Moving past the first single or two was a big step for many NWOBHM artists; some very talented ones never maded it that far. This page includes some names you may have heard and some with which you may not be familiar. I was hoping to throw a little more praise to the more consistent bands that punished us with the lowest number of crappy follow-ups, but that would take pie charts and bar graphs and I can't be bothered. As it stands, I've tried to include most of the studio albums for the artists below, as well as the occasional live disc or EP if time permitted. Ratings are up top (0-5) with reviews underneath. Bang on your computer, throw stuff at the wall, yell, cuss, and disagree, but read on.
ANGEL WITCH
"Angel Witch", 1980: The debut from London's ANGEL WITCH is to the NWOBHM what "In The Court of the Crimson King" is to prog; it's what the "Nuggets" records are to garage rock, and what "Vincebus Eruptum" is to psych. Like the first DIAMOND HEAD record, it's a link between metal's past and the future, the band all wound up and delivering heart-pounding, air-guitar grabbing, horn-throwing bliss at every turn. The spastic shrieks and morbid lyrical vision of "Atlantis" (The world is at its end / To wait for Atlantis to rise/ Atlantis to rise! Rise, Rise Rise!) is one of the record's defining moments. "Free Man" finds Heybourne wailing and lamenting through a tragic serenade sort of affair, and the swells & surges of "Sorceress" represent one of the most commanding metal performances ever captured on vinyl (love the way they sneak in that Ken Hensley organ at the end!) It's a release of unyielding quality, a blueprint of dark metal perfection that competes with top-shelf metal from any country, any time period. Based on the strength of the preceeding singles and touring, the band seemed unstoppable at the time. Unfortunately, lineup changes and some promotional issues with the Bronze label kept them from what seemed like inevitable world domination.
"Screamin' and Bleedin", 1985: Really, there must be some way to elevate the accomplishments of Kevin Heybourne and ANGEL WITCH above the other artists on this page. Although none of the later ANGEL WITCH records matched the perfect, evil intensity of the debut, Kevin deserves acknowledgement for 1) Retaining the dark, heavy essence of the band through several lineup changes, and 2) Not torturing us with oodles of keyboard-dominated AOR fluff records in an effort to 'get with it'. Suffice to say that after years of reading reviews of this record and listening, contrasting, and comparing it to others of the genre, the biggest problem with "Screamin' and Bleedin" is that it's not the debut. Evidently, the 1980 record casts such a long shadow that the solid heaviness of this record has simply been ignored. Despite the years and rotating lineup, the ballad "Afraid of the Dark" retains the chilling vibe of the debut with screaming leads and leaden, doomy vocals. "Child of the Night" does plod and waffle on a bit, but the haunting lyrics and choruses are as creepy as they come. Seriously, who can resist the Bob Ezrin-style kiddie choruses in "Evil Games", anyway? That's some campy, creepy shit that doesn't come along every day, people. There's an art to continuously rebuilding a band, striving toward a musical ideal and utilizing a rotating collection of talent to achieve it. It's a skill that only a handful of NWOBHM bands mastered; hats off to Mr. Heybourne for getting it right.
"Frontal Assault", 1986: "Frontal Assault" may not pack the same cauldron-born charisma of the debut, but the recording conjures visions of scantily clad witchy vixens dancing around a pentagram-shaped campfire in the middle of a swamp. "Dream World", "Straight From Hell", and "She Don't Lie" weave their poisoned-apple charms in the very first spin; scummy, rough-cut braincell-toasting metal that mud wrestles with some truly incredible choruses. "Take To The Wing" meets ya right at the intersection of Evil Verse Lane and Raw Death Blvd. Most people absolutley puke over the artwork for this one, but I've always thought it was pretty kickass. Buyers beware of 'Screaming Assault', a split sort of hybrid from the "Screamin and Bleedin" and "Frontal Assault" records that seemed to pop up everywhere in the early 90s.
