This rare live gem shows the band had a leg up on many contemporaries of the early 80s, from the stone-ground vocal harmonies and mighty guitar duels of "Man From Berlin" to the driving lead bass break of "Lost and Found" (which actually approaches "Maiden Japan" intensity at it's conclusion). The live version of "Fire In My Heart" is a 6+ minute technicolor epic fueled by Ian Dick's trickling melodies and commanding solos. The quality of the recording is swishy and murky (like a cassette version of "Hot Curry and Wine") - but definitely worthy of your attention.
"Sins of the Warrior", 2005: SOLDIER may just win the award for longest wait to release a full-length album. Even if you've never managed to snag any of their rare, previously mentioned EPs and singles, the lurching, powerful riffs and compelling choruses of "Sins of the Warrior" deserve a prominent spot in your metal collection. Sandwiched between Ian Dick's commanding solos in "Fire In My Heart" and "Walls Come Tumbling Down", throat man Garry Phillips' adds layers of dark and distinct expressiveness. "Murderous Night" casts a brooding heavy-prog shadow a la PRIEST's "Rocka Rolla", and "Starhaven" packs in over 7+ minutes of inventive riffs scatter-shot with deft melodicism. Sometimes, it takes a few years for a great album to percolate - in SOLDIER's case, it was worth the wait.
JAGUAR
"Power Games", 1983: Following a couple of burly singles, JAGUAR's debut full-length wastes no time delivering the dashing, grinding guitars and near-thrash drums that would become their calling card. It's such a non-stop rush of over-the-top delivery, a lesser band could lose listeners in the scuffle. But JAGUAR get around this with Paul Merrell's vibrant vocals and a solid set of roller coaster tunes like "Ain't No Fantasy", "No Lies", and "Rawdeal". "Master Game" deceptively slows things down to a melancholy pace, allowing some crooning opportunities for Merrell. But just as you're about to declare it a shitty ballad, the wrought-iron gits kick up a storm. Remarkable.
"This Time" brings back a flood of damaging, scarring tales from my lusty youth. You spoiled internet folk have it so easy. One day back in the mid-80s, I grabbed this shiny vinyl goodie hoping for brain-ravaging metal of "Axe Crazy" or "Back Street Woman". Instead, I sat crying into my pillow as the lamest U2-cum-LEPPARD refuse oozed from the speakers. In retrospect, I should have known that a track called "Driftwood" wasn't going to blast my face off. Such a shame, this poor piece of plastic could have had a great life as a kitchen utensil or some ball point pens instead of being injected with the watery rock frappe sellout of "This Time".
"Wake Me", 2000: After "This Time", we were practically breathing out of tanks when we spun this the first time. But by the end of track one, all is right with the world. "Wake Me" boasts the band's return to smashing, blistering, axe crazy, punked-up metal madness. "Sucker", "Power Games", and the title track just go bananas with unrestrained aggression, air-tight musicianship, and Jamie Manton's impressive vocals. Style-wise, file it next to LOUDNESS' 1992 eponymous return to form, emerging from out of nowhere with an all-guns-blazing modern classic.
"Run Ragged", 2003: Holy haberdashery, Batman! This is pure British metal fury! Evidently "Wake Me" hit top speed, but was still movin' much too slow. "Run Ragged" pushes heavy melody to the absolute breaking point and beyond. If only the last couple of MAIDEN albums suited up with this kind of brutality! Every track just shoves your face against the glass with "Overkill"-style drums and unforgettable choruses. The mangled, barbaric solo in "Nailed" claws it's way to the top of the mix, only to be consumed in the ruthless din of drum violence Nathan Cox throws down. "Stray" shifts into a "Phantom of the Opera" bass noodle before the brain-shattering percussion storms in again. Twenty years after their debut, these guys deliver their solid gold masterpiece. Run - don't walk - to get ahold of this one and keep it in your car at all times. How long do we have to wait for another one, guys?
