thrash metal

REVIEW: Armored Saint – Symbol of Salvation (1991)

ARMORED SAINT – Symbol of Salvation (1991 Metal Blade)

In 1991, an hour-long album was becoming standard.  In Armored Saint’s case, it’s all killer no filler.

It wasn’t an easy time for the metal pioneers.  Founding guitarist and songwriter Dave Prichard died of leukemia far too young.  He left behind a handful of songs on a 4-track demo.  All but seamlessly, Jeff Duncan of Odin filled his spot, while original guitarist (and brother of drummer Gonzo) Phil Sandoval returned to the band.  With lead vocalist John Bush, and bassist Joey Vera, this lineup is still current today…although the band obviously broke up when John joined Anthrax for Sound of White Noise!

Although Symbol of Salvation was a triumph and a fine tribute to Prichard, the band did split afterwards.  It was 1991, and there was little future for a band like Armored Saint.  Fortunately they made this one count.

Symbol of Salvation is unrepentantly heavy.  Opener (and lead single) “Reign of Fire” is notable for a number for things.  1) Its incredible heavy chug (written by Prichard).  2) John Bush’s voice, straining at the leash every time he screams. 3) Incredibly crisp and heavy production by Dave Jerden.  4) The very evil looking music video.  5) An awesome chorus!  The album would be worth buying for this one song, but fortunately the other 12 are also great.

No less massive, “Dropping Like Flies” is melodic viciousness.  Without the speed of “Reign of Fire”, it still retains that screamin’ heaviness.  Another highlight is the more mainstream “Last Train Home”, an emotional and strong track that acted as second single.  The indelible chorus is impossible to forget.  This leads into the heavy “Tribal Dance”, spotlighting the percussion of Gonzo.  Joey Vera’s bass work is also impressive here (as it always is).  This is jungle metal, perhaps, a stomping romp through the bush with blades unsheathed.

One of the more divisive songs might have been “The Truth Always Hurts”.  To these ears, the riff (P. Sandoval/J. Duncan) sounds like sleaze metal from two years prior.  You could imagine Poison writing a song around it, though obviously not as heavy!  Make no mistake, “The Truth Always Hurts” is heavy, but there are elements here that could work in other genres if stripped of the crunch.

Backwards guitar introduces “Half Drawn Bridge”, an ominous and progressive instrumental which introduces the ballad “Another Day”.  It is unfortunate that this song never had a chance like Metallica ballads soon would.  It is reminiscent of some of the ballads that Testament were known to do.  In case you were worried, it picks up when it’s time for the solos!

The title track “Symbol of Salvation” is a riff monster.  Perhaps Hetfield wishes he wrote a reptillian riff as lethal as this one.  Brilliant heavy track; Bush at peak scream.  Then, there’s a chugging guitar like “Street Justice” by Twisted Sister, which soon breaks loose into the main riff of “Hanging Judge”.  Another riff, another chorus, another metal should-be classic.  That is nothing compared to “Warzone”, like Iron Maiden on anabolic steroids.  That is to say, it has the delicacy of some of Maiden’s work, but with the beefy pummelling of a boxing glove.  “Warzone” could be the highlight deep cut – what soloing too!

There is still plenty of metal to go.  In an earlier age, Symbol of Salvation would have been a double album (or at least a 3-sider!) but its length is not a weakness.  “Burning Question” brings back the speed.  It leaps and bounds, once again with brilliant solo work by Duncan/Sandoval.  Yet it’s the riff you’ll keep coming back to (if not the chorus).

Perhaps the most impressive song from a technical point of view is “Tainted Past”, the only song with a Dave Prichard guitar solo.  They painstakingly pulled his haunting and emotional solo from a demo cassette, and seamlessly used it in this track that Joey Vera wrote.  It’s jazzy and progressive to start, before Gonzo’s rock beats begin.  It’s definitely unusual and unlike any other song on the album.  You could say it’s album epic, which suits, since it’s over seven minutes long.

An album like this deserves a memorable closer.  That would be “Spineless”, a thrashing good time, and probably the fastest song on the album.  Bookending the album with the fastest tunes, “Reign of Fire” and “Spineless”, was a cool move.  It’s a neckbreaker for sure.  “Spineless!  That’s what you are!”

