Hellrazor are clearly going for the classic late
seventies/early eighties melodic metal sound. I would guess these guys are fans
of the early Ozzy solo albums, Y & T, early Dokken, UFO, Scorpions, and the
like, with a bit of a nod to heavier stuff like Priest and Maiden. Musically
Hellrazor would have fit in pretty well with that crop of bands. These guys
have the chops, and they come up with some killer riffs. On the downside, the
songwriting feels kind of typical to me. Not bad, mind you, but none of these
tunes really stands out as a rocker for the ages. I feel kind of the same way
about the vocals. Danny Rail has a decent enough melodic voice, while still
possessing the kind of edge a good metal singer needs. Unfortunately his
performance on this disc feels kind of flat to me. He hits all the right notes,
but he never goes in for the kill. It may sound like I’m being hard on these
guys, but overall I think ‘Feel the Sting’ is a decent album… just not a great
one. If you grew up listening to the pre glam/pre thrash hard rock and metal
bands of the early eighties like I did and kind of miss that style, I recommend
you check these guys out. To buy a copy or for more info visit
http://www.hellrazorband.com/. (Bob Ignizio)
I hear all kinds of influences in this. Everything from
late sixties proto punk/metal to eighties hardcore. They even use sixties
garage rock keyboards on some songs without losing that hardcore edge. Great
riffs abound, and there are even some vocal hooks, although you could hardly
call the vocals on this “singing”. Sometimes the band goes for slow and doomy
sludge, other times they’re playing uptempo but downbeat rock. I’m definitely
reminded of Black Flag and The Stooges, but there’s more than that going on. If
you need a modern reference, think Annihilation Time crossed with The Mummies.
Bottom line, this is good shit. Pick it up. (Bob Ignizio)
Are they
serious or not? That’s probably the first question that will pop into your head
when you listen to this album from Christian garage rockers The Knights of the
New Crusade. If you’re a fan of good raw rock & roll, though, ultimately it
doesn’t really matter because the tunes rock. Rumor has it this band includes
at least a few ex-members of The Mummies. Based on the material here, I’d have
to say that’s at least a possibility. ‘A Challenge to the Cowards of
Christendom’ may not be quite as amazingly awesome as the Mummies ‘Never Been
Caught’, but on songs like “Got Some Gospel for You” and “Father Bingo” it comes
close. Whoever the Knights are behind their helmets and suits of armor, they
know how to write a good tune and play it with raunchy abandon. (Bob Ignizio)
The Match Heads, The Mohawks, Lucky Strikes, and The
Gassers – ‘1981-1985’ (self released)
The Matchheads were an early eighties punk/wave band from
California who weren’t very well known beyond their home town until long after
they had broken up. Later, tracks by the band and its offshoots surfaced on
compilations like the ‘Killed by Death’ series, bringing them some long overdue
attention. ‘Backtracks’ is all Matchheads, and includes most of their studio
material except for their 3 track single “Pearl Harbor” b/w “Fat Bitch” and
“Cadillac”. Those songs are included on the second disc under consideration
here, which also includes music from spin-off bands The Mohawks, Lucky Strikes,
and The Gassers. To be honest, the best stuff here are the three songs from the
original single. That said, the other tunes on ‘Backtracks’ aren’t bad if you
like that early eighties new wave/almost punk kind of sound. The Mohawks have a
little more garage rock influenced, and don’t mind delving into the realms of
the tasteless on songs like “Bill Holden”. Lucky Strikes are even more garagey,
and their sole track “Try It” is a nice little nugget (or pebble). But I think
my favorite material between these two discs is from The Gassers, who are
unapologetically retro sixties garage trash. They’re also unapologetically
juvenile in their lyrics, as songs like “Dick” and “Mud on My Pud” clearly
show. I can’t say this is essential stuff, but if you’re a fan of lost trash
from the days of yore, you could do worse. If you’re interested in hearing
more, check out
http://www.matchhheadsetc.com. (Bob Ignizio)
Hellrazor are clearly going for the classic late
seventies/early eighties melodic metal sound. I would guess these guys are fans
of the early Ozzy solo albums, Y & T, early Dokken, UFO, Scorpions, and the
like, with a bit of a nod to heavier stuff like Priest and Maiden. Musically
Hellrazor would have fit in pretty well with that crop of bands. These guys
have the chops, and they come up with some killer riffs. On the downside, the
songwriting feels kind of typical to me. Not bad, mind you, but none of these
tunes really stands out as a rocker for the ages. I feel kind of the same way
about the vocals. Danny Rail has a decent enough melodic voice, while still
possessing the kind of edge a good metal singer needs. Unfortunately his
performance on this disc feels kind of flat to me. He hits all the right notes,
but he never goes in for the kill. It may sound like I’m being hard on these
guys, but overall I think ‘Feel the Sting’ is a decent album… just not a great
one. If you grew up listening to the pre glam/pre thrash hard rock and metal
bands of the early eighties like I did and kind of miss that style, I recommend
you check these guys out. To buy a copy or for more info visit
I hear all kinds of influences in this. Everything from
late sixties proto punk/metal to eighties hardcore. They even use sixties
garage rock keyboards on some songs without losing that hardcore edge. Great
riffs abound, and there are even some vocal hooks, although you could hardly
call the vocals on this “singing”. Sometimes the band goes for slow and doomy
sludge, other times they’re playing uptempo but downbeat rock. I’m definitely
reminded of Black Flag and The Stooges, but there’s more than that going on. If
you need a modern reference, think Annihilation Time crossed with The Mummies.
Bottom line, this is good shit. Pick it up. (Bob Ignizio)
Are they
serious or not? That’s probably the first question that will pop into your head
when you listen to this album from Christian garage rockers The Knights of the
New Crusade. If you’re a fan of good raw rock & roll, though, ultimately it
doesn’t really matter because the tunes rock. Rumor has it this band includes
at least a few ex-members of The Mummies. Based on the material here, I’d have
to say that’s at least a possibility. ‘A Challenge to the Cowards of
Christendom’ may not be quite as amazingly awesome as the Mummies ‘Never Been
Caught’, but on songs like “Got Some Gospel for You” and “Father Bingo” it comes
close. Whoever the Knights are behind their helmets and suits of armor, they
know how to write a good tune and play it with raunchy abandon. (Bob Ignizio)
The Matchheads were an early eighties punk/wave band from
California who weren’t very well known beyond their home town until long after
they had broken up. Later, tracks by the band and its offshoots surfaced on
compilations like the ‘Killed by Death’ series, bringing them some long overdue
attention. ‘Backtracks’ is all Matchheads, and includes most of their studio
material except for their 3 track single “Pearl Harbor” b/w “Fat Bitch” and
“Cadillac”. Those songs are included on the second disc under consideration
here, which also includes music from spin-off bands The Mohawks, Lucky Strikes,
and The Gassers. To be honest, the best stuff here are the three songs from the
original single. That said, the other tunes on ‘Backtracks’ aren’t bad if you
like that early eighties new wave/almost punk kind of sound. The Mohawks have a
little more garage rock influenced, and don’t mind delving into the realms of
the tasteless on songs like “Bill Holden”. Lucky Strikes are even more garagey,
and their sole track “Try It” is a nice little nugget (or pebble). But I think
my favorite material between these two discs is from The Gassers, who are
unapologetically retro sixties garage trash. They’re also unapologetically
juvenile in their lyrics, as songs like “Dick” and “Mud on My Pud” clearly
show. I can’t say this is essential stuff, but if you’re a fan of lost trash
from the days of yore, you could do worse. If you’re interested in hearing
more, check out