GIRLSCHOOL
"Demolition", 1980: Kim McAulliffe and the late, great Kelly Johnson prove that estrogen has no boundaries on this fine, Vic Maile-produced debut. The songwriting is simple and still-developing, but every song drips with attitude and red-hot performances. The enchanting Chuck Berry-isms of "Race With the Devil" would become a fiery live staple, and the brisk, firm drum sound of "Nothing To Lose" showcases more power than all of Thunderstick's "look at me" rolls and fills. Like many classics from shit-hot bands, these sessions were probably finished quickly; the girls probably could've cranked this stuff out in their sleep. The songs aren't complex and the lyrics aren't looking to cure cancer or end world poverty, but there's no question that it's one of the best British rock records of the early 80s (eclipsed perhaps by their spectacular follow-up). Oddly, the band's later efforts could never seem to reconnect with the unadorned over-the-top quality of the early records (see MAIDEN).
"Hit and Run", 1981: Is the one to grab first, for those interested in such things. While so many female rock 'n roll bands create records that sound like school science projects, Kim McAulliffe and her magic band display economy and streetsmarts, finesse and firepower (the MOTÖRHEAD connection and Vic Maile's stripped-down production probably didn't hurt either). Kelly Johnson plants revs, squeals, and surprises at every turn, roaring into leads reminiscent of Fast Eddie Clarke's howling ruckus. "Following the Crowd" is rife with cooing choruses and hot licks, and if "Let's Go" is more than five chords, it's a hundred. The cover of ZZ TOP's "Tush" is dull and by-the-numbers, but I have a theory about that one: Lemmy's Curse. See, I've never heard one decent cover of a ZZ TOP song by a British band since Lemmy's bunch did "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" in '77. I think he cursed the entire catalog for the Limeys! But enough of my babbling. The first two GIRLSCHOOL albums are the product of their formative songwriting era, and tremendous lineup chemistry. Unfortunately, things would slow down a touch for the next one.
"Screaming Blue Murder", 1982: Y'know, it ain't easy for the women folk. Target's got acres and acres of 'petite' clothing, but any females sheepishly requesting size "2" or larger are escorted by a 90 lb nymph to the 'porker' racks in the back of the store (and we wonder why they develop anxiety disorders). It wasn't much different in '82 for GIRLSCHOOL, continuing to crank out wooly hard rock tunes although many fans were turning a deaf ear. Seems like quite a few fans turned their back on 'em for "Screaming Blue Murder" because they added (gasp!) some guitar overdubs and chorussy vocal bits! Like I said, it's tough for the women-folk. This time around, you can almost hear an A&R man in the background demanding radio singles. But listening to the album today, stuff like "Don't Call It Love" and the title track sound like the best songs TURBONEGRO never wrote. The lyrics are considerably feebleminded for such a smart band, but there's enough MOTORHEAD and CHUCK BERRY lingering around here and there to make the album worth having.
"Play Dirty", 1983: With Noddy and Jim from SLADE handling production duties, Kim and the gals continue to aim at that JOAN JETT and JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP market, letting it all hang out and then some. Kelly Johnson (RIP: July 15, 2007, cancer) does contribute some burly leads to tracks like the opener, "Going Under" (although she and the Bronze label would inevitably abandon ship some time after this record). My God, listening to the occasional heavy riff or hooky lead fighting to be heard over the twittering keys and clouds of syrupy vocal lacquer is so damned hard to endure. "Breaking All The Rules" is a shameless ripoff of SWEET's "Ballroom Blitz" if I've ever heard one, from the kooky drumrolls to the main riff itself. In NWOBHM hell, music fans are tormented for their sins, forced to listen to nothing but SAXON's "Destiny", RAVEN's "The Pack is Back", and this GIRLSCHOOL record. Hey, when you're American Idol-loving wife or daughter dances into the room during the cover of "20th Century Boy", wanting to know why you don't listen to more "good music" like this, don't come crying to me.
