format: Mini-LP
year: 1986
country: Germany
label: Steps Records
#: 720 014
info: -
style: Heavy Metal
Side A:
From the same label who gave us MP, Camelot, Innocence and Wicca comes this beauty - a perfect example of an album that got added to my want-list purely on the merits of its cover. I had never heard a single note of the music before putting down the needle into its grooves and that was perfectly ok because I KNEW that red/black/white sleeve + mini-LP + black widow + upsidedown cross = cannot suck.
As the saying goes, "be careful what you wish for, lest it come true" and no, it
didn't suck, but that's also kind of the one defining trait of the album: It's not bad. There's no particular flaws to point a finger at - production, vocals, musicianship, all are fine and there's not even one sucky tune out of six possible, but they do follow the pedestrian path to the letter:
A1. Catchy uptempo opener, think Judas Priest with Helloween'ish vocal melodies. That one tune you'll remember.
A2. Mid-pace, melodic HM with a slight Scandinavian flair.
A3. The power ballad.
B1. A classy Metal-tune with a nice drive but this is the one tune you'll forget.
B2. Despite its suspicious title, this is
The Fast Song and rather similiar to A1 but you could exchange the Priest- and Helloween-references with the NWOBHM and Iron Maiden.
B3. A chugging instrumental
you'd completely forgot about if it hadn't been That Instrumental One.
So, some people around here might hold this MLP in rather high regard, but for myself I'm not 100% convinced yet. Die-hard fans of Gravestone, Stranger or No Trouble need look no further though...