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

1991 DEBUT ALBUM FROM CASANOVA FINALLY GETS RELEASED IN THE STATES

On 4/13, Divebomb Records will be reissuing ’80s German metallers CASANOVA’s highly sought-after self-titled 1991 debut album. The band’s roots began in such classic and esteemed German hard rock/heavy  metal bands such as Mad Max and Warlock. Formed  in 1990 when Warlock super-producer, Henry Staroste, brought Michael Voss and Michael  Eurich together to craft the debut album. The record caused waves throughout the hard rock and metal scenes all over Europe and Asia, but Casanova never got their shot in the States. Read more