HEATHENS FROM THE NORTH
You know how i try to tie the contents of a post together on a geographical basis from time to time? This time, i've been slightly devious, all tonight's bands are from the North, and that's as close to a unifying theme as i can come up with i'm afraid. Well, that and the fact that (in their own unique ways), they all kick ass.
Just as you've come to expect.
Firstly, as their 7" went down so well last time, here's the debut album from Sweden's Silver Mountain. After 3 years in the recording wilderness, following the "Man Of No Present Existence" 7", and a radically altered line-up, the band finally signed on the dotted line with Roadrunner and began work on their first album. This is "Shakin' Brains" from 1983, and is the one which cemented the bands reputation, their star would never again burn quite as bright as here. Great playing, uplifting choruses, classic '70's rock inspired songwriting, souped up by 1980's Metal energy, and the guitars...WOW!
Whether hearing for the first time or reacquainting yourself with an old favourite, TURN IT UP!
SILVER MOUNTAIN - Shakin' Brains (1983) Sweden
http://rapidshare.com/files/39925412/SILVER_MOUNTAIN_-_Shakin_Brains__1983-SWE_.rar
And now, to Canada, where the word "Epic" was redefined in the year 1986 by this landmark "White Metal" release. Okay, it's actually "Epic" on a less than Cecil B. Demille budget, and occasionally this becomes more than apparent, but the fact that they stand firm & stare down the devil whilst dressed from head to toe in full on Viking garb, (and all in the name of "the lord" mind), is a joy to hear. This is the ludicrous Thunder Rider, and their debut album, "Tales Of Darkness & Light". The music is varied in it's instrumentation, but always slightly pompous & overblown, that is no complaint though, their lyrical themes & raison d'etre deserve all the widescreen silliness they can muster. With a huge recording budget they could have made Manowar sound like a garage band, as it was they came off like Warlord on occasion, which is still pretty awesome in my book.
THUNDER RIDER - Tales Of Darkness & Light (1986) Canada
http://rapidshare.com/files/37730769/THUNDER_RIDER_-_Tales_Of_Darkness___Light__1989__Canada.rar
Meanwhile back in Blighty, Evesham NWOBHM/shock-rockers Wrathchild, should have been planet striding colossus several times over after their debut album "Stakk Attakk" hit the racks. Sadly the planets were not aligned correctly, so most of you went unaware of classic tracks like "Law Abuzer", "Do Ya Want My Luv?", and "Shokker". A pity, as Rocky Shades & Co. were the perfect yob-rock amalgam of 1st album W.A.S.P. and classic SLADE, right down to the deliberately erratik spelling, whilst their "look" was more MOTLEY CRUE on a "Road Warrior" weekend. Legal wranglings over bad management deals, a lengthy court battle with a US band over who had rights to the Wrathchild moniker, and various other bad luck stories scuppered Wrathchild's career eventually, but thank god they left us 3 great psychotic glam-rock albums, this one probably having the edge as "The One".
WRATHCHILD - Stakk Attakk (1984) UK
http://rapidshare.com/files/37940330/WRATHCHILD_-_Stakk_Attak__UK_-_1984_.rar
After several years of playing the greater New York club circuit, finally, in 1984, Brooklyn's Armed Forces signed a deal with Metallic Flames records to record this great mini-LP. This is "Let There Be Metal" a great trad Metal release, which aims to be an amalgam of Priest & Maiden, but ends up becoming something else entirely.
There's something really interesting about the sound of this one, they've definitely got something special about them, but for Armed Forces this was all she wrote. They split shortly hereafter, only for guitarist Michael Manne to resurrect the name with a new line-up, eventually recording a glam styled album called "Heavy Artillery", with the bands name shortened to Armed Force.
ARMED FORCES - Let There Be Metal (1984) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/38904688/ARMED_FORCES_-_Let_There_Be_Metal_Mini__1984_-_USA_.rar
More from Sweden now, this is the debut demo from Malmo's Syron Vanes, "If You Prefer Heavy Metal", from 1983. There was some confusion over the nationality of the band when their debut "Bringer Of Evil" LP came out, because their UK based label, Ebony Records, had insisted the 4 piece Swedish band take on Anglicized stage names in an attempt to have the notoriously sniffy British music press take the band more seriously.
