Forgotten Gems: Dead On-Dead On

SBK
1989


By the late eighties record labels had signed just about any band that was sort of thrash. Thanks to the popularity of the "Big Four" and thrash in general there were bands like Dead On who were snagged up, signed for an album or two and then sadly dumped like yesterdays garbage for the next big thing. The only thing is with Dead On you didn't really have a true thrash band. Sure that album cover might lead you to believe that this one was some sort of Death Angel or Forbidden type of band. Truth is Long Island, New York's Dead On were more like Metal Church than Metallica. Raised no doubt on bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (or really even NWOBHM band Raven) here was a band that sometimes acted like a thrash band but were more in line with power metal. A good starting point would be the technical thrash of Megadeth. Dead On seem to get lumped in with Dave and the boys quite often. But here the sound also brings to mind Overkill, Meliah Rage and even a more beefy Metal Church. There is power metal riffs, left-over NWOBHM parts and a nasty punk outlook to be found on Dead On's only full-length album. While for most people the band are remembered for having their song “Different Breed” appear on the soundtrack to 1990's horror film "Shocker" (along with Megadeth, Alice Cooper, etc) Dead On were a more than capable band that for better or worse got caught up in the whole thrash craze and when it died so did they. They did manage a EP in 1991 called "All Four You" but after that it looks as if the band just disappeared like so many other heavy metal acts of old. Since this album has yet to see a re-release it is a rare treat. Hopefully someone will come along and see just what Dead On was getting on about and re-issue it for today's generation of metal fans. Something tells me Dead On could find a home with today's listeners.

DEAD ON-DEAD ON: NEW DELUXE EDITION 2 DISC SET

Divebomb Records
2012


It was one year ago (give or take a few days) that I covered Dead On's 1989 self-titled debut.
In ever way possible this New Jersey-based heavy metal band was a "Forgotten Gem". The band was know for playing a potent brand of power/thrash and, had fate been a little more kind to them, they very easily could have been more then a cult act if the pieces would have fallen in place. Until now the group's LP fetched huge dollars on the secondary market. Thankfully the metal gods not only heard my prayers for a reissue, but did it up right. This 2-disc set features not only the band's self-titled album, but their 1991 "All For You" EP, a 4-track demo from 1987 ("The Limit") and, to top it all off, the band's previously unreleased cover of "Turning Japanese"! All of that would have been enough (especially as their 4-track "All Four You" EP was impossible to find!), but we are also treated to three music videos and a CD booklet that features pictures, lyrics and a interview with Dead On guitarists Michael Caronia and Tony Frazzitta. Not too shabby at all! This deluxe edition is nothing short of amazing and words alone would fail to convey how excited I was to receive this one in the mail! While I reviewed the band's full-length debut once already (see link below) I will say that it still remains a favorite album of mine. The 1991 EP saw Dead On trying for a more traditional heavy metal style (not to worry as it still shreds!) and the result is fairly solid. These 4-tracks come off as a bit more "adventurous" with interesting time changes and heavy riffs. Overall you just can't go wrong with this new 2 CD set if you are a fan of Dead On already or if you are just looking for a new power metal/thrash act. The album can be found on Ebay for under $20 and is a killer tribute to this cult act.










http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Forgotten+Gems%3A+Dead+On-Dead+On

