The dawn of Hair Metal

Vocalist Don Dokken while in Germany provided backing vocals on the Scorpions album Blackout. Ace-Producer Dieter Dierks gave him leftover studio time to record some demos. After teaming up with axe-god George Lynch, drummer Mick Brown and bassist Juan Croucier, DOKKEN the band was born. They soon got a deal with Carrere and released their debut album in 81. Later they got picked up by Elektra and released this album again in 1983, remixed and with different track listing. Before all the Hair Metal Hype this was a solid heavy rock album, no wild imagery here, just good music. I think not many of those bands reached the musical standards set here DOKKEN later enjoyed alot of chart success with their next few albums and changed their visual image too. But still today I like the innocence of this debut very much. Best Tracks: Breaking the Chains, Nightrider and (my personal favourite) Stick to your Guns. Produced by Michael Wagener. Released in 1983.

PS: You can find alot of cool Videos from this band on youtube.

Blues out of Ballyshannon

One of RORY GALLAGHER’s best efforts is this live album here, Irish Tour 74. The Irishman, maybe short in stature was a giant musically. He began to play the guitar at the age of nine, joined his first band with 15, and recorded his first album when he was 21. After a few well-received albums with his first outfit Taste, he decided in 1970 to play under his own name from then on. He released album after album and toured almost every year from 1971 until 1995. Captured on this great record are probably his finest moments, playing live in front of his hometown irish crowd. He is acompanied here by Gerry McAvoy on Bass, Rod de Ath on Drums and Lou Martin on Piano. Irish Tour 74 is packed with classics. Sadly the little irish strat slinger is no longer with us, he died in 1995 at the age of just 47, R.I.P. Rory. Best Tracks: Tatto’d Lady, A Million Miles away, Who’s that coming. Recorded in Ireland 1974.

PS: Also highly recommended is the Irish Tour 1974 DVD, no gimmicks, just music.

Tea Time in Switzerland

Yes, there was life before Krokus. This is TEA and their enormous debut album. Often described as a poor man’s Deep Purple, the band got themselves recognized, even outside the land of chocolate. In fact they were the first swiss band to tour England. But the gigs and tours abroad ended with no big resonance. The band recorded a couple of albums more later, but none of them reached the glory of their first. A very transparent sound, thanks to german ace-producer Dieter Dierks (Scorpions), melodic, but still rocking guitars, and always beautiful keyboard and piano melodies. Their powerful leadsinger Marc Storace went to fame and fortune some years after this, then of course with swiss rockers Krokus. Best Tracks: Lady, Cool in the Morning, Glorimont. Released in 1974.

Conan goes Metal…

Canadian metal merchants WITCHKILLER's debut EP Day of the Saxons still is impressive today. Signed to Metal Blade after three demos, the band showed strenght on all 5 tracks, you will find no fillers here. Hailing out of Ottawa the band was (you guessed it) short lived. They could not follow-up this brilliant outing. Reasons why are unknown. I liked the I-wanna-be-conan-image very much, hey, it was the eighties, right? The Lyrics were also very much influenced from the before mentioned movie. Singer Doug Adams and and Bassist Todd Pilon joined fellow canadians RECKLESS later, to record their awful second album Heart of Steel. I would have liked a full-scale album by these guys much more. Brian Slagel, what were you thinking to let this band go? Best Tracks: Riders of Doom, Beg for Mercy, Cry Wolf. Released in 1984.

Louisiana's finest

LE ROUX hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana are without a doubt among the finest bands in the AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) genre. Their sixth Album So fired up is their best outing ever. New arrived Singer Fergie Frederiksen gave the band an extra boost, both vocally and also in the songwriting departement. They scored a minor hIt with Carrie’s gone from this album, but otherwise the future did not look so bright for them. After this giant album, Frederiksen left (to join Toto later), the band lost their contract with RCA and broke up subsequently. But the songs are still here today. You can order your copy of this hard to find gem directly from Bassist/Producer Leon Medica via their website www.laleroux.com. Best tracks: Turning Point, Lifeline, Yours tonight. Released in 1982.

Consolidate the might

Allied Forces by TRIUMPH is easily one of my favourite albums of all time. It has the perfect mix between heavyness and melodies. The Toronto based three piece consists of Singer/Guitarist Rik Emett, Drummer/Vocalist Gil Moore and Bassist/Keyboardist Mike Levine. The songwriting on this album is excellent, Magic Power and Fight the good fight even hit the Top 40 in the States. Extensive radioplay and a few gold albums allowed the band to tour the USA repeatedly. In Europe however they never hit the big bang. Best Tracks: Allied Forces, Fool for your love, Magic Power. Released in 1981. Btw: They played Sweden Rock Festival this year, and there are rumours about a full-scale world tour in 2009. Talk about exitement!

Rock 'n' Roll Soul

Classic live albums of the seventies must include this burner from original american band GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. I personally began to like them when keyboardist Craig Frost joined the band. For me this was exactly the missing link. The three original members were of course Mark Farner, Mel Schacher and Don Brewer. The musicianship on this double album is a class of it’s own. The guys rock like a loco-motion indeed. You can almost feel all the heat and sweat that has been going on at this gig. Their special brand of funky rock 'n' roll soul had people always on their seats. Also check youtube to watch video footage from this tour. Best Tracks: Footstompin' Music, Rock 'n' Roll Soul, Shinin' on, We're an american band. Released in 1975.

Check youtube to watch some video footage from this great band.