Every metal fan owes it to themselves to check this album out at least once.  Do it.

4.5/5 stars


Don’t forget to check out John Clauser’s excellent album battle episode – Symbol of Salvation vs. Sound of White Noise!

 

REVIEW: Metallica – …And Justice For All (1988)

METALLICA – …And Justice For All (1988 Elektra)

As I cast my mind back to 1988, the omnipresence of Metallica’s …And Justice For All cannot be ignored.  For one thing, the band’s new studio album was a double album, which was all but unheard of at that time.  The cover art was striking.  The band were now on TV, after stubbornly avoiding music videos for years.  “One” was the name of the song, and it was even more stark and impactful than the album art.  If the band wanted their first-ever music video to be influential and monumental, they succeeded.   However despite all the praise, the cries of “sell outs!” echoed on the “letters to the editor” section of various rock magazines.  How dare Metallica make a music video.  One letter in Hit Parader magazine compared Justice to Bon Jovi.  It’s hard to imagine a reaction like that from the perspective of today, but as much as Justice was Metallica’s most successful album to date, there were thousands of fans who resented them for it.

The other elephant in the room is the production and mix of the album, which is brittle and lacks bass.  There were various stories, such as hazing the “new kid” Jason Newsted by removing the bass, but today Lars and James largely blame themselves, saying their hearing was burned out and they just kept turning everything up until you couldn’t hear the bass.  There are other stories and other parties who received blame at various points of the timeline, but the thing is this:  Justice has sonic issues.  We all are aware of this by now.

Let’s dig into this hour-plus album and hear what the fuss was all about.

A backwards guitar harmony fades in from the start, a striking and cool effect.  Then immediately the riff and drums kick in, and the snare is loud.  It dominates the mix, with the riff itself chugging away behind.  James Hetfield awakens the dead, and this could have been his vocal peak, in terms of grit combined with sheet lung power.  “Blackened” is a blast, like Metallica of old, and though the pace is breakneck to start, it soon switches up to a deliberate march.  Lars is absolutely bangin’ away, and there are so many wicked riffs and licks that you’ll want to go back and take notes.  This is a textbook course in writing metal, with a dose of complexity and catchy challenges.  Kirk Hammett really plays some cool stuff in the solos as well, demonstrating his experimental side just a tad.  “Blackened” is the only song on the album with a Newsted co-writing credit.

The title track is second, almost 10 minutes in length and loaded with riffs and tempos.  Hetfield growls like a beast of the social ills of the world.  Lars’ drum parts are almost out of the jungles.  It’s a cool track, undoubtedly powerful and a peak for a certain kind of Metallica track.  They had come a long way from their New Wave of British Heavy Metal / punk rock hybrid sound of old.  But, much like Iron Maiden at the same time, Metallica were becoming more interested in progressing musically.  You can actually hear some bass on this track ,and Jason’s really playing some wild stuff.

At this point of the album, we’re getting acclimated to the frigid cold mix and brittle guitars.  Kirk’s wild solos are an anaesthetic to the constant cutting of James’ rhythm guitar.

On vinyl, this is where side one would have flipped to side two, opening with “Eye of the Beholder”.  Cool, underrated opening riff to this song, and again Lars sounds like a jungle beast.  James is singing lower, but with the same ferocity.  Lyrically, James tapped into the angst and frustration that their fanbase felt in their lives.  He was able to articulate for them, the things that they were seeing in their world.  And they were pissed off.  Kirk’s solo comes from a more exotic locale, but fits in regardless.

“Beholder” ends somewhat abruptly, and then the opening machine gun fire of “One” announces the arrival of the coming hit single.  The clean guitars that open the track actually sound pretty good, though the snare drum is a sharp contrast to them.  Though not Metallica’s first foray into softer tones of metal, “One” was top-notch.  There’s no need to go into details on the lyrics as that could be a post unto itself.  Like many classic metal bands before them, Metallica took inspiration from literature, though via a film interpretation.  The anti-war word resonated with the audiences of 1988.  The video, using dialogue and visuals from the film Johnny Got His Gun, was all but universally lauded.  As a song, “One” doesn’t need the video to stand up.  It builds until it eventually turns into a musical battlefield, with machine guns made of bass drum hits, and explosions from snares.  Then Kirk’s solo tells a story of its own, a manic tale of fight-or-flight tension.  “One” is every bit as good as they say it is.