Forgotten Gems:Heavy Artillery Compilation

Auburn Records
1990


Since March of 2012 I've covered three acts with ties to Cleveland's Auburn Records. Two of those bands, Purgatory and Sacred Heat, appear on this compilation while the third, Shok Paris, has a had a on again/off again/on again relationship with Auburn Records. It is not hard to explain what Auburn Records meant to the Ohio heavy metal scene when you look at a compilation like this. This cassette-only release (which incidentally is due for a CD re-release sometime in the next 5-50 years if my sources are correct!) has achieved cult status among heavy metal collectors. While it might not be only Ohio metal that is displayed here (Kraze were from Pennsylvania and Titan Force were from Colorado) all of bands on this compilation were an active part of our scene. Of all the bands that appeared on this compilation (20) I believe only 2 of them, Breaker and Destructor, are currently active. Now, as I previously stated in my Forgotten Gems piece on Purgatory (link below has that article as well as other pieces Metal Mark and I have done on bands with ties to Auburn Records) thanks to this compilation tape I was turned onto not only Purgatory, but also bands like Kraze, Decimation, Terror, Brainicide and Hatrix! I wore out this 20-track compilation tape originally and it is my hope that the guys at Auburn Records won't sleep on a CD version of this killer collection. Even though the liner notes say "Also available on Compact Disc" (I'm holding a brand new copy of the tape in my hands as I type that I got from a friend so I should know!) it was never issued on anything other than cassette tape. There is a ripped version of this compilation floating around in cyberspace so if you don't have a tape player anymore (like 99% of the public I'd wager) you could try that route. Anyway, let's get back to the bands that are showcased here. Man, was I ever happy when this tape was released back in the day. Growing up about 45 mintues from downtown Cleveland I had slowly started to hear about bands like Breaker through fanzines. So, when I saw that this tape was due out I jumped on it. The tape starts of with Cleveland's own Breaker and the cut "Still Life". Known for their love of all things Accept (the name of the band was based on one of Accept's albums for crying out loud!) the band's sound also had elements of bands like Iron Maiden. At the time I had heard very little from Breaker so this song was a real treat for me. Next up is Kraze with "Devil in Disguise". This Pennsylvania based band plays a nice mixture of power metal, speed metal and thrash. I actually just picked up the band's "Devil in Disguise" album which is a collection of their various demos. Auburn Records was two for two in my book when I first hit "play" over 20 years ago! From there you had Chemikill ("Deadline") who sound sort of like a raw Metal Church and then track number four was Decimation ("Silenced In Time") with their fusion of crunchy heavy metal and hardcore. Track five is Real Steel ("I Rule The Radio") and honestly, at the time, their version of traditional heavy metal didn't exactly blow my socks off. As I listen to it now my opinion has changed somewhat. I find it to be fairly interesting straight-ahead heavy metal with some hard rock leanings and more than a hint of the Judas Priest vibe that so many eighties bands were into. Purgatory is up next with "Blood's The Price". This version features an almost entirely different line-up than the one that appeared on "Tied to the Trax". The heavy thrash style remains, but after hearing "Tied to the Trax" I find it lacks the charm that Jeff Hatrix brought to the band. Track number seven is "Twilight's Last Gleaming" by another long lost thrash band by the name of Deus Vult. What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for in it's overall aggression. I always liked the raw appeal of Deus Vult. The melodic metal of "Time After Time" is next by the band Sacred Heart. I won't spend too much time on the band as you can read my review of their re-issue below (in the link). Terror's "Pain And Suffering" is next. The band's sound falls in between thrash and death metal and again, while not that originally, it is a number that rages. Side one closes out with Torment's "Epilogue" and, as others have pointed out, it comes off a thrash metal version of Crimson Glory. Awesome. With thrash metal kings Destructor opening up side two how can you go wrong? "Storm Of Steel" is classic metal. Having seen these guys in living color I can say they sound as good (if not better) live as they do on tape. Attaxe is another band I just love. More nods to the old school on "Pedal To The Metal". Trigger Zone gives us "Trigger Zone" (I know, not that original of a title is it?) and while it isn't great by any stretch of the imagination I can honestly say I've heard worse power metal in my life. Hatrix (with their "Sins Of A Bastard Angel") would morph into Mushroomhead which I always found to be a shame. Their version of thrash was pretty straight-forward and much more aggressive then Mushroomhead would ever prove to be. Speaking of aggressive next up we have Wretch. Sometime soon I really should do some legwork on this band. The band's style of power metal is highly appreciated .Wretch gives us "Life" while Brainacide gives us "Payment In Blood". Here was another band I always wanted to know more about. At the time I was all about crossover and while the track hasn't aged as well as I remember it does feature a rather young Tim Owens and, for novelty sake, that is kind of interesting I suppose. Track number seven on side two is Rebellious Angel's with their melodic power metal track "Stand Up And Fight". Again a decent enough track if nothing to get overly excited about. Severe Warning's "Better Off Dead" is more thrash. On an album that features a lot of similar speed/power metal/thrash bands it does not do a lot to stand out. Titan Force's "Blaze Of Glory" is much better though. This Colorado act featured former Jag Panzer vocalist Harry Conklin. Somewhere in my rather messy music collection I have more Titan Force. This was a great melodic speed metal band. The final track comes from the one and (thankfully) only The Spudmonsters. "I'm Not Guilty" is like most tracks by The Spudmonsters. In other words second rate crossover. For the life of me I never understood the appeal of this band. So, all in all you have more great tracks than bad tracks on "Heavy Artillery". Why it never got a CD release the first time around is a mystery in and of itself. With 20 tracks it is a bit of a long listen so I'm sure it would stretch a CD to the limit. Still though it is a great overview of Ohio's metal scene during the later part of the eighties.
















http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=auburn+records

Forgotten Gems: Masque-The Dead Of Night

Leicester act Masque are another one of those forgotten acts that managed to release very little in the way of official material and yet, here it is 20+ years later, collectors are still talking about them. Previously known as Wild Child this charming female-fronted band was formed in 1985. Influenced by their countries classic metal scene the band's sound drew from the obvious (Iron Maiden/Diamond Head) to the more subtle (Runestaff/Satanic Rites) to create wonderful traditional heavy metal. In another day or time period they would have fit fairly well in with the N.W.O.B.H.M. movement, but at that point in time the United Kingdom had moved on. Anyway, the band issued the "Confined Insanity" demo in 1988 followed later that same year by this relatively unknown EP. It was released on the record label RKT, who along with Masque's "The Dead Of Night", released some winners (Hydra Vein's "After The Dream" and Metal Messiah's "Honour Among Thieves") but also put out some real turkeys (Metal Duck!) seemingly without much in the way of press. Despite that the EP was warmly received among both critics and fans and Masque looked like a promising new act in the field of old-fashioned heavy metal. For whatever reason though (yes, I know I seem to say that phrase often when describing these gems) "The Dead Of Night" would prove to the only album to date by this talented band. I say "to date" as there are rumors swirling that the band might be back together in one form or another, but seeing as I can't get concrete proof of this it could just be hopeful wishing on the part of fans. Did I mention the fans? Well, despite how little you'll read of this gem in the main pages of heavy metal guides this is one sought-after piece of vinyl and Masque has amassed a nice following in the years since they disbanded. While the original EP is probably out of most people's price range you can still get a copy of this great heavy metal album. It showed up on Volume 16 of the Forgotten Metal Collector Series alongside Stream's 1988 "Outside World Within" EP and Grand Bite's 1985 release,"Al Borde Del Precipicio" (I'm pretty sure this is a bootleg) and you can find places here and there to download it online. If you want to be a bit more honest and help put aside money for the band you can follow the link below to Vibrations Of Doom. I've also provided a link to hear the EP for yourself. This is an amazing band and even if the EP is not that long it is classic through and through. The track list is as follows:


Side A]

1. Twisted Tales - (Intro)

2. Confined Insanity

3. Back with a Vengeance



[Side B]

1. The Dead of Night

2. No Light to Die By





Of the cuts I really love "Back With a Vengeance", but all the tracks are epic in their own way. Just a fun album and the one and only release from this band great traditional heavy metal group. This is another EP in desperately need of an official re-release. Something along the lines of EP with demo material and a nice booklet would really make a lot of hardcore heavy metal collectors drool. As is there are many ways to hear this cool release from Masque.