Good Rockin' Tonight

Sometimes when it all comes to together, beautiful things happen. The debut album from MONTROSE is a fine example for this theory. First we have guitarist extra-ordinaire Ronnie Montrose, then Vocalist Sammy Hagar and of course Producer Ted Templeman. Not to forget Bill Church on Bass and Denny Carmassi on Drums. The Album here is a monster, all killers no fillers, is the motto. Starting with Rock the Nation, speeding through the epic Space Station #5 and Rock Candy until the last echoes of Make it last. Strangely this band never made it really big. It is a solid heavy rock album, always on the edge to Heavy Metal. Ronnie Montrose later re-appeared with a new band Gamma. Sammy Hagar kicked off a very successful solo-career and later joined Van Halen. Producer Ted Templeman on the other hand, worked with Van Halen on their first three albums. Funny little world this is! Best Tracks: As mentioned above. Released in 1973.

Beyond the borders of Thrash Metal

This is CELTIC FROST’s third outing after their debut Mini-LP Morbid Tales and their first full lenght Album To Mega Therion. Into the Pandemonium is my favourite record by this very unique band. Mr. Fischer and his cohorts Ain and St. Mark were never better. Tracks like Babylon Fell and Inner Sanctum are still blowing me away. For a start they rip through Wall of Voodoo’s Mexican Radio with no mercy, brilliant! The Album is so diverse, unequaled until today. Other highlights are the sad, gloomy Mesmerized and (my personal Fave) I Won’t Dance, with an almost R&B feeling in the backing vocals. Great too, the more "experimental" Tracks like the beautiful Tristesses de la lune, with just female Voices and (real) Strings and the very urban, and very unusual (for a metal band…) sampled Track One in their Pride. All in all an investement you will never regret. No favourite tracks here, listen to all of them to get the whole idea of this great band. Cover painting by Hieronymus Bosch. Released in 1987.

New Age Kosmische Musik

This masterpiece of early electronic music by TANGERINE DREAM was recorded live in various cathedrals in France and England. The Berlin based band, at this time consisting of Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Peter Baumann, was especially popular in those two countries. Two tracks are dividing the original album, Ricochet Part One and Part Two. The two pieces are very different in atmosphere and overall feeling. Part One is darker with a strange, even cosmic middle part, maybe a reminder to their first albums, often called Kosmische Musik. Part Two is somehow lighter, but melancholic. Sequencer patterns forming the rhythmic base of this track. Ricochet is one of the definite albums by TANGERINE DREAM. If you are a lover of electronic music, this is a must to own. I for myself, love most of their early albums, for me it is a change from all the guitar-oriented music I am listening to all the time. Released in 1975.

One Man Army

California born musical genius Jon Crosby is VAST (Visual Audio Sensory Theater). On his debut album he mixes Heavy Rock with Gregorian Chants and alot of samples from eastern countries to an incredible exciting mix. The man responsible for this masterpiece was only 21 yrs. old at the time of recording this album. Alot of this record has been used for TV Episodes and movies. I found out about this because I saw the trailer to Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach at the cinema. I was hooked after listening to Touch just one time. I found this a very refreshing album in 1998 (and still today) in a otherwise very dull musical landscape. Best Tracks: Here, Touched, Dirty Hole. Released in 1998.

NWOBHM Milestone

Of all the bands emerging out of england arround the year 1980, this is the reference of the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Playing in the same league with fellow britons Iron Maiden, Praying Mantis et all, ANGEL WITCH sadly never reached total world domination… and their contribution to Heavy Metal is criminally underrated. This debut album is packed with classics from start to finish. Superb songwriting, great musicians, and most important, creators of that unique, heavy, doomy sound. Messrs. Heybourne, Riddles and Hogg were signed to Bronze in 1980 and cut this album in the same year. Sadly the band did not last that long. Later a few follow-up groups like Tytan, Lionheart and Blind Fury appeared, but none of them reached the sheer class of their predecessor. If you don’t already own this record, then buy the 25th Anniversary Edition with 10 (!) bonus tracks. Included are all their singles and EP’s, A- and B-Sides plus their contributions to some Compilations. Best Tracks: Angel of Death, Sorcerers, Baphomet, Extermination Day. Released in 1980.

Astronauts on Horses…

BEGGARS OPERA were a very unique band from Scotland. Between 1970 and 1973 they released three classic albums on the Vertigo Label. This here Pathfinder was their third album. Very strong songwriting, some very hard-edged music, but overall still very melodic. All Songs are sung dramatically beautiful by Martin Griffiths. Standout track here is a 8 min. remake of the classic Mac Arthur Park by Jimmy Webb. I remember being so impressed by the intense cover Art. It showed an astronaut riding on a horse, it set all kinds of weird SciFi-Fantasies free in my then young mind. Also included in the original Vinyl Issue was a big poster of the cover’s artwork. Best Tracks: The Witch, Madame Doubtfire, Hobo and the before mentioned Mac Arthur Park. Released in 1972.

Shot down in Toronto

This is canadian powerhouse SANTERS first album Shot down in flames (The name is a tribute to the late Bon Scott, who died one year earlier). Wonderful combination of heavy riffing and awesome melodies. Always a favourite of mine, the band consisting of brothers Rick (Guitars & Vocals) and Mark Santers (Drums) plus bassist Rick Lazaroff, never made it big, which is a deadly shame. The Toronto based trio released a few more albums and they are all worth a listen. Rick Santers later played with fellow canadians TRIUMPH on tour. Rick Lazaroff played on rock lady LEE AARON’s first album. Best Tracks: Shot down in Flames, You turn me on, Crazy Ladies, Time after Time. Released in 1981. If possible get the japanese remaster on Dandelion Records.