PolyGram Records 1985
Alright, I think this one is a bit of a rarity... certainly I'd never seen or even heard of it when I stumbled across it at Hamilton's crustiest record shop Hammer City. I had an inkling that it was gonna be bad based the discogs note that simply states "infamous release", and that just made me wanna hear it more! For my money GIRLSCHOOL's first 2 records and early singles are the only things that are truly great - after Hit & Run they seemed to consistently miss the mark. Running Wild is their fifth record and first without Kelly Johnson on guitar, and also their first (and only?) as a 5-piece. Oddly enough Running Wild never saw a UK release... perhaps they knew their old-school fans wouldn't appreciate the poppier sound and glossy production on offer here. This is pretty mediocre stuff to be sure, but each side has a couple of decent tracks: "Something For Nothing" and "Are You Ready?" on the first and "Love Is A Lie" and "Can't You See" on the second. This one is worth a shot - it's honestly not as bad as rumoured to be.
DOWNLOAD: GS-RW85.rar (86.46 MB)
GIRLSCHOOL • Running Wild LP
DARXON • Tokyo EP
Wishbone Records 1985
In the mood for straight ahead, no frills Metal? Look no further my friend, cuz Germany's DARXON have got it in spades. Good songs. good production, standard mid-80s Metal/Rock that reminds me of a less Speed Metal GRAVESTONE (might just be that guitar sound though). Don't have much to say about these guys cuz I don't know much about 'em... I do however know I like 'em.
DOWNLOAD: Darxon-Tokyo.rar (31.93 MB)
ADAM BOMB • Fatal Attraction LP
Geffen Records 1985
I bought this cuz Adam Brenner was a major part of what made TKO's In Your Face such a phenomenal record, and so it stands to reason that the songs on Fatal Attraction that sound most like TKO are my favourites. "I Want My Heavy Metal", "Take Me In", and "Russian Roulette" all fall comfortably into this category, but that's not to say there aren't other good tracks on this slab... the title track is an upbeat rocker and album closer "Prime Evil" is uncharacteristically dark and moody. Oddly, Brenner's guitar playing is less flashy and over-the-top than his work with TKO. I figure most egomaniacal guitar players would be chomping at the bit to wank all over their first solo record, but this sounds much more like a real band than Brenner's solo outing. Pretty cool on the whole, and not over produced at all, which is surprising given that it's on Geffen and released at the height of slick west coast over indulgence.
DOWNLOAD: AdamBomb-FatalAttraction.rar (70.92 MB)
EXCITER • Feel The Knife EP
Music For Nations 1985
Three quick classics from the mighty EXCITER! "Feel The Knife" sounds like a Violence And Force outtake and is nothing more than a simple and direct kick in the ass, the kind that only Beehler and Co. can deliver. Two classic amped up live tracks (recorded in the band's hometown of Ottawa ON) follow in the form of "Violence And Force" and "Pounding Metal". EXCITER were clearly a fine tuned machine as they blast through both tracks with aplomb and precision. Dan Beehler is a force to be reckoned with behind the kit, his playing is always intensely huge, memorable, and integral to the EXCITER sound. Pound this!
DOWNLOAD: Exciter-FeelTheKnife.rar (25.02 MB)
ROGUE MALE • First Visit LP
Music For Nations 1985
If I'm not mistaken, ROGUE MALE were to have us believe that they were some sort of post-apocalyptic future warriors... or wait, that might have been ATOMKRAFT, but I think ROGUE MALE were on the same tip. Only the band's "look" conveys any sort of futuristic vibe, as the tracks on First Visit have a decidedly (cock) Rock feel. They are much heavier than yer typical commercial Metal band, falling somewhere between MOTORHEAD and TKO, but futuristic they ain't. I was mightily impressed by this record, because my recollection was that it was a turd, when in fact it's a pretty good time. Any record with a track called "Crazy Motorcycle" can't be taken too seriously, and I don't think that was ROGUE MALE's intent... simply download and enjoy.
