Ladykillers (1986 New Renaissance Records)

New Renaissance Records, the label started by Ann Boleyn of Hellion, put out a lot of compilation albums. In fact, this was their fifth compilation LP, and their sixth LP overall. Unlike the others, however, Ladykillers features exclusively female-fronted artists. Most of them are from California, though a few are from New Jersey and Blacklace is from New York. As someone who really enjoys female vocals in metal, it’s no surprise that this is one of my favorite compilations. I’ve chosen to review the cassette version here because it includes two tracks omitted from the vinyl version. All songs are exclusive except where noted.



A second volume was released on CD in 2000.

1. Blacklace – "Speed of Sound": Traditional NY metal, a bit like Riot with tough female vocals. This song is taken from their 1985 Get It While It’s Hot LP. One of the less obscure bands on this compilation.
2. Hellion – "Better Off Dead": Hellion plays a kind of commercial power metal that you often hear from L.A. bands, but with the unique vocals of Ann Boleyn. This was rerecorded for their 1987 Screams in the Night LP.
3. Pantara – "Torn Away": Straight up heavy metal with Ann Wilson like vocals (including an "Ooh" straight out of "Barracuda"). The Ladykillers album was slated to include a second Pantara track called "Nitemares" but I guess it didn’t make the final cut. The all-female quartet would disappear into obscurity again after this.
4. Queen of Hearts – "Sleeping with Dead": Somewhat of a sleazy hard rock song which is saved from mediocrity by a great, catchy chorus.
5. Judy Saiya – "Try Anything": I’ve always loved Stevie Nicks, so it’s great to hear someone with a similar voice singing over something a bit heavier. Only a bit though, as the music is very light hard rock like, say, Femme Fatale.
6. Deep Freeze – "No Last Words": The first of two tracks by Deep Freeze, this was not included on the LP version of Ladykillers. Decent hard rock with some very masculine vocals.
7. The Day After – "Fire": The only real stinker on the album is this lame cover of the Doors’ classic.
8. Syren – "Fight Or Fall": Killer power metal that reminds me of Black Knight with rougher vocals, similar to those of Leather Leone from Chastain. They also had a song called "Danger" on the 1985 California’s Best Metal LP, New Renaissance Records’ third compilation album. Singer Brenda Barboni’s career goes back to the early 70s, but she did not find metal until joining Syren in either 1984 or 1985. Syren later changed their name to Tigershark. Brenda is currently recording a new CD with her much more AOR/hard rock oriented project, BB3. You can hear "Fight Or Fall" on the BB3 MySpace page.
9. High Risk – "I Know What You Want": The beginning of this song might mislead you with its flute and light sounding intro, but it soon reveals itself as epic power metal. Maybe epic isn’t the right word to describe a song that’s only just over 4 minutes long, but it has a great build up and very strong finish. Actually it reminds me a lot of one of my favorite songs, "Troubled Ways" by Lost Horizon (no relation to the famous Swedish band) on Metal Massacre 7. Except there’s a flute. And the singer sounds uncannily like Ann Wilson from Heart. In other words, it rules! According to Blood Sisters they released a 3 song demo in 1987. If anyone can help me get a hold of that demo, I’ll name my next child after you*! High Risk first appeared on Metal Madness compilation with an inferior, male voiced, track.
10. DC Lacroix – "Rip It Up": Formerly a Seattle based band, DC Lacroix is one of the more generic female-fronted acts of the 80s. This song is taken directly from 1986 Crack of Doom LP making it even less interesting. It first appeared on the 1985 Pacific Metal Project compilation LP, but without the brief intro.
11. Jaded Lady – "On the Run": Jaded Lady began as an all-female version of Motley Crue called Obsession who changed their name to Leather Angel, and then to Jaded Lady after both drummer Krissi North and guitarist Debbie Wolf left. They seem to have become more competent since Leather Angel’s 1983 We Came to Kill EP. However, this is still not a song that is worth repeated listens. They would briefly appear on the 1988 film Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years and then break up before releasing anything else other than a few demos.
12. Deep Freeze – "Soft Touch": If you have the LP version of Ladykillers, then you only get this track by Deep Freeze. Presumably that’s because this is a little heavier, but I think "No Last Words" is the better of the two. This band also appeared on the Q100 radio sampler Mega Metal I, though I am not sure if it was one of these tracks or another exclusive one.
13. Hellion – "Put the Hammer Down": The second cassette only track is from Hellion. A different version appears on Screams in the Night.

*If I ever do have another child, I’ll probably have to be institutionalized as well. Three is plenty, thank you!

