Toranaga | God’s Gift (Deluxe Edition)

by Justin Gaines
- Senior Columnist/News Editor –

Originally released in 1990, God’s Gift was the second album from UK-based thrash metal band Toranaga. The two years since their Peaceville debut Bastard Ballads found the band signed to a major label (Chrysalis) and poised to take their unique brand of heavy metal to a much wider audience. Sadly, Toranaga never really broke through to the wider audience their music deserved, but they did leave behind a truly remarkable album in God’s Gift.

Toranaga had a very interesting sound. Most of it seems to be straight-up Overkill-style thrash metal, but there’s a doomy heaviness that reflects an obvious Black Sabbath influence as well as a nod to the spirit and energy of the NWOBHM scene. There were a handful of bands at the time that were adept at merging power and thrash – Vicious Rumors, Helstar and Sanctuary come to mind – but Toranaga brought an almost doom-worthy heaviness to the mix that made them stand out from the crowd. “Psychotic” and “Hammer to the Skull” show the band at their thrashing best, while “Black is the Mask” and “Sword of Damocles” show just how heavy they could be. There aren’t many bands that can remind you of Forbidden, Dio and Candlemass all in the same song like Toranaga could, and perhaps that lack of genre identity made it harder for them to catch on back when heavy metal was beginning to fragment into sub-genres.

Unfortunately, label pressure and internal strife caused the band members to part ways a couple of years after God’s Gift was released. A new incarnation of the band, going by the moniker The Bastard Son of Toranaga, is now active playing and recording.

However overlooked it was at the time, Toranaga is a band that is sure to appeal to fans of classic heavy, power and thrash metal (and especially when those three intersect). The musicianship and songwriting on display on God’s Gift are top notch, and the vocals, while on the rough side, are perfect for this kind of metal. If you’re into bands like Overkill, Forbidden, Armored Saint, Savage Grace, Vicious Rumors and Helstar, you definitely need to check out God’s Gift, especially now that it has been reissued.

Edition Notes: After more than twenty years out of print, Divebomb’s 2012 reissue puts God’s Gift back into metal collectors’ hands. This Deluxe Edition reissues features digitally remastered audio by Jamie King (who has a stellar track record at bringing these thrash classics up to modern audio standards. It also features three bonus tracks, including a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well,” from a planned, but never released EP. The expanded liner notes include lyrics, vintage photos and a new band interview. It’s a great looking and great sounding reissue all-around. If you’re unfamiliar with Toranaga, this is the perfect way to discover them, and even if you already own a copy of God’s Gift this is a more than worthwhile upgrade.

Genre: Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal

Band:
Andy Mitchell (g)
Mark Duffy (v)
Andy Burton (b)
Steve Todd (d)

Track Listing:
1. The Shrine
2. Psychotic
3. Sword of Damocles
4. Hammer to the Skull
5. Food of the Gods
6. Disciples
7. Last Breath of Life
8. Black is the Mask
9. Execution
10. Beauty & the Beast
11. Eternity’s End
12. Oh Well

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.facebook.com/ToranagaUK

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.75/10

Dead On | Dead On (Deluxe Edition)

by Justin Gaines
- Senior Columnist/News Editor –

The ‘80s were just drawing to a close when Long Island-based power/thrashers Dead On unleashed their self-titled debut album. The thrash metal scene was in full sway at the time, and while Dead On brought plenty of speed to the table, they weren’t willing to walk away from their NWOBHM and power metal influences. Blending power and thrash worked well for bands like Vicious Rumors, Helstar and Sanctuary, but Dead On never quite reached that level of success. They left behind one very impressive album though, which has just been given a deluxe reissue by Divebomb Records.

Listening to the Dead On debut all these years later you really have to wonder why they didn’t make it, at least for a while. Their sound combined thrash’s speed and intensity with power metal’s melodic elements, a dark fantasy/occult lyrical focus worthy of King Diamond and a level of technicality worthy of the progressive metal genre. This is a band that fans of Sanctuary, Overkill, Forbidden and even Megadeth should have been all over. They were even on the Shocker soundtrack with Megadeth and later toured the U.S. with Sanctuary and Fates Warning. Maybe their label was too busy pushing Vanilla Ice and Wilson Philips to give Dead On any proper support. Whatever the reason, it’s a real shame, because the intensity and sinister vibe of songs like “Salem Girls” and “Full Moon” and the sheer speed metal assault of “Beat a Dead Horse” and the title track would have gone over great with just about any metalhead in 1989.

Divebomb’s 2013 reissue of Dead On is an expanded two-disc set. Disc one contains the full 1989 Dead On album, newly remastered by Jamie King and bonus video clips for “Full Moon” and “Different Breed.” The second disc features the 1991 All Four You EP (featuring new singer Carl Frazzitta on vocals), a previously unreleased cover of The Vapors’ “Turning Japanese” and the rare 1987 The Limit demo, all remastered, plus the video for “Lost at Sea.” In true Divebomb fashion, the booklet is a real treat. It features restored original cover artwork, a band interview, lyrics and tons of vintage photos, show flyers, etc. This is a reissue that looks as good as it sounds.

If you’re one of the lucky few who discovered Dead On back in the ‘80s, this reissue is a more than worthwhile upgrade. The remastered audio alone makes it a mandatory purchase, and the extras seal the deal. If you missed this band the first time around, but are a fan of the classic ‘80s power/thrash sound – think bands like Apocrypha, Sanctuary, Vicious Rumors and the like – or just high speed heavy metal in general, now is the perfect time to experience Dead On.

