BLADE RUNNER, SAD WINGS, BLACK ALICE (ORIGINAL PRESSINGS)

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55

My vinyl was played on high end stereo equipment and recorded (back in the day) to cassette ... to listen to on a Walkman ... so this vinyl has only been played once on a turntable (multiple times on my Walkman). The vinyl has a very nice "shine" & luster that new vinyl has.
BLADE RUNNER - HUNTED 
Among the seeming endless sea of NWOBHM bands that made small to moderate sized splashes in the mid 1980s is an obscure act in Blade Runner, admittedly carrying a not so obscure name give it's close proximity to the time when one of the greatest Sci-Fi films hit theaters. The story is perhaps a bit typical for many of the other bands that suffered the same disposition, namely being a solid act within a scene that was massive flooded by 1984 and slowly being supplanted both by glam rock on the softer end and thrash metal on the harder side. Generally most of the early British acts would tilt in one of those two directions, and this one was clearly leaning a bit more in the hard rock one that typified Saxon's work at this time (in contrast to their slightly more thrashing early works), which was not quite like the L.A. sound as typified in Dokken and Motley Crue, but was lyrically pretty close and maybe slightly lighter than where Armored Saint was at the time.
In a narrower context, the resulting sound that dominates Hunted, this band's 1984 debut, is actually an extremely typical one when considering the company it kept. Having been put out by Ebony Records, it shares a fair bit in common with the early offerings of Grim Reaper, Chateaux, Samurai, and even French contemporaries Nightmare (today known more for their aggressive, modern power metal incarnation after their millennial reformation). It has an air of simplicity and rigid symmetry to it that would play extremely well both on radio and in the arena, featuring some extremely infectious hooks during the chorus sections, thought mercifully less repetitive than most of Grim Reaper's singles. The guitar work is also a bit more developed and edgy, particularly the solos, which are about as crazy and shred-happy as can be and dwarf most of the competition within the NWOBHM context and actually more closely resembles the flashy chops of Ozzy's ax men in Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee respectively.
Perhaps the best feature of this album is its superior execution and generally polished demeanor, though the standards of polish for an album in 1984 on a smaller NWOBHM label are a bit different than what they naturally are today. It carries a larger-than-life feel, perhaps due to the heavily reverb-steeped drum and vocal mix, that definitely caters nicely to the mid-pace, partying rock n' roll character of songs such as "Back Street Lady", "Back On The Street" and "Look On The Outside". By the same token, when things get a bit more metallic and speedier as on "Too Far, Too Late", "The Stealer" and "I've Got To Rock" this character of sound works just as well and even allows the band to lean ever so closer to that more biting character of the NWOBHM that had a fair degree of influence on Metallica. Even the somewhat sappy ballad "Run For The Night", which sounds eerily similar to something Krokus might have done in a similar capacity, works quite well and also showcases Steve McKay's more crooning side, since much of this album sees him in a grittier vocal persona somewhat similar to Steve Grimmett.
There might be something to the charge by this band that Ebony Records wasn't supporting them to a satisfactory level, because this has all of the right elements to have made about as big of a splash as Grim Reaper did, but for some reason that didn't quite come to fruition despite Blade Runner having a more intricate formula and a sweeter name. Nevertheless, their brief run at things did provide a respectable duo of LPs that will probably play pretty well to the current generation, which is seeing a renewed interest in music from this time period. This is more of a mainline rocking approach to the NWOBHM sound so one shouldn't come to this expecting something as elaborate as Iron Maiden or as dangerous as Satan or Blitzkrieg, but it definitely has a kick to it that could very well have evolved into something comparable to where Saxon is at present. If Sean Young, Rutger Hauer and Harrison Ford were vocal metal heads, they'd surely approve.
BLADE RUNNER - WARRIORS OF ROCK
To be brutally honest, if you were playing NWOBHM in 1986 and your band's name wasn't Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, or Lemmy Kilminster, then your chances were pretty much fucked right then and there. Thrash and speed metal were all the rage in those years, and the increased level of aggression meant that most fans would not be looking back, or that old school fans would become completely turned off from the music altogether, i.e. baby boomer poseurs. It's actually a shame that this transpired, because there were certainly a lot of kickass records coming out of England in that traditional style, especially Raven, who were writing some of their best material in the latter half of that decade.