This is where vinyl, or even cassette, has their advantages.  This is a good place to give your ears a break, at the end of side two.  Ear fatigue will set in if you don’t take a moment here!  So, on your CD player or streaming service, take a pause.  For vinyl, just keep flippin’.

Side three opened with “The Shortest Straw”, another hammering riff, and then Metallica take it for a twist.  Hetfield is barking mad on this one!  It is not the most memorable of the Justice nine, but it doesn’t play it simple or safe either.  The chorus is one you can shout to, and Kirk’s solo is certainly unorthodox.

“Harvester of Sorrow” became a concert standard, and it is a bit of a needed slower moment after the brutality was that “Shortest Straw”.  The riff is simpler, more deliberate and to the point, and melody is present in the vocal growls!  It’s one of their more accessible moments, but for some irate Hit Parader reader to call stuff like this “Bon Jovi” is utterly ridiculous.  It’s slow but stomping.  James’ vocals would still raise the dead.

Side three’s closing track is the lesser known “The Frayed Ends of Sanity” and I still hate that “oh-wee-oh” bit (“March of the Winkies”) from The Wizard of Oz that opens it.  Totally out of place, and I could swear New Kids on the Block or somebody like that used the bit in one of their songs too.  Anyway.  The band never played it live until 2014, making it the last song from Justice to make it into the live set.  That’s not to say it’s a bad song – there’s a really cool middle section that just builds and builds, and then unleashes an absolute monster of a riff, like Iron Maiden on speed.

The final side features Cliff Burton’s last writing credit, “To Live Is To Die”.  Almost 10 minutes in length, this largely instrumental track features the appearance of the Metallica acoustic guitars, which soon give way to robotic hammering and a monumental set of riffs.  Solo work by both James and Kirk is extraordinary.  There are left turns, and it all serves to set up the closing blast of “Dyer’s Eve”.

“Dyer’s Eve” is a thrash blast of metal; so fast that it’s the only “short” song on the album at 5:12.  It comes in suddenly and after a brief cascade of metal madness, and goes full thrash, pedal to the metal, all burners on full.  It’s so much, packed into such a short space.  It’s one of the most effective songs on the album for that reason, and a bit of a cult classic.  “Dyer’s Eve” is one of the deep cuts that just scream for more exposure.

Justice is a trip, a journey, a series of chapters in a larger story.  It deserves the scrutiny given to its mix but conversely, it also deserves as much attention as your ears are able to pay to it.  Despite the lack of bass, there are things here your mind can dissect down to some brilliant performances if you give them the focus.  Justice is not an easy listen, but they don’t all have to be.  The cool thing with it is, as you grow with it over the years, different songs become your favourites.  Maybe 30 years ago, it was “One” or “Blackened”.  Then after a while, maybe “Beholder”, then “Dyer’s Eve” and “Shortest Straw”!  The album will never cease to have favourite moments if you love Metallica.

It would be easy to give it a 5/5 stars, but the issues with the bass cannot be ignored.

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Sword – III (2022)

SWORD – III (2022 Massacre Records)

Talk about a comeback.  34 years after 1988’s “final” Sword album Sweet Dreams, comes Sword III!  With the full original lineup intact!  Rick Hughes – lead vocals.  Dan Hughes – drums.  Mike Larock – bass.  Mike Plant – lead guitar.  Forget about Saints & Sinners; this is the real deal, heavy as fuck, modern and edgy.  At 34 minutes and seven songs (plus an instrumental), it’s not the beefiest album, but the fact that it exists at all is what counts.

III is less thrashy than either Metalized or Sweet Dreams.  It is, however, nice and heavy.  Perhaps heavier than Sweet Dreams overall.  Rick Hughes’ voice has lost its screaming grit but the man still has impressive power and range.

Opener “Bad Blood” is an uptempo metal romp, with a high-pitched chorus that hits the spot.  What really satisfies are the guitars by Mike Plant.  He’s got a great tone and the riffing here is memorable and hard-hitting.  His solo on “Bad Blood” is just as tasty.  “Bad Blood” is an excellent example of the sound of “new” Sword.  Heavy, modern, determined and unstoppable…but with remnant stylings of the 80s still intact!