Genre: Heavy Metal, Power, Thrash Metal

Band:
John Lindner (b)
Michael Carona (g)
Tony Frazzitta (g)
Mike “Dunk” Caputo (d)
Mike Raptis (v, disc 1)
Carl Frazzitta (v, disc 2)

Track Listing:

Disc 1
1. Salem Girls
2. Beat a Dead Horse
3. The Widower
4. The Matador’s Nightmare
5. Full Moon
6. Escape
7. Merry Ship
8. Different Breed
9. Dead On

Disc 2
1. One For You
2. Every Day on Earth
3. Lost at Sea
4. Do What You Want
5. Turning Japanese
6. Medusa
7. Third Reich
8. Comin’ Back
9. No Clue

Label: Divebomb Records

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.75/10

Raped Ape | Land of Broken Promises

by Justin Gaines
- Senior Columnist/News Editor –

The Florida metal scene in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s is best known – and rightly so – for death metal bands like Obituary, Death and Cynic, but there were some noteworthy thrash bands operating at the time, one of which was Raped Ape. The band played thrash metal not too far removed from bands like Overkill, Testament and Exodus, but with a noticeably heavier, more aggressive bent. It probably wasn’t possible for a thrash band to operate during the Florida death metal heyday without some of that scene’s energy bleeding into your own sound. Still, there are times when the sheer heaviness of the rhythms or the harsher vocals will have you doing a double take. This definitely isn’t “thrash by numbers” like so many other thrash bands of the time. Raped Ape was about as heavy as thrash gets, and they had an intensity that just bursts off the discs, even all these years later. Raped Ape released just one EP – 1992’s Terminal Reality before changing their name to Paingod for a lone Century Media release, but there were some very impressive demos recorded between those two releases.

Released in time for the 20th anniversary of Terminal Reality, Divebomb’s new collection Land of Broken Promises collects a hefty amount of vintage Raped Ape material in one very impressive two-disc set. It includes the Terminal Reality EP as well as four of the band’s demo releases, dating from before Terminal Reality right up to when they became Paingod. This includes 1990’s 6-song Perpetual Aggression demo, 1991’s 6-song Lost in Mind demo, 1994’s 4-song The Stuck demo and 1995’s Paingod demo. All of the material has been newly remastered by Jamie King. Additionally, the second disc features seven live video clips and the CD booklet is loaded with vintage photos and flyers, demo tape cover artwork, lyrics and input from members of Cannibal Corpse, Pro-Pain and Solstice.

A collection like Land of Broken Promises is not for the casual thrash fan. This is for the true disciples of the underground thrash metal scene. If you remember Raped Ape or even Paingod back in the day, Land of Broken Promises is a must-have collection. If you missed the band the first time around but are on the lookout for vintage thrash, Land of Broken Promises is the perfect introduction to the band.

Genre: Thrash Metal

Band:
Mike “Pooch” Pucciarelli (g) (v)
JC Dwyer (d) (v)
John Paul Soars (g) (v)
Tommy Buckley (b) (v)
Mike Moreno (b, disc 1 tracks 1-6, 13-18)
Dan “Rattlehead” Cleveland (b, disc 1 tracks 7-12)

Track Listing:

Disc 1
1. Land of Broken Promises
2. Victim of the Game
3. Voice of Reason
4. Remembrance
5. Who’s In Control
6. Return to Nothing
7. The Krusher
8. Shrouded in Darkness
9. Kill Thy Neighbor
10. Circle of Blood
11. S.T.D. (Socially Transmitted Death)
12. Pieces of Aggravation
13. Hypothermia
14. Lost in Mind
15. Monkey See, Monkey Do
16. Feet First
17. Wastoid (Drooling Pigdogs Lineup)
18. The Krusher (live)

Disc 2
1. Stuck
2. Future Tense
3. Drag
4. Mass Population
5. Paingod/Sicklife
6. Not a Moment To Spare
7. Blind Vision
8. Easy Way Out
9. Self Made Man
10. One and the Same

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.rapedape.net

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10

Scanner | Hypertrace and Terminal Earth (reissues)

by Justin Gaines
- News Editor / Senior Columnist –

When you think of the key bands in the early power metal scene, the ones in Germany that totally wrote the playbook for the whole genre, the same bands always come to mind. Helloween, Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, and…Scanner? Well, Scanner obviously never got the attention and acclaim those other bands did, but they were just as vital in the early German power metal scene, and their music is just as exciting and worthy of respect as those bands’.

Scanner made their debut in 1988 with Hypertrace, which like Helloween’s Walls of Jericho shows how the speed metal sound was evolving into what we now know as power metal. High speed riffing and powerful melodies were paired with a distinct, high-pitched vocal wail. Michael Knoblich handled the vocals on this album, and he sounds a lot like Axxis frontman Bernhard Weiss. Adding to the vocal power is none other than Ralf Scheepers, who provided some killer backing vocals. Adding to the fun is the fact that Hypertrace is a conceptual album with a futuristic sci-fi story – like a prototype for what Iron Savior would do a decade later.

Scanner followed up Hypertrace a year later with Terminal Earth, an album that marked both a change in vocalists (former Angel Dust frontman S.L. Coe was brought in) and a step away from the conceptual elements of the debut. Stylistically, Terminal Earth carries on the blazing, hyperkinetic power metal sound found on Hypertrace. It also sounds a lot like what Gamma Ray would go on to do with their debut, which probably has a lot to do with how much Coe sounds like Kai Hansen. It’s another very strong power metal album, and even without the conceptual elements it’s every bit as epic as Scanner’s debut.

After decades out of print, Divebomb Records has delivered high quality reissues of both Hypertrace and Terminal Earth. Released to coincide with this year’s Record Store Day event (April 20), these reissues are limited to 1000 units each. They feature digitally remastered audio by Jamie King (who has handled so many other Divebomb reissues) and expanded liner notes that include an in-depth interview with founding guitarist Axel Julius. The Hypertrace reissue features the bonus track “Galactos,” which originally appeared on the 1989 Noise Records sampler Doomsday News Vol. I. They’re great looking, great sounding reissues, and given how hard the originals are to find, they’re likely to go quickly.

