Is there any mystery left in Olde Metal Hunting? A harsh question perhaps, but to the cynics and sceptics The Corroseum's answer will always be "Yes!" Plenty of features on this site will prove this point, often
dealing with artifacts possibly even more obscure than those presented below. Yet strangely enough, the
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.
Rampage - Cosmic Warrior / Crash Landing Into The Sun
(private, 1983)With song titles like that, you know there'll be more than just a slight HAWKWIND influence going on here, right? Somewhat true, but only so slightly. While you can get a feel for their space rock leanings on the a-side, the b-side is an extended HENDRIX inspired heavy rock jam. All drenched in a blanket of pretty intense early 80's hard rock. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Razor - Up In The Air / Still Rockin'
(private, 1980)With a name like that, chances are most folks will guess this is likely a heavier outfit. But surprisingly, this is more of a melodic hard rock act with some power pop leanings, released in a rubber stamped white sleeve. And while that moniker might seem off putting to some, nwobhm fans will definitely hear several similarities with bands like MARQUIS DE SADE or DAWNWATCHER when listening to the very breezy and refreshing "Up In The Air". And that chorus is simply to die for - how come this was never a major hit? Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Real Steel - Viking Queen / Excalibur
(private, 1988)It's no wonder this is one of the most coveted of the US heavy metal singles. It's got a great looking picture sleeve, which along the the song titles, invoke images of barbarians conquering neighbouring tribes with fearsome efficiency. Still, it's somewhat of a disappointment. I mean, visually you want this to be the best thing ever, the new MANOWAR even! And it's not. Sure, the music is heavy enough, bordering on thrash on the b-side, but the vocals are much to similar to James Hetfield. And the songs aren't varied enough for this to be a complete METALLICA clone. Close, but no cigar! Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Red Machete - Pull The Rope / Ain't No Mercy
(Amken Records, 1986)A heavy metal rarity that doesn't quite live up to its' reputation. Mainly because the vocalist sounds like an absolute lunatic, and I can't shake the idea of him performing while being restrained in a straitjacket. The songs are heavy enough, but the performance overall isn't exactly tight. At all. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Reddi Killowatt - I Wonder / Liquid Lady
(Radioblitz, 1979)I'll have to admit it takes guts to combine a back beat "Buffalo Soldier"-type song on the a-side with a hard rock guitar hero number on the b-side. Makes you wonder, was this a reggae band who toughened up for once, or was this a JIMI HENDRIX-inspired act who just had a soft spot for BOB MARLEY? Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, if you're into flashy guitar antics, you could actually do a lot worse than to pick up this white vinyl oddity. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Reflectors - Fun / Late At Night
(Glitch Records, 1983)Punky hard rock, or hard rocking punk, depending on how you want to see it. At least on one side - the "Late At Night" one. There's just enough of that "wrong side of the track" attitude and just enough grittiness in the guitars and vocals to make it into this list. "Fun" is 50's era type rock'n'roll and thus utterly uninteresting for the average purveyor of heavy music. If both songs were as good as the b-side this single would be a lot of fun indeed! Now it will merely cause a quick raise of an eyebrow. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Rex Vector - Breathe Fire
(Metal Rock Records, 1985)It's been said numerous times before, and I'll be unoriginal for once (I hope) and join the masses praising the title track here. Complete and utter metal madness, it rarely gets better than this. By the end of the song, you'll be breathing fire for sure. Unfortunately these New York lads failed to repeat their a-side accomplishment on the flip, instead opting for a more glammy arena rock approach (to prove they were commercially viable, no doubt). "Sit Tight" is not bad by any means, it just sort of pales in comparison to the diamond that is "Breathe Fire". Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Rock Angel - Kick’in In The Black / I Won’t Cry No More
(Payola Records, 1986)Old time rockers (and the odd CSI fan) will most likely instantly compare this band to THE WHO, with the intro on Kick’in bearing more than a few similarities to “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. Obscure metal fans, however, will most likely hear the riff from “No Rest For The Wicked” by GRAVEN IMAGE. Regardless, it’s unlikely that either will be disappointed as the song is an absolutely superb example of obscure hard rock/metal goodness. Too bad you have to put up with the ever present crappy power ballad b-side. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Rock Corps - Rock Corps
