I
always get slightly irritated when I see 90's and late 80's UK Metal releases
listed as "nwobhm". The New Wave Of Brittish Heavy Metal was linked to
specific events and a specific period in music history and does NOT apply
to every two-bit rock band who released a single in the UK anytime between
1978 and eternity ...with the GRAND exception of this earthshattering
EP! My - F*cking - God. Just look at it! Does it look the least like it
could be one of the finest late 80's European privates? No. Does it even
look like a Metal album?? Nope, I passed it by the 1st time I saw it,
taking it for some sleazoid, post-punk, quasi-alternative, whatever-music.
Thank god there's such a thing as portable record players. Putting down
the needle on this true Metal Treasure for the first time sent me on a
time- and space warp back to UK '81. "Undo The Chains" is like the best
JAGUAR-song never written! If you thought "Axe Crazy" was a hit, wait
until you hear this! It has the same catchyness as, ehr... hm... early
Bad Religion maybe? The tempo then makes a radical change with "Take Me
In Heat", a slow song constructed in the same manner as those early METALLICA-ballads,
but sounding much older and more European. "Running Away" is this bloody
leach of a song which has trasfixed itself on my mind since the day I
first heard it. I've been humming along to that ultra-catchy chorus for
weeks now and it still won't leave my mind alone. It's their most thorough
and basic NWOBHM-song, with the same kind of groove as good ol' SOLDIER
or EF BAND at their best. But better. Then when you'd expect them to run
out of steam they totally knocks you out with the fantastic 6 minute epic
"The End Is Nigh". The vocal melodies of the verse is Epic Power Metal
in it's purest and most basic form; mesmerizing and raw at the same time,
not too far away from the finest moments of Italian masters WYXMER. You
get the impression SHOCKSPLIT were a young band at the time of recording,
something that perhaps the rhythm section suffers for on a few occations,
but they more than make up for it with their 2nd strongest asset (after
their songs): their brillant vocalist Andy "Crate" Carter. He's got this
perfect, clear, juvenile voice that was made for singing NWOBHM anthems.
Where is he now? Where are any of them? SHOCKSPLIT seem to be yet another
lost mystery band, but a really brilliant one for once. To me, unearthing
gems like "Under Wraps" is what Heavy Metal Collecting is all about and
I hereby order you to follow my example. The world could end any day now
and then your life would have been uncomplete 'coz you never got to hear
their music. Just don't say I never told you, ok...
A tiny footnote: I assume the bandname is spelled out
"SHOCKSPLIT" and not "SHOCK SPLIT", since they use
the former spelling 3 times on the back sleave. (There, escaped another
annoying besserwisser-tirade...)
Originally written in German. Translate to:
Ein weißer Fleck auf des Sammlers Landkarte ist diese Köstlichkeit der Post-NWOBHM-Ära, diese Maxi stellt so manches Schaffen aus früheren Inseltagen weit in den Schatten. Augenscheinlich ein punkiges Gebilde, doch nach näherem Beschnuppern nimmt man lefzend die Spur gitarrenzerfressender Britenhappen in sich auf, schon der Opener kann mit JAGUAR oder SAVAGE mithalten, ein gänsehautprovozierender Rhythmus mit ebensolchem Zirper. Der zweite Auswurf ist eine knackfrisch inszenierte Halbballade, Intarsie in einem ohrgeilen Refrain, Andy Carter zwitschert wie die Amsel in der Balz. Running Away zuckt mittelschnell aus den Boxen, ein flockiger Song mit Schüttelaufforderung, Roy Percival malträtiert die Fingerkuppen, die gekonnte Überleitung zu The End Is Nigh, Andy besorgt's der Stimmung, ein Ebony-Vibrator, lebendig trotz oder wegen Primitivität, ein Partynümmerchen, der Soundtrack zum Alksaugen, Shock'n'Roll, wie auf dem Backcover treffend bemerkt. Unter Umständen kann dieses Kleinod beim nächsten UK-Trip billig eingesackt werden.