"Resurrection", 2000: And it almost was. This collection of thrashy demos is the primary surviving document of Mr. Heybourne's unexpected alliance with Bay Area thrash musicians in the early 1990s. It was a pretty logical jump in most respects - many Bay Area outfits of the late 80s wore NWOBHM influences on their sleeves (and let's face it, moving into thrash could be a much more interesting option than banging out albums like "Running Wild" and "Forever Free" ad nauseum). They were set to go one step further than RAVEN's use of an American drummer, basically transforming ANGEL WITCH into a full-on thrash outfit, but it never really came to pass. Still, the combination of Heybourne, Jon Torres (LAAZ ROCKIT) and Tom Hunting (EXODUS) kick out some pretty impressive demo-level thrash during the flooring HEATHEN-esque thunder of "Worm", and the acidic bassline / vocal of "Scrape the Well". Some of the drums are a little ticky and weird, but fans of thrash's hissy cassette era would be well-served to investigate this oddity.
WITCHFINDER GENERAL
"Death Penalty", 1982: It's ironic that an obscure band like this can rise to the top of everybody's NWOBHM playlists (more so than the bands that the intelligentia have been recommending forever!) so many years after the fact. Granted, I've cracked and quipped a bit about WG, mainly poking fun at their lyrics. But when you spin "Death Penalty" and compare it with most other British bands of the time period, it's pretty tough to deny the hübsche Musik. It just goes to show, one should never, ever underestimate the power of a good set of knockers. A crisp, sturdy drum sound doesn't hurt, either (especially in this genre). Thanks to Al Gore's internet invention, (ha!) a new generation of fans have embraced these attitude-fueled recordings, lumps 'n all. The title track is like a basement version of "Snowblind", complete with the wild-eyed weirdness of early PENTAGRAM, and the echoey cowbell in "R.I.P" is just plain irresistable. I always thought Parkes' vocals sounded frayed and anorexic on the recordings, almost like his vocal tracks required significant boosting to compete with the sinister garage doom these cats were layin' down. Lyrically, WITCHFINDER GENERAL make the early KISS records sound like Emily Dickinson poetry. But really, what would rock 'n roll be without drugs, booze, partying, shagging the hotties, and burning them at the stake? For those that are interested, ANGEL WITCH's "Screamin and Bleedin" boasts two sets of ta-tas on the cover, so some of you should probably get on that.
"Friends of Hell", 1983: With all the subtlety of a pinata at a wake, WG returns with another set of brain-flattening tunes. Fret not, dear readers! From the very first brick-house riffs and twisted, funhouse choruses of opener "Love On Smack", it's obvious that the party-til-you-puke vibes of the opener have been cloned and enhanced. The tumultuous drum sound is back in full swing (sharply evidenced during the break in "Last Chance"). "Music" may be the band's most impressive track of all, despite it's cheezy keys and CHEAP TRICK impersonations, the chainsaw riffs prove that this band was simply too heavy for their own good! The only rough spots come in the form of forced, cheapo SAMSON-approved vocal effects in the title track, as well as the tough-to-sit-thru ballad, "I Lost You". Zeeb voice limitations are easily overlooked during the band's typical wrecking ball numbers, but this one will have the kids crying, vomiting, and fiddling with the sun roof until you finally turn it off. There's a nifty clear-vinyl version of this one floating around if you can find it: Pricey, but tough to put down.
"Live '83", 2006: In the modern age, witchfinding has reached a popularity that rivals the McCarthy hearings, thanks to internet availability of the above-mentioned releases. Subsequently, this dusted down live show will seem a drool-worthy edition to the band's newfound legions of fans (especially considering WG's live performances were pretty rare back in the day). As you can imagine, it's not exactly "Delicate Sound of Thunder" from an audio standpoint: Many of the tracks are subject to hissy, lint-covered drums and Parkes' vocals sound like they're being delivered through a megaphone. But even so, tracks like "Requiem For Youth" and "Quietus" boast some hefty doom 'n rollish riff tones for an obscure live record. "Last Chance" plunges headlong into a nearly-audible drum solo, and there's even some cool syncopation between Parkes and guitarist Phil Cope during "Friends of Hell". Evidently, some copies were mastered at a slower speed in an effort to make the band sound "doomier". The effect is very obvious and doesn't enhance the proceedings one iota, so show caution when buying.