(Core Productions, 1984)You can safely skip the a-side on this one, as this outfit (most likely hailing from somewhere in Illinois), opted for a very basic heavy rock and roll number on the front page. This approach is completely beyond me, because the b-side is a completely different affair altogether. Heavy, galloping, much more varied, and just about a hundred times as interesting. The idea of preferring generic over varied is just absurd, but I suppose I'm saying this about 40 years too late. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Rockhouss - I Can't Wait / Prime Time
(Decibel Records, 1981)Yet another female hard rock vocalist desperately trying to sound seductive. Sigh. While her crooning might have impressed a few hormone laden teenagers at the time, it just doesn't work on this grizzled reviewer. Musically, this is pretty bland generic hard rock too. Pass. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Rocking Horse - Radioactive / Love Me Or Leave Me
(Colossal, 1981)"Radioactive" wins this year's competition for best SWEET clone ("Action", anyone?). Not bad at all, but unfortunately it's paired with the ever so present b-side ballad, making the sole effort from this Minneapolis, MN outfit quite forgettable. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Roland Quest - Vixen / I Really Wanna Show
(Ultra Records, 1985)Hey guys, guess what? Jon Anderson from YES just joined an arena rock band, aiming to score big with the hair metal crowd! Jokes aside, this is about as catchy and air guitar friendly as it gets on the a-side, and make sure to bring your lighter for the flip. File the a-side next to TRYTAN (simply because I need to stop comparing every band with a high pitched vocalist to a certain Canadian power trio) and the b-side next to DAVID BOWIE. Yes, I'm fully aware of the impracticality of this suggestion, but these reviews are purely for educational purposes anyway. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Rox Starr - She's My Lady / Amy
(Vibrations Records, 1981)All in all a mostly forgettable release, similar in style to the first two RUSH albums but the 70's sounding hard rock songs are way more bland and with a lot less "elf on speed" in the vocal department. Sorry Geddy (should you ever read this), but I had to say it. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Royal Orleans - Husslin' In Hollywood / Valley Of The Shadows
(Bourbon Street Records, 1981)Husslin' in Hollywood is 99% glam free "L.A. style" heavy metal. That remaining one percent comes from using the name Hollywood in the chorus. Unfortunately, the band aren't quite capable of delivering on the flip, as "Valley of the shadows" has a little too much LED ZEPPELIN in it. And skip that cowbell next time, please! Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Roze - All the Day / Whipping Junior Into Shape
(A Vain Production, 1981)Weirdly produced. The singer sounds like he's in an empty assembly hall, preaching to a nonexistent crowd, while the instruments sound like they're recorded approximately two centimeters from your face. That being said, "Junior" kicks some serious, hard rockin' butt, and is a very good reason for you to get this single by any means possible. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Ruby Cadilac - Ten Seconds To Hell
(Lady In Black, 1986)A part goth, part glam, part hard rock, part heavy metal, and all girl band similar to LUCRECIA. This very pink release couples a snooze fest of a b-side with an infectious title track that sounds like it came right out of some 80's horror b-movie. "Ten Seconds To Hell" is indeed a track to remember, but it's not quite enough to lift this release from the swamp of mediocrity. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Rudolf's Nightmare - Silent Night / 12 Days Of Xmas
(Handsome Records, 1988)Oh boy, Rudolf must have had a few too many sips of Santa's eggnog this time... This is simply yet another novelty Christmas 45 that's about a silly as they come. Repetitive hard rock with punky overtones coupled with barely listenable vocals won't help either. Makes me wonder if it's actually possible to make hard rock/metal songs about Christmas that won't make you cringe. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Ryngg - Uptown / Welcome To The Garden
(Ribika Records, 1982)What do you get if you combine one part catchy up tempo hard rock (that would be the a-side) with one part mellow and dreamy psychedelia (you guessed it, that would be the b-side), and then allow it all to be fronted by an ELVIS impersonator? You might get Ryngg! Even though it's currently unknown whether or not the singer actually performed in a white jumpsuit (I'll go out on a limb and guess "no", here), he sure nailed the voice. Unfortunately, this alone will be insufficient to lift this release from out of the "curiosities" pile, as the rest of the music is far too pedestrian to invoke any further interest. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
...and the mandatory, accompanying, downloadable CDR-samplers:
For comments, questions and critique praise of this guide, please visit the designated North-American Heavy Metal 7"s Guide-thread in the forum, or contact The Corroseum (all messages concerning this guide will be forwarded to Khnud)
