Finding
a copy of this record (or most other early South American Metal records)
in Mint condition is just about unheard of. If youre a mint-or-bust
type collector, be prepared to pay up. If you, like me, can settle with
a playable vg/vg copy its not too impossible to find for about €50-€70,
given you have some good contacts. I bought this record simply on recommendation
(thx Hasse!) at a local record fair and it turned out to be a real find.
(Pathetic incident: I later recommended this LP to another collector.
His answer: Sorry, I dont collect South American records.
No wonder record collector is considered an insult amongst
many..) Hassan.. is a J. PRIESTified kick in the groin. The
kind of hard post-70s metal sound that made albums like Sin
After Sin and Stained Class to such groundbreaking classics..
Angeles.. is a slower (but not softer) and more epic piece
which for a few seconds in the middle of the song sound more like JUDAS
PRIEST than JUDAS PRIEST ever did. Then it comes, this rabid monster of
a song! Tierra Prometida is like Thor The Thundergod galloping
over the South American midnight sky on his 8-legged horse Sleipner, both
of them juiced up on Venezuelas finest uncut cocaine! Fuckin
raging METAL that took most of the US scene another 5 years to match.
Side B has slightly less epic songs, but is none the less powerful, with
2 particular standouts: Muerto en Vida, a real crusher and
definitely the fastest song on the album, and the almost doom Resistencia,
another brilliant song well worthy of being a theme-song for the band.
RESISTENCIA are even more ahead of their time than their legendary countrymen
ARKANGEL. Unlike them they never border on Rock/RnR, but stay
consistantly on the narrow Metal path and are also more dynamic in their
songwriting. Despite my repeated reference to another old classic act
I would still say they had a sound of their own. Theres an exotic,
almost graceful vibe throughout the album, not only due to the fine vocal
performance of César Alberto Somoza Torres. Must be their indian
genes. The band produced 3 records between 81-84. 2nd LP Estrategia
contra el Movimiento (82) Ive recently got a CDR-copy of and
it's a Total Metal MONSTER! More info to come as soon as someone can hook
me up with the vinyl. 3rd effort Dacapo is less heavy and
slightly more progressive, but still with one foot in the metal-sphere.
However, most agree that Hencho.. and "Estrategia..."
are both essetials in any collection.