DEF LEPPARD
"On Through The Night", 1980: Sometimes, a bunch of musical hacks grab somebody's brother-in-law to sneak them into a studio at night, miraculously coming up with a strong record. On the flipside, there's "On Through The Night". It's obvious that LEPPARD were on top of their game, sights set on world domination, strong songwriting by NWOBHM standards, and production duty handled by "Colonel" Tom Allom (SABBATH, PRIEST, etc). It seemed like the groundwork for the second coming of Zep IV, but somehow the album came out exceedingly flat. The demo's screaming, obnoxious guitars and "Running Free"-style drums 'n bass of "Rocks Off" are replaced with a detached sort of lounge-gallop coupled with fake crowd noise and some handclaps, while the tight grooves and edgy fantasy themes of "Overture" come off sounding as if they're being executed by thirtysomething studio musicians. The band hits all the right notes, but the finished product sounds stiff and conservative compared to the promise of the EP or the Mutt Lange-produced chug-crazy follow-up, "High 'n Dry". (On a side note, the same sort of thing happened with L.A. metallers ARMORED SAINT when Michael James Jackson and Chrysalis Records handled their debut, but both bands would go on to make stronger records later in their respective careers.)
"High & Dry", 1981: Got nothin' but love for this one. The AC/DC-cum-QUEEN-cum-LIZZY sophistication swims into focus and stays there for ten full tracks. Guitars chug around hairpin turns without losing their grip while Elliot pouts, wails, croons, and hisses with panty-wetting charisma. The bouncing, twisting harmonies in "Mirror, Mirror" sparkle like ballroom candelabra, and the solo in "Lady Strange" is a top-ten gotta-have-it NWOBHM mix tape highlight. All the beetle-in-the-swimming pool struggling and confusion from "On Through The Night" disappears as one hard-charger after another flashes by. If memory serves, this was another cassette favorite bogarted by a backstabbing, side-stepping girlfriend back in the late 80s, along with "Appetite For Destruction", "Rocket to Russia" and a few others. Eventually, one of us broke down and bought another copy for the car, and unparalleled merriment ensued once again. We should have probably gone for the vinyl from the very beginning or just kept the chicks out of the car.
"Pyromania", 1983: Somebody had a fever, and the cure was more cowbell. Mutt Lange's still calling the shots, and the songwriting is still fresh, but there's too much coke and too much smoke and damn, that bass drum is annoying. Yeah, I know: You lost your virginity in the back seat of dad's Buick while "Photograph" played in the background. But listening to it today isn't quite as breathtaking. There's a distinct shift in style toward American pop/rock bands of the era like JOURNEY and BOSTON this time. "Stagefright" includes a smoking leftover riff from "High 'n Dry" that runs headlong into a Neil Schon solo. It seems that Lange was going for a timeless "Sympathy for the Devil" element with "Rock of Ages"; sparse rhythm guitar, emphasis on drums and vocals and a big exclamation-point guitar solo to take things up a couple of notches. The problem is, the proto-anglo-rapping of Joe Elliot is horrendous, as is the outdated, ever-present bass-drum. "Foolin'" and "Photograph" survive as hummable singles, but the real standout of the disc is "Comin' Under Fire". I was picking my son up from his girlfriend's, and made three wrong turns headbanging away to that one. Otherwise, "Pyromania" will appeal mostly to your U2 and Nu-Nashville loving friends for nostalgic reasons. Hey, at least it's better than a KICK AXE album.
CHEVY
"The Taker", 1980: Warwickshire rockers CHEVY may seem like a one-album wonder on the surface, but it only takes one listen to "The Taker" to deduce that these guys were already seasoned musicians. The charismatic vocal swagger of Martin Cure meshes in classic 70s fashion with superlative guitar craft of Steve Walwyn (STEVE MARRIOT BAND, EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS), forging a sound that suggests kooky Kalifornia biker rock like MONTROSE and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS more than the usual suspects like PRIEST and SABBATH. It's an absolute gem of a record, exhibiting a poise and vitality very rare in a debut. The title track lays down a badass boogie groove with intoxicating guitars jumping out in every direction. "You've Got Me Running" ups the intensity level with wild bends that split into lyrical harmonies before your very ears (even incorporating some rusty-knife slide guitar into the mix), and "Skybird" revolves around stunning clean guitars and harmonies a la early BOSTON. Highly recommended for metal fans that appreciate good highway driving tunes circa 1980 or even ten years prior.