Available Formats: cassette and vinyl (minus 2 tracks)

Value: $3-5 (cassette), $10-15 (vinyl)

Technical Difficulties

If you missed Metal Lessons Radio last week, the compilation show will be replaying this week, starting tonight. Hopefully the HardRockin80s.com chat room will actually be working tomorrow night and you can join me there.

I will also have a new review for you tomorrow. I was actually about to post it but I realized I need to scan something so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Break Out: German Metal Tracks No. 2 (1986 D&S Recording)

It's time to follow up German Metal Tracks No. 1 with a review of the sequel. The German Metal Tracks series can be hard to follow, since some marketing genius at D&S decided to use the same title and only put No. 2 on the back cover. They did this with later volumes too. Here is the sequence as I know it:

Break Out: German Metal Tracks No. 1 (1985, WK 30.616)
Break Out: German Metal Tracks No. 2 (1986, WK 30.671)
Metal Hour: German Metal Tracks No. 3 (1986, WK 30.698)
Metal Hour: German Metal Tracks No. 4 (1986, WK 30.746)
Metal Hour: German Metal Tracks No. 5 (1987, ?)
German Metal Fighters No. 1 (1987, DS 003)
German Metal Fighters No. 2 (1988, DS 005)
Best of German Metal Newcomer (1990, DS-017, promo only)



German Metal Tracks No. 2 also came with a Ravage sticker:



1. Advice – "No Way Out": Fairly typical German metal with very gruff vocals, sort of like a more melodic Tyrant. A good opener.
2. Arkham – "Die Young": These guys were obviously big Accept fans. This song is not bad, it's just not memorable.
3. Necronomicon – "Possessed by Evil": Necronomicon are often referred to as a Destruction clone. They certainly do sound a lot like them, but on this song I find they more closely resemble early Sodom. I can't help but think of "Obsessed by Cruelty" when I hear the chorus. I'm sure the satanic thrash/proto-black metal fans go nuts over this stuff. To me it's only mildly interesting.
4. Ravage – "Coming Alive": Great raw power metal, similar to the old Gama bands like Gravestone or early Stormwitch. This was rerecorded in 2000 for their self-titled CD. Ravage would also release an EP in 1989 called Swords and Heroes on which they sound a lot like Not Fragile.
5. Stained Class – "Recovery": Stained Class plays in a similar style as Ravage or even Dark Avenger from Noise Records' Death Metal compilation.
6. Stained Class – "Back for More": Another excellent track. Unfortunately, there were no other releases by this band.
7. Ravage – "Ravage": More raw German power metal. I get the impression that Ravage wanted their theme song to be something of a sampler of what the band is about. It starts of slow with more of a traditional sound before speeding up. Then, after a melodic, Helloween like part in the middle, you hear the only instance of keyboards in either of their tracks on this album. It finishes with a brief solo from each member making for a pretty interesting song overall. This one is entirely exclusive to this album.
8. Necronomicon – "Blind Destruction": This track sounds more like Destruction, especially with the Schmier like vocals. Both this and "Possessed by Evil" also appear in different versions on their debut self-titled LP which was released the same year.
9. Arkham – "Metal Or Chains": The fist-pounding chorus makes this quite an improvement over "Die Young". Like Stained Class, their contributions to this compilation were to be their only legacy.
10. Advice – "Children of the Dark": Another good song, but it sounds a little too close to their other track on this album. This one was also appeared on their only other release, the Persuer EP, which oddly enough was not released until 1992. I believe that they are different versions.

A bit more predictable than the first Break Out compilation, but still recommended. A great sampler of underground German metal.

Available Formats: Vinyl only.

Value: $20-30

Metal Lessons Radio

Sorry I don't have a new review for you, though I will have a couple soon. However, I do have some exciting news. Metal Lessons Radio is doing a show on compilation albums this week. I will be on in the second half of the show talking about and playing some of my favorite obscure compilation tracks (11 songs total). The show will air at the following times:

HardRockin80s.com:
WEDNESDAY 1-3am EST
THURSDAY 9-11pm EST*

The CMS Radio Network:
WEDNESDAY 2-4pm EST
SUNDAY 3-5am EST
SUNDAY 9-11pm EST

*If you can, join us in the chat room at HardRockin80s.com on Thursday night. I will be there with the DJs and other listeners to discuss the songs and related topics.

