Scars & Bars
An all American post for your aural titillation this evening, which sounds a little rude.
So do most of the bands in tonight's sonic buffet, so that's fine.
All but one of the releases featured in this post are from the years 1982 & 1983, this is coincidence.
All are fantastic, hence their inclusion!
Getting things underway, here's the "American Metal" album by Americade. This is flashy trashy hard rockin' from New York with a serious party hardy Van Halen obsession. With some budget, who knows how good this album could have sounded? As it stands, it sounds pretty damn good to me, and i'm sure it will to you too.
AMERICADE - American Metal (1982) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/23398493/AMERICADE_-_American_Metal__US_-_1982_.rar
For those who prefer their Metal a whole lot heavier, we're proud to present Seattle's Upper Echelon. This is their sole release, "Surface Tension", which had a stingy run of only 1000 copies. So then, not much scope for stumbling across an original copy in a 2nd hand store, so we save you the heartbreak of the fruitless search. If Manilla Road, Cloven Hoof or Cirith Ungol float your boat, reach for the Upper Echelon.
UPPER ECHELON - Surface Tension Mini LP (1983) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/24663089/Upper_Echelon_-_Surface_Tension__1984_-_USA_.rar
With a style that's somewhere between those first 2 bands, Californians Dietrich only left us this Mini LP & a track on "Metal Massacre 2" to remember them by. Memorable hooky riff laden hard rock with guitar heroics aplenty from main mover Brad Dietrich. What happened to this band? By '83 it was all over somehow. Listen & weep at the potential squandered.
DIETRICH - Red Alert Mini LP (1982) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/22925007/Dietrich_-_Red_Alert_Mini_LP__1982-USA_.rar
By 1982, TSOL had released an EP & a full length LP and had moved a considerable distance from the spiky political blur of their earliest material. Musically, they had begun to incorporate disparate influences into their sound whilst lyrically touching on more personal and reflective subject matter which they'd filter through a darkly romantic perspective. Whether you enjoyed any of the other TSOL material is neither here or there, "Weathered Statues" stands alone in their canon as one of the oddest and most individual releases of their career.
TSOL - Weathered Statues EP (1982) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/24677429/TSOL_-_Weathered_Statues_EP__1982_-_USA_.rar
In a perfect world i wouldn't have to tell you anything about the Pagans, because they'd be bigger than god & worshipped as the idiot-genius visionary madmen that they were. This is a less than perfect world however, as i'm sure one or two of you had noticed, make it a better place, fill your head with the gloriously life affirming ramshackle racket of the Pagans & their classic debut single "Street Where Nobody Lives". And yes, this has "What's This Shit Called Love?" on the flip, one of the greatest songs EVER!
Educate yourself fool!!
PAGANS - Street Where Nobody Lives (1978) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/23881162/PAGANS_-_Street_Where_Nobody_Lives_7____1978_-_USA_.rar
To finish, here's the gloriously screwed up ".44 Killer" 7" from New York's Black Virgin. BV were one of those rare bands who picked up a lot of admirers from outside their own genre but not too many in their chosen field. In much the same way that a band like St Vitus crossed over to the punk kids but were studiously ignored by the Metallers, so it was with Black Virgin. The hardcore & punk fans they played for loved their speedy Metallic assault, whilst the local Metal kids scratched their heads in stupification. This is pure gold, and those "barriers" matter even less now. Open your ears & your black hearts for Black Virgin. Oh, and Satan too obviously.
BLACK VIRGIN - .44 Killer (1983) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/24202581/Black_Virgin_-_44_Killer_7____1983_-_USA_.rar
I've just reread my text & i can only justify my errratic prose by adding that it's been a long weird week that i'll be glad to see the back of. Normal service will hopefully be resumed next week.
That's yer lot, have a great weekend folks.
So do most of the bands in tonight's sonic buffet, so that's fine.
All but one of the releases featured in this post are from the years 1982 & 1983, this is coincidence.
All are fantastic, hence their inclusion!
Getting things underway, here's the "American Metal" album by Americade. This is flashy trashy hard rockin' from New York with a serious party hardy Van Halen obsession. With some budget, who knows how good this album could have sounded? As it stands, it sounds pretty damn good to me, and i'm sure it will to you too.
AMERICADE - American Metal (1982) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/23398493/AMERICADE_-_American_Metal__US_-_1982_.rarFor those who prefer their Metal a whole lot heavier, we're proud to present Seattle's Upper Echelon. This is their sole release, "Surface Tension", which had a stingy run of only 1000 copies. So then, not much scope for stumbling across an original copy in a 2nd hand store, so we save you the heartbreak of the fruitless search. If Manilla Road, Cloven Hoof or Cirith Ungol float your boat, reach for the Upper Echelon.
UPPER ECHELON - Surface Tension Mini LP (1983) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/24663089/Upper_Echelon_-_Surface_Tension__1984_-_USA_.rarWith a style that's somewhere between those first 2 bands, Californians Dietrich only left us this Mini LP & a track on "Metal Massacre 2" to remember them by. Memorable hooky riff laden hard rock with guitar heroics aplenty from main mover Brad Dietrich. What happened to this band? By '83 it was all over somehow. Listen & weep at the potential squandered.