“(I Am) In Kommand” was released in 2020 as Sword’s comeback single.  This is its first physical release, finally!  Fast with ripping guitars, “In Kommand” is indeed in charge of the assault, but what’s with the “K”?  I don’t get it.  However, you’re not going to think too much about it when you’re banging your head.

Track three “Dirty Pig” is a contender for best track on the album.  The riff grinds, but also has some rich Priest-like qualities.  It’s not one dimensional.  And just listen to Mike Larock’s thumping bass underneath!  Sword are a one guitar band and they’ve never really been afraid of that, which lets the bass really breathe.  “Dirty Pig” thumps and electrifies while you pound your fists to the groove.

The brief instrumental “Surfacing” is a cool respite, right before the other contender for best track:  “Unleashing Hell”!  Each verse starts with the line, “1986 in Montreal…” while Hughes weaves a tale of debauchery and a young band on the rise.  “1986 in Montreal, smokin’ chicks, a free-for-all.  In our 20’s, ready to brawl, not much money but lots of balls…”  It really makes you wish you’d been there!

The riffing gets more complex and driving on “Spread the Pain”, a killer track augmented by speed and melody.  This has a Dio vibe.  Then “Took My Chances” slows things down to a punishing pummelling.  Mike Plant doesn’t throw down a lot of fills and solos here, but what he does makes it count.  A mid-song tempo shift makes thing fast and Maiden-esque, which is never a bad thing.

Finally, album closer “Not Me No Way” ends things the right way:  by blasting through a head-banging stomper!  The riff smokes and the chorus is nice ‘n defiant!  “Not me!  No way!  I will not play nice!”  Very reminiscent of old Rick Hughes lyrics such as “Life on the Sharp Edge” from Sweet Dreams.  “We didn’t talk, we walked!”  He’s always been great at writing defiant songs about not conforming and not compromising.  It seems appropriate to end Sword III with defiance.

The question I’ve been pondering is, “Does Sword III kill the previous two albums?”  That’s a tough call on an uneven field, because this album really only has seven songs.  It wouldn’t be controversial to say it is their equal, so that’s what I’m going with.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Leatherwolf – Street Ready (1989 Japanese import)

LEATHERWOLF – Street Ready (1989 Island/Polystar Japan)

Leatherwolf progressed in just three albums from an unremarkable thrash band to a melodic, heavy rock quintet with a knack for a hook.  They also had a gimmick: the “Triple Axe Attack”.  Unlike most bands of the time, Leatherwolf boasted three guitarists.  Geoff Gayer and Carey Howe handled the leads while singer Michael Olivieri played the rhythm.  Their first album was just OK, but on their second they signed to a major label and had some decent production.  They also wrote better tunes, and embellished their sound with keyboards and ballads.

By the third, their songwriting chops had really grown.  In the end, this album is less heavy than the first two; a little more straightforward. It still retains thrash metal aspects mixed with ballads, but on the whole this album is more middle of the road.  Track for track, it’s free of filler and each song has some kind of memorable hook that makes return visits a pleasure.

Traditional metal guitar harmonies and thrashing chords blend on the opener “Wicked Ways”, which careens from slow to fast and back again.  Focus is solidly on the guitars, though Michael Olivieri certainly blows all the fuses on lead vocals.  A great melding of styles, like an 80s Iron Maiden song fueled by nuclear fusion.

For a song called “Street Ready”, a dirty groove is most appropriate.  That’s where Leatherwolf take this nasty little tune with bite.  The riff recalls their single “The Calling” from the previous album.  But the first single this time was the balladesque “Hideaway”. A power ballad with the emphasis on power.  Singer Michael Olivieri had a great range and plenty of lung capacity.  A ballad with bite.

Back to heavy, “Take A Chance” is quite thrash, but faster than the mainstream.  The choppy riff could have come from an early Scorpions album, when they had sting.  Keeping the pace is “Black Knight”, an instrumental thrash rocker with amazing drumming courtesy of Dean “Drum Machine” Roberts.  Faster and heavier than anything since their debut.