Sadly, near-constant lineup changes derailed the trajectory of Scanner’s career, so these two albums are considered cult classics instead of being revered the way Heading for Tomorrow, Tales From the Twilight World and the Keeper of the Seven Keys albums are. Still, if you’re a fan of classic power metal at all, these two albums are as essential as it gets. If you’re one of the few who already knew about Scanner, the remastering alone make these reissues a worthwhile purchase. For the rest of us, they give us the perfect way to discover a band that has been overlooked far too long.

Genre: Power Metal

Band:
Michael Knoblich (v – Hypertrace)
S.L. Coe (v – Terminal Earth)
Wolfgang Kolorz (d)
Martin Bork (b)
Tom Sopha (g)
Axel “A.J.” Julius (g)

Track Listing – Hypertrace

1. Warp 7
2. Terrion
3. Locked Out
4. Across the Universe
5. R.M.U.
6. Grapes of Fear
7. Retaliation Positive
8. Killing Fields
9. Wizard Force
10. Galactos

Track Listing – Terminal Earth

1. The Law
2. Not Alone
3. Wonder
4. Buy or Die
5. Telemania
6. Touch the Light
7. Terminal Earth
8. From the Dust of Ages
9. The Challenge
10. L.A.D.Y.

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.scanner4u.de

Hardrock Haven rating: Hypertrace – 9.25/10 | Terminal Earth – 8.75/10

Midas Touch | Presage of Disaster

by Justin Gaines
- News Editor / Senior Columnist –

Here’s another lost gem from the thrash metal vaults that has been brought back to life by Divebomb Records. Midas Touch was a thrash metal band from Sweden that was active in the second half of the 1980s. Despite the fact that their debut album, released by the Noise Records label – 1989’s Presage of Disaster – sold fairly well, the band never issued a follow up and folded shortly after its release.

Perhaps the lack of an identifiable scene, like the Bay Area or German thrash scenes, worked against Midas Touch. Sweden is not exactly the first place you think of when it comes to classic thrash metal. Scene or not, Midas Touch put out a very solid thrash metal album in Presage of Disaster. It’s a high speed, highly technical offering that shows a very strong Metallica influence. There are also traces of Testament and maybe Kreator, but for the most part this is an exercise in Metallica worship, not that that’s a bad thing, especially in 1989. The lightning riffs, barked vocals and socio-political lyrics are all trademarks of the classic thrash sound, and they’re all covered here, though Midas Touch adds a certain epic “Master of Puppets” feel to songs like “Forcibly Incarcerated” and “When the Boot Comes Down.” Songs like “Sepulchral Epitaph” and “Aceldama – Terminal Breath” are more straightforward speed fests, but they’re just as effective.

Midas Touch may not have been the most innovative thrash metal band around, but they played this kind of music very well. Presage of Disaster is an album that’s worth another look all these years later, especially now that it has been reissued.

Divebomb’s 2012 reissue of Presage of Disaster puts this long out of print (and very pricy) gem back into circulation, and does it in style. This hefty, 2-disc reissue features the full Presage of Disaster album, newly remastered by Jamie King (Deathwish, Confessor), on the first disc along with the band’s 3-song 1990 The Deliberate Stranger demos. Disc 2 is loaded with rare and previously unreleased demo material, including five songs from the band’s 1988 Noise Records sessions and the complete 10-song 1987 Ground Zero demo cassette. The remastered album is obviously the main attraction, but the demos are a lot of fun to hear, whether it’s the rawer, almost punk-like energy of the Ground Zero songs or the harsher, more aggressive nature of the later The Deliberate Stranger recordings. You get a really good sense of where Midas Touch came from and where they might have gone. The booklet is also quite nice, with rare photos and an informative band essay.

If you’re an old school thrash metal disciple, this is a reissue that you’re going to want to own. And even if you already own the original Noise pressing of Presage of Disaster, this reissue has enough extras to make it a worthwhile upgrade.

Genre: Thrash Metal

Band:
Patrik Sporrong (b)
Rickard Sporrong (g)
Patrik Wiren (v)
Lasse Gustavson (g)
Bosse Lundstrom (d)

Track Listing:

Disc 1
1. The Arrival
2. Forcibly Incarcerated
3. Sinking Censorship
4. When the Boot Comes Down
5. True Believers Inc.
6. Reminiscence
7. Sepulchral Epitaph
8. Lost Paradise
9. Accessory Before the Fact
10. Aceldama – Terminal Breath
11. Subhumanity (a New Cycle)
12. The Deliberate Stranger (1990 demo)
13. Source of Discontent (1990 demo)
14. So Shall You Reap (1990 demo)

Disc 2
1. Forcibly Incarcerated (Involuntary Custody) (Noise Records demo)
2. Pow Wow (Noise Records demo)
3. Tru Believers Inc. (Noise Records demo)
4. When the Boot Comes Down (Noise Records demo)
5. (The Shape) of Rage (Noise Records demo)
6. Pow Wow (Ground Zero demo)
7. (The Shape) of Rage (Ground Zero demo)
8. When the Boot Comes Down (Ground Zero demo)
9. Subside Vision (Ground Zero demo)
10. Strikezone (Ground Zero demo)
11. M.A.D. (Armed for Justice) (Ground Zero demo)
12. The Dice (Ground Zero demo)
13. Masquerade (Ground Zero demo)
14. Instant Blaze (Ground Zero demo)
15. Tatsch Tooo Matsch (Ground Zero demo)

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.facebook.com/midastouchswe

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10

Vamp | The Rich Don’t Rock (Deluxe Edition)

by Justin Gaines
- News Editor/Senior Columnist –

How’s this for a recipe for success in 1989? Take an up-and-coming European melodic rock band, match them with a producer (Tony Platt) who had previously worked with AC/DC and Foreigner, sign them to a major label (Atlantic) contract, and then… do nothing at all to promote the band or the album. Of all the “should have been huge” stories of the 1980s (and there were several), the story of German hard rockers Vamp is one that still leaves fans baffled. This is a band whose sound would have gone over huge in 1989 with even the slightest push from the label. Instead Vamp died almost as soon as they started, and only the dedicated followers of the ‘80s melodic rock and hair metal scenes knew of their existence.