You can hear the album here: http://www.metal-samples.com/2010/10/masque-dead-of-night-1988.html











While you can buy a burned copy here: http://www.vibrationsofdoom.com/test/Masque.html

Killer Khan-Global Killer

Self-Release/Independent
2016

Killer Khan is one band that should need no introduction. That is if you consider yourself to be any kind true metalhead! I mean after all this is the same incredible group that gave us the album "Kill Devil Hills"!! Our longtime readers might recall that I first covered this classic metal release in a Forgotten Gems feature back in 2012. Originally independently-released way back in 1999, "Kill Devil Hills" proved itself worthy of high praise and worship thanks to it's slick combination of eighties metal, hard rock and doom. With the Ozzy-like vocals of lead singer/guitarist Killian Khan merely serving as the sweet and delicious icing on top of one hell of a flavorful cake(!), "Kill Devil Hills" became a hidden gem for everyone who came across it and naturally that includes me. "Kill Devil Hills" has become a mainstay in my home and to this day I still enjoy it for what it represents. And that is real heavy metal for real heavy metal fans! When it comes to this criminally-underrated band from Mooresville, North Carolina we're talking about everything that there is to love about tried and true heavy metal wrapped up into one neat and tidy package. It's all there from superb performances to catchy material and whether you recognized it or not this four-piece has always been right there in the front genre since first coming together as Holy Moses back in 1994! Eventually that band evolved into Killer Khan and then Killer Khan gave us "Kill Devil Hills". And because of how solid that album actually was it would only be a matter of time before some label would come along and see fit to properly re-issue it. Put out in mid-April of of 2015 by Heaven and Hell Records, "Kill Devil Hills" went from being a hidden gem to an album that was finally in the spotlight (and rightfully so as this was a place where it had always belonged!). Thanks to it's remastered sound and the inclusion of two additional bonus tracks in "Abomination" and "Iceman (Part II)" the re-issue of Killer Khan's debut album hit the scene like a ton of bricks. Along the way it also managed to pull off the impossible. Somehow the Heaven and Hell Records version of "Kill Devil Hills" improved upon perfection! The new and improved album was everything that longtime fans of Killer Khan could have hoped!! Not only did it sound great, but it looked great too! As far as Killer Khan fans were concerned everything was right with the world and just how it should be. Killer Khan was finally getting the proper recognition that it deserved and everyone would see this group's back catalog for. And that is an amazing collection of material that is simply not to be missed! But then came the news that Killer Khan was back and working on a new album. And suddenly I found myself laying there in bed with a burning question all but eating me up inside. "How in the world can anyone expect Killer Khan to top that great re-issue?" I asked myself. "Had they painted themselves into a corner?" I wondered. These questions and so many more keep creeping up on it. Would "Global Killer" prove to be a comeback album for this North Carolina four-piece or was the magic all used up by now? To be honest I thought the worse. Even after "Global Killer" dropped I wasn't ready to try it out. Honestly I waited a good while until I check out. Thankfully all it took was one listen to opener to "Prowess of the Night" and I had my answer. Killer Khan was back! And not only were they back, but they were back with a fiery vengeance!! On the fittingly-named "Global Killer" the guys in Killer Khan meant business!! There would be hell to pay for all those who had forgotten their name. For band-mates Killian Khan (vocals, guitar), Ron Dalton (guitar), Brice Sandahl (bass), and Jody Rumple (drums) this new disc would prove to be a lightening bolt straight into the faces of the unbelievers! What "Global Killer" represents is simple enough even if you can't put it in exact terms that are easy to understand. This album is another great mixture of all the things that make Killer Khan the unreal act that they are. It's eighties metal. It's hard rock/heavy metal. And it's doom. "Global Killer" is Killer Khan doing what they do best and that wonderful concept keeps everything flowing along nicely until the very end of "Playful Dead". On their third full-length Killer Khan cranks out highly memorable metal that is once more perfectly-flavored by those great vocals of Killian Khan. I once wrote how much Killian Khan reminded me of Ozzy (or at the very least his illegitimate offspring!) and while I still stand by that concept there is a brief side note to add. Here on "Global Killer" Killian Khan sounds more mature. Like many of us he has added a few more miles on his voice with the passage of time. Obviously he isn't the same front-man as he was on "Kill Devil Hills", but trust me here when I say that's good. The maturity in his voice actually works towards the overall appeal of this new album as it gives everything a more natural and real vibe. It's as if the front-man isn't afraid to admit that not only has he grown as a musician, but as a person. And while he might be older he has way more experience under his belt. In the end it just gives the material on "Global Killer" a more realistic feeling. In that regard credit must also be given to the album's overall production. Thankfully Killer Khan's new album isn't over-produced. "Global Killer" feels like a metal disc should. It's tuneful in just the right places while it is also open enough so that raw appeal of heavy metal is able to come through nice and loud. Each and every part of this new album works. In a day and age when heavy metals albums can sound way too glossy I cannot even begin to tell you how nice that is! Not once does "Global Killer" shy away from the fact that it is there to deliver an ass kicking. It doesn't let up on sonic assault or pull away from the raw metallic energy that fuels it. Instead "Global Killer" is as rebellious and destructive as it wants to be. Whether you are a fan of this great group or not that is something to celebrate. Needless to say I love this album and highly-recommend it.....