Back when albums had sides, side two opened with a big powerful anthem, a roll of bass, and earthshaking chorus.  “I am the thunder that starts the rain.”  This song must have been a killer live.  Slow in pace, but the weight comes from that heavy anthemic feeling, defying the storm.

A second ballad “The Way I Feel” is soft by comparison, but doesn’t lack backbone.  Comparable to “Share A Dream” from the last album. Not for everyone — thrash metal people should certainly avoid.  Everyone else will enjoy its melodic power.  Speaking of power, back in that direction is the ragged “Too Much”, careening off the rails at top acceleration.

“Lonely Road” takes us back to huge anthem territory, like “Thunder”, but faster.  A soft keyboard intro is deceptive.  This ain’t no ballad.  This is a banger; you have to let it get going.  They go full-on for closer “Spirits In The Wind”.  Great tune with lots of metal guitar thrills.

In Japan however that wasn’t the closer.  A bonus track “Alone in the Night” is tacked on for added value.  This originated on the 1988 Return of the Living Dead Part II soundtrack (which also featured Zodiac Mindwarp and two Anthrax tunes).  It has a thinner sound to it, indicating it came from a separate recording session.  Not one of Leatherwolf’s better songs, but not a throwaway either.  Just not as memorable, but a valuable addition.

Song for song, Street Ready is the best Leatherwolf album.  Metal bands just don’t try to sound like this anymore.

5/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Leatherwolf – Endangered Species (1984)

LEATHERWOLF – Endangered Species (1984 Tropical Records / 1985 Heavy Metal America)

Leatherwolf carry on today but their origins are found on a humble indi debut from Heavy Metal America records back in 1984.  The Florida band’s original lineup boasted lead vocalist/guitarist Michael Olivieri, who was finding his feet here on the first album.  His voice was enviable; the fact that he could play guitar led to a gimmick called the “triple axe attack” long before Iron Maiden were able to execute the concept themselves.

Opening track “Spiter” takes influence from the aforementioned Iron Maiden as well as the thrash scene on the west coast.  Its blast of metal power serves to open the album with gusto.  The title track “Endangered Species” has a cool layered riff that is almost buried beneath the heavy production.  This is a busy band, with drummer Dean “Drum Machine” Roberts keeping all limbs in a flurry.  A great vintage heavy metal track here, just begging for a recording less flat and brittle.  Plenty of hooks and ideas packed into five minutes.

“Tonight’s the Night” isn’t as memorable, though Olivieri sure gives the vocal his all.  I can’t but laugh at “The Hook”.  “Hey honey, looking for a date?”  Songs about the world’s oldest occupation oh so often veer into cringe territory.  This is no “Charlotte the Harlot” though that seems to be the intent.  “Keep your eye out for the hook!” sings Michael.  The quiet section in the middle is pretty cool and there are multiple nifty riffs, but the song is a clanker.

Side two begins with acoustic guitars, a needed change of tone, and soon it’s back to hammering riffs.  “Season of the Witch” isn’t half bad.  As usual one riff just isn’t enough.  An amped-up Beast-era Iron Maiden seems to be the primary influence.  “Off the Track” has a shouted chorus that passes for a hook.  Not bad, but somehow incomplete like its parts weren’t fully assembled.  A slower tempo and sonic effects make “Kill and Kill Again” an effectively heavy change of pace.  A lot of Maiden in the faster outro, though.  Then accelerate into “Vagrant” which is further into the thrash side, but the production renders the guitars too tinny and without depth.  Fortunately the album closes on title track “Leatherwolf”, a mighty strong Priest-like street fight.

Though they still remained a heavy metal band with three lead guitarists, Leatherwolf added considerably more commercial elements such as ballads and keyboards by the time of their major label debut.  Michael Olivieri would tone down the screamy side of his style, which is used excessively here.  The band had a lot of room to grow, but their youthful exuberance helps make up for it.  There are a few worthwhile tracks that may have a place in your collection, and any fan of the heavier side of vintage metal will enjoy a spin.

2/5 stars

REVIEW: Sword – “In Kommand” (2020 single)

SWORD – “In Kommand” (2020 Combat single)

For only two bucks, you could be the owner of the first new Sword single in 32 years.  The Quebec band made up of Rick and Dan Hughes, Mike LaRock, and Mike Plant have not released a new song since 1988’s Sweet Dreams.  Yes, that’s all four original members, intact and back for Round Two.  Don’t say nothing good came from 2020!  New Sword — betcha didn’t see that coming.