Vamp may not have had a chance to set the world on fire, but they did deliver an absolute gem to melodic rock fans with their 1989 debut The Rich Don’t Rock. It was an album that hit that perfect mix of European melodic rock and the popular American hair metal sound. Think Bonfire meets Hurricane (or maybe Europe meets Britny Fox), with huge guitar hooks, catchy choruses, and a strong, dynamic vocal performance, plus that uniquely European sense of melody. There’s a bit of a metal edge to these songs as well. More so than the average Poison or Danger Danger album, that’s for sure. Songs like “Heartbreak, Heartache,” “Lonely Nights” and “Renegade” are great examples of Vamp’s powerful arena rocking sound, but the whole album is just a really well written and well executed collection of melodic rock.

Divebomb’s new reissue of The Rich Don’t Rock puts this long out of print album back in fans’ hands, and gives it a true “Deluxe Edition” upgrade as well. It’s a two-disc set that’s loaded with extras. The first disc features the original The Rich Don’t Rock album, newly mastered by guitarist Ricolf Cross, as well as 12” EP versions of “The Rich Don’t Rock,” “Why” and “Shout” as bonus tracks. The remastered audio is a major improvement over the original, and would be reason enough to pick up this reissue. There’s also a second disc though, and that’s where we get a lot of new surprises. It has eight professionally recorded demos from the planned, but never released, follow-up album One Smack Killer as well as seven demos from The Rich Don’t Rock. The One Smack Killer demos are a real eye opener, as they show a band in a much heavier frame of mind not unlike Skid Row, and The Rich Don’t Rock demos have a slicker, more AOR vibe than what eventually ended up on the album. Top it off with a nice booklet featuring original cover artwork (both versions), lyrics, vintage photos and a full band interview and you’ve got a first class reissue in every possible way.

If you are one of the lucky few that already knew about Vamp, then the Deluxe Edition of The Rich Don’t Rock is a mandatory upgrade. If you’re a fan of the ‘80s melodic rock sound, particularly European bands like Bonfire and Treat, and you didn’t catch this album the first time around (or couldn’t track down a copy), this is the perfect way to discover one of the best kept secrets in melodic rock.

Genre: Melodic Rock

Band:
Dicki Filszer (d)
Tom Bellini (v)
Ricolf Cross (g)
Oliver Scholz (b)

Track Listing:

Disc 1
1. Heartbreak, Heartache
2. Like I Want
3. The Rich Don’t Rock
4. Love Games
5. Renegade
6. All Nite
7. Lonely Nights
8. Stand By Me
9. Bleeding
10. Talk Is Cheap
11. Shout
12. Why
13. The Rich Don’t Rock (12” EP version)
14. Why (12” EP version)
15. Shout (12” EP version)
Disc 2
1. Little Bit
2. Love Starved Woman
3. Dead in the Backseat
4. Junkyard D.O.G. (Dirty Old Geezer)
5. One Smack Killer
6. Gimme Some Lovin’
7. I Don’t Know
8. The Big Mess
9. Lonely Nights
10. What About Love
11. Down and Dirty
12. Waste of Time
13. Love Games
14. Don’t Bite
15. Talk Is Cheap

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.vamp-rock.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.25/10

Brett Walker | Nevertheless

by Justin Gaines
- News Editor / Senior Columnist –

Originally released in 1994, Nevertheless was the debut album from melodic rock singer/songwriter Brett Walker. For this effort, Walker, who himself was a seasoned songwriter, having penned Alias’s top 10 hit “Waiting for Love,” got some songwriting support from some notable melodic rock veterans, including Jonathan Cain (Journey, Bad English), Stan Bush, Jim Peterik (Survivor), Carl Dixon (Coney Hatch) and Nick Gilder. Obviously, 1994 wasn’t the best time to debut if you were a melodic rock artist, but while Nevertheless was largely ignored here in the US, it did quite well in Europe, particularly in the Scandinavian countries.

It’s a shame this album never caught on here in the US, because it’s about as perfect an AOR album as you’d ever hope to hear. If Nevertheless had debuted just a few years earlier, it would have been all over radio and MTV. Imagine Bryan Adams when he still rocked a little, with a solid Journey meets Stage Dolls vibe. It shouldn’t be a surprise, given the writers involved, but literally every song on this album sounds like a top 10 caliber hit. Lead-off rocker “Hard to Find an Easy Way,” “No Fire Without You” and “Didn’t Mean to Say Goodbye” are good examples, but you can pick any song on Nevertheless and be totally blown away. Beyond the gorgeous melodies and the smooth production, Walker’s vocals are what steal the show. He’s got a fantastic range, plenty of power and you can hear tons of heart, soul and emotion in each song.

If you’re a fan of melodic rock, particularly the artists on the AOR end of the spectrum, and missed Brett Walker’s debut the first time around, you are in for a treat. Nevertheless is an absolutely dynamite AOR album, especially now that it has been remastered, and is nothing short of a must have album for anyone who’s a fan of artists like Bryan Adams, Stage Dolls, Mitch Malloy and smooth AOR in general.

Edition Notes: Divebomb’s 2013 reissue of Nevertheless not only puts this long out of print album back in fans’ hands, it gives it a nice upgrade. The reissue boasts a new digital remastering by Jamie King (who remastered Divebomb’s Casanova and Sargant Fury reissues, among many others), and the results are incredible. There’s also a new remix of the song “Midnight Angel” added as a bonus track, and the booklet features a new interview with Walker as well as behind the scenes info and rare photos. It’s a deluxe reissue all-around, which is what we’ve come to expect from Divebomb.