Forgotten Gems: Cirith Ungol-Frost and Fire

Liquid Flames Records 1980

Andy's view-

Taking their name from The Lord Of The Rings (it means "Pass of the Spider" apparently) Cirith Ungol's debut album Frost and Fire was universally panned by critics upon it's release in 1980. I'm not sure if it was Tim Baker's raspy vocals or the fact that they didn't sound like heavy metal did at the time. The early 80's saw a lot of bands start to rev up their music and imitate the British metal movement. For a band from L.A. to play music that was more in touch with 70's hard rock and the doom styling of Black Sabbath/Pentagram was off putting enough without the fact that for a heavy metal band they were not very "heavy". Instead they were almost foreshadowing epic/doom metal. Frost and Fire is not perfect. It has miscues and not every idea works. But when things click into place it's one mean mother of a record. Listen to the solo in "A Little Fire" and you get the feeling there was fire in their bellies. "Better Off Dead" is more Nazareth than Black Sabbath but "Maybe That's Why" was epic metal before there was such a thing. Despite little fanfare in 1980 this album now tops a lot of fan's lists as a classic metal album. When looking for suggestions for Forgotten Gems more than a few friends suggested this album. That alone tells you something.

Metal Mark's view-

I actually heard Cirith Ungol's King of the dead (1984) and One foot in hell (1986) long before I heard Frost and fire. Those two later album had much more in common with what was going in metal at the time of their release and both were powerful. When I finally heard Frost and fire I was slightly surprised by the sound, but it definitely clicked with me. The sound is maybe a few years behind when it came out as they sound a bit like a cross between Sabbath, early Judas Priest, Pentagram and some of the rhythms even remind me of early Rush. Songs like the title track and "A little fire" show the bands storytelling ability as they really build the song up rather than shooting their load right away. This is not a band that just rests on the work of others because they certainly bring their own ideas with them as well. "Better off dead" has an odd beginning that probably had many people raising their eyebrows when they first heard it, but the song quickly explodes yet is definitely guided by the band's confidence and vision. The closer "Maybe that's why" comes across almost like a jam that just happened to end up on the album, but I agree with Andy's point about this band being early epic metal and this track is certainly and early example of that. The album has great solos, heavy beats and I love the vocals plus it's even a little quirky at times which works well here. This is a fine album that holds up very nicely three decades after it's release. At the time when the NWOBHM was exploding on the other side of the Atlantic it's good to know that we had a band on this side of the ocean that was churning out strong metal too.

Forgotten Gems: Hellraiser-Cut Yer Teeth On This

Hell Hound Productions
1995

Forgotten albums are one thing and then there are those albums that most people know nothing about. Such albums were usually private releases with at best regional exposure. Most likely these albums were one and done affairs by bands who scrapped together all of their resources just to lay something to tape. "Cut Yer Teeth On This" is an album even die hard heavy metal collectors have never heard of. Released in 1995 (a fateful year for me) this would prove to be the sole release for River Bend area Hellraiser. This Hellraiser should not be confused with the other Hellraiser bands featured in the Encyclopaedia Metallum. Given that they are not even listed at the otherwise pretty reliable Metal Archives says something about how underground the act was. This River Bend Hellraiser featured Jeff Street on lead vocals, Tom Ackman on lead guitar, Robert Thornton on rhythm Guitar, Brett Hall on bass guitar, and Rich Wilkinson on drums. I have Bett Hall to thank for my copy of the album otherwise the only way I would have heard this gem would be to hang out on Youtube. It really was only by accident that I stumbled across this Hellraiser. Youtube is like that where you follow one or two wrong turns and suddenly your hit by something totally unexpected! In this case it was the heavy metal thunder of "Cut Yer Teeth On This". Listening to the album a few times through I'm struck by how much these guys were a product of the mid- 90's metal scene. Well, maybe it would be better to say they had more in common with the various genre jumping bands of the 80s like Mox Nix. Genre jumping might sound like a crummy deal however let us get something straight. These five fellas were not jumping on the latest trend. Not in the least bit. Instead they dug into their influences and rode them straight to heavy metal heaven. Throwing in everything from Twisted Sister to Dio to Bay Area thrash (especially Metallica/Megadeth) here was a band that like Spartanburg's act Mainiax explored everything that made heavy metal great. The opening number "Will To Be" sounds like Megadeth taking Twisted Sister to a hole in the wall bar and getting stone cold drunk. The title cut sounds like a wicked mix of Ratt like sleaze and Motorhead style hard edge rock. "Confusion" has a mild case of 90's funk while "Passion To Rage" takes Judas Priest, Motley Crue and Dangerous Toys and beats them over the head with Heathen's thrash riffs! The whole album is like that where you hear all these different bands like Alice Cooper, Kiss, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath getting a cold beer raised in their direction along with super thick and crunchy riffs. Like Mox Nix this was a band that didn't care if people thought hard rock and thrash metal couldn't or shouldn't hang out together for a night of wild drinking and crazy antics. They were going to do it anyway and have fun along the way. While the band disbanded in 1996 like all good heavy metal acts they didn't stay dead. In the Fall of 2011 there was talks about a reunion so who knows what the future holds for Hellraiser.