Break Out: German Metal Tracks No. 1 (1985 D&S Recording)

Getting back to the theme of label debuts, here is the first offering from a very obscure German label. This LP started a whole series of compilations which I will address later. Overall, the bands on this one sound like a combination of NWOBHM with early German speed/power. Every song is exclusive, though the two Not Fragile tracks were rerecorded in 1989 for their One Way to Glory LP which was not released until 1992 in Japan (as Hard to Be Alive) and 1993 in Europe (as Lost in a Dream).



1. Not Fragile – "Too Fast": Not Fragile is the only band on this compilation who would actually go on to be somewhat known. This was their very first release, from before they decided to really sound like Helloween (though there are similarities). The sound is very raw, like most of this album.
2. Satan’s Pharynx – "Necropolis": This sounds like early Satan (when they had Trev Robinson on vocals) running on one less cylinder. Very good, but the singer has trouble with those high notes.
3. Glacial Sun – "Big Feelings": A big let down after the first two tracks, this one sounds like a bad Dragster song being sung with a heavy German accent.
4. Chiolution – "Jaws of Death": Here’s an interesting one. Early Running Wild style metal with some of the most un-metal vocals I've ever heard (in a metal band). The singer almost sounds like Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria. It’s crazy, but I like it.
5. Breathless – "Duell of Wizzards": Whenever you see a gross misspelling like this, you know it's either a glam band or some really amateur metal. In this case it's the latter. This song is a good example of the kind of NWOBHM-meets-German metal I was talking about. It also has a 70s epic feel, and is one of my favorites from this album.
6. Vengeance – "Hellfire": Typical German metal, sort of like Gravestone with softer vocals. Not the same Vengeance that appeared on the MIR Heavy Metal Sampler LP. This band never released any songs besides the two on this compilation.
7. Vengeance – "Metal in Your Veins": More of the same. Really nothing special.
8. Breathless – "Back from the Attack": A step down from their last song, being more of a generic Accept styled track. Breathless would appear again on the third compilation in this series before changing their name to Glory Anthem.
9. Chiolution – "Moving Circle": Another great song, this time with more of an epic feel. The vocals also make a bit more sense now with some Kreator like screams mixed in. Unfortunately, the song ends abruptly leaving it feeling unfinished.
10. Glacial Sun – "Burning Love": Glacial Sun's second offering is still bad, but this time it has a bit of charm. Parts of it actually remind me a lot of early Witchfynde, especially the harmonies.
11. Satan’s Pharynx – "Rock 'n' Roll": Is this the same band? Unlike their other song, this is basic hard rock. However, they do manage to make it sound heavy (almost as though it were a cover).
12. Not Fragile – "Hard to Be Alive": After the last song, Not Fragile's second offering is a bit shocking, sounding like something straight off of Walls of Jericho (though Torsten Buczko's vocals are still rough and uncontrolled and don't really sound like Kai Hansen's yet). Great song but, as with "Too Fast", quite inferior to the rerecorded version.

Break Out is highly recommended and thankfully not too expensive yet, but still very hard to find. If you prefer the highly polished German power metal of today then it's probably not worth the effort, but if, like me, you find magic in hearing young musicians who haven't mastered their instruments but have a vision and a passion for metal then seek this out. Note that there was another German compilation called Break Out that was released in 1988 on Rockport, and has no relation to this album.

Available Formats: Vinyl only.

Value: $15-25

Cleveland Metal (1983 Clubside Records)

I’m back! After Evie was born back in March (yes, we’re up to 3 now) I didn’t have time to post any new reviews. Now that things are settling down a bit, I hope to get back into it.



Here's an earlier compilation of bands from the Cleveland metal scene. This one is a bit easier to find but just as good. Comes with an insert, as shown above. Clubside Records would change their name to Auburn Records before releasing anything else.