Genre: AOR, Melodic Rock

Track Listing:
1. Hard to Find an Easy Way
2. Lecia
3. Everything I Want to Do
4. Take Me Home
5. Never Gave Roses
6. Quicksand
7. Didn’t Mean to Say Goodbye
8. Bring Back the Night
9. No Fire Without You
10. Bad Time for a Goodbye
11. More Than a Memory
12. Give a Little Love
13. Midnight Angel (2012 remix)

Label: Divebomb Records

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.5/10

Deathwish | Demon Preacher

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Emerging at the tail end of the NWOBHM scene, Brighton-based band Deathwish, along with bands like Onslaught and Xentrix, was part of the UK’s answer to the emerging Bay Area thrash scene in the US. With their high-speed riffing, heavy rhythms, hardcore influences and sinister lyrical themes, Deathwish was a band that stood out from the pack and should have seen some real success, but for whatever reason they never really broke big.

1988’s Demon Preacher was the band’s second (and final) album, and it still holds up as a classic of UK thrash metal. It’s a brief affair, with just nine songs, and two of those the instrumental opener and closer, and one cover song, but it packs more than an album’s worth of frenetic speed and dark energy. After the heavy, doomy introductory “Death Procession” gives way, the title track virtually explodes into action with David Brunt’s neck-breaking guitar riffs and Jon Van Doorn’s unique vocal style, which went from a hardcore/punk-like bark to a high-pitched wail. “Carrion” and “Visions of Insanity” continued the high speed assault, but there was also a major dose of almost doom-like heaviness to the songs. That was especially evident on the band’s cover of the Black Sabbath staple “Symptom of the Universe,” which is one of the best versions of that song you’ll ever hope to hear. On the back half of the album, “Wall of Lies” and “Fatal Attraction” are pure thrashers with a strong UK punk vibe (think Discharge), while “Prey to the Lord” is a much slower, much heavier, and much darker song. Closing instrumental “Past Life” is as somber as it is surprisingly beautiful, and stands in stark contrast to the rest of Demon Preacher’s sinister themes.

Divebomb’s 2012 reissue of Demon Preacher puts this long out of print classic back into circulation. It doesn’t feature any bonus material, but all of the songs have been digitally remastered by Jamie King at Basement Studios, which is reason enough to upgrade if you’re one of the lucky few who already own a copy. Additionally, the liner notes have been expanded to include a band interview and vintage photos and reviews. It’s a very well put together reissue all around.

Still unfairly overlooked, Demon Preacher remains an essential thrash metal album, and not just by UK standards. Whether your tastes run to the U.S. bands like Testament, Exodus and Overkill or German bands like Kreator and Destruction, Deathwish is a band you do not want to miss out on, especially now that a high quality reissue of Demon Preacher is available. Hopefully we’ll see a decent reissue of At the Edge of Damnation one day soon.

Genre: Thrash Metal

Band:
Jon Van Doorn (v)
David Brunt (g)
Stuart Ranger (b)
Brad Sims (d)

Track Listing:
1. Death Procession
2. Demon Preacher
3. Carrion
4. Visions of Insanity
5. Symptom of the Universe
6. Wall of Lies
7. Prey to the Lord
8. Fatal Attraction
9. Past Life

Label: Divebomb Records

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

Forte : Stranger Than Fiction

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

Originally released in 1992, Stranger Than Fiction was the debut album from Oklahoma City-based thrash metal band Forte. The band’s story, unfortunately, is all too familiar. Despite a very strong sound, they emerged just as radio and MTV were abandoning metal in favor of all things alternative. Forte still managed to release some killer thrash metal albums, and thanks to reissue label Divebomb Records we get to hear this long out-of-print debut once again.

Not too far removed from bands like Vicious Rumors, Helstar and to some degree early Sanctuary, Forte’s thrash metal sound had a good measure of what you would – at the time – have called power metal. Beyond the sheer speed and technicality on display (and how the hell did they pull that off with only one guitarist?), Stranger Than Fiction has a decidedly melodic aspect, making it more than just a shred-fest. Vocalist James Randel (previously with Oliver Magnum) has a voice that could go from the typical sharp thrash style to a powerful high-pitched wail when necessary, which helps cement the Helstar comparison. Between his vocal performance and Jeff Scott’s blistering guitar pyrotechnics (not to mention Greg Scott and Rev Jones’s very tight rhythms), Forte combines speed and power for a completely unforgettable power/thrash experience.

Divebomb’s reissue of Stranger Than Fiction not only gets this album back into circulation, it also gives it a major upgrade. The main improvement is that the album has been digitally remastered. The reissue also features a hefty eleven bonus tracks, more than doubling the original album’s length. In addition to the version of “Dementia By Design” from the Metal Massacre XI compilation, the reissue includes the band’s complete 1988 Dementia By Design demo and the Forte 1991 demo. Still want more? Well, how about the massive amount of rare photos and show flyers contained in the booklet? This is a “fully loaded” reissue, and like all Divebomb reissues it’s limited to 1000 copies and is not available in MP3 format. If you’re a classic thrash and/or American power metal fan, you’ll want to get your hands on this one, and quickly.

