LIKE A BOXING GLOVE ON A SPRING

Hello again folks, another diverse, life affirming (and sometimes unsettling), rummage through the attic of rock's past for your titillation and delight coming right up.
As you can see, blogger's still making the page look weird, so as of soon, i'll possibly change how i put the page together. Don't worry, the mix of music will remain the same, i just need to look at the logistics more closely.
For starters tonight, BRAIN SURGEONS are a New York heavy metal band featuring Albert Bouchard formerly of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, rock critic and former FLAMING YOUTH drummer Deborah Frost, guitarist ROSS THE BOSS formerly of THE DICTATORS, SHAKIN' STREET and MANOWAR, and bassist David Hirschberg. Originally titled IMAGINARY PLAYMATES, they formed in 1994 and initially centered around the nucleus of Bouchard and Frost; at one point, Billy Hilfiger (ex-KING FLUX, HELEN WHEELS BAND and brother of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger), was their guitarist. They have undergone several lineup changes over the course of the band's lifetime, with ROSS THE BOSS solidifying the line up by joining in 2003. The band tours regularly and have released nine studio albums to date, the most recent being, "Denial Of Death", which was released in 2006. Check out the awesomely MANILLA ROAD sounding "Constantine's Sword", it's an absolute corker.

BRAIN SURGEONS - Denial Of Death (2006) USA

http://rapidshare.com/files/163787133/BRAIN_SURGEONS_NYC_-_Denial_Of_Death__USA-2006_.rar

Next, "No Way Out", was the second album from Scunthorpe's GASKIN, and is now rightly hailed as something of a lost NWOBHM masterwork. Guitarist and main man Paul Gaskin knew - and still knows - how to knock out a great tune, and 'No Way Out' is full of them. Recorded in the spring of 1982 and featuring new vocalist Bren Spencer, it also featured a guest appearance by THE ENID's Robin John Godfrey on "Say Your Last Word". "No Way Out" was a very worthy successor to the band's debut "End Of The World" opus, and a more cohesive effort from start to finish than their debut. "No Way Out", mixes memorable hard rockers like "Dirty Money," "Ready for Love," and "Come Back to Me" with storming metallic anthems like "High Crime Zone". Digitally remastered for this CD release, this is an album that is long overdue a re-appraisal.

GASKIN - No Way Out (1982) UK

http://rapidshare.com/files/163763397/GASKIN_-_No_Way_Out__UK-1982_.rar

As coincidences go, American Metal outfit BLITZKRIEG found themselves involved in one of the strangest.
Not content with sharing their band name with the infamous Newcastle based NWoBHM band BLITZKRIEG, the Americans also boasted a singer with the surname of Ross and a bassist called Moore, the same names as their British counterparts! Formed in Glendora California in 1983, their lone release was the six song 1985 "Ready For Action" Mini LP which was scheduled for release on Mike Varney's Shrapnel label but eventually surfaced on Talen/Greenworld Records in the USA and on Roadrunner in Europe. Produced by RON KEEL (STEELER, KEEL, IRON HORSE) , BLITZKRIEG served up classic '80's melodic Metal featuring Don Ross' powerful vocals and the razor sharp guitar work of Eric Von Theumer. Don't be fooled by the glammy looking promo pics of the band, this is one of those glorious albums in the vein of T.K.O.’s "In Your Face", where the glam is in the photo’s not in the grooves. The original vinyl is very hard to find nowadays, and such is the records enduring appeal that it was re-released on CD by Retrospect Records in 2004 with slightly altered cover artwork. Not to be confused with the NWOBHM band, the New York Heavy Metal act, the 2 Punk outfits, (one English, one German), the Polish Black Metal group, or the Australian Thrash band who all also bore the "Blitzkrieg" name.

BLITZKRIEG - Ready For Action Mini LP (1985) USA

http://rapidshare.com/files/163774042/BLITZKRIEG_-_Ready_For_Action_Mini_LP__USA-1985_.rar

Partly due to changes in music trends, the advent of punk rock and New Wave music, and time spent away trying to break the USA, Slade's success had faded somewhat by the late 1970s, although the group continued to release records and several punk bands were not afraid to cite them as an influence. In August 1980, OZZY OSBOURNE pulled out of his slot at the Reading Festival with very short notice. Slade, who had all but disbanded, were recommended to replace them. A demoralised Dave Hill had effectively left the band and initially refused to do the show when asked by the other band members, but manager Chas Chandler convinced Hill to play what could very well have been their last ever live show in front of a huge crowd rather than in a small club. To Hill's utter astonishment, the band were incredibly well-received at the festival (highlights of their performance were also broadcast on BBC Radio 1's Friday Rock Show Reading special), stealing the show and quickly became darlings of the music press again despite doing nothing at all differently at Reading than they had done onstage in recent years. They also repeated the same trick at the following years Donington Festival on a bill topped by AC/DC. The six song "Alive At Reading" EP was released to capitalize on their triumphant return. A new run of chart success followed, though not quite on the huge scale of their 1970s heights, with several hit singles & albums on both sides of the Atlantic, a run which continued until Noddy Holder's retirement from music in 1991.