For Blade Runner, the chance at a sophomore meant a huge development in the band's musical skill and writing style. Warriors of Rock, though ironically titled in a less menacing manner than their debut Hunted, is a vastly more mature effort. There are still many traces of hard rock here ala Journey, Def Leppard and Whitesnake, but by and large the riffs are heavier and more effective. Gary Jones has incorporated a lot more great leads and melodies, and Steve McKay had come quite a long way, delivering a performance here that could not only top himself, but many other bands in the genre that were still churning out material. It's almost as if Blade Runner were 'keeping up with the times', without crossing over into the realm of speed or thrash metal directly, but offering a heavier alternative to an Iron Maiden or Riot. As a result, Warriors of Rock is simply a gem that was tragically passed over.
The band were still not operating on a massive budget for production, and the album still feels muted and heavily reverbed like the debut. But it really doesn't matter, because the songs are so catchy they'll grab your ear regardless, beginning with the winding "Eyes of the Beholder", which is more complex on its own than half of the previous record. If you're a fan of the more serious Saxon tunes, this is totally going to appeal to you. Cruise missile rhythms, amazing vocals that soar far beyond the stratosphere, and excellent guitar writing which cycles through at least a half dozen to-die-for licks and a wonderful lead after the 3:00 mark. "Warriors of Rock" teases with a bass intro, similar to several tracks on the debut, but then it quickly elevates through the use of arching guitar melodies and Byford-like vocals, to a memorable melodic rocker with blistering guitars and dirty ass rhythms. The lyrics are cheesy and self-referential about metal concerts, but the song is so great you will not care. "Snowqueen" is equally fascinating, opening like a metal national anthem over steady cadence and grooving bass, before it picks up into a sad gloss and some graceful, melodic mid-pace rocking.
The surprises are far from over, as the hammering boogie-taps of "Wings of Fear" cede to a bad ass, slow rhythm with big chords and a vibe reminiscent of earlier recordings by the American band Riot. "Lionheart" is a morose ballad piece that transforms within minutes to a steady, epic rocker, triplets meted out like hammers to stone and wood, and an amazing chorus that cuts right through your own heart. "She's Ready" flirts with speed metal and silly lyrics about some groupie or other, and this is probably the weakest track here, but not a total waste. The band makes up for those 5 minutes with another emotionally charged piece "Where Eagles Dare", all fist and attitude with some canny guitar work. "The Verdict" is simply pure, honest middle class NWOBHM music, with a little kick into high gear and a lot of heart, and a shrill, haunting finale that you've simply gotta hear.
Yeah, obviously Blade Runner were not writing Master of Puppets or Somewhere in Time here, and it makes a lot of sense that their star would not rise even despite the amount of effort they obviously channeled into bettering themselves against a harder-core world, but I think this is an album you MUST check out if you love this period in British metal. Despite the cruder production standards, it compares very favorably to a Turbo, and it's clearly better than Raven's attempt at a streamlined, friendly radio sound on The Pack is Back. I really don't like the song "She's Ready" all that much, so I can't award it top honors, but if you're seeking out obscure gems from the period, I'd highly advise you to place this at the top of your watch list. It's really that good, and though it's sad the band would split up due to a lack of support from their label, at least they left us something fairly enduring against the night.
SADWINGS - LONELY HERO
There is a seemingly endless sea of discarded bands that tried their hand at putting out music during the heyday of 80s heavy metal, and succeeded in only getting one LP or a brief string of singles under their belt before being swept away by the tides of time. A fair number of these bands were either part of the NWOBHM, or otherwise emulating the same basic style while hailing from other nations, and of those nations Sweden was one of the more heavily represented member-states. The sub-label of the once consequential Ebony Records (known for fielding such formative acts as Savage, Grim Reaper, and the French-based Nightmare) Criminal Response, which also fielded some lesser known British acts in Blackmayne and Cobra, also had a contingent of Swedish acts rounded out its ranks during the mid-80s, and the ones that sadly got the short end of the proverbial stick was Sadwings, which saw some initial success with their keyboard-steeped yet still largely metallic debut Lonely Hero hit the shelves in 1985, but failed to truly gain traction even after a 2 year stint trying to make waves in the U.S.
