Fist-Turn the hell on

Metal Mind
1980/2010

Somewhere down the list of NWOBHM bands are Fist. They formed in 1978 and rather quickly landed a record deal with a major label in the form of MCA records. Their debut "Turn the hell on" came out in 1980. The sound isn't far off from other bands in the movement and I am thinking mainly of Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang and Quartz. The biggest difference being that Fist are far more upbeat. That's not a trait that all metal fans would take to and admittedly it I was a surprised by it at first. After a few plays it soaked in more and I think that mood compliments their groove driven, rhythm heavy songs. Melodies are obviously quite important to their sound and they utilize them well enough. There are a few songs that are very dated and have not aged well. The vocals are a little higher than I was expecting and on a few tracks the rhythm section is so much in the foreground that it drowns out the vocals to an extent. This isn't the most consistent album for quality, but it is most certainly decent. Fist went on for a few years after this, but then gave up. Like many other bands from the scene ther re-formed years later. This isn't a must here and it is obvious why they didn' get a great deal of notice during this crowded scene three decades ago. However it's an album with some fun songs and genuine energy so there is enough here to make it worth checking out. The re-issue includes a bonus track, lyric booklet and band biography.