SLADE - Alive At Reading '80 EP (1980) UK

http://rapidshare.com/files/163792196/SLADE_-_Alive_At_Reading_EP__UK-1980_.rar

THE BAGS was formed by singer Alice Armandariz and bassist Pat Morrison in 1977, after meeting at an audition for another band. They took the band's name and their stage names "Alice Bag" and "Pat Bag" from a gimmick that the band used during early performances where they would perform with grocery bags over their heads. The band was rounded out by guitar players Craig Lee and Rob Ritter, and Terry Graham played drums. By 1979, they had released their first record, a single called "Survive", on Dangerhouse Records. "We Don't Need The English" was included on the "Yes", L.A. punk compilation album released by the same label. After this, Pat Bag left the band. In 1980 the group, minus Pat Bag, was filmed by Penelope Spheeris for the seminal punk rock documentary film, The Decline of Western Civilization, which also featured THE GERMS, BLACK FLAG, CATHOLIC DISCIPLINE, X and other prominent L.A. punk bands. However, by the release of the film in 1981 the band had broken up. Craig Lee also played with CATHOLIC DISCIPLINE, and he and co-member PHRANC would perform together when she embarked on her subsequent solo career. However, Lee is best known as a writer and critic for publications such as Flipside fanzine, among many others, and as co-author of the book Hardcore California: A History Of Punk And New Wave. He died, as a result of AIDS, in the 1980s. Terry Graham went on to play drums for GUN CLUB. Pat, now known as Patricia Morrison, also joined GUN CLUB soon after. Once she left GUN CLUB she joined THE SISTERS OF MERCY and then THE DAMNED. She would also go on to marry THE DAMNED's lead singer, Dave Vanian. Rob Ritter also joined GUN CLUB, and appears on their first LP "Fire Of Love", but left to change his name to Rob Graves and form the seminal death rock band 45 GRAVE. Graves died in 1991 of a heroin overdose. Alice Bag went on to join CASTRATION SQUAD. In the 1990s she would form CHOLITA! with punk drag queen Vaginal Davis. After this she performed with LAS TRES and then formed STAY AT HOME BOMB. Since the deaths of Lee and Ritter and her estrangement from Morrison, she considers the Bags to be permanently disbanded, and refuses to perform Bags songs in public.

BAGS - No Excess Bagisms EP (1979) USA

http://rapidshare.com/files/163797585/BAGS_-_No_Excess_Bagisms_EP__USA-1979_.rar

Sashay were a Washington DC based Heavy Metal quartet operating in the mid 1980's. Their only release was to be the "Looking For Some Action" 7", which was released by Ever Rat Records in 1986. Their sound was a crunchy amalgam of RAVEN's speedy Metallic assault and the more anthemic style of early RIOT. The band's glam sounding name & the single's garish cover art probably conspired to ensure that the people who would have loved their record never gave it a chance. However it never happened, Sashay never got their due & disappeared sometime in the late '80's, never to return.

SASHAY - Looking For Some Action 7" (1986) USA

http://rapidshare.com/files/163800521/SASHAY_-_Looking_For_Some_Action_7____USA-1985_.rar

Red Machete were a Traditional Heavy Metal quartet formed in Detroit Michigan in the mid-1980's. They self released two 7" singles, both in 1985. The 1st coupled "Scream Out Loud" and "Memory", whilst the 2nd featured "Pull The Rope" and "Ain't No Mercy". At this point, bassist Leo Whalen left the band to be replaced by Wayne King, and Darin Jordan was replaced behind the kit by Carl Toth. Tragically, drummer Carl Toth died in 1988, and the band changed their name to MADHOUSE shortly thereafter, adding new drummer, Roy Barker. They supported many national bands on their way through Detroit including WHITE ZOMBIE, STEPPENWOLF, BLACKFOOT, HELIX, DIRTY LOOKS etc and also played with Detroit legends like SEDUCE and HALLOWEEN too. Madhouse recorded an album, "Everything Kills", in 1990, but it remained unreleased until 2007, when the band released it themselves, however it was only available through E-Bay & the band's MySpace page. The band are still active & have retained the same line up since their inception.

RED MACHETE - Pull The Rope 7" (1985) USA

http://rapidshare.com/files/163809761/RED_MACHETE_-_Red_Machete_7____USA-1985_.rar

Well that's it for tonight folks, hope this weeks selection satisfies your rawk needs, but if you still need some more try my other blog @ http://guntherspaps.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!