Forgotten Gems: X-Sinner-Get It

Pakaderm/A&M
1989

It was sometime between 1989 and 1990 when, for more then a few months (maybe even a year?), I had a change in my conscious and I started listening to nothing but Christian rock and heavy metal. Come to think of it we might be talking about being closer in time to 1991, but so much of my middle to late teenager years have become a blur. It's a lesson for another place and another time kids, but let's just say that treating your body like a guinea pig it's the right way of living. Anyway, it was sometime back in high school when I started getting into the whole "White Metal" scene. As I had loved AC/DC prior to this point I was thrilled to hear that there was this Christian hard rock band that had AC/DC's sound down pat. That group was X-Sinner who, having been been formed in Michigan in 1988 by guitarist Greg Bishop, released this John and Dino Elefante-produced album in 1989. While it's true that the band's sound also borrowed from the likes of Cinderella, Def Leppard ("Livin' On The Edge"), Krokus, Whitesnake and Kix it was AC/DC's trade-mark sound that rang true the first time I put my cassette copy of "Get It" into my Walkman! A big part of that had to do with lead vocalist David Robbins. If you had closed your eyes back then (and didn't know any better) then you would have been forgiven for confusing David Robbins for Brian Johnson. As it wasn't a subtle comparison by any stretch of the imagination it would only have any taken a few turns here or there to turn X-Sinner, who had moved from Michigan to L.A. by the time they signed their first contract, into a secular AC/DC tribute band! Which brings me to my next point. As I, as well as countless other fans of AC/DC, had turned to the group as a Christian alternative to the "Highway To Hell" bunch, I found it funny (Or is it funny sad?) that later on the group (reportedly) tried to wash their hands of the whole Christian and "White Metal" tags. You might say "But, isn't their name "X-Sinner" as in a former sinner?". Well, and again this is something I can't get 100% verification of, it was later on when their drummer Mike Buckner reportedly claimed that they had originally gone for the name Sinner, but then compromised and settled in on X-Sinner. Whatever the case "Get It" was considered a Christian release and it was a well talked about and well-received Christian release. Lyrically it's also very easy to catch what these guys are pitching (even if the pitching often came with some cheesy lines). The 4-piece act, which was rounded out by the effective rhythm section of bassist Ron Kniep and drummer Mike Buckner, would end up getting nominated for a Dove award (kind of like the Christian version of the Grammy awards) and (according to Wikipedia) had three number one singles for this album and five top ten singles. I'm assuming that was on Christian rock radio back in the day, but regardless they were well-embraced by the Christian community. So, when is a Christian band not really a Christian band? That is the question with X-Sinner, but it doesn't matter much when we're talking about this album and it's really cool rock sound. With David Raven (drums) and former Kansas member/producer John Elefante (keyboards) helping out as guest musicians their debut album, "Get It", featured 10-tracks with none of the tracks being anything less then good. Just like some of the bands that these guys drew from early on (especially AC/DC and Krokus) X-Sinner wrote catchy, foot-stomping, "throw those hands in the air folks", rough and ready rock and roll. The guitars leads from Greg Bishop smoked and the band sizzled their way through cuts like "Medicine", "Steppin' On Toes", "Hearts On Fire" and "Livin' on the Edge". In a nutshell the album is a fun listen and it comes across as everyman hard rock/heavy metal. On "Get It" X-Sinner was showing off their love of gritty rock and roll and made no bones about it. These cuts come from a band that played music with some boogie and some drop-dead beats to it. That band changed on album number two though as vocalist Rex Scott (ex-Zion) came into the picture. With a change of vocalists came a change in the sound and even though the new album (1991's "Peace Treaty") was good it just didn't have the same fun and laid back feeling of "Get It". Or at least for me as I do know that there are tons of people who love album number two more then this 10-track debut. While I bought the new album on tape I know I didn't listen to it more then once or twice. It wasn't "Get It", but let's face it there will never likely be another album like "Get It". It was a time and place thing when I, like so many other kids, needed something more positive to focus on. We also needed something that wasn't afraid to show off it's metal muscles and barroom rock mentality. That was the real reason "Get It" appealed so much because it wasn't all glossy and squeaky clean. It sounded like a real rock record from a real rock band. The production, which was unpolished, actually benefited the group as it helped set the tone for X-Sinner's gritty street rock. It stills does. As I'm typing this up I've been llistening to "Get It" and it still sounds good thanks in no small part to John and Dino Elefante's low key "Let's step back and let the band do it's thing" production job. In closing "Get It" is a timeless rock record for me. Even if  I'm back to listening to AC/DC these days, I still think "Get It" is a cool record with lots of crazy hooks and lyrics that stick in your head long after you've played it. It's those gritty Brian Johnson-like vocals that make the album seem like a AC/DC clone and yet it's those same rough vocals that make me want to listen to this album over and over again. So yeah, for a album that I once wore out on tape as a teenager I still listen to it as an adult. Only now it's a digital album that has replaced my old cassette tape! 

