format: 12"
year: 1984
country: USA
label: Pacific
#: [tba]
info: limited edition of 100 copies as demo/promo only !!!
style: US Metal
Tracks
1) Outside Of Nowhere
2) Tonight Will Rock
1) With You
2) Goddess In The Light
AMETHYST’s story is a pretty typical one: five guys from Chicago form a straightforward heavy metal band in the early 80s, they record one independent 12” EP, and then they go their separate ways, having nothing more to do with the music industry. So what makes their ‘Outside of Nowhere’ release worthy of further discussion?
First off, musically it’s a very good slice of pure American Steel from its day. 1984 was arguably the best year for releases of American Metal by both big-name and no-name bands, with tons of quality releases on demos, singles, and albums. And AMETHYST’s release stands strong amongst all the contenders from that watershed year. All four tracks on here are quite good. While the production is pretty bland, it can’t hide the shine on these gems. The title track has a great guitar hook and a chorus that gets stuck in your head for days. ‘Tonight Will Rock’ is one of those great “put your fist in the air and bang that poodle hair” numbers. It begins with dubbed crowd noise of thousands of fans cheering rabidly for the song to start, which is pretty funny because I’ll bet my ‘Lemmy is God’ limited edition beer mug that these guys didn’t play in front of 1,000 people if you added up every crowd they ever performed in front of and multiplied by five. ‘With You’ is a slower song but not a ballad; it has a gloomy atmosphere and a nice hook. Closer ‘Goddess in the Light’ is a speedier number and again, catchy as all get out. These guys were operating in that early 80s style that was both unapologetically Metal but still accessible enough that they could have, in some alternate universe, made a music video for ‘Outside of Nowhere’ and become the hottest thing to hit MTV since Joe Elliot got interviewed in denim cut-offs (try getting THAT mental image scrubbed out of your cerebellum!).
Secondly, AMETHYST’s story is different because their EP has become one of the Monster, high-dollar rarities among Metal vinyl collectors. Copies don’t turn up often, and in the late 2010s those that did turn up demanded prices well over $1,000. While I think this is a cracking EP musically, I’m at a loss to explain exactly what makes this such a valuable vinyl. In terms of pressing, I’ve heard various tales ranging from a limited run of 100 copies to a more generous 300 copies to reports from the mid-late 90s of unwanted boxes of copies floating around. It also lacks many of the attributes that tend to make Metal vinyl enthusiasts froth at the walle-, er mouth. ‘Amethyst’ is not exactly the most grim, tr00, kvlt handle that five guys from Chicago ever chose for their band. It’s not the name of some Sumerian demon, or the sword wielded by some albino half-dwarven warrior priest in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign- it’s the freakin’ birthstone of February! The cover art is, well there is no cover art… I guess these guys smelled the glove or something. And the music, while awesome, is not exactly the full-throttle, spikes and leather, all guns blazing Metal assault that many Metal collectors clamor for. In a way it’s cool to see people recognize this as a great set of songs, but I gotta wonder if anyone ever really pays those 4-digit prices or not.
And do note that a bootleg does exist and is reportedly a pretty good fake, so if you do decide you’d rather buy a copy of this than pay your rent next month, do your homework to ensure you get the real deal.
Der Kessel der Gerüchteküche brodelte stetig vor sich hin ob der wahrlichen Existenz jener 12" aus Chicago, man verbannte das gute Stück letztendlich sogar aus den Suchlisten. Nach jahrelanger Forschung gelang nun eine archäologische Sensation, das Objekt jeglichen feuchten US-Metal-Sammlertraumes erfüllte sich plötzlich und unerwartet, keine Kassette, wie ursprünglich vermutet, wurde hier ausgegraben, sondern echtes, pures Vinyl. Dem Andi Preisig sei Dank, hiermit wird diesem Prachtstück eines lieblichen Zottelmonster, welches bei jedem Starwars-Film ungeschminkt eine Außerirdischenrolle bekommen würde, auf ewig gehuldigt. "Homo Vinylopithecus" hab Dank!! AMETHYST ließen, ähnlich wie MILITIA aus Texas, eine zarte 100er-Auflage als Promo/Demo-Zweck produzieren. Zusammen mit SLAUTER XSTROYES und PARADOXX bildeten diese Jünger eine kleine aber feine Lokalszene. Der Opener wandelt etwas sleazig daher, verstärkt wird dieser Eindruck durch des Singvögleins Einsatz, netter Beat, netter Refrain, mehr nicht. Nummer zwei wurde live in Minneapolis eingespielt, rockt KISS-manierlich in der Gegend herum, unspektakulär. Wendet man das Vinylblatt nun, darf man ein verhaltenes Intro in Empfang nehmen, welches sogleich in eine ur-MAIDEN Halbballade driftet, hier könnte durchaus der gute Paul diAnno als stimmlicher Ersatz herhalten, emotionale Gitarrenarbeit lässt dieses Liedlein qualitativ hochwertiger erscheinen. Die Würze wie immer zum Schluss: ein kurzes Intro, mystische Gitarrenabriebe, jäh ein fettes Riff und dann ein Schrei, jetzt ist jeder US-Metal-Fetischist dabei. Ein früher US-Hammer mit verzücktem Gitarrengewusel zeigt die Stärken AMETHYST's auf und lässt die A-Seite zum Glück vergessen. Auch bei dieser Scheibe ist das Preisniveau im Verhältnis zum Gebotenen pervers, aber uns Sammlerwesen und Museumswühlmäusen ist das meistens eh wurscht.