LIKE A TRAMP ON A SANDWICH

Hi folks, i'm short on time tonight so i'll do as Joe Perry used to suggest, and, in lieu of an introduction this evening, i'll just "Let The Music Do The Talking".
A Northampton based NWOBHM band, SOLDIER's were formed in 1979. After many line up reshuffles, Soldier contributed the track "Storm Of Steel" to the "Heavy Metal Heroes" compilation album on Heavy Metal Records in 1981.
Soldier followed this up with the "Sheralee" 7" single in October of 1981, also through Heavy Metal Records, but a planned album, to be titled "Infantrycide", never appeared due to disagreements with the record company over the proposed budget.
Undaunted, SOLDIER released the live cassette "Live Forces" through their Soldier Stormtroopers fan club.
After tours with BUDGIE and WISHBONE ASH, vocalist and founder member Garry Phillips departed as a result of personality conflicts within the ranks.
Ex-GIRL vocalist Phil Lewis then joined the band and demos were recorded, but soon departed, eventually relocating to Los Angeles and fronting L.A. GUNS.
SOLDIER folded soon after.
Guitarist Nick Lashley eventually went on to enjoy a term with multi platinum selling Canadian singer ALANIS MORISSETE after stints with KINGSWAMP and North American touring with another Canadian songstress, SASS JORDAN.
Over the years, Soldier's records began to be appreciated by younger generations who missed out on the band in their heyday, in fact Japanese NWoBHM fanatics GORGON covered "Sheralee" on the flip side of their "Back Street Killers" 7" in 2000.
SOLDIER themselves made a surprising return in 2003, releasing the brand new four song "Infantycide" EP through Starhaven Productions.
Confusingly, a bootleg album of the same title was released by Cherry Bomb Records around the same time, featuring early demo recordings by the band.
Hellion Records released an official compilation album of Soldier's archive material in 2004 entitled "Heavy Metal Force".
The album contained both sides of the "Sheralee" single, uncirculated demo tracks and live recordings, as well as one new track from the 2004 incarnation of the band.
2004 also saw the band release a new single, the red vinyl 7" "Murderous Night", on Killer Metal Records, and contribute an exclusive song to the "Total Metal Attack" compilation album..
2005 found the band releasing a new studio album, the eleven song "Sins Of The Warrior", through the reactivated Heavy Metal Records. The line up for this recording comprised vocalist Garry Phillips, guitarist Ian Dick, bass player Steve Barlow and drummer Ian Astrop.
Soldier remain active, but the ill health of singer Garry Phillips prevents them from touring, so for the moment they remain a studio only band.

SOLDIER - Heavy Metal Force (1981-1983) UK

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HARPO were a terrific Hard Rock outfit from Sunbury, Pennsylvania formed way back in 1974.
Their 1981 self-titled debut Mini Album on Mallard Records found favour within the Pomp Rock collector fraternity thanks to the classic track "Rendezvous" that clocks in at 8 minutes and truly is worthy of a place in your collection. The rest of the songs are shorter, more streamlined and rock harder, all great in their own right, but the aforementioned track is something truly special.
On Harpo went, but they were not to record their first full length album until 1987, when "Armed To Deliver" was issued by Atlas Records.
This is a harder collection of songs, but there's still space for Harpo to show their subtler side here and there.
The new album captured the attention of EMI and Polygram Records with EMI deciding to take a trip to Scranton to see the band a second time.
Harpo seemed on the verge of getting signed to a major record label when tragedy struck. Lead vocalist John "Lloyd" Kistner was involved in a very serious auto accident when he was struck head-on by a drunk driver on Christmas Eve, 1988.
After a year of extensive physical therapy, the tenacious Kistner was again ready to rock.
Before releasing a six song Mini LP entitled "Fire Your Fire" ; Harpo added a new drummer, Rich Smith, from Williamsport, PA.
Together with original members Kerstetter and Kistner, Harpo were, once again, heading in the right direction.
It then took until 1992 for their next album to appear, "Too Much Is Just Enough".
This one was a bit of a mish-mash, collecting five new songs and compiling tracks from their first 2 releases for their CD debut.
By the time of 1996's "Smokin' Gun", Harpo had become a far heavier proposition, but there's style and finesse in abundance beneath all the bluster.
The band's most recent release, 1997's "Harpo Live - Go Heavy Or Go Home!", finds drummer Kyle Gilbert replacing Rich Smith, with the band in blinding live form in front of a partisan home town crowd playing 4 brand new tracks as well as their live hits.
The band played their final gig on New Year's Eve 1998, and sadly, that was pretty much it for Harpo.
These days Kerstetter and Silvagni make their living by playing a mixture of classic Hard Rock/Heavy Metal covers in the band SUCKER PUNCH and occasionally reunite to play a full scale gig with their former band mates as Harpo, reviving their old "hits".