As such, this one occasionally crops up erroneously on NWOBHM wants lists, and stylistically too it sounds very British, muscular Heavy Metal with great memorable tunes & great guitars. A couple of the tracks from this tape were rerecorded for the 1st album, two more remain exclusive to this tape, never being rerecorded. Great stuff.
SYRON VANES - If You Prefer Heavy Metal Demo (1983) Sweden
http://rapidshare.com/files/38897013/SYRON_VANES_-_If_You_Prefer_Heavy_Metal_demo__SWE-1983_.rar
Speaking of the NWOBHM, i won't be letting you fans of all things British and grimy down tonight either, here's the first of a pair of tasty releases from those far off glory days.
First up here's the much sought after "Seven Days Of Splendour" EP by Jameson Raid from back in 1979. The Brummie bruisers recorded a couple of highly regarded (and highly priced!) eps & a demo, before changing their name to The Raid in time for a "Metal For Muthas 2" appearance, which was to be their last hurrah. I don't think they ever bettered the first ep, presented here for your enjoyment, the title track in particular being a much compiled highlight of the whole "movement".
JAMESON RAID - Seven Days Of Splendour EP (1979) UK
http://rapidshare.com/files/37966614/JAMESON_RAID_-_Seven_Days_Of_Splendour_EP__UK-1979_.rar
Two excellent slabs of Hard Rock now from Litchfield's Big Daisy, this is the trio's sole release, the "Footprints On The Water" 7". A fine, if short lived band, this is catchy well played, commercial hard rockin' with nagging hooks which stay in your head for days afterwards. Main man Mervyn "Spam" Spence, later went on to play with first TRAPEZE then WISHBONE ASH, sang with MIKE OLDFIELD and featured on the all star AOR project PHENOMENA. He now records under the name O'Ryan, releasing 2 full length albums & a 5 disc Japanese only boxset.
BIG DAISY - Footprints On The Water 7" (1980) UK
http://rapidshare.com/files/38891672/BIG_DAISY_-_Footprints_On_The_Water_7____UK-1980_.rar
Finally then, with thanks again to Dom, here's a rare Swedish nugget from the early '80's which should have had more exposure at the time. This is quality rock-solid 100% fists in the air headbanging fury from Treasure, and you owe it to yourselves to hear the unbridled joy of this disc. Like taking a Heavy Metal time machine to hell & back again, this sounds as fresh today as it did whilst accompanying the slaughter of those who would play false metal back in 1983. Love this one!
TREASURE - Women In Black 7" (1983) Sweden
http://rapidshare.com/files/37647644/TREASURE_-_Women_In_Black_7____1983-Swe_.rar
Well, that's the lot for now. Posts may become a little more sporadic as we get into "Summer" now, but the quality will not drop, check back soon for more treasures from the non-ironic past.
Just as you've come to expect.
Firstly, as their 7" went down so well last time, here's the debut album from Sweden's Silver Mountain. After 3 years in the recording wilderness, following the "Man Of No Present Existence" 7", and a radically altered line-up, the band finally signed on the dotted line with Roadrunner and began work on their first album. This is "Shakin' Brains" from 1983, and is the one which cemented the bands reputation, their star would never again burn quite as bright as here. Great playing, uplifting choruses, classic '70's rock inspired songwriting, souped up by 1980's Metal energy, and the guitars...WOW!
Whether hearing for the first time or reacquainting yourself with an old favourite, TURN IT UP!
SILVER MOUNTAIN - Shakin' Brains (1983) Sweden
http://rapidshare.com/files/39925412/SILVER_MOUNTAIN_-_Shakin_Brains__1983-SWE_.rarAnd now, to Canada, where the word "Epic" was redefined in the year 1986 by this landmark "White Metal" release. Okay, it's actually "Epic" on a less than Cecil B. Demille budget, and occasionally this becomes more than apparent, but the fact that they stand firm & stare down the devil whilst dressed from head to toe in full on Viking garb, (and all in the name of "the lord" mind), is a joy to hear. This is the ludicrous Thunder Rider, and their debut album, "Tales Of Darkness & Light". The music is varied in it's instrumentation, but always slightly pompous & overblown, that is no complaint though, their lyrical themes & raison d'etre deserve all the widescreen silliness they can muster. With a huge recording budget they could have made Manowar sound like a garage band, as it was they came off like Warlord on occasion, which is still pretty awesome in my book.