"Running Wild", 1985 : I was having a conversation with a friend of mine the other day, mentioned that I was working on this NWOBHM piece that centers around bands like TYGERS, SAVAGE, GIRLSCHOOL, etc. My friend, who enjoys a lot of extreme metal and noisy stuff said, "I haven't heard a lot of GIRLSCHOOL, but everything I've heard has been good." I looked at him in disgust, immediately aware of which albums he had not heard. This is obviously one of them. The band went through a lot of trouble to compete with THE BANGLES and PAT BENATAR this time, replacing the great Kelly Johnson with two members of the band SHE: (try Googling that one, matey) Cris Bonacci on guitar and Jackie Bodimead as a "proper" lead vocalist. For all the trouble and time, the albums are now distinguished by which horrifying cover they've chosen, "It's the one with 'Do You Love Me' on it." Yes, the gals have a go at the KISS tune, churning out a version perfectly suited for the next Molly Ringwald movie. Otherwise, cuts like "Something For Nothing" and "I Want You Back" consist of sprightly, spunky mall-pop with wall-to-wall keyboards with very little resemblance to metal whatsoever. There's a line in the title track that goes, "You haven't seen the best of me yet." Somehow, that one scares me more than any VENOM song ever could.
"Nightmare at Maple Cross" 1986, "Take a Bite", 1988: The band continues to dish out pep rally glam metal for 1986's "Nightmare at Maple Cross" and 1988's "Take a Bite". The tenderfoots may be quick to dismiss this period due to the arse-puckering production, Kim's signature riffs buried underneath the bass drum from hell, pom-pom-shaking cheers 'n shouts, and just about every 80s rock cliche the booth could conjure. You can't really blame Vic "Live at Leeds" Maile or Monty Python sound guru Andre Jacquemin for the results; for both producers to arrive at the same sort of mid-80s KIX sonic dross, one can only assume it's what the girls were after. There are some great songs on both of these albums, but they are absolutely suffocating in the mix. If you squint, it's obvious that "Back For More", "Play With Fire", and "Head Over Heels" (co-written by some guy named Lemmy Kilminster) boast the same quality songwriting from the early days. Any live material from this era would be worth seeking out to hear stripped-down versions of these gems side-by-side with the classics. On a side note, Castle's CD reissue of these two from 2006 is a complete mess, plagued with incorrect track indexing, and Malcom Dome's claim that the albums stack up "incredibly well" by today's standards. I just assume he was painting in a poorly ventilated area when he came up with that one.
"Girlschool", 1992 - At this point, most copies of "Running Wild" and "Play Dirty" have been melted down into air fresheners and car upholstery, and it's back to the hard-drivin' stuff. Kimmy and crew channel a little more grit int the mix this time, embellishing tracks like "On My Way" and "Can't Do That" with amplifier feedback and lots of tumbly drumming from Denise Dufort. The keys are gone, and there are still a fair share of poppy, melodic choruses, but the overall effect isn't as gimmicky as some of the above-mentioned releases. Despite the rise in quality, the disc came and went with some pretty bare-bones marketing and promotion; any buzz surrounding "Girlschool" was tragically minimal.
"21st Anniversary - Not That Innocent", 2002: If nothing else, GIRLSCHOOL's dogged persistence deserves a little respect. To their credit, "21st Century" happens to be one of their most exciting albums since the 1980s. Amazingly, "A Love Too Far" and "Innocent" manage to capture the sound of the "Hit and Run" period perfectly, from the simple hooks to the Lemmy-approved basslines and cooing vocals. Remarkable! The rest of the album is a punked-up, cheese-free affair with lots of muscular riffs, hey-hey-heys, and whoah-ohs. "Have a Nice Day" is particularly strong, cruising along a resonant, punchy bassline and sly vocal. Overall, still melodic and full of pop hooks, but far from soccer mom music. At least the gals aren't resorting to "Demolition II".
"Believe", 2004: "Believe" is the sound of GIRLSCHOOL doing what they do best: Offer up straight-ahead, high-energy hard rock tunes with the occasional sprinkling of pop. Sure, there are a couple of misfires. "Crazy" seems like an attempt to 'get with it' a la LINKIN PARK's "In The End" (until the WILSON PHILIPS chorus storms in, generating an automatic ear-covering response). But overall, the record is exceptionally solid and mature. "Feel Good" is particularly impressive, abundant nods to THIN LIZZY emerging via thundering drum rolls as it bobs and weaves between chugging metal and 70s-style boogie riffs. "New Beginning" delivers the same spry 'n spirited anthemic rock magic as the debut, and "Never Say Never" is an instant GIRLSCHOOL classic armed with a few raucous chords and a nimble chorus. Fans of the first couple of records should feel right at home enjoying the simple charms of "Believe".