Sword reverted straight to their trash roots on “In Kommand”, a blitzkrieg of a tune with all the necessary goods:  riffs, chugs, and heavy drum blasts.  It would have been among Sword’s heaviest songs if it was on one of their older albums.  How have they not aged?  Over the course of 32 years, it is usually the singer who has changed the most.  Rick Hughes can still get the job done, even throwing in some screams for old times’ sake.  Incidentally, Mike Plant has never gotten his due as a lead guitarist either, and it’s like he hasn’t skipped a beat since 1988.  If there is only one highlight to “In Kommand”, it is the guitar playing of Mike Plant.

According to Rick Hughes, there is an album coming.  They have Dave Ellefson and Combat Records behind them.  “In Kommand” will have to tide us over until then, but things are sounding good so far.  While Sword albums have always been diverse with an assortment of different kinds of heavy, this track is a good sign.  It means they can still do what the fans expect.  If “In Kommand” is anything to judge by, we have an excellently heavy Sword album in our futures.

3.75/5 stars

Support the artist!  Buy the track, don’t just Spotify!

 

REVIEW: Testament – The Ritual (1992)

TESTAMENT – The Ritual (1992 Atlantic)

This may have been the first thrash metal album I ever bought.  I was late to the mosh pit, but I think I chose a good first thrash.  Lead video “Electric Crown” was in rotation on the Power 30, and I loved the speed combined with melody and a virtuoso guitarist.  To me, “Electric Crown” blew away any of the Metallica singles I’d heard so far.  It was way superior to the overly simplistic “Enter Sandman”.

One of the coolest sounds I ever heard came from Alex Skolnick’s guitar. In that melodic, four-note descending lick, the fourth note…just shakes. I sat there in my bedroom with my guitar, trying to make the same sound, failing every time. Skolnick was increasingly interested in jazz, and you can hear that in some of the soloing and tubey tone.

The Ritual is the most commercial Testament album.  That made it an easy gateway to thrash.  Did they sell out?  By all accounts, The Ritual is the album on which Alex Skolnick stepped up in terms on contributions.  As a schooled musician he wanted to try some different things, and indeed he left the band shortly after to grow as a player.  This isn’t a sellout, but it’s the album on which the guy who was trained by Joe Satriani had a lot more influence.  (After he left, the band went hard back to the extremes of thrash with Low and Demonic.)

Not a sellout, then.  But there are definite parallels to the contemporary Metallica album.  The slower metal chug of “So Many Lies” is this album’s “Sad But True”.  The Ritual also has a modern, crisp production (by Tony Platt) though not as fully stuffed as Metallica.

Immediately after “So Many Lies”, drummer Louie Clemente goes into a gallop on “Let Go Of My World”, an angry testament to independence.  See what I did there?  The longest song on the album is the title track, an anti-drug anthem that rocks it slow and forboding.  “Kill yourself, killing time.”  Vocalist Chuck Billy has a mighty set of lungs, the kind that make you listen up.  These lungs are put to great effect on “Deadline”, the mid-tempo banger that finishes side one.  There’s something just slightly different about the beat and there’s nothing equivalent on the Metallica album.  “Deadline” is arresting, kickin’ and menacing all at once.

“As the Seasons Grey” continues the blistering metal, not as fast as yesteryear but more measured.  Dig that false ending.  “Agony” and “The Sermon” offer some variety, but Testament are best when served fast.  Right?  Right?  No – check out the ballad “Return to Serenity”!  Testament were of course no strangers to ballads.  “The Ballad” and “The Legacy” worked out well for them previously, but “Return to Serenity” blows them away.  Alex Skolnick’s clever, echoey guitar hook is spellbinding.  This incredible ballad really should have been a hit.  That’s why they included it again on 1993’s Return to the Apocalyptic City EP.  It should be as well known as hit ballads by another big name thrash band.  The Ritual closes on a stampeding “Troubled Dreams”, an album highlight and as persistent as the wandering nomad in the lyrics.