THUNDER RIDER - Tales Of Darkness & Light (1986) Canada
http://rapidshare.com/files/37730769/THUNDER_RIDER_-_Tales_Of_Darkness___Light__1989__Canada.rarMeanwhile back in Blighty, Evesham NWOBHM/shock-rockers Wrathchild, should have been planet striding colossus several times over after their debut album "Stakk Attakk" hit the racks. Sadly the planets were not aligned correctly, so most of you went unaware of classic tracks like "Law Abuzer", "Do Ya Want My Luv?", and "Shokker". A pity, as Rocky Shades & Co. were the perfect yob-rock amalgam of 1st album W.A.S.P. and classic SLADE, right down to the deliberately erratik spelling, whilst their "look" was more MOTLEY CRUE on a "Road Warrior" weekend. Legal wranglings over bad management deals, a lengthy court battle with a US band over who had rights to the Wrathchild moniker, and various other bad luck stories scuppered Wrathchild's career eventually, but thank god they left us 3 great psychotic glam-rock albums, this one probably having the edge as "The One".
WRATHCHILD - Stakk Attakk (1984) UK
http://rapidshare.com/files/37940330/WRATHCHILD_-_Stakk_Attak__UK_-_1984_.rarAfter several years of playing the greater New York club circuit, finally, in 1984, Brooklyn's Armed Forces signed a deal with Metallic Flames records to record this great mini-LP. This is "Let There Be Metal" a great trad Metal release, which aims to be an amalgam of Priest & Maiden, but ends up becoming something else entirely.
There's something really interesting about the sound of this one, they've definitely got something special about them, but for Armed Forces this was all she wrote. They split shortly hereafter, only for guitarist Michael Manne to resurrect the name with a new line-up, eventually recording a glam styled album called "Heavy Artillery", with the bands name shortened to Armed Force.
ARMED FORCES - Let There Be Metal (1984) USA
http://rapidshare.com/files/38904688/ARMED_FORCES_-_Let_There_Be_Metal_Mini__1984_-_USA_.rarMore from Sweden now, this is the debut demo from Malmo's Syron Vanes, "If You Prefer Heavy Metal", from 1983. There was some confusion over the nationality of the band when their debut "Bringer Of Evil" LP came out, because their UK based label, Ebony Records, had insisted the 4 piece Swedish band take on Anglicized stage names in an attempt to have the notoriously sniffy British music press take the band more seriously.
As such, this one occasionally crops up erroneously on NWOBHM wants lists, and stylistically too it sounds very British, muscular Heavy Metal with great memorable tunes & great guitars. A couple of the tracks from this tape were rerecorded for the 1st album, two more remain exclusive to this tape, never being rerecorded. Great stuff.
SYRON VANES - If You Prefer Heavy Metal Demo (1983) Sweden
http://rapidshare.com/files/38897013/SYRON_VANES_-_If_You_Prefer_Heavy_Metal_demo__SWE-1983_.rarSpeaking of the NWOBHM, i won't be letting you fans of all things British and grimy down tonight either, here's the first of a pair of tasty releases from those far off glory days.
First up here's the much sought after "Seven Days Of Splendour" EP by Jameson Raid from back in 1979. The Brummie bruisers recorded a couple of highly regarded (and highly priced!) eps & a demo, before changing their name to The Raid in time for a "Metal For Muthas 2" appearance, which was to be their last hurrah. I don't think they ever bettered the first ep, presented here for your enjoyment, the title track in particular being a much compiled highlight of the whole "movement".