HARPO - Armed To Deliver (1987) USA

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THE STERLING COOKE FORCE was an American Heavy Rock band formed in 1980 around guitarist Sterling Koch (aka "Sterling Cooke"), in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
The group made their recording debut with a self-released 1982 7" single, "Don't Need You Anymore", backed by a cover version of THE BEATLES "Tomorrow Never Knows".
The single somehow brought the band to the attention of Darryl Johnston, head of the UK based Ebony Records label, who signed the band, and brought them to England to record their debut LP, "Full Force", as well as producing the record.
The album has an obvious Hendrix influence to it, with Cooke leading from the front, fretboard pyrotechnics well to the fore with a tight and Hard Rocking band ably backing him up.
A 1985 Ebony single "Down On Love", contained more of the same, with a new bassist and singer beefing up the sound somewhat.
The Sterling Cooke Force returned in 1986 with the "Force This!" album on Ransom Records, but by this time Cooke was the only constant, recording with a revolving line-up of musicians.
A third album, "Taken By Force", was recorded in 1988 but was never released, as The Sterling Cooke Force disintegrated before finding a label to issue the record.
Cooke then pursued a solo career, releasing 3 instrumental shred-fest cassette only albums between 1990 and 1996, and becoming a born-again Christian.
1998's "In The Spirit", saw him go acoustic, as well as reverting to the Sterling Koch monicker, with a Christmas album following in 2000.
In this time, Koch put together a new band project called V.I.H. (Victory In Heaven), a more Blues-Rock oriented outfit, releasing three albums between 2001-2003, but this line-up of the band collapsed in 2004.
2 more solo albums were issued, before Koch decided he was resurrecting the V.I.H. name for a new band project, but by now he was playing more and more lap steel guitar, so the two subsequent V.I.H. albums have a far more rootsy sound than their predecessors.
Alongside V.I.H., Koch has continued to make solo albums, these also showcasing his love of lap steel blues guitar, with two in this style already released with a new Mini album "Steel Guitar Blues", released just recently.

THE STERLING COOKE FORCE - Force This! (1986) USA

















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WHITE WITCH were an American traditional Heavy Metal quartet, formed in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1984.
There only release during the bands original tenure was the four song "Hell Is Doomed" EP released independently in 1988.
Their epic trad Metal sound was at odds with the prevailing Thrash tide of the times, yet, despite this, the EP got many glowing reviews and sold an impressive 3000 copies on release, with tape copies traded extensively too.
Despite this, no firm offers were forthcoming from record labels, and by the decades end the band had effectively gone on an indefinite hiatus.
In the early part of 2000, the original line up reunited which eventually led to the 2004 release of the album "The Power", on Nightmare Records, a mixture of newly recorded old standards and fresh compositions.
2007 saw the release of the "Never Dies The Dream" album, a ten song independent release which included re-recordings of all four songs from the 1988 EP.
The band remain active, and play live regularly, with a new album promised "soon".
Not to be confused with the 1970's band of the same name who recorded two albums for Capricorn Records or the active Australian Thrash band.