QUARTZ
"Quartz" 1977 - Another one of my kooky, beloved debuts, QUARTZ's Iommi-produced first outing pre-dates and out-weirds even SAXON's eponymous disc. There's no denying the flawless musicianship as the Birmingham boys have a go with flute-garnished prog in "Street Fighting Lady" (we should get her together with THE STONES "Street Fightin' Man", don't you think?), SABS-style metal with "Sugar Rain" and...um, a few other things ("Smokie", "Around and Around"). While this thing probably gets more annual spins around my household than "Killers", it may not be the best place to start your wild jaunt into NWOBHM-land. In fact, it could cause your genre-savvy metal friends to hemorrhage and fall over. But those guys are usually closet SUPERTRAMP fans anyway, so don't worry about it. One thing I could never understand - why'd they change their name from BANDY LEGS anyway?
"Quartz Live", 1980: The Birmingham boys alive, firing all their guns at once in a surprisingly heavy-duty offering of early material. They get it going right from the start, with chunky riff tones and basslines you can feel in your chest for "Street Fighting Lady" and "Good Times" giving way to a nasty BLUE CHEER riff in "Mainline Rider". It's a sort of mishmash of heavy QUO, uproarious SLADE, and spacy HAWKWIND as the boys put the heads down and storm along. Really, these guys just don't get enough respect for the early material. Fuck that AIIZ record, go buy a copy of this and boogie down.
"Stand Up and Fight", 1980: Basically the same lineup minus Geoff Nichols' keyboards, but the difference in the material is substantial. "Stand Up and Fight" boasts QUARTZ's development from boys to men, from revolters to revolutionaries, from Birmingham brawlers to London...um, leatherboys (sorry, that didn't come out quite right). At any rate, Mike Taylor takes on a Steve Marriott blues-growl, while the band lays down track after track of guitar-duelling, snake-riff smart bombs. "Rock 'n' Roll Children" skates through sly, intricate changes while Taylor does a Noddy Holder impersonation. Okay, so "Can't Say No To You" sounds like FOREIGNER a little, so what? "Stoking Up the Fires of Hell" is one of the nastiest high-quality NWOBHM tracks of all time. Go by plane, by train, in a house, with a mouse, and buy it.
"Against All Odds", 1983: Art-wise, moving from warriors and battle scenes to spaceships is usually not the sign of a record that brings the house down. It certainly isn't in QUARTZ's case; "Against All Odds" is shooting for the big rock, brandishing a production style full of additives and preservatives that shoves most duelling harmonies or gritty solos to the back of the bus. Quite a few songs on the disc start with the prototypical late STYX / FOREIGNER bassline and develop into monotonous featherweight fare. "Tell Me Why" is a strummy, sing-song-ish affair, with humdrum "Baby, baby" lyrics and the obligatory keys, like a castrated version of SLADE's "Far, Far Away". "Silver Wheels" wins best solo in an otherwise appaling song, and of all the metal bands that have composed a song called "Buried Alive" (ACCUSED, VENOM, LEGEND, MERCYFUL FATE, etc.) this one may be the flattest.
TOKYO BLADE
"Tokyo Blade", 1983: Wiltshire's TOKYO BLADE were a little late by NWOBHM standards in getting their first long-player out of the gate, but the promise of the debut couldn't be denied. The twin-guitar assault of Wiggins and Boulton shines with trebly shred-ready brightness, like a cross between early TYGERS OF PAN TANG and the U.S. Shrapnel bands. Listening to something like "Killer City" the first time, it may seem that the solos were more important than the songs, but an appreciation for their fist-pumping choruses ("Break the Chains" is pretty remarkable) develops after a couple of spins. The band would eventually stumble into a dizzying aray of lineup changes, but judging from the crushing crescendo at the tail end of "Sunrise in Tokyo", this assortment of players made raising the roof sound easy.
"Midnight Rendezvous", 1984: So, the whispering in the ears begins already. Lord only knows who or what possessed Andy Boulton and crew to re-release the same album a year later with two different tracks. The substitution of the title track is a costly one due to the fact that it's Smurfy-sweet chorus disrupts the rest of the song like a fart in church. The other adjustment, "Highway Passion" is a typical speed-frenzy TOKYO BLADE guitar rave-up with a ridiculous amount of chord changes - a cool tune, but it doesn't warrant repackaging an entire album around it. The question is, does this semi-letdown remake of the first record nullify the debut that landed 'em on this page in the first place? Well, I already started typing it up, but that is a good question, idn't it?