JAMESON RAID - Seven Days Of Splendour EP (1979) UK
http://rapidshare.com/files/37966614/JAMESON_RAID_-_Seven_Days_Of_Splendour_EP__UK-1979_.rarTwo excellent slabs of Hard Rock now from Litchfield's Big Daisy, this is the trio's sole release, the "Footprints On The Water" 7". A fine, if short lived band, this is catchy well played, commercial hard rockin' with nagging hooks which stay in your head for days afterwards. Main man Mervyn "Spam" Spence, later went on to play with first TRAPEZE then WISHBONE ASH, sang with MIKE OLDFIELD and featured on the all star AOR project PHENOMENA. He now records under the name O'Ryan, releasing 2 full length albums & a 5 disc Japanese only boxset.
BIG DAISY - Footprints On The Water 7" (1980) UK
http://rapidshare.com/files/38891672/BIG_DAISY_-_Footprints_On_The_Water_7____UK-1980_.rarFinally then, with thanks again to Dom, here's a rare Swedish nugget from the early '80's which should have had more exposure at the time. This is quality rock-solid 100% fists in the air headbanging fury from Treasure, and you owe it to yourselves to hear the unbridled joy of this disc. Like taking a Heavy Metal time machine to hell & back again, this sounds as fresh today as it did whilst accompanying the slaughter of those who would play false metal back in 1983. Love this one!
TREASURE - Women In Black 7" (1983) Sweden
http://rapidshare.com/files/37647644/TREASURE_-_Women_In_Black_7____1983-Swe_.rarWell, that's the lot for now. Posts may become a little more sporadic as we get into "Summer" now, but the quality will not drop, check back soon for more treasures from the non-ironic past.
posted by bigfootkit at 3:15 PM
11 Comments:
Thanks for the Jameson Raid post.
I recently got outbid on the "Hypnotist" ep on Ebay and found it here on your blog.
Sure we be nice if someone would release their collected works. Thanks for making this music available to those of us that don't have 60 bucks to drop on a used record. Please keep the NWOBHM stuff coming.
Cheers
Glad to be of assistance Matt, i've also got their elusive 1982 demo, which, along with the two eps, makes up their entire recorded canon, i'll up that soon for you. Later as "tHE rAID" THEY RECORDED 2 TRACKS FOR "mETAL fOR mUTHAS 2" WHICH WAS ALSO POSTED HERE A WHILE BACK.
Damn caps lock.
The prices on most of these old nwobhm records have become ridiculously prohibitive, so i'm glad to help get the music out there to those who enjoy it.
Nice stuff as always. thanks! By any chance do you have the live one by Holocaust? I think its from 83 or so...would be nice if you do. thanks again.
Great post as usual.
I was asking about the first Mistreater album some time ago, and you gave me a torrent link from 6070s Rock, but unfortunately i couldn't download it immediately, and now the torrent is down and undownloadable. So i'd like to ask you to post it here, PLEEEEEEaZE :)
Many thanks for the Silver Mountain album. I haven't heard it in twenty years. Still holds up.
I'm looking forward to the Jameson Raid demo. I recently heard that Xero had 16 track demo!! Any chance you've got that?
Also I have the vinyl of the Holocaust live album that was just requested and a live 7" they put out prior to it. I could bring them to the table if needed.
Thanks again
Fantastic blog, any chance you can reupload the Dragonfly Silent Nights EP, as the link has expired. I used to know Rudi Riviere many moons ago, would be great to hear it again.
Cheers.
Bit late to the thread.... but Jameson raid now have a website:
www.jamesonraid.net
...and there is talk of releasing all the previous material plus some previously unreleased stuff!!!
Just one correction. They were always called 'Jameson Raid' - but always nicknamed 'The Raid' by the fans. EMI picked up on this and called them 'The Raid' on Metal For Muthas II. It was a balls up, really.
Gracias man, como loco buscando a Gotham City y aquí están casi todos los discos.
i´m looking in internet for Gotham City and.. this place!! paradaise, thank you. There are others demo (live) of this band, i hope to find them.
hot-wallpapers
mqir o % th 35
the link to DARKSTARR-1983-DARKSTARR (EP) is dead on RAPIDSHARE:
(http://rapidshare.com/files/43061253/DARKSTARR_-_Darkstarr_Mini_LP__USA-1983_.rar)
can you post another one that works, please?
Post a Comment
<< Home