Showing posts with label 1983. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1983. Show all posts

Saturday, February 20, 2016

LeRoux - So Fired Up (1983)


Country: USA
Year: 1983
Line-up: Fergie Frederiksen (vocals), Tony Haselden (guitars), Jim Odom (guitars), Leon Medica (bass), David Peters (drums), Rod Roddy (keyboards)

Track Listing:
1.  Turning Point  4:55
2.  Carrie's Gone  3:48
3.  Wait One Minute  4:29
4.  Yours Tonight  3:42
5.  Back in America  3:45
6.  Let Me In  3:55
7.  Lifeline  4:30
8.  Line on Love  3:38
9.  Don't Take It Away  3:18
10.  Look Out  4:12





Fletchanator's comment: This is one for fans of early 80s AOR, along the lines of Toto, Foreigner, Loverboy and Journey. LeRoux (originally Lousiana's LeRoux) had released four albums between 1978 and 1982 with Jeff Pollard on vocals, but he found God and renounced rock 'n' roll music, so in stepped Fergie Frederiksen to take over the microphone. Fergie would stay with LeRoux for just this one album before taking Bobby Kimball's spot in Toto a year later (creating the great album Isolation), another gig that would end short with his firing in 1985. Sadly Fergie died in 2013.
As mentioned above, this is American AOR in every sense of the word. If you like the bands listed above, you'll enjoy this for sure. Fergie had one heck of a voice and the rest of the band is tight.

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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Steeler - Steeler (1983)


Country: USA
Year: 1983
Line-up: Ron Keel (vocals, guitar), Yngwie Malmsteen (lead guitar), Rik Fox (bass), Mark Edwards (drums).

Track listing:
1.  Cold Day in Hell  
2.  Backseat Driver  
3.  No Way Out  
4.  Hot on Your Heels  
5.  Abduction  
6.  On the Rox  
7.  Down to the Wire  
8.  Born to Rock  
9.  Serenade  

Requested by Geno

Fletchanator's comment: Steeler is one of those "lightning in a bottle" bands that came and went in the blink of an eye. For a moment in time singer Ron Keel (who later formed the band Keel) and guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen were in a band together and the result is kick ass early 80s hard rock/melodic metal. Malmsteen was just 19, freshly arrived in the US from his native Sweden, when he joined Steeler for their only studio album. Add in a solid rhythm section (bassist Fox had briefly been in WASP and would go on to play with everyone from Sin to Johnny Crash, while drummer Edwards went on to the band Lion).
While there's some characteristic Malmsteen noodling (like on Hot on Your Heels), for the most part this album is free of the over-indulgence that would mark his later career. The overall sound is close to Keel's first two albums, Lay Down the Law and The Right to Rock - raw-edged melodic metal. If you don't have this in your collection you need to change that right now!

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Monday, May 26, 2008

Pantera - Metal Magic [1983]


Country: USA
Year: 1983
Line-up: Tony Lee Glaze (vocals), Darrell Abbott (guitar), Rex Brown (bass), Vinnie Paul (drums)

TRACK LISTING
1. Ride My Rocket
2. I'll Be Alright
3. Tell Me If You Want It
4. Latest Lover
5. Biggest Part Of Me
6. Metal Magic
7. Widowmaker
8. Nothin' On (But The Radio)
9. Sad Lover
10. Rock Out!

Fletchanator's comment: Before they were one of the biggest groove metal bands of the 1990s, Pantera were an unknown glam band from Texas. This is their small-time debut, with second vocalist Glaze, who would give way to Phil Anselmo when the band changed to a more heavy sound. It's almost hard to believe this is Pantera, but Darrell "Dime Bag" Abbott (RIP) is at his blistering best, shredding up the fret board. You can hear various influences, including Van Halen and KISS, and there's a hint of NWOBHM in there as well. Definitely check this one out!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Xcursion - Xcursion EP [1983]


Country: USA
Year: 1983
Line-up: Mark Slaughter (vocals/guitar), Al "Rex" Rumley (bass), Anthony White (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Mouthful of Steel
2. Love is Blind
3. Can't Take It
4. Skull Queen

Fletchanator's comment: Okay, this isn't hair metal or hard rock. It's NWOBHM, kind of like a cross between Iron Maiden and Odin. What does make it worthy of this blog is the fact that it featured a young Mark Slaughter in his first band, prior to Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Slaughter. It's a worthy addition to any hair metal collection for that reason.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Cobra - First Strike [1983]


Country: USA
Year: 1983
Line up: Jimi Jamison (vocals), Mandy Meyer (guitar), Jack Holder (guitar), Tommy Keiser (bass), Jeff Klaven (drums)

Track Listing
1. Blood On Your Money
2. Only You Can Rock Me
3. Travelin' Man
4. I've Been A Fool Before
5. First Strike
6. Danger Zone
7. Looking At You
8. Fallen Angel
9. What Love Is
10. Thorn In Your Flesh

Fletchanator's comment: Another one-record-and-out band, Cobra are probably best remembered for featuring Jimi Jamison before he joined Survivor (where he replaced beret-wearing Dave Bickler and sang such hits as Burning Heart and The Moment of Truth). Jamison's singing makes it hard not to compare this with Survivor - if you like Survivor you'll dig this.

Download (NEW LINK NOV 2015)