Stos / Open Fire: Metalmania

Review

As the title says, both sides of this split LP were recorded live at the Metalmania festival in 1987. Yeah, those were great times for Heavy Metal in Poland – except
Open Fire and Stos we could see back then in Spodek-hall also cult acts such as Running Wild, Helloween, Over Kill,
Kat, Turbo and others. Sadly in the 90’s Metalmania turned into commercial festival with major bands which have no much with real Metal... This LP is one of the 3 LPs
titled Metalmania ‘87” (there were also 2 other split LPs: Dragon / Wilczy Pajak and Destroyer / Hammer). On the first
side we can find fantastic tracks from Open Fire. This LP shows situation of Metal in Poland back then – almost no demo tapes, almost no full lenght releases but a lot of stuff in radio. So bands such as Open Fire or Stos were well known before having official albums out. Open Fire played Speed / Heavy Metal (later they turned into Thrashing band) in the vein of anicent
Helloween / Running Wild, with Polish vocal lines. Sadly this split LP is their only one
official release, and the Lwy Ognia” LP recorded in 1988 never came out. That’s pity that such great Heavy Metal anthems are still undiscovered. Not so long ago German underground Heavy Metal
fighters from Metal Inquisitor recorded cover tune Twardy Jak Skala” (sung in Polish!). On the B-side we can find mighty Stos. It’s easy to find out that vocalist Irena isn’t in perfect form, but... please imagine, that she did this show few days after her daughter was born! To sum it up: true classic of Polish 80’s Heavy Metal, must have for every serious collector. More about
Stos at www.stos-metal.cjb.net and more about Open Fire soon to be found at
www.oldmetalmania.dragonight.de.

Tracks
Side 1: OPEN FIRE
1.Twardy Jak Skala
2.Metal Top 20
3.Open Fire
4.Widmowy Wladca
5.Lwy Ognia

Side 2: STOS
1.Luna Istnienia (correct title: Ognisty Ptak)
2.Ostatni Dreszcz (correct title: Schizophrenia)
3.Obled Dusz (correct title: Sabat Czarownic)
4.Stos