"Night of the Blade", 1984: Alan Marsh gets the boot in favor of the young Vic Wright, the first in a dizzying array of vocalist changes. Heaviness-wise, "Night of the Blade" sort of ranks up there with the early DOKKEN records. As usual, there's no shortage of stampeding riffs and hellblazing guitar workouts from Boulton and Wiggins. The band's not entirely sure what they want to be when they grow up; "Warriors Of The Rising Sun" is an epic sword-and-shield type of affair, while "Rock Me To The Limit" and "Love Struck" hint at twinkle-toed commercial excursions to come. Some of the choruses are shamefully slick and cartoony, but the firestorm guitar assault reaches RIOT-like levels of intensity at times. "Night of the Blade" represents a strange crossroads of the first record's heaviness and the AOR style that would dominate later records. Regardless, the cans of Aqua Net would soon be piling up.
"Black Hearts and Jaded Spades', 1985: For a change of pace, I decided to make a word find this time instead of writing a review for this atrocity. Words are backwards, forwards, diagonal, and up-and-down. Words are: harmonica, Tough Guys Tumble, tinny, lighthearted, prom theme, synths, wimpy, shred guitar, sex police, and avoid.
"Ain't Misbehavin'", 1987: Their discography may be exasperating, but you gotta admit, those TOKYO BLADE guys keep ya guessin'. Employing the talents of ex-SHARK vocalist Peter Zito (what, you never heard of them?), the boys craft a very solid collection of guitar-driven hard rock tunes. It's not very ambitious, which is just fine considering some of experimental vocal and stylistic horrors present in this discography. It's a guitar record, one foot in LEPPARD territory and the other reminiscent of US Shrapnel bands like HAWAII. There's nary a cringe to be found here, as Zito's vocals fit in well with the band's heavy melodic guitar fire in "Movie Star" and "Tokyo City". It's an album that doesn't try to be all things to all people, making it much more tolerable for fans that can't get enough SLAUGHTER and want to pick up something slightly more exotic. Or maybe this endless barrage of glitter and keyboards is starting to wear me down.
"No Remorse", 1989: Another year, another TOKYO BLADE lineup, and this one's very odd indeed. Andy Boulton's latest incarnation of the band employs the strange vocal abilities of one Michael Pozz (ex-mid period KIN PING MEH). His strange, troll-like voice is a remarkably poor matchup for the dreamy keys and Boulton's sleazy, shredding leads. Tracks like "The Eye of the Storm", "Moonlight in Martini" and "5 Inch Catwalk" are comprised of heavy hair-metal guitar a la WHITE LION or DOKKEN juxtaposed with Pozz's stinky-milk-carton vocals on sugary bed of keys - yucky indeed. It's a frustrating listen on multiple levels, because many songs start off with a cool George Lynch-type of riff, then fall apart faster than a celebrity marriage. Definitely for turd sniffers only.
"Burning Down Paradise", 1995: Re-connecting with Alan Marsh seemed to quell the band's insatiable thirst for a perfect singer (try to imagine a slightly more nasal version of Mark Slaughter). His version of the band has all of the traits that make later-period TOKYO BLADE albums likeable: strutty, hirsute cocky rock, lots of scream-shred guitar insanity, hiccupy sweet choruses crashing in like an unwanted relative at your front door, and lots of semi-goofy lyrics. All of this and more is waiting for you, dear reader. Start living life on your terms and buy it today! Warning: Funky bass tends to linger in tracks like "Headful of Bad Wiring" and "Only The Strong" which may cause upset stomach and mild headache. Use only as directed.
