Weird 80's wavy/poppy "Metal"?

[DaN]

[It's not LADY PANK, it's LOMBARD! See below.]

A quite rare (as in unusual) phenomenon and highly unorthodox, but I picked up this cheapo little gem at this weekend's record fair (LADY PANK -"LP 3" lp '86) and got inspired to start this thread.

About LADY PANK:
They seem to be a quite famous Polish rock band that started out in the early 80's. So far I've only heard this album so I can't speak for the rest of their appently huge discog. What you get is original, jerky, uppety rock w/ cheesy 80's keys and wild fem vox. Funny thing is that it's chock-full of pure, awesome Hard Rock/nwobhmish riffing! Just when it starts getting unbearable they totally rock it out and leaves you more than a little bit confused. At their best moments they sound like a "perfect" mix of old Maiden and BowWowWow
If anyone knows or have heard more, let it be know. I'll try to rip & upload this one asap.

Other bands in this non-genre that comes to mind:
THE PLADS (see review), JESTERS OF DESTINY, 80's OBLACHNYJ KRAJ, COVEN (Detroit, see review), a handful of nifty borderline nwobhm 7"s (names escape me at the moment)..

I think weather these bands should count as "Real Metal" or not is a less interesting discussion than weather you like/dislike them and if you can listen to them wearing your "metal ears".

Thoughts? Recommendations? UNrecommendations?

[tbieri]

I don't know LADY PANK, but JESTERS OF DESTINY and COVER are wavy/poppy ??? I don't see that !

One who is, is LEGACY OF LIES ! Wavy, poppy Hard Rock.
Has absolutely nothing to do with Metal, but it IS in Metal Archives !
Good production, but i don't like it at all !

[ION BRITTON]

Hardly a favorite style of mine as far as Metal is concerned.

COVEN is great, but again it's the most metallic tracks that i adore, not those with the dark wave influence.

OBLACHNYJ KRAJ are good, at least on those two albums that i've heard so far, though they are mixing too many styles together, staying constantly away from that "solid, molten metal" tag.

THE PLADS had some decent tracks and some mediocre ones. Anyway i forgot about them almost the next day i heard them.

JESTERS OF DESTINY. Well, i didn't like that one at all. A boring one.

About the NWOBHM 7": probably the worst of their kind. They are not even half as metal as the previous bands and the fact that they are still considered as NWOBHEAVYMETAL just pisses me off.

Hell, what can i say. I like many new wave/poppy bands, but i want my metal pure and powerful.

[GJ]

I've got a Lady Pank LP at home which I found at some fleamarket a few years back. Haven't listened to it. Don't remember the title. Got to make amends.
I´ll be back (also hoping to have found some other representatives to this non-genre within the bleak confinements of my "skivrum").

As for now - Nevskij Prospekt. Anyone heard them. Not metal, not poppy, somewhat wavey - still heavy as hell sometimes. In some ways a precursor to all these cheesy opera-influenced metal acts that plague the world today - along with Nina Hagen, Celtic Frost and Helloween (they provided the extra cheese). I do not know what I am talking about!

[DaN]

I don't know LADY PANK, but JESTERS OF DESTINY and COVER are wavy/poppy ??? I don't see that !

Not 'poppy' perhaps, but they clearly draw influences from other forms of 80's rock (Goth, post-punk, [your 80's 'alternative' style of choice]..) while still remaining metallic. I just simplified the header.

COVEN is great, but again it's the most metallic tracks that i adore, not those with the dark wave influence.

I like the combination and the fact that they make it work without sounding "crossover". A rare phenomenon indeed. That less metallic 2nd tape album was a disappointment though.

OBLACHNYJ KRAJ are good, at least on those two albums that i've heard so far, though they are mixing too many styles together, staying constantly away from that "solid, molten metal" tag.

True, but I find it hard to tell if it's intentional or not. I'd like to imagine they wanted to play "Hevy Rok" [ad russian accent] and their geographical isolation made it sound the way it did.

THE PLADS had some decent tracks and some mediocre ones. Anyway i forgot about them almost the next day i heard them.