Forgotten Gems: Lucy Brown-Lucy Brown

Released in 1991 on Megaforce/Atlantic Records, with producer Joe Blaney (Soul Asylum, Jack Bruce, Children, Bernie Worrell, Donna the Buffalo, The Beautiful, etc.) twisting the old knobs (or whatever you choose to call it kiddos!), "Lucy Brown" was the first major label release from the D.C. interracial "funk/metal" band of the same name. Originally formed in 1987, with lead vocalist/bassist Scott Llewellyn, guitarist Luis Peraza Jr. and drummer Chris Neuberg (reportedly) all serving as the founding members, Lucy Brown first hit the scene in 1988 with an entirely different self-titled affair. From what I've been able to gather (or per Wikipedia if you will!) that release was issued thanks to the Washington, DC-area label T.O.G. Records. Whether the bands first LP was/is as straight-up dope as this one happens to be is anyone's guess (or at least my guess as this is the only Lucy Brown album that I've had the pleasure of adding to my personal collection!), but for my money this little beauty (released during the heyday of the whole funk rock/funk metal explosion when bands like 24/7 Spyz, Living Colour, Red Hot Chili Peppers and (of course) Faith No More where busy ruling the top of the charts!) is TOTALLY where it's at! Unlike those mentioned acts Lucy Brown was more rock then metal. As the site AllMusic puts it (and they really hit the nail on the top of the head with this one!) Lucy Brown drew from "everyone from Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to Sly Stone and Funkadelic" with equal access given to punk, classic rock, pop, soul and (naturally) funk! With this 1991 album the band added on a baritone lead singer in Gene Hawkins (R.I.P.) and with Llewellyn being able to full concentrate on (slap-heavy, drop-dead groovy!) bass riffs the band cut their path through and album that is more slick and damn stylistic then anything from the camps of 24/7 Spyz, Living Colour or Faith No More! While bassist Scott Llewellyn would leave the band in 1992 (he was replaced by Jon Papazoglou) Lucy Brown would muster one more (supposedly excellent!) recording in the form of a 1993 EP ("Five Dogs Dead") the group's long-term plans were derailed by the passing of Gene Hawkins in 1994 (his life was sadly cut w-a-y too short as a result of a heroin overdose). This 11-track LP stands as a monumental piece of funk-heavy rock and roll and as a lasting legacy to a band that (unfortunate as it may just be) few have ever heard of. Easily picked up on Amazon or Ebay from less then $10 (a total steal if you ask me!) "Lucy Brown" is a rock-steady, soulful, funk-filled and downright emotional ride which, for those looking to add something more dynamic to their life (only without necessarily indulging in thrashing guitars), seems like a surefire winner!

Predator: The Concert

DVD
TwistedAnger
Dir. Joan McCall (1987)

Now as you should know by know Mark and I share a love of all things heavy metal. That much is a given considering the name (Heavy Metal Time Machine) and our run of the mill reviews. What isn't as well known though is the fact that we share a love of sci-fi and horror films especially ones that are a bit more off the beaten path as it were. So with that while searching for a rare horror movie a month or so back I came across this site called TwistedAnger.com. Dedicated to the art of releasing rare films the site caters to open minded movie collectors especially those looking for Horror Films, Exploitation movies, Shocking Videos and Bizarre imports. This of course includes your Cult Films, Grindhouse Films from the 70's, Obscure Rare Horror, Revenge Movies, Euro-Trash, Psychotronic, Drive-In Movies, Midnight Movies, Made for TV Horror and Forgotten Gems (hey, that sounds familiar!). Now mind you these are not movies you could normally pick up in Walmart or order through Amazon. No, these are titles that have slipped through the cracks and don't currently have an official commercial release here in North America. According to their website 90% of the titles offered are made available from imported sources of varying formats. TwistedAnger only caters those movies that are unavailable in North America in Digital and BU/DVD Formats. What I like most is that you won't find any Hollywood Blockbuster titles or movies currently in theaters. This site collects the truly odd. You know those films you've always heard about and wanted to see, but for whatever reason companies just won't put out an official DVD release. Now one such film I found on TwistedAnger is Grizzly II. The original Grizzly was a horror film released in 1976 to capitalize on the sudden box office success of Jaws. The first of many films to rip-off Jaws in plot it actually did quite well at the box office. A sequel should have been only a matter of time considering movie studios are driven by greed. For one reason or another though it would take until 1983 before work began on Grizzly II. While the film is often considered to be a bit of an urban legend in horror movie history (seeing as reviews popped up for Grizzly II in the late 70s) it should be noted that the film was never actually released. Instead in 1977 another independent horror film titled Claws (also about a killer grizzly bear although this one took place in Alaska) was made. In 1978 that movie was released in Canada and Mexico as Grizzly 2, in a blatant attempt to capitalize on the success of Grizzly. Similar in nature to what happened when Dawn Of the Dead was released in Europe as Zombi and then Zombi 2 came out even though it had nothing to do with Romero's original masterpiece. Let us get back to the matter at hand though and look at what could have been with Grizzly II. With that Grizzly II: The Predator (also known as Predator: The Concert) is a workprint and as such the film is a tad odd and uneven. With the basic premise being a killer grizzly bear on the lose what makes this one interesting is the final showdown which takes place at a rock concert. The set-up works well enough although honestly it seems as if this one is also a thinly veiled re-working of Jaws. With Park Ranger Hollister (Steve Inwood) at odds with the Park supervisor (Louise Fletcher) over the large rock concert set to take place one can't help but think of the plot of Jaws. While Hollister worries about the local bears there is money to be made so of course that trumps everything including public safety. Well, not really but it is obvious that everything is riding on the success of this event. Of course with all these meals (I mean people) walking around in the woods sooner or later someone is going to get attacked. When the bear does finally kill three people a bounty is quickly set on his head. Sound familiar? It all is of course and part of me was groaning with how obvious it was. Still though underneath it all the film has charm. While principal photography was completed for the most part the film does lack a lot of the special effects involving the actual bear. The grizzly attacks were too be added in at a later time so during those moments all you get is blank shots and cut away movements. Thankfully the ending was filmed and is one of those moments that must be seen to be appreciated. Having it take place during a rock show is a fun twist. Speaking of rock the version I have features a soundtrack jam packed with Michael Jackson. In fact most of the "artists" who are there to take part in this rock concert could hardly be called rock. Typical of the time (1983) these bands are fluff pop and new wave although the flamboyant glam rocker at the end was certainly interesting! Shot in Hungary (of all places) the film is also sought out by movie collectors thanks in no small part to its interesting cast. Actors like George Clooney and Charlie Sheen appear in early roles. If that isn't enough excitement for you also present are Louise Fletcher, Laura Dern, Deborah Raffin, John Rhys-Davies, Dick Anthony Williams, Charles Cyphers, Marc Alaimo and Jack Starrett. With that cast how could they have gone wrong? Sure the film has plenty of filler. The concert scenes for one thing go on entirety too long. These tiresome shots surely would have been trimmed after test audiences weighed in. Otherwise Grizzly II offers up the sort of Piranha/Piranha 2 kind of cinema cheese that I adore. Love bad movies? Not bad movies mind you. "Bad" movies. This is the sort of film where enjoyment could be had if only you could suspend your disbelief for awhile. Predator: The Concert is an unfinished product make no mistake about it. Even with that said though I must admit that I enjoyed it and can't help but wish it would have wrapped up shooting. It isn't a masterpiece. More like a anti-masterpiece for those of us who like our films a bit more "interesting". While Predator: The Concert isn't one of them I do feel compelled to mention that the fine folks over as TwistedAnger do offer special packaging on some of their films. Yes, all of the DVDs they release feature nice printed labels on the actual disc. Nothing is ever hand written. These are nice items let me tell you. That said with their special DVDs you get great color packages. You can tell that TwistedAnger takes pride in their product. While Predator: The Concert's picture is fair (obviously the best source material available) the quality varies with each release. They gather only the best source material out there for each and every film. The website is easy to navigate and the sheer amount of rare films they have amazes me. Next up for me from TwistedAnger is Endgame a post-apocalyptic film that I've been dying to see for years. Find out more for yourself at their website below.