DOWNLOAD: RogueMale-FirstVisit.rar (71.47 MB)
MARTYR • For The Universe LP
Megaton Records 1985
I've said it before, and I'm sayin' it again, the Dutch new some shit about Metal back in the day, and you need look no further than MARTYR for the proof. Like countrymen EXISES, MARTYR deliver complex Metal with lots of disjointed time and tempo changes yet they retain a driving aggressive feel throughout. MAIDEN definitely comes to mind with all the gallopy triplet riffs and prominent bass playing, as do Euro Metal obscurios OSTROGOTH and SORTILEGE. This is a very good, and altogether too brief, record.
DOWNLOAD: Martyr-ForTheUniverse.rar (53.1 MB)
FROM THE MEGAVAULT LP
Megaforce Records 1985
In 1985, when From The Megavault came out, I foolishly had zero interest in the collection of rarities culled from the Megaforce archives, but today, as I'm sure it did then, it stands up as an absolutely top notch comp. The exclusive tracks from OVERKILL, EXCITER, RAVEN, S.O.D., and BLESSED DEATH all make this essential, with tracks from T.T. QUICK, ANTHRAX, and unknowns MEDIEVAL STEEL and IMPERIOUS REX only sweetening the deal. BLUE CHEER's take on the oft covered "Boney Maroney" is the odd-man-out here, with standouts being the Violence And Force-era outtake from EXCITER and the live RAVEN track. Download with confidence.
DOWNLOAD: FromTheMegavault.rar (64.5 MB)
THE RUNAWAYS • Young And Fast LP
Allegiance Records 1985
It was safe to assume that this record would suck, but nothing could have prepared me for how utterly and hilariously bad it really is. In spite of 23 musicians and 5 different vocalists being credited, Young And Fast features none of the original RUNAWAYS, and was clearly an attempt, by the ever unscrupulous Kim Fowley, to cash in on the name and further defile the RUNAWAYS' legacy. The words to explain just how terrible this record is simply don't exist. To say that the lyrics sink sub-moronism to new lows and that the music and melodies are childish, superficial, and painfully bland is only scratching the surface. The songs range from hamfisted SUZI QUATRO-ish Glam Rock (sorry Suzi), to synthesized 60s girl group pap, to pseudo-urban electro pop and fuck knows what else. There is no question that this is THE worst record I've posted and possibly the worst record I've ever heard, and I strongly advise that you do not download it unless you've got an insatiably morbid curiosity or are in search of a good laugh.
DOWNLOAD: TheRunaways-YoungAndFast.rar (59.64 MB)
VYPER • Afraid Of The Dark EP
Greenworld Records 1985
Shockingly, I didn't hate this record! One look at the shoddy cover and sketchy band members and I was convinced that a torrential shitstorm was about to ensue. Granted, I went into this with extremely low expectations, and VYPER woulda had to suck some serious balls in order to meet 'em. It's like when you went to see Twilight and came out fully entrenched in Team Edward... not that that's happened to me... but, uhhh you know what I mean. Anyways, Afraid Of The Dark serves up 4 moderately heavy slabs of commercial Metal with "Time Flies" being the heaviest, most OTT and fulla manic guitar histrionics. The lyrics are suitably abysmal and just the title of "Daddy's Girl" should be enough to give you an idea of where these dipshits were at. But again, on the whole, not as bad as you might assume.
DOWNLOAD: Vyper-AfraidOfTheDark.rar (27.26 MB)
STATORS • ...Never Too Late LP
Axe Killer Records 1985
One night at work, being beyond bored, I decided that come hell or high water I was going to solve one of Metal photo mysteries posted over at the always entertaining Test Your Metal blog. I literally spent hours researching and cross-referencing bands, photos, labels, discographies, and finally my hard work paid off... in spades! No, not really, but I did discover that the band in the cornball photo was France's own STATORS. And so it is that I felt overly acquainted with a band I'd never heard when I happened upon this record a couple of days ago. I can happily report that their wacky band photos are no indicator of the cool NWOBHM styled tracks STATORS have laid down here. I really dig the French vocal inflections (reminds me of the mighty SORTILEGE), and the well written songs are chock fulla interesting riffs and great lead breaks. I certainly did not expect to enjoy this record as much as I do. Good stuff, definitely worth a shot.
