Various Artists - California Metal [1987]

Country: USA

Year: 1987

Track Listing:

1. Barren Cross - Deadlock
2. Gardian - Marching On
3. Neon Cross - I Need Your Love

4. Hero - I Surrender

5. Deliverance - A Space Called You

6. Mastedon - Wasn't It Love

7. Gardian - Spiritual Warfare

8. Deliverance - Attack

9. Hero - Sing It Out

10. Neon Cross - Son of God

Fletchanator's comment: Now, I'm not a Christian, and this is Christian rock. But if you look past the lyrics and inspiration for the music, you'll get good ol' 80s hard rock. The sound varies from NWOBHM-esque to keyboard-oriented AOR, but most of it is in the guitar-driven hard rock range. This compilation was the first of five put out by Regency Records.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Foxx - Gangster of Love [1993]

Country: USA
Year: 1993
Line up: Rick Bostique (vocals), Marty Smilek (bass), Kevin Tipton (guitar), George Stallings (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Gangster of Love
2. Almost There
3. Shot of Your Love
4. Dont Say Goodbye
5. The Heart Is Won
6. Fire It Up
7. Devils Dance
8. I'll Be There in Time
9. Roxy
10. Heartbeat in a Heart

Fletchanator's comment: The only album by midwest rockers Foxx (not to be mistaken for a band by the same name that released an album called The Grand Finale in 1995), this is poppy melodic rock in the style of Trixter and with elements of Danger Danger.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Adam Bomb - Grave New World [1993]

Country: USA

Year: 1993

Line up: Adam Bomb (vocals/guitar), Jimmy Crespo (guitar), Phil Feit (bass), Sandy Slavin (drums)

Track Listing
1. Johnny In The Sky
2. Rock Sex City
3. Doin' The Business
4. Hug Me 'Til Ya Drug Me
5. Sister Enemy
6. Grey
7. Hang It Up
8. Magenta Sky
9. Airport Called Sad
10. Down The Hole
11. Can You Hear Me?
12. Don't Look At My Eyes
13. A Pretty Price
14. Killer Machine

Fletchanator's comment: Adam "Bomb" Brenner played with TKO and Steeler, and even auditioned for KISS while a teenager. His own Seattle-based band, Adam Bomb, put out a string of albums in the 1980s and 90s, including this 1993 effort. 1993 in Seattle wasn't exactly a good time for glam metal bands, but Grave New World bucked the trend.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Brighton Rock - Take a Deep Breath [1989]

Country: USA
Year: 1989
Line up: Gerry McGhee (vocals), Greg Frazer (guitar), Stevie Skreebs (bass), Johnny Rogers (keyboards), Mark Cavarzan (drums)

Track Listing
1. One More Try
2. Hangin' High And Dry
3. Can't Stop The Earth From Shaking
4. Outlaw
5. Ride The Rainbow
6. Rebels With A Cause
7. Power Overload
8. Who's Fooling Who
9. Unleash the Rage

Request of: MauFletchanator's comment: The follow up to the excellent "Wild Young and Free" isn't quite as good, but is still a great album by one of Canada's premiere hard rock acts. A good mix of rocking tunes and sing-along ballads.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Knightshade - Knightshade [1995]

Country: New Zealand
Year: 1995
Line up: Wayne Elliott (vocals), Rik Bernards (guitar), Simon Garlick (guitar), John Bell (bass), Alan Grady (drums)

Track Listing
1. Top Dog
2. Keep Trying
3. You Don't Need Me
4. Heart of Stone
5. My Kind of Woman
6. The Physical You
7. Hate You in the Morning
8. Television Eyes
9. Blood and Money
10. Out For The Count 11. Million Dollar Love 12. Summer Insanity 13. Last Night in the City

Fletchanator's comment: Here is an extremely rare treat for you, my loyal blog readers. In fact, this is about the only album I'll upload to this blog that I can guarantee you won't be able to get anywhere else. In the 1980s, Knightshade were the hottest hard rock/hair metal band in New Zealand. This album is their "best of" collecting songs from between 1985 and 1995, and it's not available outside of NZ, and is even rare in this country. Singles such as "Blood and Money" and "Out For the Count" were big hits here back in the day, but my favourite tracks are the ballads "Last Night in the City" and "You Don't Need Me". Knightshade is straight-forward, guitar-orientated hard rock. Enjoy!

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

Faster Pussycat - Faster Pussycat [1987]

Country: USA
Year: 1987
Line up: Taime Downe (vocals), Greg Steele (guitar), Brent Muscat (guitar), Erik Stacy (bass), Mark Michals (drums)

Track Listing
1. Don't Change That Song
2. Bathroom Wall
3. No Room For Emotion
4. Cathouse
5. Babylon
6. Smash Alley
7. Shooting You Down
8. City Has No Heart
9. Ship Rolls In
10. Bottle In Front Of Me

Request of: RaikkuFletchanator's comment: Faster Pussycat almost breaks my rule about not uploading "major" hair metal bands, but since it's the debut album and not their huge hit, Wake Me When It's Over, I'll let it slide. This album is pure, unadulterated LA glam metal, in the vein of LA Guns, GNR and the like. The song Cathouse, named after a club singer Taime Downe owned in LA, is the kind of sleaze anthem you could imagine playing in a Sunset Boulevard strip club back in the 80s, and there are plenty more solid songs on the album.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)

KIX - Blow My Fuse [1988]

Country: USA
Year: 1988
Line up: Steve Whiteman (vocals), Ronnie Younkins (guitar), Brian Forsythe (guitar), Donnie Purnell (bass), Jimmy Chalfont (drums)

Track Listing
1. Lite, Green Lite, TNT
2. Get It While It's Hot
3. No Ring Around Rosie
4. Don't Close My Eyes
5. She Dropped Me The Bomb
6. Cold Blood
7. Piece Of The Pie
8. Boomerang
9. Blow My Fuse
10. Dirty Boys

Request of: Scott LullFletchanator's comment: I remember buying this album on cassette in '88 and loving it. KIX had put out three albums prior to this, but Blow My Fuse was their first big success. The ballad Don't Close Your Eyes got plenty of radio and video play. From Steve Whiteman's great voice to the echoey drums and Def Leppard-esque guitaring, KIX were awesome. If you like KIX, check out Steve Whiteman's other band, Funny Money too.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)