Genre: Thrash Metal

Band:
James Randel (v)
Jeff Scott (g)
Ghames “Rev” Jones (b)
Greg Scott (d)

Track Listing:
1. Coming of the Storm
2. The Inner Circle
3. Stranger Than Fiction
4. G-13 (Devoid of Thought)
5. Mein Madness
6. Time and Time Again
7. Digitator
8. Between the Lies
9. The Last Word
10. The Promise
11. Dementia By Design (MMXI Version)
12. Between the Lies (demo version)
13. Dementia By Design (demo version)
14. Digitator (demo version)
15. Mein Madness (demo version)
16. The Promise (demo version)
17. Stranger Than Fiction (demo version)
18. The Inner Circle (demo version)
19. Devoid of Thought (demo version)
20. The Coming of the Storm (demo version)
21. The Last Word (demo version)

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.myspace.com/fortemetal

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10

Matthew Rudzinski owner of Divebomb Records

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

We’ve all heard the dire predictions. “The music industry is in freefall!” “The CD format is dead!” “Everyone is downloading now!” And yet, there’s probably never been a better time to be a collector of out of print or previously unreleased melodic rock and metal. This is thanks in part to the efforts of smaller reissue labels with a real passion for the music, and run by people who know what collectors are looking for in a reissue.
One such label is Divebomb Records, which in recent years has reissued long out of print titles from Casanova, Sargant Fury and TKO, among others. We asked label head Matthew Rudzinski about the industry and Divebomb’s past and future efforts.

HRH: First, tell me a little bit about your label. When did you get started, what’s your speciality, are reissues your primary focus, etc.?

MR: Well, I have two record labels currently, one is called Divebomb Records which I started in 2008 as outlet away from my normal dealings within my main record label, Tribunal Records, which I began back in 1999. Reissues are the main focus for Divebomb except in cases where I feel that bands I have signed to Tribunal represent something I think the average Divebomb fan might enjoy as in the instances of bands like COLOSSUS, LINE OF FIRE and BLATANT DISARRAY, who are all current bands playing a definitely more retro kind of music. So with bands like this I am trying to cross promote to some of the Divebomb clientele simply because I think they will dig what they are doing. I know I do and I run the label! (laughs) But overall, reissues are the main focus for Divebomb at the moment. I have been approached by some reunited bands who want me to work with them on a new release so that may be changing in the very near future.

HRH: What made you decide to get into reissuing out of print (or never in print) material?

MR: I had always had the idea in my head as far back as about 2004 I think, it was around the time CONFESSOR announced their reunion and I approached them about reissuing their old demos but it fell through at the last moment. So, that is when I had the desire to really make it happen, but it wasn’t until 2008 when the first reissue was unveiled.
HRH: What was your first reissue?

MR: The first release was from one of my favorite bands growing up, TKO’s In Your Face. It was #1 on my list to reissue, so I went after it and tracked Brad Sinsel (vocals) down and we worked it all out. The fans seem to be as stoked as I was to get it back out there again.

HRH: How important is it to you to give buyers something extra in terms of packaging and/or bonus content (in contrast to the bare-bones Wounded Bird reissue, for example)?

MR: It’s VERY important to me, so if I have access to bonus material I will include it. Sometimes there aren’t any bonus tracks or anything like that so I try and reach out to the artists and get them to do new interviews or have journalists (who are friends of mine) write cool essays about the album and what it meant to them. I try to give it that personal touch as opposed to what *cough* some labels do which is just slap the cover image on a booklet and release it, but thankfully I have a great designer in Chris Harris at Daywalker Creative (www.daywalkercreative.com) who really helps to make Divebomb releases look good. Unfortunately, something else I have noticed with a few other reissue labels is the lack of remastering the original audio (which doesn’t cost much, honestly) which is a crime in my book too, which is why I try and use my long time engineer and buddy Jamie King for all of my Divebomb mastering. Sometimes we aren’t provided the best source material but he is fan of classic metal, like me, and he knows all the techniques they used back then and applies it to how he masters everything for release within today’s high standards. I try and make every Divebomb releases as top notch as I can naturally working within the realm of material that is provided to me by the bands.

HRH: Are you a collector, and if so does that affect how you approach your releases?

MR: “Collector” I don’t think describes my disease accurately. I have an obsession, honestly. It definitely shapes what I try to achieve with my releases. It’s funny because some bands don’t get the die-hard fan mentality – so since I am one I am always quick to present to them my ideas from that side of the spectrum. For instance, SOLITUDE were not too keen on me including their Focus Of Terror demo material on the discography I was doing because it was so old and they didn’t like that material and were possibly embarrassed because they were really young. So, I had to tell them it’s not about you anymore it’s about your fans – fans like me who love that demo tape (as it has one of my favorite songs on it) and why now, 20 years later deny them access to it? So I try and make sure we think about the fans that way when we do our reissues because they are the ones who have helped in some way to keep the music and the bands alive all this time.

HRH: Are there any reissues that made you think “Damn, I wish I had done that one”?

MR: All the time. I even had one idea stolen from me long ago. I wish I still had the email I submitted to them telling them my idea for kick starting my label *laughs*. But more recently I just read that Rock Candy Records is reissuing the WORLD TRADE debut which is a great album. Yesterrock Records did the two BOULEVARD records I wanted to do and Shrapnel Records is getting around to doing their back catalog now which I had approached them about VICIOUS RUMORS’ Digital Dictator a couple years ago. My remastering I had done trying to convince them to let me do it still sounds better I think. (laughs)

HRH: Do you release your reissues in MP3 format? Why/why not?

MR: No way. Digital music sucks. I am so against the digitization of music it’s not even funny. Some people think I am a prick, but honestly I am stuck in my ways and refuse to budge on the issue. I am not reissuing these albums for people to download them. We are taking the time to put together a package with special material inside that I, personally, don’t want to be viewed or read on a computer screen. I want them to be able to hold something tangible in their hands. Call me “old fashioned” or a “grumpy old man” who is stuck in my ways I don’t really care. I am almost 40 and remember sitting in front of my stereo studying my LP covers/liner notes for hours. With the digital age music is no longer “art” because it’s not being presented as art it’s being presented as simply another generic consumer product. I refuse to follow that trend and would never disrespect bands I love like that.

HRH: Do you think the CD will remain a viable format? Are its prospects different for niche, collector-oriented music than mainstream releases?

