Forgotten Gems: Profondo Rosso -Next Stop Neurosis

Neat Records
1997

On more occasions then I'd like to admit or even care to remember, which is to say quite a few times, I've been suckered into buying heavy metal lots or, like in this case, a "NWOBHM" lot. Back before I really knew my way around the Internet (and there was still dinosaurs and dial-up connections) it happened a lot as I would just take sellers at their word. These days I know better and am better prepared to do research before I hit either the "bid now" or "buy it now" button. With this 3-piece act I knew that I was not getting a N.W.O.B.H.M. band. Just because they were signed by Neat Records does not mean that they were some sort of British metal act. About the only thing they have in common with other Neat artists is the fact that they hailed from England! As I got it along with Sweet Savage's "Rune", Wraith's "Schizophrenia" and Slander's "Careless Talk Costs Live" (which I already had in it's re-released version) I didn't much care about technicalities. It's merely that I found it kind of funny how much (and how often) people will try to stretch the movement to cover bands like this. I mean at least Slander gets points for their love and devotion of all things N.W.O.B.H.M.! Anyway, the CD's description did mention how, upon signing with Neat Records, they were (supposedly) assigned ex-Tygers of Pan Tang front-man Jess Cox as a manager. That's interesting stuff if it's true and all.  Formed in 1992, and having a sound that owed way more favors to punk rock then it did heavy metal, the band named themselves after Dario Argento's classic 1975 Italian giallo (which is more commonly know these days as "Deep Red" I suspect). What's funny though is how the name choice doesn't really match up with the music on hand. It's possible that the band, which was lead by vocalist/guitarist John Savage, started out a bit more "edgy", but they are nowhere near as dark as their name might imply! After all we are talking about naming your band after a Italian slash-fest! The name choice aside, we're looking at a band/album that reminded me of everyone from (early) Goo Goo Dolls to the Sex Pistols. With bassist Duncan James Garvey (cool name) and drummer Karl Rouleau (also a cool name) on board we find a really steady power trio that rolls out track after track of punk rock and roll cheesiness! As they shuffle about their business on "Next Stop Neurosis" it's easy to pin-point the many bands that these three emulated.
This Sunderland, N.E. England-based band most assuredly loved the likes of The Clash as much as they did The Who. It's said that the group also owed part of their original sound to other influences like  Swervedriver, Jane’s Addiction, Manic Street Preachers and even Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, but that's less obvious (especially on this disc) then bands like The Clash, Goo Goo Dolls and The Sex Pistols. If I walked away with anything (in regards to the album) it was a desire to hear more from the group. So in a way they did get their claws hooked in me. With their only other full-length album, "To Live, And Die, In The UK", on it's way to me as I type this I guess we shall see if musical consistency was a trait that this band flourished in or not.

Forgotten Gems-Cauldron Born-Born of the Cauldron

With these albums we put under the "Forgotten Gems" segment sometimes it's easy to tell why the album in question was forgotten and sometimes it's not as easy to tell. With this one I'd say it's easy to tell. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia this was the debut from Cauldron Born. It's US style power metal with influences including Jag Panzer, Crimson Glory, Manilla Road, Fates Warning and others. However it was released in 1997 which it you don't remember wasn't a hot year for classic style metal. It was more than half a decade after the fall of 80's style metal and a few years before any real large comeback of the genre. Which is a pity because this band certainly knew how to do this style. Cauldron Born were certainly not cautious in their musical approach because they tear right into their songs with melodies soaring and riffs blazing. They don't shy away from some relatively complex runs as well. Which is fine with me because they have the skill to not only pull it off, but make it sound easy as well. It may have been a time when guitar solos seemed to be frowned upon, but fortunately Howie Bentley wasn't phased by that and cranked out some killer solos. There are some parts where the band could have been tighter and the production could have been a bit more sharp, but this remains a find solid metal album.

This album was originally released on Undergroound Symphony and quickly went out of print, but Stormspell records re-released it.

King James-The fall

Retroactive
1997/2010

Originally released in 1997 this was the sophomore release from the band that included former Whitercross axe-slinger Rex Carroll and singer Jimi Bennett who was also on the first King James album. While the debut was similar to Carroll's former band White Cross, the debut owed more to the musical trends that were popular a few years before this album came out. There is still a hard rock backbone, but the thick yet simple sounds of Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots are all to evident in their sound. Unlike hard rock acts who tried this switch of style in the 90's, King James do not sound completely uncomfortable with the style and they do attempt to keep in some of the hard rock touches that is more akin to their musical backgrounds. Also to their credit they didn't fall into the popular 90's trend of keeping guitar solos to a minimum. Rex Caroll is a fine guitarist and this album is no exception and lets loose on some solid, meaty solos that really helped pick up several tracks on this album. Overall the album leans on Carroll's strength as a played and benefits that. Not what everyone was expecting, but interesting enough to keep me listening all the way through.