Heavy Metal Records 1984
When Quiet Storm was released it was clear that these guys were no longer the COCKNEY REJECTS I knew and loved... the cover alone made that painfully obvious. I mistakenly assumed that they'd become a full on Metal band (airborne BC Rich lightning rod anyone!?!), but no, that'd be too easy. This record is much more confusing than that, and really nothing could have prepared me for what was in store. While the bands previous record, 1982's The Wild Ones, was a straight ahead riff rocker reminiscent of AC/DC, Quiet Storm sees the band stepping even further away from their Punk Rock roots. The Rock songs are simplistic, bluesy, and somewhat stiff 60s or 70s throwbacks. The remainder of the tracks range between ROLLING STONES-ish faux country ("Fourth Summer"), ELTON JOHN cum SUPERTRAMP ballads ("I Can't Forget"), funky, unintentionally jokey, BB KING influenced white-boy Blues ("Jog On"), and piano and keyboard laden ballads ("Quiet Storm"). It's bizarre to be sure... and I quite like it. I tend to find these sort of "off" records very intriguing. You know, when a band tries to disengage itself from the past and break new ground (Into The Unknown, Grave New World) or reinvigorate itself to reclaim former glories (Born Again perhaps). Extreme changes are frowned upon by most fans who are content with hearing the same record over and over again by their favourite bands, that makes a record like Quiet Storm a ballsy proposition... and I appreciate that.
DOWNLOAD: TheRejects-QuietStorm.rar (68.33 MB)
THE REJECTS • Quiet Storm LP
KNIGHTMARE • Mindless Mayhem LP
Beaner City Records 1987
Part BAD NEWS, part DEAD SERIOS, and wholly impossible to take seriously, KNIGHTMARE got it right by calling this one Mindless Mayhem. It's exactly that... really dumb Punk with mild metallic touches thrown in to alleviate the encroaching boredom. Actually, to be fair, this record starts off entertainingly enough, but the joke gets old quickly, and by the time the second side rolls around it's become quite annoying. The songs are kinda catchy, and the "Sonic Reducer" cover is a strong indicator of where these guys were really coming from in spite of their Metal posturing. Imagine a way sloppier DEAD BOYS attempting (and failing) to play Metal and yer in the ballpark.
DOWNLOAD: Knightmare-MindlessMayhem.rar (60.36 MB)
OSTROGOTH • Full Moon's Eyes EP
Mausoleum Records 1983
An absolute stone-cold classic of Euro Metal brilliance! Not a weak track amongst the four that make up this, OSTROGOTH's debut EP. Brimming with energy and a slightly eerie mood, dual guitars fight for the harmonized spotlight while vocalist Red Star handily steals the show. Much like Canada's LORD RYUR, this record shares an indefinable cinematic spookiness that I simply can't get enough of. Why did it take me so long to rip this one? Fantastic question! But it's here now, so call the doctor, cuz you're about to catch "Rock Fever"!
DOWNLOAD: Ostrogoth-FullMoonsEyes.rar (31.65 MB)