DOWNLOAD: Stators-NeverTooLate.rar (62.88 MB)
COBRA • Warriors Of The Dead LP
Criminal Response Records 1985
Technically this might not be an Ebony release, but surely Criminal Response Records was some sorta subsidiary or off-shoot, cuz this reeks of Ebony, and more specifically: it sounds like Ebony (i.e. like complete shit). However, much like they did on their Ebony debut, COBRA try their damnedest to overcome the crippling effects of a third rate production job by whipping out a serious collection of hefty, aggressive, NWOBHM killers. Manic off-the-cuff solos and loads of cool riffs are what make Warriors Of The Dead, and though lacking, the production is much better than Back From The Dead.
DOWNLOAD: Cobra-WarriorsOfTheDead.rar (54.58 MB)
HARDWARE • In Cold Blood EP
Steamhammer Records 1985
Fuck yeah! This is what I hope every record I buy is gonna sound like: bad-ass Speed Metal that's aggressive yet still somewhat melodic with memorable riffs that aren't sacrificed for the sake of speed. The vocals are raspy and at times approach LIVING DEATH abrasiveness, but never become quite that annoying, and like most German Speed Metal there's no mistaking the ACCEPT influence. Total bummer that I'm just hearing HARDWARE now, but it's better late than never. Top notch German Speed... you can't go wrong.
DOWNLOAD: Hardware-InColdBlood.rar (36.38 MB)
PREDATOR • Easy Prey LP
Metal Blade Records 1985
Universally accepted as one of the worst album covers of all-time, the cover shot makes it next to impossible to take this record seriously. However... musically PREDATOR is in keeping with Metal Blade's collection of half-assed Metal bands that were only able to eke out a single release (THRUST, WITCHKILLER, 3RD STAGE ALERT, DEMON FLIGHT, BLOODLUST, etc.). That is not to say that Easy Prey is a bad record, in fact it's more than decent, and PREDATOR "mastermind" Jeff Prentice is a fantastic guitar player whose virtuosity keeps things interesting. Kinda like Chicago's THRUST, without the high-pitched vocals and hate-on for posers. More enjoyable than expected, and as far as I'm concerned, the album cover's stupidity is more endearing than off-putting, so it's win/win.
DOWNLOAD: Predator-EasyPrey.rar (81.08 MB)
PS: Sleazegrinder tracked down Jeff Prentice and conducted a great interview re: the album cover, and ramshackle nature of the band, album, and everything PREDATOR
AXTION • Look Out For The Night LP
IRD Records 1985
Within the realms of Metal, this is as diametrically opposed to BLESSED DEATH as you could possibly get, so if yer lookin' to have yer nuts crushed, this ain't the one to download... but if you're up for some middle of the road Hard Rock/commercial Metal you're in luck. Look Out For The Night starts off kinda limp wristed, but gradually develops into a pretty decent platter. Yeah it's tame and generally lightweight, but the boys get the lead out on a few tracks ("Fury Of The Tempest", "Your Number's Up", and the title track), and there's enough hard rockin' attitude and cool guitar bits to make it worthy of repeateded listens. Slightly reminiscent of SINFUL, it's sorta second rate, and a bit demo-ish in the production department, but that's never stopped me before... it ain't gonna stop me now.
DOWNLOAD: Axtion-LookOutForTheNight.rar (77.51 MB)
TOX • Prince Of Darkness LP
Samel Records 1985
Although the album title, cover art, and even band name, all exude a certain aura of heaviness, Prince Of Darkness is, not surprisingly, not the heaviest slab of molten balls-to-the-wall Metal ever made. A quick glance at the song titles made that abundantly clear, but it certainly didn't stop me from from giving TOX a chance... and I'm glad it didn't. What TOX lack in heaviness is made up for in classy Hard Rock hooks and memorable NWOBHM-style jaunts... think DEEP PURPLE or THIN LIZZY-ish 70s Rock melded with ANGEL WITCH and the mild Prog tendencies of NIGHTWING. The somewhat cheeseball, yet oddly spooky title track is a stonecold classic, and begs to be covered by THE DEVIL'S BLOOD. Welcome to the sorcery!