"Mr. Ice", 1998: MR. ICE was evidently an entirely separate entity from TOKYO BLADE that happened to include core TB members Marsh and Boulton circa 1990-1991. The "Mr. Ice" record is actually composed of tracks from a cassette demo and a mini-LP entitled "Have An Ice Day" that the Zoom Club label released later under the TOKYO BLADE moniker. Despite the fact that the band refuses to embrace the material as part of the TOKYO BLADE catalog, the label cash-in may have resulted from their inability to tell the difference from the big-hair bandwagon jumping of this project, and 'proper' TB material like "Black Hearts and Jaded Spades" which is frankly just as dreadful. The entire "Mr. Ice" disc is riddled with embarrassing synthesizers, "Cherry Pie" choruses and VH-cum-WHITE LION wank-a-thons. There's a spot in "One White Lie" when Marsh sings "I never had a woman with skills like you possess" - he sounds like a dead ringer for Weird Al Yankovic. If given the choice between listening to this album and watching documentaries about sewers all day, I'd be popping the popcorn right now.
"Pumphouse", 1998: Two words and I'll lose most of the readers: funk metal. Now, for the dozen or so that are left, PUMPHOUSE was another early 90s Al Marsh band (actually it had the same lineup as MR. ICE) that churned out a sort of EXTREME/FAITH NO MORE hybrid, with emphasis on video-game soundtrack slap-happy bass and don't-mess-with-the-posse lyrics. Of course, the guitars are storming all over the place, shred-ready at a moment's notice. But there's no traces of earthy Bootsy Collins, Buddy Miles, or Tony Levin influence that spawned the more interesting bands of the genre. This is just the sound of a metal band leaping enthusiastically on the latest trend. Lyrics like "1-2, buckle my shoe it's only money, money / 3-4 knock on my door it's only money, money" and my favorite, "Out here in the real world, we dance to loony tunes" didn't exactly drip with street credibility. Again, the Zoom Club label released this album as a TOKYO BLADE album years later against the band's wishes. But there's a bunch of funk-style metal bass all over the "Burning Down Paradise" album, so the whole situation is rather confusing. Keep yourself safe by avoiding this record like the plague.
SARACEN
"Heroes, Saints, and Fools", 1981: Okay, so a soldier, a jester and a priest walk into a bar...what, you've already heard this one? Well, anyway - Derbyshire's SARACEN may not have been a pivotal NWOBHM entity like ANGEL WITCH, MAIDEN, or SAVAGE, but their regal, keyboard-enhanced debut is an enticing affair that proves a band can play melodic metal without sounding robotic and castrated. It's a raw but bona fide wings-of-eagles classic with keys that sound fresh and bold, not like a microwaved version of KANSAS or HEEP (see WHITE SPIRIT). "Rock of Ages" bounces along a rough 'n ragged RAINBOW riff, and "Horsemen of the Apocolypse" seems cut from the same mold as "Canterbury"-era DIAMOND HEAD (the melody sounds curiously close to MAIDEN's "Wasted Years", but was released five years prior). Granted, the band seems a little confused from a lyrical standpoint, (Steve Bettney confesses that he likes the girls in high heels during the FOREIGNER-ish "No More Lonely Nights" and is making references to the Book of Revelations a couple of tracks later) but the overall effect is very enjoyable; a template that Swedish bands like SILVER MOUNTAIN and EUROPE would take to the next level a few years later. Plus, those keyboards from "Beverly Hills Cop" had to come from somewhere. How much pompier can you get than a track entitled "Dolphin Ride", anyway?
"Change of Heart", 1984: A half hour of continuous soft rock starts now. Evidently, "Change of Heart" is the only SARACEN disc that hasn't been issued on CD format, and it's not hard to understand why. Thematically speaking, the band was definitely leaning toward the "girls in high heels" end of the spectrum at this point in their career. "Meet Me At Midnight" even employs the girlfriend-on-the-phone voiceover shtick. "Jekyll and Hyde" with it's pumpin' bass drums and hand claps suggests "Fireball" if all the fire was removed and replaced with coffee sweetener. Lyrics like "I'm so romantic / but he drives me frantic inside" somehow suggest Chinn and Chapman in the way they're draped over this strange collision of pomp and prog. Of course, there's standard Euro-FOREIGNER fare like "Cheatin" as well (damn you, Lou Gramm!). Suffice to say, this record could function as the "Steve Austin's boss" action figure in your music collection.
