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ANVIL CHORUS - The Killing Sun CD (ROCK026-2). Nearly 3 decades after the group's formation and a couple years after their recent reformation, this legendary underground San Francisco progressive heavy metal band unleashes their first full length debut album for the Rockadrome label. Consisting solely of newly recorded material from their early 80s heyday, it's destined to be the classic album everyone has long awaited from this magical group. Led by guitarist Thaen Rasmussen and vocalist/bassist Aaron Zimpel (who have also had roles in various bands such as Heathen, Metal Church, Vicious Rumors, Release and Control), the integrity of their original sound is fully maintained and should please anyone who has followed the band through the years or owned any of their heavily circulated demo tapes. A 12-page color booklet with liner notes written by San Francisco metal legend Ron Quintana (KUSF/Metal Mania), cover art by Mark Devito (Motorhead) and packed with lyrics and photos, completes this magnificent and much anticipated release.Anvil Chorus. The name itself suggests something a little more than the typical hard rock band; something intelligent and complex, even sophisticated -- and they were. Anvil Chorus made a thinking man's metal. There was such a thing and it wasn't thought of as a style, just good music that put some structure and challenge into a normally repetitive form. Clearly influenced by the prevailing titans of progressive rock and heavy metal of the day, Anvil Chorus was a fount of unique inspirations. A group of talented individuals, half of them multi-instrumentalists and all of them bringing to the table a creative flair. The composition, arrangement and melodic skills enjoyed a harmonic and contrapuntal implementation that was delivered crushingly… hugely. The sound was Big with a capital “B”. The guitar harmonies, keyboard wizardry and bottled-lightning rhythm section were a powerful collision. Heavy riffs, catchy melodies, belting vocals and a refined aesthetic completed the signature sound; Anvil Chorus, in the early 1980’s, rightly earned a buzz of their own for their unique and exquisite style, which to this day continues to be regarded as significant and influential.
Musicians featured on the recording include:
Aaron Zimpel – Vocals, Bass, Synthesizer
Thaen Ramussen – Guitar, Vocals
Joe Bennett – Drums
Phil Bennett - Keyboards, Piano, Hammond B3
Doug Piercy – Guitar (Deadly Weapons, Red Skies, Man Made Machines, Death of a Dream, Tales, Blade, Once Again, Such is Life)
Additional musicians:
Carlos Hernandez – Guitar (Death of a Dream)
Mark Bradley – Piano (Once Again)
Jon Simon - Keyboards (Once Again)
Produced by Thaen Rasmussen and Aaron Zimpel. Recorded at: Denmark Studios, San Francisco CA., Bennett Studio, Walnut Creek CA., Redlight Studio, Martinez CA. Mixed and Mastered By Damien Rasmussen @ Catacombs, San Francisco
Anvil Chorus 2009's touring line-up is:
Aaron Zimpel, Thaen Rasmussen, Carlos Hernandez, Steve Kilgore
Track Listing:
1. Deadly Weapons
2. Red Skies
3. Phase to Phase
4. Man Made Machines
5. After Time
6. Death of a Dream
7. Blue Flames
8. Tales
9. The Blade
10. European
11. Such is Life
12. Once Again
Total Running Time: [57:03]
Press:
“These new recordings on this disc are representative of some of the best moments of those years when Metal was evolving from the depths of obscurity to becoming the huge force it was in the eighties. This Music is Awesome!” - Ron Quintana KUSF/Metal Mania
Head over to www.rockadrome.com to check it out!
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I must say, I myself, was a bit skeptical when re-recording the demo tracks was proposed. Usually, after 20 years re-recordings just don't sound the same, capture that same magic or have some new influences mixed in. Well, I'm here to say you can toss all that out the window when it comes to these guys. The execution here is stunning and with the exception of Blue Flames and The Blade, everything is nearly identical to the way it was originally played. Aaron's vocals and all the masterful guitar work is so much like the original 80s recordings you'd almost swear they were the same tracks. What they were really after was an improvement in the drum sound and overall sound quality (which was lacking on the demos) and they certainly achieved it here. Hopefully, they'll be able to come over to Europe and play Keep It True or Headbangers or something in the future. Enjoy!