DOWNLOAD: Tox-PrinceOfDarkness.rar (70.11 MB)
THOR • Only The Strong LP
Viper Records 1985
In keeping with HEAVY LOAD's viking heritage, artwork, and whole "Heathens From The North" vibe, I've decided to post a record by someone who thought he was a viking. He's definitely from the north, but he got the hemisphere wrong, and I dunno how his buxom bedmate, Pantera, fits into the whole Norse pantheon, but whatever... that's just splitting hairs. He thought he was a viking god and who am I to say he's not - it's totally possible that Thor is Thor, and in the mid-80s he came down from Valhalla to rock we wee mortals. Surprisingly (to me at least) he did a bang up job. Only The Strong may be the most clichéd Metal record of all time, but it's a hard rockin' good time, and "Thunder On The Tundra" is as majestic a Metal anthem as you're ever likely to hear.
DOWNLOAD: Thor-OnlyTheStrong.rar (70.36 MB)
JADE • If You're Man Enough LP
Roadrunner Records 1985
This is a surprisingly decent record from a band that had the deck stacked against them: a) they're Canadian b) female vocalist (when combined with point a) generally results in dismal middle-of-the-road Rock a'la TORONTO, or HEADPINS, or even LEE AARON) and c) the production combines not only a drum machine, but one'a those abhorrent Rockman direct guitar pieces of shit that were so overused in the 80s. So with all that as a starting point, If You're Man Enough isn't as terrible as you might expect. OK, so it's not exceedingly heavy and it leans towards the Hard Rock end of the spectrum, but the songs are well written and catchy, there's some decent riffs here and there, and Sweet Marie Black's got a great voice. If the production wasn't so thoroughly second rate this'd be a damn good record.
DOWNLOAD: Jade-IfYoureManEnough.rar (72.36 MB)
CRACK JAW • Nightout LP
Steamhammer Records 1985
More awesome Germanic Metal for y'alls! Nightout is fulla anthemic tracks that combine heavy riffs with accessible vocal melodies, making CRACK JAW slightly more commercial than the majority of their mid-80s cohorts. The guitar playing is fantastic, so if the vocal poppiness starts to grate on your nerves, the tasteful and moderately technical playing of Holger Eckstein will be a welcome distraction. Album closer "Seven Days Of Wonder" features some excellent harmonized galloping riffs, and is an epic, classy way to wrap up the record. Solid band, good production... a quality release in every respect, even if it's not the heaviest of all time.
DOWNLOAD: CrackJaw-Nightout.rar (66.9 MB)
MAD BUTCHER • Metal Lightning Attack LP
Earthshaker Records 1985
Presumably named after DESTRUCTION's early ode to perverted purveyors of pulverized protein, Germany's MAD BUTCHER are Speed Metal simpletons who, in spite of their name, share little in common with Germany's finest. Instead, MAD BUTCHER are more akin to fellow NRW meatheads EXPECT NO MERCY in their no frills high-speed Heavy Metal attack that verges on Thrash, but falls just short of the requisite heaviness, aggression, and sheer sonic violence. Having said all that, Metal Lightning Attack is a likeable lighthearted romp through the well tread paths of second rate German Metal, and though I'm sure you've heard it a million times before, it's still fun as Hell.
DOWNLOAD: MadButcher-LightningMetalAttack.rar (71.53 MB)
DED ENGINE • Ded Engine LP
Pentagram Records 1985
Not feeling particularly verbose these days, so this is gonna be a short one. East Lansing, Michigan's finest (and perhaps only), DED ENGINE deliver 10 tracks of straight-up, no frills, aggressive, American Metal on this, their '85 debut. Excellent stuff, not awe inspiring or terribly original, just heavy, straight ahead Metal without any fluff or pomp. Download or "Take A Hike".
DOWNLOAD: DedEngine-DedEngine.rar (64.68 MB)