That album is a mystery to me. Did they aim for Metal or did they not? Still got no clue, but it carries at least 2 real scorchers.

JESTERS OF DESTINY. Well, i didn't like that one at all. A boring one.

It's a bit hit'n'miss, but their song off Metal Massacre V is bloody brilliant imo.


I don't suppose anyone have heard the "Sentimiento Metalico" LP by Mexicans TNT? What was written about them on Metaleros always had me curious.

[GJ]

JESTERS OF DESTINY. Well, i didn't like that one at all. A boring one.

It's a bit hit'n'miss, but their song off Metal Massacre V is bloody brilliant imo.

...and Diggin' that Grave - the catchiest Heavy Metal tune ever?

[ION BRITTON]

That album is a mystery to me. Did they aim for Metal or did they not? Still got no clue, but it carries at least 2 real scorchers.

Well, again it must be the isolation factor that played a role i guess. They had their nwobhm LPs and an equal amount of post punk/new wave LP and they tried to play like their heroes. The result you hear it on their album. The new wave elements are not thrown in a pretentious "hey, look we are open minded, we like new wave music as well" way, they are very naturally integrated with the rest of the material. At least to my ears.

[DaN]

They had their nwobhm LPs and an equal amount of post punk/new wave LP and they tried to play like their heroes. The result you hear it on their album. The new wave elements are not thrown in a pretentious "hey, look we are open minded, we like new wave music as well" way, they are very naturally integrated with the rest of the material. At least to my ears.

That pins down the style I'm talking about pretty accurately, given that the Hard Rock/Metal parts gets the upper hand.

GJ:
These guys&gurls? http://www.nevskijprospekt.se
I just had a quick listen to 3 random tracks and while it was quite dark I'd file this under 80's Goth/"Depp-Rock". Not bad but not quite what I was aiming at. Maybe the GUDS BARN 7" would be more worthy a mention, even if I think their "Doom Metal"-vibe was just as unintentional.

[DaN]

Bwaaahawhaw..
After I started ripping the "Lady Pank" album I noticed it wasn't LADY PANK at all. Someone put the wrong album in the wrong sleeve so what I'm fact referring to is a band called LOMBARD and their album "Smierc Dyskotece!" ('Death To Disco'?) - still from Poland, year unknown.

[Desolator]

[tbieri]

That album is a mystery to me. Did they aim for Metal or did they not? Still got no clue, but it carries at least 2 real scorchers.

I recieved this message on RateYourMusic from one of the PLADS Musicians !

hey thanks for the good review of my record. theres a long story of why it had such a variety of styles on it. check out my friends band ego www.musicego.com , I still live in ketchikan alaska but did spend six yeas in the l.a. club curcuit. take care Tom Ferry bassist

Sadly he never responded to my PM i've sended him for having some more infos ! I think he didn't visited RYM since.

I Love this Record quite a lot !

[Black Axe]

Here's the trump card.

[Khnud]

a handful of nifty borderline nwobhm 7"s (names escape me at the moment)..

I suppose AGONY BAG fit this description. Guess you've already heard their single, but for those of you who haven't, the title track ("Rabies Is A Killer") starts out with a rather cool riff but quickly degenerates into saxophone/piano-driven weirdness. Complete with a chorus sung in German for some strange reason. The b-side is equally confusing.

[Black Axe]

a handful of nifty borderline nwobhm 7"s (names escape me at the moment)..

I suppose AGONY BAG fit this description. Guess you've already heard their single, but for those of you who haven't, the title track ("Rabies Is A Killer") starts out with a rather cool riff but quickly degenerates into saxophone/piano-driven weirdness. Complete with a chorus sung in German for some strange reason. The b-side is equally confusing.

One of the best NWOBHM bands! They combine grinding NWOBHM guitar riffs with the progressive elements of Black Widow, flute, sax, piano. Definitely weird, but not very wavy/poppy.

Tollwut ist ein Killer!

[ION BRITTON]

AGONY BAG are amazing indeed. But yes i have to agree: they are neither very new wavy nor poppy. More 70's glammy i guess, but still heavy, aggessive and with a touch of original insanity! The 7" is among my favorites.