Forgotten Gems-Metallic Storm compilation

 

 Hearing an older compilation for the first time can be a funny thing. Funny because sometimes you'll hear one and they'll a band on there who did go on to bigger things and there will be  bands that didn't make it as well. I wish the known band on this 1982 Ebony records compilation was at the end so I could go through the other acts and have a big unveiling of that act at the end. However that can't be done so easily since the known band opens this album. That band is Mercyful Fate and they contribute "Black Funeral". You know this song, it's early MF yet it has plenty of the tempo changes and odd tones that were so much apart of the sound of their first run. After that it's like a different world. MF were ahead of the game in metal and that can be seen as Tantrum pop on sounding very much like AC/DC. Still a decent song. Then we get Scimitar who sound a bit like late 70's Judas Priest mixed with Dianno-era Maiden. Tarot Sutra come in next playing a mix of metal with light progressive elements and they remind some of earlier Scorpions' material. Mean Machine come on sounding like a cross between late 70's hard rock and very early NWOBHM. It's solid though with a strong groove leading the way. Confesser come on with a thick riff then the keyboards kick in. They sound kind of like what I imagine Rainbow might have sounded like had they stayed a metal band after Dio left instead of going hard rock/AOR. Jury are on next and oh, my it's like mid-70's arena rock like Starz. It's good though. Wells Fargo (yeah, really) are on next with a simple yet catchy track. Kind of like a simpler version of UFO around say 1975. Mercinary (their spelling) come on with a smooth as silk track that's very good but hard to describe. It definitely has a late 70's metal sound. Wykkid Vicker are up next and they begin strong, but the song falters towards the middle being the first time in this album I became bored. However the track picks up at the end to finish well. Pentapus pick it up and sound something like a cross between Ted Nugent and early Fastway. Detroit contribute a big thumping track sounding a lot like a slightly stripped down version of early 80's Judas Priest mixed with maybe Twisted Sister plus they really end the song on a high note.  Moby Dick finish up the album with a fairly original sound. They give hints of Judas Priest and AC/DC, but never quite fully copy anyone instead they combine the ideas of others with their own. I like this compilation because we get bands that represent quite a few styles.