1. Black Death – "Taken By Force": The album starts off with this awesome raw Priest-ish power metal song that grabs you right away and never lets go.
2. Black Death – "Until We Rock": Black Death’s second contribution is slower but still very heavy and just as over-the-top. Both tracks are exclusive. The band would go on to record a full length LP and 7" that were sold together on the Auburn Records label.
3. Sacred Few – "Sacred Few": Sacred Few’s anthem is a decent song with a simple hard rock beat. They would get much better on their 1985 Beyond the Iron Walls LP, and not just because they replaced the whiny vocalist with a capable female singer. This was also released as a single in 1983 on their own Skull Records label.
4. Cerberus – "Rampage": Very cool instrumental similar to Iron Maiden’s "Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)". Exclusive track.
5. Jagged Edge – "Eyes of Fire": This is an unusual song that sounds uncannily like a sped up version of Black Sabbath’s "Hand of Doom". I remember hating it when I first heard it, but it has grown on me a little. Now I consider it one of those classic "so bad it’s good" songs. Exclusive track.
6. Mistreater – "Without You": Another Black Sabbath influenced song, only this time with a vocalist sounding rather a lot like Vince Neil. It sounds like an interesting combination, but ultimately I find it completely unlistenable. I’m sure I’ll get some crap for saying that, since this band does have a few rather dedicated followers, but that’s how I feel. Exclusive track.
7. Breaker – "10 Seconds In": Everything I said about Breaker in my last review holds true for their early material as well. A great main riff and chorus keep me coming back to this song. Also released on their 1987 debut LP Get Tough, but in different form. I prefer this version, though it’s probably a case of whichever one you hear first will be your favorite.
8. Breaker – "Walking the Wire": A slower song that could be called a ballad, and therefore not surprisingly is where their Scorpions influences show through most clearly. It’s also a great song which did not originally appear on their first LP. Both this song and the original version of "10 Second In" were rereleased on the 2000 2CD reissue of Get Tough.
9. Shok Paris – "Go Down Fighting": This is an early version of their classic song recorded with a different vocalist. It’s a good song, but it lacks the power of the version from their 1988 Steel and Starlight LP. Also, Vic Hix makes this singer seem quite bland in comparison. This version was rereleased as a bonus track on Auburn Records’ 2004 CD reissue of Go for the Throat.
10. Sorcerer – "Bloodline": This song reminds me of Witchfinder General: heavy NWOBHM sound with 70s influences, but too upbeat to be called doom (except perhaps for the guitar solo). Unlike the other 70s sounding bands on this compilation, Sorcerer seems to draw as much from Scorpions as Sabbath. Their only other release is the track "Strike of the Raven" on the 1984 compilation LP Etched in Steel. However, guitarist/vocalist Pat DeLaney did release a single in 1980 called Dreams of Life, under the name Pat DeLaney and Friends, which is perhaps a better representation of Pat’s Uli Roth influences.

Available Formats: Vinyl only. There are 2 versions of the sleeve, with the only difference being the Sorcerer logo and band photo on the back. The first edition was limited to 1,000 copies. The second edition is pictured above and was limited to 1,500 copies.

Value: $15-25

Heavy Artillery (1990 Auburn Records)

Never let it be said that I don’t listen to my readers! Shortly after someone requested Heavy Artillery, I found it for sale and immediately purchased it. A lucky find, I suppose, but I wasted no time in getting the review up.

I’ve often suspected that Cleveland had one of the best underground metal scenes in the 80s, and this compilation from the end of the decade really cements that theory. Though no band ever became successful, there were countless killer bands from the area. In addition to the bands on Heavy Artillery there were Axemaster, Black Death, Shok Paris, and others. The predominant style on this compilation is a combination of thrash and power metal (mostly power metal vocals over thrash riffs, with a bit of speed metal too). A few bands were based outside of Cleveland, but aside from Titan Force from Colorado, all of them were part of the Cleveland scene. Every song is exclusive except where noted.