http://www.twistedanger.com/

Forgotten Gems:Nightshade-Dead of Night

Music for Nations
1991




Forget grunge for a second and take a moment to ponder just how great the heavy metal scene was in Seattle, Washington back in the day. I'm not saying it isn't still pretty intense. Wikipedia lists recent acts like Blood & Thunder, Sword of Judgement, Midnight Idols, Fallen Angels, Deathbeat, H.M.P, Big Business, Drown Mary, Vigilance, Skelator, Ceremonial Castings, Inquisition, Torture Box, Dead Soul Funeral, Inquinok, Pure Hatred, Riot & Rhythm, Tasty Lixxx, Deathmocracy, Wolves in the Throne Room, Future Disorder and Edge of Oblivion. I've just recently reviewed Skelator so the scene is obviously still striving. But, compared to what came out of Seattle before that list pales in comparison. Not only did you have tier one bands like Metal Church, Queensrÿche, The Accused (more of a crossover band really but still relevant), Forced Entry, Sanctuary/Nevermore, Heir Apparent and Fifth Angel but you also had cult bands like Watchmen, TKO, Q5, Reverend, Serpent's Knight, Taist Of Iron, Bitter End, Terrorist, Byrd, Waxwing, Rottweiller, Mistrust, Faustus, Braindead, Culprit, Coven, Death Squad, Re-Active, Cyperus, N.M.E. and Hammerhead. Heck, even the Christian metal band Bloodgood came out of this rain soaked city. Maybe it is all the rain and the fact that the area is so grey that has caused so many to turn to hard and heavy music as a means of escape. Who knows? Seattle is just one of those gold mine places when it comes to heavy metal. That brings us to Nightshade a band that has ties to several other Seattle metal bands. In fact you could consider Nightshade to be a continuation of Q5. Towards the end of Q5's days vocalist Jonathan Scott K, guitarist Rick Pierce and bassist Evan Sheeley decided it was time for a change. Along with the name change came a change in style as Nightshade is more power metal bordering on thrash. Q5 always played beautiful melody filled heavy metal. Note that Nightshade still has some melody although this is more power metal not unlike a heavier Lizzy Borden. Yes, I frequently dog on Amazon customer reviews so I know this next bit will shock. When I first looked into this band one of the reviewers on Amazon actually gave what would be an almost spot on description of this band when he stated that it was like "Lizzy Borden meets Testament". That really is a close call as Nightshade plays a nice and crunchy version of power metal with just enough of an edge and eye towards garage metal to give it this underground feeling. Sure this album might be fairly typical of 1991 and the American power metal scene in general although I'd wager a buck that Nightshade has more than a little amount of renegade appeal to them. This is certainly one of those albums that power metal fans will love and I can't rave enough about just how "metal" this album sounds.

Forgotten Gems: Rubber Whips-Die Suckers

Self-Release/Independent

For those of you who might be new to Heavy Metal Time Machine, Forgotten Gems is normally a place where we cover heavy metal albums that slipped by us unnoticed and/or recordings that we think deserve more praise than they originally got. Today's band easily falls into both of those categories. Falling somewhere in-between raw heavy metal and late eighties/early nineties crossover, "Die suckers" is a wicked five-track demo from Rubber Whips that I won on Ebay. Packed with muscle and a fair share of metal madness, "Die Suckers" absolutely slays everything in it's sight! Not for a minute do I regret shelling out my hard-earned cash for this tape. The only thing that bothers me is the mysterious nature of this group. Other than the fact that it came in a larger collection of tapes that he picked up from Europe, the seller had no information at all about the demo. Looking online has been no help. The only thing that you will find is a picture/mention of the cassette tape on Ebay. Seeing as that listing is the one that landed in my lap, Rubber Whips remains one big mystery! I don't know the band's line-up, where they were from, or even the year when this came out! Talk about frustrating!! Seeing as I have hit a dead end, dear readers/fellow metalheads I need your help. I am looking for any information that I can find about this band and/or this cassette tape. Thank you all in advance...