There are more important Testament albums than The Ritual, such as their landmark Practice What You Preach.  It still remains a high water mark in the catalogue.

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Sword – The Best Of (2009)

SWORD – The Best Of (2009 Unidisc reissue)

There are two versions of this CD:  a 2006 release on Aquarius, and a 2009 reissue on Unidisc.  Don’t waste your time on the 2006 CD, which is made up of previously released material.  Go for the 2009 disc, with three unreleased bonus tracks!

Sword (not The Sword) are a Canadian band from Quebec who released an impressive heavy metal debut album in 1986.  They gained the attention of Motorhead who took them out on tour.  They followed it in ’88 with Sweet Dreams, just as good as the first, but commercial success eluded the band.   They toiled away on a third album, but eventually the band dissolved leaving only singer Rick Hughes.   He returned in 1992 with Saints & Sinners, and a new hard rock sound, but that was fated to sell poorly too.  It was inevitable after grunge hit.

Rick Hughes remained active as a singer in Quebec and in 2016, he released a Sword live album, Live Hammersmith, recorded in ’87 on the Motorhead tour.   Then, unexpectedly in 2018, the original lineup reunited!  They have already played live gigs and are recording a new Sword album.  If you plan on catching up (and you should!) then check out the 2009 Best of Sword disc.  Besides the three unreleased demos, you’ll get a dozen rockers and thrashers that will melt skin.

The first salvo of “Stoned Again” and “F.T.W.” are a pair of killers.  They were the singles from the first album, well loved by Canadian fans of the Pepsi Power Hour.  “F.T.W.” is a smokeshow, with a blistering gallop and brain-burning chorus.  On the other hand, groove is all about “Stoned Again”, a surprisingly catchy number that is hard to forget.  Strangely, their final single “The Trouble Is” (from Sweet Dreams) isn’t on here.  “Life on the Sharp Edge” is also missing.

Omissions aside, The Best of Sword showcases the sound of the band with a lot of their best material.  More serious and topical songs like “Land of the Brave” will appeal to the thinking metal head.  Meanwhile “State of Shock” will rip skulls right off — be careful you don’t play it too loud!

The first of the bonus tracks, a song called “Get It While You Can”, might be a demo from the third album, before they transitioned into Saints & Sinners.  It’s the most “hard rock” Sword song of all of them.  It definitely sounds like a stepping stone to what would become the Saints & Sinners album.  The other two tracks are demos of “Runaway” and “Stuck in Rock” from the first LP, with different lyrics.

Because the first two albums are out of print, The Best of Sword is an easy way to sample their tunes before that third album comes.  Go for it — but only the full 15 track version.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Sword – Sweet Dreams (1988)

scan_20170121SWORD – Sweet Dreams (1988 Capitol)

Canada’s mighty Sword took another swing on their second and final album Sweet Dreams.  They recorded a fine debut in Metalized (1986), but as with any band, growth is expected on album #2.  No problem for Sword.

Metalized was relentless, thrashy, fast, and punishing.  Sweet Dreams is heavy but diverse.  This is immediately obvious on the opening title track.  The tempo is condensed to a slow metal Zeppelin stomp.  The melodies are more focused.  The sound (thanks to Gggarth and Jack Richardson) has more oomph and depth.  What the band sacrificed in speed was paid back in other qualities.

Capitol records released “The Trouble Is” as the first single/video. Rick Hughes’ enviable voice makes it sound like Sword, otherwise it could have been one of Dokken’s heaviest tracks. The lyrics are surprisingly still valid in 2017: “People are lying, they keep on trying, to live where they can be free. They jam into boats with a knife at their throats…” It hasn’t changed much in 30 years. “Land of the Brave” tackles war, a popular metal topic ever since Black Sabbath wrote “War Pigs” back in 1970. The screams of Rick Hughes mimic the horrors of the battlefield. An apt comparison would be Iron Maiden, with a little bit of Metallica. For some rebellious attitude, check out “Back Off”, which hits the gas pedal during the chorus. Another popular metal topic: “Back off preacher, stay away!” Ozzy would have been proud. Guitarist Mike Plant blasts through his solos effortlessly, showing off a variety of rock styles. “Prepare to Die” (also heard on the recent Live Hammersmith CD) is the thrashiest of the bunch on side one, sounding like vintage Sword.

