US and Canadian Heavy Metal 7"-scene
is still one of the least explored niches in the domain of Old Metal Vinyl Collecting, at least in relation to its size and popularity. Hence forum member and long-time fan & collector of rare American 7"s, Kristian "Khnud" Knutsson has taken on this impossible feat of documentation, making this the 3rd and - surely in the long run - largest Singles-Special of The Corroseum to date...
A note on rarity Most of the releases reviewed herein are to be considered rare, usually released in either 500 or 1000 copies by small independent labels, or by the bands themselves. The rating is therefore an attempt at approximating how often an item shows up for sale.
= Rather common, a copy can most likely be found without too much effort
= Uncommon, still turns up a few times per year
= Rare, you'll most likely have to search a bit before you find one
= Very rare, expect to have to search several years before one turns up
= More or less impossible to find. The number of known copies can be counted with the fingers of one hand
Also, please note that rarity scores might change over time. A good example would be the Hazardous Waste 45, which was once believed to have been released in only 200 copies and was at that point a very expensive and desired item. Many years later another 300 copies were discovered in a warehouse and the item is, at the time this is written, reasonably easy to find at an affordable price.
A note on ratingReviews are subjective. What I think is great, someone else might think is crap. And the other way around. I strongly suggest using the reviews as a general guide and not as a definitive quality indicator.
= Bad. You probably don't need this unless you're a manic completist (like yours truly)
= Ok, but nothing spectacular
= Good, definitely worth checking out
= Great, buy or die!
= You need this more than oxygen...
Finally, I'd like to thank John Haupt, without him this project would never have been possible.
Karizma - Soups On / Love Bites
(Electric Lady Records, 1981)One of the few bass fronted hard rock bands I’ve come across so far. And while “Soups On” has a nice, driving rhythm, “Love Bites” is a complete and utterly forgettable snooze fest. Too bad, as the bass before guitar formula on the a-side is pretty interesting. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Killer Mantee - Red Lipstick / Wanna Rock / Vamp Of Hoboken
(Electric Lady Records, 1981)I admit it! I bought this solely because of the "Murder Rock" moniker on the label. It surely must be a quality indicator, right? Well, let's evaluate: the a-side sounds a bit like a hard rocking version of "Peter Gunn Theme" played at faster speed and with tough vocals. The b-side is a slower affair with a promisingly heavy intro riff and sure enough we're talking of a pretty darn decent hard rock/metal tune here. The "Murder Rock" tag delivers! Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Killing Machine - In The Blood / Death Or Glory
(Metallic Mayhem Records, 1992)Featuring two members of DEVASTATION, you might expect an all out thrash assault here, but nope. This is more of a tribute to the early 80's, featuring a HOLOCAUST cover on one side and an original number with more than a slight nod to "The Black Album"-era METALLICA on the other. Released both on red and black vinyl, and in equal amounts (500 copies). Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
King Neptune - The Mystic Sea
(private, 1988)This is the second release featuring singer and assumed general surfer dude WALLY PASSET (formerly of SNAKEBYTE fame) as well as bassist BENNY PETRELLA. The more metallic side of this navy blue release - "The Mystic Sea" - most likely contains one of the most memorable choruses ever ("She wants love, I want rock and roll. Is it asking too much?"). Sadly the flipside "Horizon" has way too much of an arena rock feel to it, firmly placing this single in the "one decent, one filler" department. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Kingz - Angel Of The Northern Star / Aim For The Heart
(Harmony Records, 1986)"Angel Of The Northern Star" is an overlong ballad with just enough distorted guitar parts to make some broad minded people dare to call it "epic". But it's a stretch to say the least. Others will probably discard it as being cheesy melodic hard rock. While "Aim For The Heart" picks up the pace somewhat, it doesn't venture further than arena rock territory while one foot remains firmly planted in the dreaded AOR swamp. Avoid. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Knightmare II - Warlord / Probation Violation
(Raucous Records, 1984)Intense and gruff US metal with raw vocals giving the way too short songs a nice "bite" to them. Well worth looking out for, as this material never appeared on any of their other vinyl releases - only on the "Skeletal Remains" CD compilation. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Kruze Kontrol - Say Nope To Dope
(Hey Bud Records, 1988)Socially conscious release, telling you (in an overly dramatic melodic hard rock fashion) that "Drugs are bad, Mkay?" And if you didn't get the message the first time, they'll repeat it on the b-side too. Unfortunately this is just way, waay too wimpy musically to make any lasting impact on any potential listeners. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
