Chained Lace-Morbid Fascination

Heaven and Hell Records
2017

Chained Lace was a doom metal band from Washington, DC. that was active during the eighties. The group was lead by Cheri Blade (ex-Rat Salad) and featured members with ties to the D.C. heavy metal band Hellion. One of those members was Norman Lawson (guitars) who also played in the bands Bedemon, The Obsessed, Bitch, Overlord, and The Factory. This limited-edition compilation gathers together the two demos that Chained Lace released (1985's "Chain Lace" and 1985's "Morbid Fascination") and then adds in unreleased material. Named after the group's one demo, "Morbid Fascination" features re-mastered material and makes Chained Lace's music available on CD for the very first time ever! With the punk rock-like vocals of Cheri Blade (R.I.P.), Chained Lace was strikingly different than most doom metal bands of the time period. At times you can hear the Black Sabbath influences. Other times you can pick up on the influence of The Obsessed. That is the doom metal aspect of these DC doom rockers. Along with Cheri Blade's punk rock delivery, "Morbid Fascination" suggests Chained Lace's flirtation with everyone from Motörhead to The Runaways! As Loot FP properly puts it's on Heaven and Hell's digital page for this album, Chained Lace had a one of a kind sound that even payed homage to (early) Mötley Crüe! For their time period this four-piece band was in a world of their own making. It was a place where punk rock, garage metal, and doom metal all converged in order to give us kooky cool music like this. Thank God that happened and much kudos to Heavy and Hell Records for realizing the important nature of that event!   

Free Metal Monday: Jack The Ripper-"Iron Lady" B/W "Bloodbath (EP Version)"

Heaven and Hell Records
2016

Serving as the last of our three Free Metal Monday offerings for the day (while also being a clear cut case of having saved the best for last!), "Iron Lady" B/W "Bloodbath (EP Version)" is two tracks of devilishly savage traditional/power metal from Columbia, South Carolina-based Jack the Ripper. For those of you who don't know the name (or at least in regards to this cult 80's metal band that was fittingly-enough named after London's most notorious serial killer!), Jack the Ripper is a five-piece band that released the excellent stone cold killer EP "Blood Bath" in 2002* and then followed that highly-recommended recording up two years later with a limited edition LP entitled "Back on the Attack". While I've never heard that particular album I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it's pretty solid all around. When you consider the fact that everything I've heard from this old school metal outfit has been nothing short of wicked cool then it stands to reason "Back on the Attack" would fit that bill! Right? Right! But anyway, Jack The Ripper is still very much alive (and no doubt on the hunt for new victims!) with Heaven and Hell Records having stepped into the picture to offer up the forthcoming album, "Tortured and Twisted". From the sound of things the unreleased "Iron Lady" will appear on said album while "Bloodbath (EP Version)" looks as if it was torn straight from the group's 2002 offering. These two tracks (which can be found over here) are geared towards fans of classic heavy metal/U.S. power metal and eighties metal with each number offering up a different/distinct side of this unheralded American band. The previously-unreleased "Iron Lady" is straight-up/no-chaser heavy metal with some TASTY SWEET  lead guitar work. Meanwhile we find the members of Jack The Ripper** channeling a heavier & faster version of Judas Priest on "Bloodbath (EP Version)". Very close to the sounds of the emerging power metal/thrash scene of the early eighties, "Bloodbath" is effectually capped off with a sinister laugh! Of the two name-your-price*** tracks being offered by Jack The Ripper and Heaven and Hell Records it's easily my favorite cruncher, but "Iron Lady" is excellent in it's own way. As of this writing it does not appear as if "Tortured and Twisted" has an official release date, but I'll be keeping a steady eye out for it all the same!

*Even though it was released in 2000 all of the songs on "Blood Bath" were recorded in 1984.  

 

**Jack the Ripper is: 

 

Max Hernandez - Vocals
Dave Swisher - Guitars
AJ Spiegel - Guitars

Kenny Moore - Bass
Bob Sniegon - Drums 

***Even if these two classic slices of metal are technically free I would still recommend tossing a coin or two Jack The Ripper's way. These classy gentlemen have been at it for a long time and chances are that even with the new deal with Heaven and Hell Records they are still barely making ends meet. How do I know? Well, for one thing a lot of the older metal bands out there never got paid their fair worth in the first part. Second, Jack The Ripper and the like are often in the twilight of their careers. By this point in time they have families with grown children and mortgages to pay. It isn't cheap hitting the road and playing out without the backing of a major label, but it's even tougher when you have kids that might still be in college! While I'm not suggesting you throw a $20 their way for two songs, "Iron Lady" B/W "Bloodbath (EP Version)" is at the very least worth a dollar or two! Really,  "Iron Lady" B/W "Bloodbath (EP Version)" is worth somewhere north of $5.00 as a download, but even if you offer up a measly $1.00 I'm sure that it would help make sure that killer bands like this stick around for the long hall! Either way,  Jack The Ripper's "Iron Lady" B/W "Bloodbath (EP Version)" is custom-build for fans of classic heavy metal and thanks to labels like Heaven and Hell Records such great music will be around for generations to come. I don't know about everyone else, but I find that rather cool to think about!