1. Breaker – "Still Life": If there was one band from the Cleveland scene that should have made it big, it would have to be Breaker. I mean, as much as I love Black Death I’m in no way surprised by their lack of success. Breaker, on the other hand, were both talented and accessible combining elements of mainstream bands like Iron Maiden or Scorpions (besides the obvious Accept influence) without sounding like a copy of anyone. This song was re-released on their 1999 Accept EP, as well as the 2000 reissue of their 1987 Get Tough LP which includes a second disc of rare and unreleased songs.
2. Kraze – "Devil in Disguise": Actually a Pennsylvania based band, they were still considered part of the Ohio scene. On this song they play Hirax type speed interspersed with thrash riffs reminiscent of early Sacred Reich and Overkill. In 2002, Iron Glory Records released a compilation called Devil in Disguise that includes this song as well as their 80s demo material.
3. Chemikill – "Deadline": Like many of the bands on this compilation, Chemikill never passed the demo stage. It’s a shame because this Metal Church inspired song shows that they had a lot of potential. This is not the same band that recorded "Consumed by Hate" for the Metal Massacre XI compilation.
4. Decimation – "Silenced in Time": Decimation is a bit of a hardcore/metal crossover act, playing a style similar to Prong. Not a style I’m particularly fond of, but I guess it’s good for what it is. This song was re-released on their 2005 Forgotten Race CD compilation of demo tracks.
5. Real Steel – "I Rule the Radio": Catchy traditional metal song that also appears on their eponymous LP from 1990. The structure is very similar to Commander’s "Terror", but the style is more akin to the British band Wraith. For a less obscure comparison, imagine Judas Priest crossed with Accept’s "Balls to the Wall". The LP was reissued on CD by Retrospect Records this year.
6. Purgatory – "Blood’s the Price": Not to be confused with, well, any other band named Purgatory. This is some excellent thrash with Bay Area influences, not unlike Cyclone Temple. It’s interesting to note that on this track, only the bassist and drummer from their 1986 Tied to the Trax LP remain, though the lyrics were written by former singer Jeff Hatrix (presumably before he left the band).
7. Deus Vult – "Twilight’s Last Gleaming": Another San Francisco Bay Area styled thrash band, with leanings toward early Death Angel or even Testament (minus the vocals). Their other output includes demos and Soul Assault, a self-released cassette EP from 1990.
8. Sacred Heart – "Time After Time": Melodic metal that is similar to Breaker, but not quite as talented.
9. Terror – "Pain and Suffering": The closest thing to death metal on this compilation, Terror sounds like a less technical Sadus. They released a limited edition 1997 compilation of demo material called Pain and Suffering that includes an older version of this song in addition to this version.
10. Torment – "Epilogue": One of the highlights of the album, they sound like Crimson Glory with a thrash makeover. Torment later changed their name to Tormentor, then to Ritual and finally to Ritual of Torment. To add to the confusion, a CD called Trials of Torment was released under the Ritual name in1993, and Ritual of Torment released a CD of rerecorded Ritual songs in 2006. I have not heard any of the Ritual material, but if it sounds anything like these I will need to look for those CDs!
11. Destructor – "Storm of Steel": One of the classic Cleveland metal bands, playing speed metal like early Slayer or Exciter. Rereleased on the 2007 Storm of Steel EP with 2 live versions of this song, plus 3 other songs.
12. Attaxe – "Pedal to the Metal": Attaxe reminds me of 3rd Stage Alert with their straight forward Judas Priest/Dio type metal. Reissued on their 20 Years the Hard Way CD compilation from 2006.
13. Trigger Zone – "Trigger Zone": On any other compilation I would probably laud this band, but after 13 mostly great tracks all I can come up with now is "another power/thrash band". Sadly, their only other release was "Im Taking Over (Your Life)" from the 1994 US Rocker Magazine: Audio Sampler #3 compilation CD.
14. Hatrix – "Sins of a Bastard Angel": Here the quality starts to go down a bit. Hatrix was a band started by the ex-singer of Purgatory. Their biggest problem seems to be that they try to play too fast and the result is rather sloppy, especially on the vocals.
15. Wretch – "Life": Not a bad song, but not great either, and I don’t think that’s listener fatigue talking. Similar to early Metal Church but obviously not as good. I find that they try to do too many things, or at least the singer does. The song was re-recorded with a different singer, who sounds a bit more controlled, on the 2006 Reborn CD. Also, a live version appears on their 2007 Make This Garden Burn compilation CD.
16. Brainicide – "Payment in Blood": Noteworthy for having Tim Owens on vocals, and that’s all. I’ve always thought he was overrated anyway, but even Owens’ fans probably won’t find much to like here. While there are some of his trademark Halford-esque screams, most of the vocals are almost half-spoken, sort of like Scatterbrain. The music is uninteresting Exodus-like thrash as well.
17. Rebellious Angel – "Stand Up and Fight": Powerful but melodic metal, much like Shok Paris. This is definitely an improvement over the last few songs. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find any info on this band.
18. Severe Warning – "Better Off Dead": I’m getting tired of writing descriptions, so just watch this.
19. Titan Force – "Blaze of Glory": I’m not sure why a Colorado band was included, but I’ll forgive them because this band was definitely deserving of the recognition. Titan Force is best known for featuring vocalist Harry Conklin after leaving Jag Panzer. His killer vocals are reminiscent of Jag Panzer, but the music has more of a German melodic speed touch similar to Stormwitch or Keepers-era Helloween. Taken from their 1989 self-titled LP.
20. The Spudmonsters – "I’m Not Guilty": Another slightly hardcore leaning thrash metal band, and a bit of a weak note to end an otherwise amazing compilation on. Also on their 1993 Stop the Madness LP.

Available Formats: Though the liner notes say "Also available on Compact Disc", only the cassette version was ever released. The Auburn Records website claims that they will be releasing a CD reissue later this year.

Value: Priceless! Seriously though, I really don’t know enough to put a value on it, but for reference I bought mine for $5 from Sentinel Steel.