Cool thrashy shreddery kicks “Caught in the Act” right in the nuts to commence side two.  It switches up on “Until Death Do Us Part”, focused by the stomp of the beat.  If Sweet Dreams has any weakness it is that there are two Swords.  The speedy metal of “Caught in the Act” and “Until Death Do Us Part” are a contrast to the more accessible rock of “The Trouble Is”.  One of the most stunning tracks on the album is “The Threat”, on which all the ingredients mix perfectly.  (They get bonus points for naming themselves in the lyrics:  “Ride with the sword in your hand, and some day with the sword you will die.”)  For a real surprise check out the slide guitar grease of the incredible “Life on the Sharp Edge”.  It’s all over with “State of Shock” which will knock you senseless for all the headbangin’ going on.  Seems Motorhead must have rubbed off on them a bit.  “State of Shock” goes out like a champ leaving you punched out drooling on the mat.

Sword stopped after two albums and Rick Hughes moved on to the mainstream rock band Saints & Sinners.  Sweet Dreams succeeded as a second album should.  It pushed the sound outwards.  Hughes and company should be proud of both of their records.

4/5 stars

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REVIEW: Sword – Live Hammersmith (2016)

scan_20170103SWORD – Live Hammersmith (2016)

30 years ago, there was a heavy metal band from Quebec named Sword.  They only released two albums (Metalized and the more ambitious Sweet Dreams) before disbanding at the end of the 1980s.  Lead singer Rick Hughes is one talented guy though, and he gave it another shot with a hard rock band called Saints & Sinners in 1992, who were produced by Aldo Nova.

Hughes has remained active in Canada, though Sword are now long gone.  Fortunately the internet has given old metal bands like Sword a way to get back in touch with their fans.  Thanks to the web, you can now buy a live CD recorded in 1987 on Sword’s opening tour with Motorhead.  Lemmy took the band under his wing early on and fortunately this live tape survived.  They played two nights at Hammersmith Odeon and recorded them to 4-track tape.  The liner notes do not state which gig the CD is from, or if it is a mixture of both.  Considering the age of the tapes, Sword’s Live Hammersmith CD stands up remarkably well.  There is a real sense of “being there” at Hammersmith, in spite of (or because of) the sonics.

Ripping through all 10 tracks from their debut album, Sword made the most of their opening slot.  Even so, they still had time for a brand new song too, “Prepare to Die” (later released on Sweet Dreams).  With 11 songs and only 36 minutes, Sword’s already thrashy material seemed faster live.  Sword’s songs had the goods, too.  These blazing aggressive tunes weren’t simple or easy.  Most importantly, Rick Hughes’ incredible metal shrieks were 100% intact in the live setting.  Hughes’ voice was critical to the Sword sound, being their most unique characteristic.  It is always disappointing when you hear a band live, and the singer can’t scream like the album.  Not a problem with Sword.

The singles “F.T.W.” (“Follow the Wheels”) and “Stoned Again” are the immediate highlights.  The gallop of “F.T.W.” sounds like a heavier Iron Maiden, while “Stoned Again” goes for the groove.  If anything, the songs have more impact in the live CD setting.  It is quite possible that Sword were one of those bands who were better live than on album.  They were, at the very least, flawless live.  Rick Hughes didn’t miss a note, word or scream.  Dan Hughes (drums) was also bang-on.  You can’t get a live album like this without the rhythm section doing it right.  Dan Hughes and bassist Mike Larock were right there, locked in, and driving the machine forward.  Larock had the groove, and also a knack for throwing in catchy bass runs.  As for the lead work, Sword were a one-guitar band, so Mike Plant had to switch from rhythm to lead seamlessly, and he made it all sound easy.

Inhabiting the fine line between metal and straight-up thrash, perhaps Sword were not unique out there in the 80s trying to make it.  This CD proves that they did have the talent.  As Henry Rollins says, live is “the only way to know for sure”.  A soundboard recording like this is as close as you will get.

As an added bonus (always appreciated in these frugal days), the Sword CD is signed by all four members and comes in a jewel case.  A very nice reward for the devoted fan.  You can buy Live Hammersmith from the Sword Facebook page.

4/5 stars

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