MORE
"Warhead", 1981: MORE represented a strange aligning of the planets. Somehow, good, chunky rhythms and screaming leads (like a hard-assed hybrid of SAXON and RAINBOW) converged with some decent studio profiency, giving birth to a couple of spectacular records. Honestly, Kenny Cox comes up with more rusty-knife riffs than your girlfriend does headaches. MORE wrote two types of songs back in the early 80s: great and spectacular. From the upside-down fistbanger "Depression" to the fork-in-the-eye Blackmore leads of "Way of the World", this band keeps you groovin' in your seat for the full ride. Such a classic sound, I always assumed they picked up their smarts by handling dry cleaning duties for GILLIAN or HEEP back in the day. But alas, I could never find any connection. An exhausting name for a band if you think about it; no matter how long their set is, the fans will just scream that they want...well, you get the idea.
"Blood and Thunder", 1982: By the time 1982's "Blood and Thunder" rolled around, MORE were men of the world, armed with a new vocalist (Mick Stratton had replaced Paul Mario Day) and some cracking good shows under their belt. It's a shame that Atlantic decided to get cheap on 'em promotion-wise, because the follow up is another collection of well-recorded, swaggery blue-collar Zep-metal. In addition to the excellent songwriting and arrangements (check out the simple, flawless shifts from verse to chorus in the title track), Stratton's husky vocals help capture the spirit of the band's 70s influences. There's not a shred of pomp to be found on this album, the bombastic drums and heavy riff attack falling more in line with AC/DC or even BLACKFOOT than some of their glammier contemporaries. "Rock & Roll" is perfect for one of those truck-stop highway rock compilations and "The Eye" is an absolutely paint-peeling instrumental. Trivia: Drummer Andy John Burton went on to help form the 90s prog outfit MATRIX. Anybody else remember "Thrice Upon a Time"?
SATAN
"Court in the Act", 1983 : SATAN's beautifully packaged, better-late-than-never debut (along with their evil moniker) won them a place among the NWOBHM's heaviest elite. Brian Ross' glass-shattering shreiks and echoey croons found the perfect backdrop in the booming drums, and Steve Ramsey's pre-thrash, lickety-split riff racing. Like MAIDEN and ANGEL WITCH, SATAN showed a flair for weaving clean guitars in and out of breakneck riffs and fierce chugging in cuts like "Blades of Steel", "Broken Treaties", and "Alone in the Dark". The relentless, headbanging bliss and consistency of the material easily makes "Court in the Act" one of the genres most powerful (and often overlooked) masterworks.
"Into the Future", 1987 & "Suspended Sentence", 1987: Resurrecting the SATAN identity after the slightly-more-melodic BLIND FURY project came to a close, Ramsey and crew employ the crinkly-coarse vocals of one Michael Jackson (yeah, very funny) for their next SATAN-ic slab. It's a very strange record indeed, with one-dimensional pre-thrash drumming, riffs and odd changes spliced together (see later MAIDEN), and lots of meditative, ballady slowdowns. All this is marinated in screamy, jagged sort of trebly production. "Suicidal Justice" is absolutely showstopping - the "good vs. evil" dialogue and flattening riffs just ooze coolness. "S.C.U.M" and "Calculated Execution" get as close to breakneck thrash as possible without really embracing it. "Into The Future" was a taster for the "Suspended Sentece" record, with the same I-like-smokin'-lightning riffs that fall out of the sky in tracks like "Iceman", but the production isn't quite as obnoxious. Despite the power of the band's late period, the scant mentions of these records in modern circles hardly do them justice (Get it? Court in the Act? Suspended Sentence? Justice! Ha, ha, ha ho ho. Hey - you're not laughing.) Over the next few years, the dream team of Ramsey / Tippins / English / Taylor would continue the streak of quality with their next project: PARIAH.
