If you're ever looking for a perfect archetype of Early US Power Metal, look no further - Originality-Schmoriginality I say! This rips and blows a significant number of contemporary adversaries out of the water and with THAT cover art it's a complete mystery to me why this mini hasn't been more hyped through the years. Last year it finally got re-released by the good samaritans at
CMC for the world to enjoy but I'm thoroughly perplexed why it didn't happen sooner.
Pre-dating the worldwide Thrash-explosion with a solid 12 months-or-so, I would definitely count the Corona, CA edition of VICE among the faster and more raw 1984 releases outside of Germany. So yeah, no, I can't really dispute the 'Speed Metal' tag from random user over at discogs. The equally excellent A-side numbers "Two Wheel Thunder" and "Battle Cat" display this wonderful, primordial form of US proto-Speed perfectly. Sure it's no "
Ample Destruction" part II, but I'll have no problem with proclaiming them the cocky, speedfreak kid brothers of "
Prepare To Die", where vocalist Lester Davidson's haunting similarity to SA Slayer's Steve Cooper would be an equally important factor in that comparison.
...and the B-siders will not let you down. No bloody token rockers or ballads for girls in the audience to be found here, no sir! Both "Feel The Fire" and "Stalker" are hectic pieces of Metal fuckoff'ery on the same level as fellow compatriots
Armed Forces, Attacker, Witchkiller, S.A. Slayer and indeed even Jag Panzer. Fans of said bands (i.e. everyone) should hang their heads in shame should this beautiful pearl be missing in their shelves.
Yes we really need to address that cover once again. I honestly don't know if I could free-hand invent a finer example of True Metal Art than this perfect composition of silvery Swords, Shield and Viper on Red. Even as a poorly xeroxed, monochrome 1x1 inch thumbnail in an old Rare Ass Records (pre-Rockadrome) paper list from the early 00's this one had me hooked. 20+ years later I'm both ashamed (because too late) and glad it finally found its way home to papa.