by Justin Gaines
– Senior Columnist —
The Divebomb label has reissued some interesting demo releases, both new and old, as part of their Bootcamp series, but this may be the best thing they’ve unearthed to date. Way before they became one of the more innovative bands to emerge from the late ‘90s progressive metal explosion, Germany’s Superior delivered a demo that fit in perfectly with the country’s famous power metal scene. 1989’s Moral Alliance was released only on cassette, and until now was an unattainable curiosity to the band’s fans.
All but two members of the band had left in the time between Moral Alliance’s release and Superior’s 1996 full-length debut Behind, so it’s not surprising that Moral Alliance sounds so different from the Superior most fans are used to. What is a surprise is just how good this lineup was at playing power metal. Moral Alliance sounds like the halfway point between Helloween’s Walls of Jericho and Axxis’s Kingdom of the Night, with a bit of Scanner thrown in for good measure. Michael Tangermann’s unique voice worked quite well in a power metal setting, and the songs he sang had a great combination of speedy riffs and powerful melodies.
Divebomb’s 2014 release of Moral Alliance puts this obscure gem back into fans’ hands, and as usual they do way more than just a simple reissue. First, the original five-song demo tape has been newly remastered. That alone would be worth the price of admission, but there’s also a booklet that’s just loaded with band info, vintage photos and even the original Moral Alliance cassette liners. Oh, and there are a whopping eight live tracks – songs that had been written back in the Moral Alliance days (aside from a Queensryche cover) and were recently performed at a 20th anniversary show. It’s a fantastic reissue overall, and like all Bootcamp titles it’s limited to just 500 copies.
Moral Alliance is the very definition of a lost classic. Not only is it an essential part of Superior’s history, but it is also a look back at one of metal’s most influential scenes. Moral Alliance belongs in the collection of any serious fan and collector of classic German power metal, especially now that such an impressive reissue is available.
Genre: Power Metal, Heavy Metal
Lineup:
Peter Sus (b)
Michael Muller (g) (k)
Michael Tangermann (v)
Jurgen Walzer (g)
Mike Bellum (d)
Track Listing:
1. Far Away
2. Moral Alliance
3. Strength in the Dark
4. Overlord
5. Odyssey
6. Fighters for Rock (live)
7. Vikings Fall (live)
8. City’s Burning (live)
9. Light Burns Out (live)
10. Fire Child (live)
11. Here I Am (live)
12. Queen of the Reich (live)
13. Against the Grain (live)
Label: Divebomb Records
Hardrock Haven Rating: Original release: 8/10, reissue: 9/10
