BLOONTZ-BLOONTZ-

Perhaps not the first Blues/Prog/Hard/AOR rock band that comes to mind when you are thinking about Houston Texas but this outfit released their debut in 1973. If you´re a sucker for the ´70s this might fit right up your Alley but there are some thing´s that needs clearifying first.

The production is great but yet not flawless with a taste of “pompus” mixing in the end. No song stands out and yet no one is a low watermark either. The Common feeling of a “Bad Company” record is eminent and perhaps there lies the problem. There´s absolutely no personality on this album and yet it is not a bad one. The feeling of free falling is just Always present. Yet the vocals are fine and the arrangement is solid with great passages with nice Dynamics and toetapping periods. As Almost, when it comes to obscure bands, the red thread is missing but there are sensational crafmanship put into the instruments. Not bad at all in that sense.

Whatabout the drummer, Tony Braunagel?? This is as american you could possibly get. A steady but cautios fellow with great striking abilities and superb Dynamics. The drive and hit ratio gives you something to wish for and does not reveal any magical spells to bring back home. The impression of a good solid drummer puts Mr. Braunagel into the avarage box. The drummer and bassplayer together with the keyboard player, Mike Montgomery would later end up in the short lived band Backstreet Crawler with Paul Kossof, so there was a great deal of musician crafmanship in this outfit after all but the lack of hit songs made them succumb.

So if you´re a sucker for the American way of the erlier 70´s , this would be a solid gem in your record Collection. A blend of Blues/Prog/Hard/AOR rock could get a hot topic under a vinyl listening evening with your friends. The opinions will certainly wary!! Great copies are out there for less Money even though it is released on a small label. Good news!! 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

HEAVY METAL KIDS-HEAVY METAL KIDS-

With a solid foot in the Foundation of Glam/hard/Classic rock this outfit from Great Britain released their first album in 1974 and perhaps, not taking things to seriously, they ended up in between styles of Music and became Another obscure band facing the hard struggle in the shadow of bigger acts. A pretty damned shame it became niether this, neither that…

The production by Dave Dee brings this album to a typical soundframe  but the vocals and keyboard are terrrific with a solid rhythm section. Vocalist Gary Holton just brings the top notch edge to this outfit and makes the band such a pleasure to Watch and listen too. A true rock´n roll rebel. Just plain great.

The double edge style of Music tend to split audiences in two and though the album got good Reviews the sales figures didn´t match the positive reaction. In an American tour in 1975 they dropped the “Heavy Metal” and just toured as “The Kids” trying to make some kind of change but nothing happened. Vocalist Gary Holton was replaced later on due to Heavy drink/ drug issues and headlines. The band never got back to re-ignite the drive they had erlier on. They dissmantled themselves in 1978.

Whatabout the drummer, Keith Boyce?? As many drummers from this time period the drive is great but I do sense a lack of striking abilities and some wearness as if the bassplayer is responsible for the impecible Rhythmsection. Hesitation is the Word here. The hit ratio is avarage and the Dynamics fine but, there are better drummers out there so don´t expect Another Carmine Appice or so…:-)

This album is the missing link between Glam versus hard rock and if you got a soft heart for this style of Music, don´t hesitate to buy this album. A terrific Glam/hard/Classic rock record that doesn´t bring you any Disappointing moments. It will require a couple of spins on the turntable but you will put it on again and again and do some toetapping. I´ll promise you that…

Great issues are out there so do yourself a favour and invest in a small but important piece of British rock history. 🙂

VINYLRATING/GRADE

-6-GOOD!-WORTH BUYING-

HEAVY LOAD-STRONGER THAN EVIL-

As this is the peak performance from Swedish Heavy/hard/Power rockers Heavy Load, the story will maybe haunt them for not being persistant enough just as the brink of breakthrough appeared. This the third released from 1983 and this recording just brings you all the ingredients towards greatnesss with strong songs, furious drive and terrific harmony singing in “fotball chanting choruses”. This is like finding thee pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow. A marvoulus record.

As earlier releases from Heavy Load this record is self financed and this shines through in the lack of the production. The sound frame is predated and there are some vocaltracks that never would have passed with an experienced producer. Never the less the songs are strong with standout tunes like”Run with the Devil” “Singing Swords” and the single out take “Free” with Phil Lynott on bass guitar.  No song falls under the radar and this is  “Stronger than evil” in that sense. 🙂

During the year 1982 Heavy Load got some Airtime in Swedish national Radio with two broadcasted shows in Malmö and Stockholm and this laid the Foundation for the album “Death or Glory” and as this later formed the shape of this album, bad luck hit the band as the bassplayer quit just Before a major tour in Europe in `84. Brothers Ragnar and Styrbjörn Wahlqvist then decided to put their energy in the studio instead of persuing a new bassplayer, a twofaced decision with ill fate. The band never recovered from this.

Whatabout the drummer, Styrbjörn Wahlqvist?? This is in the school of Cozy Powell with strong drive and hard striking abilities. The technical department is ok but there are some hesitation that brings out a few question marks. The hit ratio and no what so ever Dynamics suits the Music like a glove. This is a perfect match but won´t bring down the crowds in a matter of “best drummer Award”.

This is just as with Mecyful Fate and Oz, a great time in Scandinavian metal history. The question rises what could have been with more persistant management. The Heavy/Hard/Power rock market would just explode with arrival of Manowar, Stormwitch etc..and today Hammerfall, Iced Earth etc just reign with great succés…typical.

This is a Classic album that should not perrish under the obscure mark. Good copies are out there but you´ll have to pay for a Classic copy that should contain the album, a great poster and, of course, the merchandise order form…just plain good nostalgia. Great!!

VINYLRATING/GRADE

–5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-

DOG SOLDIER-DOG SOLDIER-

Sometimes the best intentions does fail to deliver. This outfit from Great Britain contains several key musicians during the British Bluesboom and drummer Keef Hartley form this band in the mid seventies and this is their sole release from 1975. The album contains a bunch of scattered songs with an effort to mix Hard/Prog/Blues/ AOR with a seasoning of British flavour. The story goes they where pressured to achieve an AOR album but the result is a none direction album with avarage good tunes with a flawless production with a great keyboard up front. The rhythm section is also top notch.

Compared to contemperary releases this album lacks the edge and drive to attract attention but it is all not bad except the coverart, what do you make out of a native American on an aircraft?? No song falls under the radar but at the same time there are no standout tune. The only real great effort is “Looks like rain” with a Bluesinspired touch of prog. Great!

Whatabout the drummer, Keef Hartley?? This fellow knows his way around the drumkit but this is with caution. The striking abilities are soft and the Dynamics are fine. The hit ratio and drive is avarage but a bit boring. The lack of direction on the album tend to set a piece of mind towards boring. To bad because there are some potential in here somewhere.

If you are interested in Hard/Prog/Blues/AOR rock Music this album will NOT be something to brag about but it does has its moments. It will take a few spins around the turntable to discover the hidden gems, foremost the keyboard passages. Not bad at all. There are good copies out there and I found mine at a local dealer for just 9 Euros in great shape. Excellent!

VINYLRATING/GRADE

5-OK!-WORTH EXPLORING-