WHITE WITCH - Hell Is Doomed EP (1988) USA

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Legendary Heavy Metal quartet SAINT VITUS, was formed in Los Angeles California in 1979 originally as TYRANT, with Scott Reagers (Vocals), Dave Chandler (Guitar), Mark Adams (Bass), and Armando Acosta (Drums), but soon changed their name to Saint Vitus after the song "St. Vitus Dance" by BLACK SABBATH.
Their main influences were Sabbath and BLACK FLAG, the latter of which Saint Vitus toured with during the 1980's.
Black Flag would also sign Saint Vitus to their own record label, SST Records, who would end up releasing 4 LPs and 2 EPs by the band.
With this line-up, Saint Vitus recorded 2 albums, 1984's "Saint Vitus" & 1985's "Hallow's Victim" with an EP entitled "The Walking Dead", released the same year.
Reagers left the band in early 1986, and was replaced by Scott "Wino" Weinrich, formerly of THE OBSESSED.
"Wino" recorded three studio albums "Born Too Late" (1986), "Mournful Cries" (1988) & "V" (1989), a live album, "Live" (1990), and the 1987 "Thirsty and Miserable" EP with Saint Vitus.
Weinrich left Saint Vitus in 1991 to reform The Obsessed after Vitus's label, Hellhound Records, released an album of older Obsessed recordings.
Following Weinrich's departure, the band found former COUNT RAVEN singer Christian Lindersson as a replacement after a short search. He would record only one album, "C.O.D.", and tour Europe and America with the band until 1993 before being replaced by original vocalist Scott Reagers for their final album 1995's "Die Healing", regarded by the band to be it's finest work.
Saint Vitus played dates in America and Europe following the album's release, and after the completion of the tour decided to call it a day.
Chandler went on to form the Punk/Doom band DEBRIS INC. with Ron Holzner of TROUBLE in the early '00's.
They released their self titled album via Rise Above Records in 2005.
Acosta stayed busy with a band called DIRTY RED, Adams no longer played music, and Reagers also left the music scene.
After The Obsessed broke up in the mid-90's, Wino moved back to Maryland and formed SPIRIT CARAVAN and once again toured Europe and the US, recording two albums before the bands break up in the early '00's.
His next band, THE HIDDEN HAND, followed a similar path, recording three albums before breaking up in the mid '00's.
"Wino" also briefly joined PLACE OF SKULLS, featuring former PENTAGRAM/DEATH ROW guitarist Victor Griffin, for the album "With Vision" released in 2003, and played on the album by former FOO FIGHTERS/NIRVANA/SCREAM man Dave Grohl's Metal side-project PROBOT.
In 2008, it was announced that Saint Vitus were reuniting again for a tour in 2009 with the "Wino" line up of the band.
The band headlined the 2009 Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands and then went on to play gigs in Germany.
Drummer Armando Acosta, who had been with the band since its inception over thirty years ago, left the band before the European tour was completed.
Acosta has since been replaced by Henry Vasquez of the band BLOOD OF THE SUN.
There has been talk of Saint Vitus recording new material, but so far there are no concrete plans.

SAINT VITUS - The Walking Dead EP (1985) USA

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SIREN were an American Heavy Metal act founded in Tampa, Florida in 1981, which centred around vocalist Doug "Dead" Lee who joined the following year.
Their 1984 debut self financed "Metro Mercenary" single saw Siren with a line up of Lee, guitarist Rob Phillips, bassist Ben Parrish and teenage drummer Ed Aborn.
Following the single release Parrish made way for Edward Amyx before Siren recorded the 1985 four track demo tape "Iron Coffins".
The impressive demo prompted Pennsylvania based Sanaty Records to include the Siren track "Over The Rainbow" on their "Start To Stardom" compilation album.
Following the four song "Dead Of Night" demo tape in 1986, the band replaced Amyx with Gregg Culbertson and scored a record deal with the independent Flametrader Records label.
Their debut album, "No Place Like Home" surfaced later in the year, and showed the band moving on from it's earlier NWOBHM influenced sound into a more distinctive area with Progressive touches and some Thrash influences in evidence amongst the more traditional, if technical, sounding material.
Following the debut album Lee completely rebuilt SIREN, drafting in guitarist Brian C. Hendrickson, bassist Less Talent and drummer David Smith before recording a five song demo called "The Garage Experiment".
Album No.2, "Financial Suicide" was recorded in Germany and released on AAARRGG Records, (the label of MEKONG DELTA main man Ralph Hubert), in 1988.
The album didn't sell particularly well, and this line up of Siren eventually went their separate ways in 1989.
Doug Lee resurfaced the following year as the new singer in Mekong Delta, singing on all 4 of their albums between 1990's "Dances of Death (and other Walking Shadows)" and 1994's "Vision's Fugitives", and also appearing in the "Live in Frankfurt 1991" DVD, before leaving the band in 1997.
In the meantime, original founder and songwriter Rob Philips kept the Siren flag flying, putting together a new line up of the band and releasing a four song demo in 1991, called, simply, "1991 Demo".
Although Siren remained under the radar, they were to resurface in 2007 with the self released album, "Don't Mind", which they followed up in 2008 with another entitled "You Never Noticed".
It should be pointed out however, that the material on the two recent albums bears little relation to the band's earlier sound, being in a more contemporary Rock/Classic Rock style.

