Trappazat-From Dusk Till Dawn

High Roller Records
2012


The whole story behind the band Trappazat is kind of long and honestly would bring nothing news worthy to this review so I've condensed it a bit. No need to thank me folks. Back in 1989 a band was already in place featuring a singer by the name of Kerry Taylor. For whatever reason the rest of the band wanted to replace him (despite the fact that his replacement even thought he was a better singer with a "Klaus Meine type vocal thing going on"). The new singer would prove to be efficient and it was his dedication that lead to the release of "From Dusk Till Dawn". Now Trappazat only played two live gigs and these eight songs are all they laid down on tape. Interestingly enough after it was all said and done the band brought back in Kerry Taylor and re-recorded the music for a cassette-only release. Anyway, years later the material is finally put out thanks to our friends at High Roller Records. With all of that by way of an introduction I am so sorry to have to start off this review in such a way. It pains me as I'm sure Paul Britton is a great guy. From the sounds of it he was a single father just like me and he had a passion for true heavy metal. But if I am to be honest his vocals hold Trappazat back. This release has all the needed tools to be great. By 1989 this was dated obviously. It is NWOBHM in sound and style with some early eighties metal sprinkled on top. For the time there was no way this would sell to the public. This sort of heavy metal was dead in the water by 1990. That being what it is though the track "1 am D.O.A." might just be one of the coolest heavy metal tunes I have heard in a long, long time. It is simply killer. It has a chorus I'll be singing all day long. Really if it had been released in the early eighties it would have been a highlight of the movement. The band opts for a great sound that mixes in bits of Iron Maiden, early Def Leppard, Praying Mantis, Dark Wizard, Omen, Grim Reaper, Gotham City, Crossfire, Demon, Soldier, Incubus (not the modern rock ones!) and Jag Panzer. It really is the best of NWOBHM meets the best of eighties metal. "1 am D.O.A." could be a long-lost single from a time when heavy metal was still in it's humble beginnings and going through it's growing pains. If only those vocals didn't drag the whole affair down though because otherwise I'd give this LP a glowing endorsement. As is it remains a fun album for retro metal fans if you can overlook the strained vocals that is. Although even then I would probably buy it just for "1 am D.O.A.". Did I mention how freaking cool the track is?