format: LP
year: 1985
country: USA
label: Private Pressing (Released in Germany)
#: [tba]
info: Edition of 500 copies
style: US Metal
Tracks
1) Keepers Of The Sword
2) Dragon
3) Rock Forever
4) Leaving Tomorrow
1) Blonde & 16
2) Such A High (Rock'n Roll)
3) Deep Depression
4) Night Of The Axe
Es sieht so aus, als würde das Sammlervolk demnächst auf eine sehr harte Prüfung gestellt, will man einen Blick auf dieses erst vor kurzem von unserem allseits schürfenden Vinyl Vinnie ausgebuddelte Stück Vinyl zu erhaschen. Das Wörtchen "Selten" bekommt mit SABRE's "Keepers Of The Sword" eine völlig neue Bedeutung. Was sich Covertechnisch vor dem Auge projiziert läßt schon im Vorfeld die Münder wäßrig machen. Der geschickt in den Säbel eingearbeitete Bandname produziert Glückshormone, wie es selbst zartes und williges Frauenfleisch nicht zu vollbringen vermag. Befremdend wirkt hingegen der Blick zum Backcover. Vier kurzhaarige, völlig unmetallisch im Outfit posierende Burschen, bei dem einzig und allein das "Van Halen" T-Shirt des Drummers und der im Hintergrund befindliche, kunstvoll geschmiedete eiserne Zaun für so etwas wie metallische Stimmung sorgt. Kennt man allerdings die Hintergründe die zu diesem völlig obskuren Vermächtnis führten, versteht man warum die Band nicht mit arschlangen Matten dienen konnten. Ähnlich wie bei SHADOW, haben wir es auch hier mit vier in Deutschland stationierten amerikanischen Soldaten zu tun, die wohl zum bloßen Zeitvertreib diese Band gründeten. Warum "Keepers Of The Sword" bislang nie in Erscheinung getreten ist, liegt wohl daran, dass der Großteil der Auflage mit Mann und Maus zurück in die Staaten verschifft wurde, nachdem die Jungs ihren Dienst in Deutschland quittiert haben. Beachtliche fünf Stück sind in Europa bekannt, respektive sind die Chancen gleich null jemals ein weiteres Exponat zu finden. Schon möglich, dass ein paar Restexemplare in Zukunft ans Tageslicht geführt werden, hier solltet ihr dann aber den Worten des Rezessenten Vertrauen schenken und sofort zuschlagen. Zwar bieten SABRE nicht den geforderten US-Powermetal, trotzdem muß ich sagen, daß sie mit "Keepers Of The Sword" eine Hammerscheibe rausgehauen haben. Durchaus eigenständig, in groben Zügen eine Mischung aus Mid-Achtziger Heavy Rock/Metal und NWOBHM rattert "Keepers Of The Sword" nun schon seit etlichen Tagen unentwegt am Plattenteller. Die Songs lassen keine Wünsche offen, vom schwerfälligen, leicht MANILLA ROAD-mäßigen "Keepers Of The Sword", über den knackigen Rocker "Dragon" und dem treibenden Sprinter "Leaving Tomorrow", hin zum leicht mit DEF LEPPARD/MANOWAR (?) Roots gebildeten "Deep Depression" bis zum finalen "Night Of The Axe" wird des Sammlers Herz bestens bedient und macht den hohen finanziellen Aufwand vergessen. Damit aber noch nicht genug. Des Sängers rockig heißere, dem eines Brian Johnson ähnliche Stimme vermag ebenso zu überzeugen wie auch die druckvolle Produktion aus den "Katapult" Studios in Karlsruhe. Bleibt schlußendlich festzustellen, dass SABRE (ob nun als amerikanische oder auch deutsche Scheibe gehandelt) schon jetzt zu den obskursten Werken aus good old Tschörmany zählt und den Sammler wohl einen ewig langen Beutezug beschert!
NEWS: It was recorded in during the summer of '85 While I was in the Army, stationed in Karlsruhe Germany. I was there from Feb.23,1983-Feb.23,1986. It was recorded at Katapult Studios in Karlsruhe. The records were made by Palace Records. As you can tell from the back of the album, all 4 of us were in the service. I got in my first band in Germany in 83. I had been playing guitar only 4 years. I met Kenny Browder and we got our first band together. We remained together through various band member changes until it became SABRE. We used to practice dam near every day at a rec center in a little sound proof booth. We were pretty cramped in there. We played in back of our buddy's barracks for their parties right out on the grass. We soon notice that more and more people would show up when we played. It got huge! We needed a new place to play and found an old German Luger factory that had been converted, and had number of large room in it. It was perfect. I have to admit it was alittle surreal though. Thinking that years earlier, that factory made guns during the war to shoot american asses! and here we were, 4 americans in there jamming out to Saxon, Priest, Axe, Sabbath, Maiden etc...WEIRD. We started playing out at a half dozen places in and around Karlsruhe. We packed those places everytime! We had about 150 cover tunes down. We played everything from 70's-80's, even some of the current stuff that was out at the time like Accept, Crue, Twisted Sister, Ratt etc....We had a couple originals like Blonde and sixteen and Dragon which we would throw in the mix. We got a good response from those. So we decided to make an LP. We went to Katapult Studios and told them what we wanted to do. The said they in order for us to record there we had to have all the songs written allready. We lied and told them we had them all done when in fact, we had only Dragon and Blonde and 16. We wrote the rest during those few months in the studio. They never found out. I wrote the music to 6 of the 8 songs and the words to Rock Forever and Such a High(Rock and Roll). The record was kind of a way to remember the band and all the great times we had. We knew that eventually when our time was done, the Army would be sending us off here and there and we probablly wouldnt see each other again. We had 500 copies made and they sold fast. People were making cassettes of the LP and handing them out to their friends. I know about 150 copies made it back to the USA. It was a great feeling. I realize that the album isnt "The Wall" or anything great like that but after playing guitar for 23 years i still look back on it with pride. The feeling I got when I saw that needle come down on the record for the first time and heard our tunes, cant be explained. And it for sure doesnt sound like any of the music that was out at that time. Even rarer are about 12 LP's that were signed for people by all 4 of us (on the back over our pics) I dont even have one of those. I have the front and back artwork and the finished reel to reels that Palace used to press the LP's. Also somewhere I have some cassettes of us playing live at a place in Germany called the Icehouse. They are in storage and I will have to dig them out. I was surprised what people saying they are valued at. That is basically the story of the LP. (Pat Murphy / SABRE)