SWEET SAVAGE
"Killing Time", 1996 - This band would have assuredly made the 'recommended singles' section of the feature, had it not been for this uproarious better-late-than-never full-length. During the early years, the band experimented with Raymond Haller's DIO-esque delivery and brought in gusty crooner Robert Casserly for the AOR-ish "Straight Through The Heart" single. But by the time the mid-nineties reformation came 'round, (most likely due to the attention afforded by METALLICA's cover of "Killing Time") Haller took firm hold of mike duties, backed by the six string magic of newcomer Simon McBride. The result is head-turning, jaw-dropping, metallic bliss, McBride lighting a blazing fire under these simple, bombastic riffs in a driving, dazzling display of talent. Haller's voice is a dead ringer for Buddo from LAST CRACK this time (remember them?), viciously snarling and booming over the NWOBHM-cum-PANTERA histrionics of McBride. The disc's chain-wallet 90s grit may cause allergic itchiness for the majestic rock purists, but everybody else should seek it out; Metal Blade's distribution still makes it a cheap 'n easy one to find.
"Rune", 1998: Strong singles and a cracking good full-length had already earned SWEET SAVAGE a reputation for quality releases, but enjoying the liquid grooves and guitar fire of "Rune" is like discovering another galaxy. Trimmed to a 3-piece, the Irish lads drop one dramatic, flash-rocking bomb after another. Haller's vocals are beefy and brash, the perfect anchor for McBride's relentless assault of fluid, metallic string wizardy. With unparalleled finesse and flair, the band zips in and out of funky interludes, jazzy intros, and metallic firestorms without overplaying their hand or sacrificing brawn for brain. Tracks like "Survive" and "I Am Nothing (You Are Less)" scratch into hallowed territory occupied by names like VAN HALEN, KINGS X, and ZZ TOP in terms of execution and songcraft. Unfortunately, the distribution of "Rune" was much more limited than "Killing Time", but fans of guitar-oriented classic rock and metal shouldn't let a keeper like this pass 'em by.
PAGAN ALTAR
"Volume 1", 1998: Like WITCHFINDER GENERAL, PA slugged it out for years back in the 80s without attracting label support, eventually coming out of hibernation to become an oft-mentioned entity in today's NWOBHM and doom metal circles. A warning about the 1982-recorded "Volume 1" - throat man Terry Jones is quite the acquired taste, sort of like boiled cabbage. "Volume 1" reminds me of the type of music Ray Dorsey would send us back in the 80s when we considered ourselves 'musical badasses' for having the only copy of RIOT's "Fire Down Under" on the college campus. Then Ray would blow our minds with something like this, totally bittersweet and hopelessly obscure. Guitar-wise, the band seems a direct link between Uli-era SCORPIONS and later doom like CANDLEMASS, with lots of SCORPS / RUSH riffs and leads adorning Mr. Jones' unique vocals (if you really strain, you can hear traces of Bon Scott / Udo Dirkschneider at the root of them). Let's face it, the world's gotten a lot less fussy about metal vocalists these days. Jones and PAGAN ALTAR would find a chord that they could strum once the new milennium arrived.
"Lords of Hypocrisy", 2004: Terry Jones and crew emerge from the time capsule with a shitload of material to liberate on a WITCHCRAFT-friendly world. The vocals are still an acquired taste, but most of the toadstools are cleared away by superior recordings and more frequent nods to early PENTAGRAM. The band shows a remarkable restraint when it comes to their intros: always tasteful, brief and melodic (as opposed to the recent, inescapable IRON MAIDEN intros, waffling on and on). There's still some evidence of Roth-era SCORPS lying here and there (the solo in "The Masquerade", for example), but overall PAGAN ALTAR have persevered, developing their own sound over the years and I salute 'em for hanging in there. The gorgeous acoustic intro to "March of the Dead" recalls JETHRO TULL's "Fat Man", and the MAIDEN riffing and churchbell-at-the-ready ambience of "Sentinels of Hate" should give the MANILLA ROAD fans something to cheer about as they wait for Shelton's next outing.
"Mythical and Magical", 2006: Continuing to make quantum leaps in their sound, the Jones gang craft a remarkable collection of exotic doom metal adorned with dark, marching riffage, venomous guitar sting, and melancholic celtic vibes. Alan Jones threads the needle with dreamy bends and vibrato during "Samhein", and "The Crowman" is tainted with the personable folk vibe of late-period JETHRO TULL. Throughout the recording, the bands flirts with gorgeous acoustic strumming and picking, brilliant leadwork, and lilting female vocals, delivering the creepy air of early SABBATH without ever sounding the least bit contrived. Fantastic.