MR: I believe it will. Will labels be selling the same amounts they were 5-10 years ago? No way. Things are changing but I do believe there are enough people who still care and don’t follow trends or don’t like being told that CDs don’t matter just as vinyl was phased out, but is making a comeback. CDs won’t be going anywhere. There were far too many sold in the last 25 years for them to actually go anywhere. *laughs* Maybe if we start making solar panels out of them or something they will disappear. *laughs* But seriously, the majors may phase them out, but small independent labels like myself and others will keep doing what we do until the very end because we have to do it. I think someone will always be there to help carry the torch.

HRH: What’s next for your label (new releases, upcoming projects, etc.)?

MR: Well, in November we reissued CHASTAIN’s For Those Who Dare and LEATHER’s Shock Waves. For early 2011 we are handling the second run of ANACRUSIS’s amazing Hindsight collection and a reissue of FORTE’s debut album, Stranger Than Fiction, plus their early demos. I am also very excited because CONFESSOR and I are finally going to do the originally planned demo collection with bonus DVD or archival live footage. After that is a deluxe edition of CYCLONE TEMPLE’s second album, My Friend Lonely. Besides all that stuff I have been chatting with some guys in GOTHIC SLAM, DEATHWISH, IRONCHRIST, DR. KNOW, HARD KNOX, VENI DOMINE, ENCHANTER, SKITZOTIK, THE AWFUL TRUTH and EPIDEMIC so we shall see if anything comes about from the talks (I hope so). If not, it’s been a blast chatting with some of these guys being the fan I am!

You can check out all of Divebomb’s releases online at www.divebombrecords.com.

Chastain For Those Who Dare

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

Originally released in 1990, For Those Who Dare was the fifth studio album from Chastain, the band formed by guitar wizard David T. Chastain. For Those Who Dare was also the final Chastain album to feature original vocalist Leather Leone. If you’re familiar with Chastain, hers is a name that immediately brings to mind one of metal’s most distinctive voices. With a vocal style inspired by Ronnie James Dio, Leather was a true metal vocalist with enough vocal power to compete with the best in the business, regardless of gender.

For Those Who Dare is an interesting Chastain album, and one that remains overlooked 20 years later. The focus of the album remains split between David T. Chastain’s guitar heroics and Leather Leone’s powerhouse vocals, but there is a noticeable progression in the band’s sound. Chastain managed to sound heavier and more aggressive without trying to imitate the emerging thrash metal sound, which was no mean feat in 1990. Chastain’s intricate solos were paired with positively thundering rhythms, which only amplified the heaviness Leone was bringing. The band’s cover of the Heart staple “Barracuda,” which could have been extremely cheesy, ended up being one of the album’s highlights, but it was original songs like “Night of Anger,” “Please Set Us Free” and the powerful title track that really defined For Those Who Dare’s sound.

Divebomb’s 2010 reissue of For Those Who Dare puts this album back into fans’ hands after a long absence. The reissue does not include any bonus material, but the songs have all been digitally remastered and the liner notes feature tons of photos and an extensive interview with David T. Chastain. Just having the album back in print is a welcome development, but between the improved sound quality and the expanded liner notes, the reissue of For Those Who Dare is a must-have for Chastain/Leather fans. If you’re debating whether or not to pick it up; the reissue is limited to 1000 copies, and is not available in MP3 format, so it won’t be around forever.

Genre: Heavy Metal

Band:
Leather Leone (v)
David T. Chastain (g) (v)
David Harbour (b)
John Luke Herbert (d)

Track Listing:
1. The Mountain Whispers
2. For Those Who Dare
3. Please Set Us Free
4. I Am the Rain
5. Night of Anger
6. Barracuda
7. Light in the Dark
8. Secrets of the Damned
9. Not Much Breathing
10. Once Before

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.leviathanrecords.com/chastain.htm

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10

Casanova One Night Stand

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

2010 ended up being a banner year for rediscovering lost classic German hard rock and metal albums. SPV reissued the early Mass catalog, Metal Mind put the Mad Max discography back in print, and Divebomb reintroduced a pair of melodic rock classics from Casanova, including their 1992 sophomore album One Night Stand.

Formed in the early days of the 1990s, Casanova is a band that every fan of European melodic rock should know, but few actually do. The German band was put together by producer Henry Staroste, the band featured singer/guitarist Michael Voss of Mad Max fame, drummer Michael Eurich (Warlock), bassist Jochen Mayer and guitarist Stephan Neumeier.

Casanova’s 1991 self-titled debut was an absolute classic of European melodic rock, and the band didn’t miss a beat with their follow-up album. Along with Fair Warning’s self-titled debut and Bonfire’s Knock Out, One Night Stand is a brilliant example of the German melodic rock sound in the early ‘90s. Casanova took the basic American arena rock/AOR formula and added a distinctly European sense of polish and precision. They also took elements from the Hollywood hair metal scene, substituted heart and emotion for spandex and sleaze, and came up with a sound that is completely irresistible.

With One Night Stand in particular, you get a good indication of Casanova’s range, from fist-pumping anthems like “Guns Say Fire” to grooving rockers like “The Doctor Is In” to slower numbers like “One of These Days.” As good as those songs are, it’s the “not too heavy, not too soft” arena rock of “I’ll Come Runnin’,” “Home Is Where the Heart Is” and “Seal It With a Kiss” that show you Casanova’s real strength. Those songs bring to mind the best singles from American bands like Giant, Firehouse and Nelson. That, of course, has a lot to do with Michael Voss, whose vocal performance here is nothing short of amazing.

Divebomb’s 2010 reissue of One Night Stand is the perfect companion to their excellent reissue of Casanova’s self-titled debut. Not only is the long out-of-print album reissued with digitally remastered audio, it also includes five bonus tracks. The song “Here Comes That Feelin’ Again” was recorded during the One Night Stand sessions but never made it to the final album. The remaining four bonus tracks are acoustic songs that originally appeared on the 1993 acoustic EP Some Like It Different. The video clip for “One of These Days” is also included in the disc’s multimedia section.