"Red Sky", 2003: SARACEN's debut may have been chock full of hot spots, but this 2003 reunion record couldn't warm a cup of coffee. The core of the "Heroes, Saints and Fools" era (Bettney, Bendelow, and Lowe) are all present, but that doesn't stop the effort from resembling a flaccid Lion Music-type guitar wimpout at best, and a lighter-waving rehash of later YES or ASIA at worst. The title track is a standout, built around a loping riff adorned with frilly keys and solid changes, and "Ride Shotgun with the Wind" (Yes, that's really the title) moves things along with a pompy sort of "Smoke On The Water" riff. But that's where the smiles fade permanently. "Menage A Trois" is some sort of Kenny G dentist office take on PRAYING MANTIS with a Neil Schon guitar solo. "We Have Arrived" sounds like a rejected track from the super-forgettable ANDERSON, BRUFORD, WAKEMAN, and HOWE record. There's a goofy narrator that steps in from time to time in order to keep the wind blowing through our hair as we ride our stallions up the path to enlightenment. If you can't get enough of this type of thing, skip this one and invest in a ZENO record.
"Vox In Excelso", 2006 : With Greg Lake-like majesty, SARACEN returns to announce that mountains, manes, and maidens are so five minutes ago. This lengthy platter takes on the full legend of the Templar Knights from Christ to the Crusades to dissolution and beyond. It's hard to resist getting caught up in the puffy, high-horse metal grandeur of "The Order", the porpoise-dancing melodies of "Mary" and the fanfares and French narration of "Vive Dieu...Saint Amour". It sort of goes on forever, but this time the tunes suggest the riffs were built first, and stained-glass windows added later. Whatever the reason, the lilting guitar solos and super-grand presentation makes "Vox In Excelso" a much more convincing SARACEN effort. Just block some time on your calendar before putting it on.
VARDIS
"100 MPH", 1980: A fair share of bands from the 70s and 80s released live albums to fulfill a quota obligation in their contract. Eventually the labels caught on to this tomfoolery, specifying "studio releases only" in their agreements with the artists. But the fact remains there are quite a few limp and half-assed performances captured on vinyl from your favorite bands. On the opposite end of the spectrum is VARDIS' rip-roaring power-trio debut. As Taggart (from "Blazing Saddles") would say, listening to this album makes me feel like a chicken that got caught in a tractor's nuts! Just about every song leaves you hummin' and bouncin' in your seat long after the disc is over. You'll find yourself clapping and hollering between the songs while sitting in traffic, receiving odd stares from cars on either side. It's the type of album that will appeal to fans of early 80s US guitar rock like RIOT, wizened 70s string-charmers like FRANK MARINO, and classic NWOBHM freaks alike. The pseudo-reggae shift in the 3-chord blaster "Move Along", the mad nods to Jimi in the title track, the peppermint twist of "Dirty Money", and the leaping wah antics in "Loser" are just a few rapturous moments that come to mind. The Chuck Berry riffs and stoned, purse-lipped vocals of Steve Zodiac wouldn't sound out of place on some punk 'n roll compilation with THE HELLACOPTERS or ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN today, so pick it up.
"The World's Insane", 1982: Steve Zodiac and crew look to recreate the same blaring, mainline-to-the-brain magic of "100 MPH" for VARDIS' first official studio record. While there's no shortage of Chuck Berry-inspired twist action in the energetic leads of "Blue Rock (I Miss You)" and the perfectly titled "Steamin' Along", the molten swagger of their live show sounds notably cooled in the studio. The stripped-down version of HAWKWIND's "Silver Machine" is an interesting approach, as are the bagpipes of "Police Patrol", but there aren't any sweet moments of "Wow!", or "Turn this one up!" that the debut provided so effortlessly. Making a studio record is a completely different animal than tearing it up live, and "The World's Insane" is a stark reminder of the difference in constructing both products.
"Quo Vardis", 1982: Whenever someone describes a record by saying, "They've added some new instruments this time." a little shiver goes down my spine. Such is the case with the third installment of the VARDIS collection; the honking saxophone during "Where There´s Mods There´s Rockers" and the cheezy orchestration of "To Be With You" don't make it a bad record, but they certainly don't up the quality level. "Please Do" hinges on a very cool smoldering riff, and there are some smart rockin' piano rolls during "Dream With Me", but the overall impression is that the band is out of touch. It's like your once cool, now rebellious uncle that everyone patronizes at family functions: A little dated and sad.
Once you've finished with these, we can move on to the next segment:
**The web version of this article can be found at www.peacedogman.com/csgnwobhm1**