TYGERS OF PAN TANG
"Wild Cat", 1980: They didn't have the coolest name of the NWOBHM (there were a few that were worse), and the debut isn't teeming with multifarious guitar compositions, but in this politically correct and overly prudent age of insurance companies for the insurance companies, "Wild Cat" is a welcome blast of hot rockin' fun. It's pretty tough to knock the all-in-the-same-room condition of the recording, or the stellar drum sound in "Badger, Badger". The quivering solo in "Slave to Freedom" seems a strange hybrid of late 60s psych heaviness and the grinning flare of American AOR. The disc represents a necessary look back at a time when heavy rock had nothing to do with artsy-fartsy gnashed teeth biting recess lady's breasts. At the very least, acquire the last track "Insanity" and add it to your iPod playlist.
"Spellbound", 1981: For some reason, "Spellbound" tends to spark a lot of debate around here. Is it really a top-shelf NWOBHM classic, or an overrated bunch of poot? Listening to it today, side-by-side with all this other stuff, I can confirm it is not a NWOBHM classic; it's an essential rock 'n roll classic! The addition of young guitar stud John Sykes and ex-PERSIAN RISK frontman Jon Deverill successfully take the band's songwriting and execution up several notches. The riffs and leads conjured by this two-guitar attack are just dreamy, even adding touches of MOTT THE HOOPLE-ish pomp to "Don't Stop By" and "Mirror, Mirror". "The Story So Far" flaunts that sort of hard rock / power pop hybrid that Phil Lynott forged so distinctly. Brian Dick's drum sound is crisp and bright, futher distinguishing this release from others of the time period. By the time the tenth riff-crazy toe-tapper starts to play, the question arises: How can any fan of Brit rock, hard rock, sheet rock, volcanic rock, or even the pet rock resist this record? Add it to your shopping list.
"Crazy Nights", 1982: As legend has it, the electrifying grandeur of "Spellbound" didn't out-sell the debut. In some sort of corporate panic, MCA pushed the band to crank out another record quickly. Despite the fact that "Crazy Nights" was a rushed affair, perhaps missing some of the definitive brush strokes of the predecessor, it delivers the goods and should still satisfy fans of the first two records. "Never Satisfied" isn't a cover of the PRIEST classic (sorry!), but it's weighty riff and slapdash execution is actually quite captivating. Sykes' soaring melodies add depth and appeal to "Love Don't Stay" and "Raised on Rock" (despite the dumb lyrics of the latter). The band has since revealed their dissatisfaction with the record. Sykes' interview in Kerrang! from back in the day finds him distancing himself from the recording, calling it the worst thing he's ever done, insisting he doesn't even own a copy, etc. After reading it, I felt compelled to find out which jaw-dropping, timeless works Mr. Sykes had created, justifying such a complete separation from this material. One would think he went on to make the next "Physical Graffiti" or "Astral Weeks" as opposed to a couple of those latter-day THIN LIZZY and WHITESNAKE records. See, and I thought it was only rock 'n roll. Collectors - some of the early copies included a nifty extra 12" with non-lp tracks "The Stormlands" and "Slip Away", which is worth hunting down.
"The Cage", 1983: Sykes is off to find musical waters worthy of his free-flowing genius. Subsequently, "The Cage" is the last, nearly unrecognizable gasp of our beloved TYGERS before flatlining into absolute shyte. Honestly by 1983, it seemed like a race for some of these bands to determine who could wimp out the hardest and the fastest. The prissy, cringe-worthy cover of "Love Potion #9" makes WINGER sound like a worthwhile endeavor by comparison, but it actually charted decently in the UK. Several tolerable, dimly lit rockers are included like the semi-chugs of "You Always See What You Want" and the criscrossing acoustic / piano bits of "Paris By Air". Plus, the twinkle-toed "Danger in Paradise" somehow achieves a QUEEN-like campy coolness. Really, the only thing keeping this one's head above water is the absence of those twinkly PRAYING MANTIS/GIRLSCHOOL synth and keyboard washes. But these lads would make up for such omissions in short order.