If you’re a fan of the classic European melodic rock sound of bands like Bonfire, Jaded Heart, Treat and Fair Warning, or are a fan of Michael Voss’s work in Mad Max, you owe it to yourself to discover Casanova. Now that both Casanova and One Night Stand have been reissued, there’s no excuse for not checking them out. There were only 1000 copies pressed, and it’s not available as MP3s, so act fast.

Genre: Melodic Rock

Band:
Michael Voss (v) (g)
Michael Eurich (d) (v)
Stephan Neumeier (g) (v)
Jochen Mayer (b) (v)

Track Listing:
1. Guns Say Fire
2. Ticket to the Moon
3. I’ll Come Runnin’
4. Love’s Crashin’ Down
5. The X-tra Mile
6. One Of These Days
7. Wake Up!
8. Home Is Where the Heart Is
9. The Doctor Is In
10. Dead Man’s Hand
11. Seal It With a Kiss
12. Here Comes That Feelin’ Again
13. Judy (acoustic)
14. I Believe In You (acoustic)
15. Out of the Blue (acoustic)
16. Seal It With a Kiss (acoustic)

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.casanovaband.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10

Elysium Inspired Hatred

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

The metal scene in Florida in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s was all about the emerging death metal sound. While bands like Death and Morbid Angel were getting – deservedly – all the attention, some very worthy bands ended up being overlooked. Case in point: technical thrashers Elysium. The band took the staples of the thrash metal sound – rapid fire guitar riffs, sharp vocals and some truly blistering solos – and added a focus on melody as well as high level of technicality.

1989’s Inspired Hatred demo was Elysium’s only full release, and it sounds, well, inspired. It’s an album you can enjoy on a purely thrash level, appreciating the sheer speed and aggression of the songs, not to mention the utter violence and despair of the lyrics (which are perfectly magnified by Terry Allen’s raspy vocal delivery). It’s also noteworthy on a technical level. It’s not progressive metal per se, but the songs on Inspired Hatred definitely have some progressive elements that you wouldn’t find on the average 1989 thrash release. The demo also stands out due to its high production quality. The band recorded Inspired Hatred at the legendary Morrisound Studios with producer/engineer Tom Morris (Iced Earth, Morbid Angel, etc.), so it sounds like anything but a demo recording.

If you’re into technical thrash metal, especially bands like Anacrusis and Believer, you really can’t go wrong with Inspired Hatred, and Elysium should appeal to fans of technical death metal bands like Death and Atheist as well. It also fits perfectly with Divebomb’s recent reissues of cult U.S. thrash bands Solitude and Dominance.

Divebomb’s 2010 reissue includes the full 7-song Inspired Hatred demo plus the extremely rare 1991 demo song “Crystal Blisters” as a bonus track. All of the songs have been digitally remastered, improving the already high sound quality. In addition, the disc has a multimedia section with rare photos and a full live performance from 1991. It’s another very well put-together reissue from Divebomb, and like all of their titled, Inspired Hatred is limited to 1000 copies and is not available in MP3 format.

Genre: Thrash Metal

Band:
Terry Allen (v) (g)
Brett Hart (g) (v)
Jim O’Sullivan (b) (v)
Tim Jorgenson (d)

Track Listing:
1. Inspired Hatred
2. Cold Turkey
3. Dead Till the End
4. Food of the Gods
5. Funeral in Vain
6. Provocation of Obscene Rage (P.O.O.R.)
7. Plague of Man
8. Crystal Blisters

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.divebombrecords.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10

Leather Shock Waves

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

Leather Leone. Hers is not a name you hear very often, but for those who recall her time at the microphone for Chastain, that name immediately brings to mind one of metal’s most distinctive voices. It took a lot to make a lasting impression in a band where the focus is drawn to the charismatic guitar wizard, but Leather was more than up to the task. With a vocal style inspired by Ronnie James Dio, Leather was a true metal vocalist, first and foremost. Her gender was secondary, which is not something you can say of a lot of that era’s female so-called metal singers. In 1989, between Chastain albums, Leather released her debut (and sadly, only) solo album, titled Shock Waves.

Shock Waves doesn’t stray too far from the basic Chastain sound. It’s a hard-charging traditional heavy metal album with driving rhythms, a fair amount of shredding, and of course that signature Leather vocal performance. She could be smooth when she wanted to be, but when she’s belting out metal anthems like “All Your Neon” and “Shock Waves,” you can see exactly how she earned the name Leather. Former Arch Rival guitarist Michael Harris handled the axework on Shock Waves, and he did an admirable job, though his fretwork doesn’t quite hold up to David Chastain’s. While Chastain did not play on the album, he was on board as producer in addition to providing songwriting support, so the album definitely had similarities to Leather’s work in Chastain. Future Cannibal Corpse man Pat O’Brien and Mark Shelton of Manilla Road shared songwriting duties with Chastain and Leather.

Divebomb’s 2010 reissue of Shock Waves puts this album back into fans’ hands after a long absence. The reissue does not include any bonus material, but the songs have all been digitally remastered and the liner notes feature an eye-opening interview with Leather. Just having the album back in print is a welcome development, but between the improved sound quality and the expanded liner notes, the reissue of Shock Waves is a must-have for Chastain/Leather fans. If you’re debating whether or not to pick it up; the reissue is limited to 1000 copies, and is not available in MP3 format, so it won’t be around forever.

Genre: Heavy Metal

Band:
Leather Leone (v)
Michael Harris (g)
David Harbour (b)
John Luke Herbert (d)

Track Listing:
1. All Your Neon
2. The Battlefield of Life
3. Shock Waves
4. In a Dream
5. Something In This Life
6. Diamonds Are For Real
7. It’s Still In Your Eyes
8. Catastrophic Heaven
9. No Place Called Home

Label: Divebomb Records

Website: www.divebombrecords.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.6/10