DIETRICH - Red Alert Mini LP (1982) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/22925007/Dietrich_-_Red_Alert_Mini_LP__1982-USA_.rarBy 1982, TSOL had released an EP & a full length LP and had moved a considerable distance from the spiky political blur of their earliest material. Musically, they had begun to incorporate disparate influences into their sound whilst lyrically touching on more personal and reflective subject matter which they'd filter through a darkly romantic perspective. Whether you enjoyed any of the other TSOL material is neither here or there, "Weathered Statues" stands alone in their canon as one of the oddest and most individual releases of their career.
TSOL - Weathered Statues EP (1982) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/24677429/TSOL_-_Weathered_Statues_EP__1982_-_USA_.rarIn a perfect world i wouldn't have to tell you anything about the Pagans, because they'd be bigger than god & worshipped as the idiot-genius visionary madmen that they were. This is a less than perfect world however, as i'm sure one or two of you had noticed, make it a better place, fill your head with the gloriously life affirming ramshackle racket of the Pagans & their classic debut single "Street Where Nobody Lives". And yes, this has "What's This Shit Called Love?" on the flip, one of the greatest songs EVER!
Educate yourself fool!!
PAGANS - Street Where Nobody Lives (1978) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/23881162/PAGANS_-_Street_Where_Nobody_Lives_7____1978_-_USA_.rarTo finish, here's the gloriously screwed up ".44 Killer" 7" from New York's Black Virgin. BV were one of those rare bands who picked up a lot of admirers from outside their own genre but not too many in their chosen field. In much the same way that a band like St Vitus crossed over to the punk kids but were studiously ignored by the Metallers, so it was with Black Virgin. The hardcore & punk fans they played for loved their speedy Metallic assault, whilst the local Metal kids scratched their heads in stupification. This is pure gold, and those "barriers" matter even less now. Open your ears & your black hearts for Black Virgin. Oh, and Satan too obviously.
BLACK VIRGIN - .44 Killer (1983) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/24202581/Black_Virgin_-_44_Killer_7____1983_-_USA_.rarI've just reread my text & i can only justify my errratic prose by adding that it's been a long weird week that i'll be glad to see the back of. Normal service will hopefully be resumed next week.
That's yer lot, have a great weekend folks.
posted by bigfootkit at 6:16 PM
11 Comments:
Just a dumb side note for those interested, Americade also featured Dave Spitz who was Dan Spitz of Anthrax's brother. But the music sounds nothing like the 'Thrax.
Glad to see this one posted!! I had this way back in the day. Nice to have it again!
Thanks BFK!!
TT-
Bryon, i'm really sorry, i didn't mean to knock your post off the top of the page, we must've both been posting at the same time yesterday and i didn't see your stuff 'til i'd published mine.
It's all feast & famine in blogland sometimes eh?
Another sidebar on Americade, Dave Spitz went on to play with Black Sabbath during the "wilderness years" and their drummer later cropped up in Impelliterri, which i'm sure i've misspelled. The brothers in the band put a new line up together a few years back & released a new cd called "Americade.com"
Never a problem. Seems everyone's been catching that there are two posts. If not-- SCROLL DOWN FURTHER AFTER YOU READ THIS FOLKS--THERE'S TWO POSTS FOR FRIDAY--TWICE THE FUN!!!
There, that should take care of that.
Anyway, thanks again for the Americade (been searching for a long while) and the Pagans was a cool bonus. I have the Meatmen doing a cover and I always wanted to hear the original.I also have a bunch of the Impelliterri stuff if anyone wants to hear it.
TT-
"An all American post"
Not today Thank You :O)
Greetings from sahf west London.
Thanks for the Upper Echelon. I used to have the EP, but sold it on Ebay a few years back. I knew the bass player too, he used to work at Tower Records in the University district in Seattle.
TT, if you like what you hear i've got some more Pagans lined up for next week.
Wedge, if you agree with Tesco Vee that TSOL are "sissies" then you obviously haven't heard their 1st selftitled EP which i posted here a few weeks back.
They weren't exactly Agnostic Front, but they could rip it up when they wanted to. Over the 1st 2 EPs and albums they "progressed" and "grew" (2 words not usually associated with the genre),showing off different sides of the band as they progressed on each release. Some of the later stuff was awful of course, but to write off their contribution to music in one throwaway phrase is just plain ignorant. I know you were quoting, but i had to get that out there & off my chest.
:)
Cool blog this. Just stumbled in here via a link from a Swedish forum.
A question concerning the BLACK VIRGIN 7":
Where is that artwork taken from? I have the 7" but my sleeve looks totally different. Killer band btw, but I prefer the LP and "Sledgehammer Justice" demo.
dan, the sleeve was hunted down on the web, may be a reissue if your cover is different.I received the files in a trade but no artwork, so had a hunt around & found this.
If you fancy scanning your sleeve & sending the link to the image to me, i'll put the art up on the page.
I've never heard the album but it came out a few years after the 7", so i suppose the style was bound to change a bit. Thanx for the info.
i actually like early TSOL, and the PAGANS were quite impressionable on me while growing up, i just thought it would be funny to drop the Tesco quotes as somebody mentioned mr Vee's band in these here comments...kinda like some sort of jumbled cohesion, or something...
The quality is bit bad...
The UPPER ECHELON - Surface Tension Mini LP (1983) USA link isn´t working, can you upload it again? Thanks! Awesome blog!
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