format: LP
year: 1989
country: Singapore
label: Nsr / WMA Records
#: WMA 0588
info: -
style: Heavy Metal
Side A:
Side B:
In the shadow of their more famous (ha!) countrymen Rockers and Rusty Blade lies the more myserious Aces, unfortunately with only one single full-lenght album to their credit. Stylewise this one belongs in the Neo-Classical Metal niche, but luckily it's whole lot more diversified than most albums in this genre and it does come with some much appreciated Asian Exoticism squeezed into most songs on the album. The opening title track makes it clear we're not talking about the more limpwristed, mellow end of the NCM-spectrum here. Aces are rough, HEAVY Metal through and through, often with a welcomed dark streak. Comparisons to Rising Force's "Marching Out"-album are unavoidable and it continues with the almost Doom Metal "Keluhan", which could be their "(I am a) Viking", and "Amarah" reminds us a lot of "Anguish And Fear"..
No. Wait..
It is "Anguish And Fear"! Ha! again. Funny enough no proper credits are given, only a mere hint in the song credits, where instead of a bandmember/bandname we find the word "Copyright". Well, doG forbid they'd ever forget about copyrights...
"Mengapa" shows their most epic and anthemic side and encompasses all the finest traits and strenghts of the band in one song - should have been The Single if you ask me. Another track that stands out is the short, uptemo "Nenek Ku". A Punk-Metal tune on a Neo-classical HM album is simply a too contradictory a phenomenon to be allowed to exist, and ok, maybe 'punk-metal' is the wrong term but it's a very catchy/snappy/spunky piece yet so full to the brim of Asian Cool. They round up perfectly with their fastest number: "Siksa" is US Powerspeed at its finest, very similar to Savage Grace or even early Agent Steel in hooks and tempo.
So, while not quite on par with the peaks of the aforementioned Singaporian Big 2's discography, "Hidup" definitely has a place in the vault of most obscure 80's Metal vinyl collectors. If anything, the damn-near world record of only 3 outta 10 songs being ballads(!) should pique the interrest of those normally sceptical of the Singapore/Malaysian Metal scene.