"The Wreck-Age", 1985 After a short hiatus, Brian Dick and John Deverill pull the TYGERS back together in order to throw any and all musical credibility into the flusher. I saw a movie poster once for a Fred Astaire flick that said, "A songburst of gayety and gladness." Not a bad way to describe the aptly titled "The Wreck-age", although I'm not too sure about the gladness part. There is some major talent in this band: "Forgive and Forget" finds Deverill immersing himself in a Freddie Mercury-type of ballad (not an easy thing to pull off) with majestic, sweeping vocals, steaming guitar interplay all over the place, and even some flamenco stuff at the end. The whole album is stacked to the rafters with guitar pomptechnoflash, but it's also a gagging pileup of keyboards and choruses that even the EUROPE guys would find limpwristed. Unfortunately, none of these tracks made it onto the "Top Gun" soundtrack and after a few rounds on the UK club circuit, the band retreated back to the drawing board once again.
"First Kill", 1986: Before you close the book on the TYGERS entirely (franky, this is the time period to do it), be sure to investigate this little gem. Neat Records had the wherewithal to release this snappy collection of slightly hissy, early demo tracks in 1986, allowing fans to hear some of the gut-level garage metal jams of the early days. Honestly, these tracks are so full of vigor and attitude, they can probably help dispel the nightmares you're still having about "The Wreck-Age". "Straight As A Die" blasts along with near TANK-like intensity, and "Shakespear Road" delivers what most of us wanted from our NWOBHM records - blood, sweat, and amps. Despite the roughness of some of the mixes, it's a very warm recording; you can almost hear the teenage girlfriends hooting and chattering in the background.
"Burning in the Shade", 1987: Sadly, the mighty TYGERS end the 80s with a sort of "Rocky V" epitaph. The first thing that pops into your mind as the super-frosty, bouncy keyboards assault the ears is that Richard Simmons' voice should be somewhere in the background yelling, "Come on! Come on! Let's get those arms up!" Yucky stuff like "Hideaway" is truly some of the worst 80s-hell featherlight garbage to grace this page. Maybe if you put a fabric softener sheet in with the record, it won't stink so bad. The band called it quits soon after this, perhaps wondering how those LEPPARD guys were able to rake in so much cash when they failed to do so.
"Mystical", 2001: Singer Tony Liddell can scream all he wants; he's not going to make this album sound like the old TYGERS kicking ass. This latest incarnation is the result of lone original member in guitarist Rob Weir. While there are some half-decent AC/DC impersonations throughout the recording ("Ride 4 Free", "Sun Lotion Suicide"), that's where the party ends. Liddell sounds more like Lenny Wolf than Bon Scott during most of the proceedings, his walk-this-way-ish funk strut in "Keep The Rock Alive" is pretty tough to endure (the synth washes of "Jump In Your Shoes" are even worse). NWOBHM masters like SAVAGE, HOLOCAUST, and DIAMOND HEAD continued to develop such charismatic, heavy platters later in their respective careers, but despite the fact that the TYGERS have much more ground to make up ("The Cage", "The Wreck-Age", "Burning in the Shade"), this steadfastly boring collection of faceless, unmemorable tunes doesn't measure up in the slightest. Tragic.
"Noises From The Cathouse", 2003: A weird one, this. Borrowing vocalist Richie Wicks from UK power metallers SHADOWKEEP leads to some unusual TYGERS music. It's all swirly, doomy, dark atmospherics with creeping basslines. Guitars are sparse compared to many of the band's past efforts, "Master of Illusion" tip-toeing through slashy, compressed guitar riffs, bizarre keys, and faux-doom vocals. "Deja Vu" invokes nothing of the kind TYGERS-wise, emphasizing Wick's dark, brooding delivery and skulking bass. While this record significantly updates the band's sound, the tracks don't really go anywhere. "The Spirit Never Dies" and "Cybernation" are long on atmospherics and frowny textures, and low on any type of building drama or crescendos. Just as the album comes to a close, the final track uncorks a shameless VAN HALEN-style boogie (just in case you're a Roth fan that accidentally bought a TYGERS record). Confusing, weird, boring, and puzzling. What'll they think of next?
Once you've finished with these, we can move on to the next segment:
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