Forgotten Gems: Not Fragile-Who Dares Wins

Metalother/Mean Machine
1988

In preparation for my Labor Day weekend garage sale I've been going through my vinyl in a hope full attempt to thin down my collection. Part of the fun of it all (well, fun might not be the word as I've been frequently distracted by LPs I either forgot I had or didn't know I had) has been revisiting old albums. Dusting off some of these old fashioned favorites (and some albums that I have no idea why I kept) had given me the idea to feature a few here in Forgotten Gems. Now in order for me to have a second chance to relive albums I first need to be drawn to them. I put this one aside more than a few times until finally deciding to see what it offered. In a classic case of "what were you thinking with this bland album art" Who Dares Wins is a hella good heavy metal album. No doubt having taken their moniker from Bachman–Turner Overdrive 's 1974 album of the same name Not Fragile formed in the summer of 1980. After two demos this German speed metal band made their official debut with 1988's "Who Dares Win". Given the state of German heavy metal by the late eighties and the dozen plus number of bands who were doing this before Not Fragile (and maybe even better) one could ask what makes this LP worthy? I'm not entirely sure myself. All I know is that putting this album on had a great effect on my heavy metal loving soul. This my friends is speed/thrash heavy metal played with such love it's bound to melt even the most cynical listener's heart. Formed when the members were still in their teens Not Fragile obviously loved the genre. They listened to the greats and tried to capture that sound. Somewhere in between all the grooves on this piece of vinyl is intense heavy metal waiting to get out. Too bad it's hidden behind such an awful album cover. While Not Fragile have soldiered on and only improved upon their sound there is something to be said for their humble start. This album is hungry, raw and sloppy at times. It's also full of a simple rage that cuts to the core of what heavy metal is all about. Hopefully I'll come across other such albums hidden among all the excess Ratt, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Kiss and Guns N' Roses' LPs I have. This one was such a pleasant find!