As the band's name suggests, there is a fairly sizable Judas Priest influence upon their sound, particularly exemplified in their tendency to play it fast and hard-hitting. Naturally it's not a full on tribute affair as this album spends a fair bit of time reveling in atmospheric acoustic and keyboard-driven aesthetics that would become more a staple of the developing progressive metal scene in North America via Queensryche and later Sacred Blade, but when dealing with the first half of this album it's a full on dose of swift speed metal. Vocalist Tony Ekfeldt doesn't possess the glass-shattering range of Halford, but brings a fairly competent mid-ranged growl to the equation that is fairly reminiscent of Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy that was probably a key factor in the band's motivation to try and make in-roads with the California sleaze scene. Pretty much every song on the A-side from "Love In The Third Degree" to "Escape Into Fantasies" is an interchangeable fast-paced cooker that would be able to cut heads with the speed-infused material heard on Screaming For Vengeance.
In a rather unusual twist, much as the A-side of this album is dominated by impact-based speed and fury, the B-side is almost all possessed of varying degrees of slower-paced metallic fanfare and balladry. The standout offering of this collection is the band's eponymous "Sadwings", which has a fairly prominent Dio-era Black Sabbath feel to it with some occasional glimmers of Iron Maiden, and is also the only offering of the final four that doesn't feature prominent acoustic sections. This isn't to say that the acoustic parts are by any means poorly executed, but the multiplicity of ballads so close together tends to detract from this album's energy factor. The long-standing veterans of the 80s heavy metal scene Twisted Sister and W.A.S.P. were not wholly averse to playing ballads, but there was definitely a reason why "The Price" and "Sleeping (In The Fire)" were the lone ballads on their respective albums. All the same, the haunting atmosphere of the acoustic intro to "Evil Island" is very well realized and even conjures up some similarities to the earliest era of Candlemass.
On the one hand, it is understandable why these guys didn't last, they were clearly going by sheer amateur determination and were working from a fairly limited well of creativity. Much of what is accomplished on here is territory that was pretty well covered as far back as 1982, save maybe the keyboard work, and the heavy competition between bands vying for limited airplay on rock radio in the L.A. scene was sure to be a death sentence for any band that didn't time things just right. All the same, there is a certain nostalgic charm to this album, it's just so unapologetic in its 80s camp from the spacey production quality to the Sci-Fi themed album art that it can't help but be a draw for any trustee of 80s heavy metal, be it the British, American or Swedish scenes respectively. Arguably the most lonely of heroes are the ones that die on the battlefield and buried in the tomb of the unknown soldier, and absent some band in the current retro-80s metal craze covering one of these songs, it may well prove to be Sadwings' perpetual fate.
THE MIGHTY BLACK ALICE
There are many reasons for leaving aside albums that are buried under the sands of time. And I can tell you that the strongest of all is very simple to understand: if you didn’t have the success back then, why in the blazes can someone think that 20, 30 years from its time, an album can have success? There are exceptions to this thought (it’s not a rule), and I can tell you that BLACK ALICE, from Australia (Perth, the same city from AC/DC), was a good name, as this reissue for “Endangered Species” is here to prove.
Highly influenced by JUDAS PRIEST and ACCEPT, their music bears a great amount of untamed energy, and they were able to build some excellent melodies. Ok, their musical formula is the very same of countless bands of those same years, but they could have being a success if they had better conditions (and distribution for the album in Europe), because this album is from 1983, a time when Metal was just crawling up from the depths of the underground. And let me tell you: these guys really know how to make some excellent choruses and harmonic structures. But this album has a good sound quality if we think in terms of the 80’s. 
When the music starts to play, we have a surprise, because songs as “No Warning” with its simple melodies, the Hard Rock energy shown on “Rat Catchers Eyes”, the catching guitar riffs and arrangements on “Hell Has No Fury”, the slow rhythm of “In The Hall of the Ancient Kings”, the aggressive melodies that are presented on “Roll the Dice”, and the heavy weight shown on “Blade of Slaughter” are proof of a very good name that deserved better luck, but it wasn’t the case. The follow up EP had 2 unreleased tracks “Hellhouse”, “Man of Metal”, and both of them as good as the ones I wrote about above.
“Endangered Species” is a great album from "down under".


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