SIREN - Dead Of Night Demo (1986) USA




















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Formed in Cincinatti Ohio in 1973 around the nucleus of vocalist Donnie Singleton and drummer Les Sharp, four piece Heavy Rock act SPIKE became the first recording band to feature the dazzling guitar of future CJSS, CHASTAIN and SOUTHERN GENTLEMEN mainstay, David T. Chastain, who joined in 1975.
The band released their first single, "Porno Queen", in the late 1970's just before original vocalist Singleton departed.
The frontman position would be filled by Stephen Fredrick, and with the change Spike's following began to grow even stronger.
Around this time the band had the track "You Got What It Takes" featured on the "WEBN Album Project No.5" LP, an album which the Cincinnati radio station (WEBN) put together in an effort to showcase local talent.
The act toured relentlessly, and even landed the opening slot for some shows with BLACK SABBATH and BLUE OYSTER CULT on their "Black & Blue" tour.
They finally made another recording available with the 1981 self released "Leah" 7" single, and quickly followed this up the next year with another 45, "Just Want Your Money" on Starbound Records.
After the latter single's release, singer Stephen Fredrick departed from the band, initially to join BILLY THE KID, and later recording with the likes of KENZINER, FIREWIND and KINRICK.
With bassist Denny Kuller temporarily filling the vacant vocalist post, Spike recorded the track "Bad News" for 1982's "WEBN Album Project No. 7".
In 1983 the band released their only album "The Price Of Pleasure", on Starbound Records, as featured here a long time ago.
The album showcased to dazzling effect the blazing guitar work of David T. Chastain and the powerful vocals of new singer Mike Skimmerhorn.
The rhythm section of drummer Les Sharp and bassist Denny Kuller added just the right foundation to punctuate the music.
This particular line up of Spike was only around for a short time.
The group continued to shop material to labels but failed to get any major interest, so in late 1984 the band decided that Spike had run its course, with David going on to form CJSS and Chastain.
Skimmerhorn and drummer Les Sharp, would both later appear in the ranks of CJSS, and Skimmerhorn also went on to sing and play bass with the band Chastain.
SPIKE briefly reformed in 1998 for a few dates which were recorded for a prospective live album, although to date it has yet to see release.
In 2001 a further Spike album was released on Leviathan Records. "The Forum Sessions", was an archival release comprised of eleven songs recorded "live in the studio" at Forum Studios in Kentucky in 1981, but never previously released.

SPIKE - Just Want Your Money 7" (1982) USA

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And that's yer lot for another fortnight!
As per usual, thanks to all of you who took the time to comment on the last post, to reminise about the music of yore, request stuff, share information and use the space to inflict your terrible jokes on the rest of us.
It is very much appreciated, and is a pleasure to read and, on occasion, censor for the greater common good.
(I'm looking at you "Sheldon's Lair"!)
A word to the wise; no matter how bare your cupboard, don't be tempted to eat the frozen out-of-date spicy bean and quinoa seed burgers at the back of your freezer compartment.
This was the rudimentary mistake i made last night, and i have spent the whole day and most of last night paying for it.
Just because it can be done, does NOT mean that it should be done.
Be safe people!
See you back here in approximately 14 days, for more of the same, but different.