Current playlist

Andy- Listening to:
Ghost-Opus Eponymous (Simply a wonderful, old-school, traditional metal/doom metal album from this new mystery outfit)
Kat-Metal And Hell (If a kid were to ask me "what is heavy metal?" I would hand him this album. Hope to cover it soon for a Forgotten Gem segment)
Witch Cross-Fit for Fight (Another classic that is sadly unknown to far too many of today's metal fans)
Shiva-Firedance (NWOBHM band that was more about bands like Rush, Deep Purple and B.O.C. then Iron Maiden, Angel Witch or Samson)
The Hates-Greatest Hates (Killer Houston punk act)
N.J.B.-Various Demos (N.J.B.is short for Night Jamming Band. Great melodic hard rock band from across the pound)
Sloppy Seconds-Destroyed (What can I say I just like punk!)
Demon-I Still Believe Single (Not as good as the classic stuff, but still a nice little rock song) Fleetwood Mac-Mirage (Not considered a classic, but there are a lot of cuts on this album that I simply enjoy)
Diana Ross & amp; The Supremes-Number 1's (No explanation needed as it's Diana Ross & The Supremes!)

Watching:
Juan of the Dead (Not as good as I hope, but my second time watching it made me appreciate it a hair more)
Curse Of The Werewolf (Gem of a werewolf film!)
Return Of The Living Dead (Never cared for the whole part about how you can't really "kill" them, but it is still a fun film!)
Twins Of Evil (I bought the new Blu Ray/DVD combo and the picture quality is unreal!)

Reading:
Various short stories with my daughter to help with her reading.

Metal Mark-

Dio-The beast of volume 2-Review coming soon.
Legion-Legion of deth-Forgotten Gems just posted. Forget the lame outfits and the generic band name because these guys were good.
Doro-Raise your fist in the air-About what you would expect, review coming in the next few days. Witch Cross-Fit for fight-I'm with Andy. This is an awesome classic.
MFD-Music for the deaf-Virgiia/DC based punk band. I saw these guys when they were around back in the late 80's.
Avengers-Penelope E.P-Production stinks, but it's the Avengers so of course it's a must hear.
Blondie-Eat to the beat-If you grew up during a certain time then you have to like Blondie.
Liege Lord- 1985 demo-A huge fan of these guys, but I prefer the earlier material.
DRI/Raw Power-The dirty rotten power EP-I remember when this came out and I passed on it. Finally got around to hearing it.
Oblivion-Rebirth demo-Very raw demo from the late 80's. Kind of cool though.

Watching-
Remington Steele season one Prisoners of the lost universe-Yes I watched it for B-movie icon John Saxon and Battlestar's Richard Hatch. It's kind of like a more comedic and far less exciting version of Beastmaster.
Star Odyssey-In space no one can hear you snore. Boy was this ever a dull movie.
Ghostbusters- My kids and I are all big fans.

Reading- Red Shirts-Sci-fi comdey novel about red shirt security people who finally get wise to their situation.
Various books with the kids

***What are you checking out?

Forgotten Gems: Criminal-Dead Soul

Inferno Records/Metal Blade Records
1997


Criminal are a South American band that are relatively unknown here in the United States, but have a sizeable following in their homeland. No doubt it is thanks to their potent brand of death metal/thrash with a hardcore bent. This was actually the band's sophomore release and the first album I heard from the band. Originally it was released on Inferno Records, but seeing as it sold some 10,000 copies in Chile alone it wasn't long before someone took notice. Metal Blade records came along to publish the album in America and Europe. Right from the start the band drew comparisons to Incubus (the Brazilian death metal band) and older Sepultura ("Beneath The Remains" & "Arise" era). The Sepultura influence can be heard especially in the vocal deliverance of Criminal guitarist/vocalist Anton Reisenegger. He bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain Max Cavalera. Style-wise there is also some Slayer to their sound especially in the lead work. Add that to some Pantera, Machine Head and Pissing Razors influences and what you get is certainly more than just run-of-the-mill death/thrash. This one is every bit as heavy on the thrash side of things as it is brutal with the death metal bits and the hardcore influx. While this isn't hardcore like Black Flag hardcore (rather it is hardcore like Pantera/Machine Head and Pissing Razors hardcore) it is everybit as heavy as early hardcore like the Cro-Mags and C.O.C. What the band might lack in originality (some of the songs do feel a bit similar in nature the more the album unwinds) they make up for in shear intensity and brutality. There is more going on here then simple Brazilian death/thrash. There's just something in the band's mix-up of hardcore, death and thrash that almost reminds me of the band Cave In (in their early days) is they were to pay homage to older Slayer. This is one band that needs more of an audience up North. Those who answer the call to Criminal will not be disapointed. This is underground metal that needs to be heard to truly be appreciated.

Forgotten Gems-Slander-Careless talk costs lives

Slander were from the UK, they had a definite NWOBHM sound even down to the production and even the cover looked like it was done in the early 1980's. The only thing is the album was done a decade after the prime of NWOBHM. This band formed in 1990 and knocked out several demos in 1990 and 1991. They chose the best ones and released it as a limited edition, self-released album in 1991. The band broke up two years later. I imagine these guys were fans of the early 1980's style and even though that scene had been dead for half a decade before they formed, they still chose that as the focus of their music. They don't sound like a tribute band or like some of the second rate copy bands that are going today, but instead they sound like the genuine article. Influences include Tygers of Pan Tang, Dianno-era Maiden, Demon and others. Still Slander have their own ideas and every song here is worthwhile. The guitars are solid, the vocals are strong and all the playing is very tight. My favorite tracks are "On the run", "Colour of your money", "Lonely nights" and "In your world". Really you can't go wrong with any song here. I don't know what the reaction to this album was twenty years ago, but now this sound is back in vogue and this album received a two disc set release earlier this year. So at least Slander are finely getting some recognition for their fine work.