DARK KNIGHT 12" EP(1984)

1.the grass is greener
2.cabin fever
3.when all else fails
4.return of the dark knight

I was in 11th grade when this 12" came out. I remember it came out a year or so after the first Queensryche 12". I recall being really stoked that there was yet another band from NY playing the style of metal these guys were doing. Most metal was coming from the other coast(or England). I was one who appreciated bands like Riot, the Rods, Talas, and Anthrax because of their proximity to where I lived. NY state pride... These guys all had made me realize that being in a band and writing your own songs was possible.
This stuff is pretty cool, but is seriously for those that love metal. Its so hard for me to describe this stuff. Sorta under the radar, cheesy power metal? I love this shit... unfortunately this was all the band ever released.

http://www.mediafire.com/?d28v4e35ker7su6

MEDIEVAL STEEL- Medieval Steel 12"(1984)

1.Medieval Steel
2.Warlords
3.Battle Beyond The Stars
4.Echoes

So I went to see the Rods at a record store last week in NJ. Before they played I started going through the stores used vinyl bins, and within 5 mins I came across this classic. I was stunned when I saw it...Its a 12" that I'd actually been looking for for a really long time. This has everything 80's written all over it. The sound, the production, the riffs, and the Vocals. I'd first heard these guys in the mid 1980's, as they'd been compared to a local metal band called Stonehenge from the area I was living in at the time. I was a huge Stonehenge fan as I'd seen them win a battle of the bands in Colonie NY in maybe 1983. I'd never been able to track this 12" down due to its limited pressing(something like 500 made). Back then we did a lot of tape trading, so thats how I managed to finally hear these Memphis TN metal heads. This isn't for everyone(its pretty traditional heavy metal). This stuff just really takes me back to high school. If you dig the likes of early Queensryche, Fates Warning, and Omen you might get a hard on for this stuff. Enjoy.

http://www.mediafire.com/?84k55tii7eddae7

HELSTAR-burning star LP(1984)

1.burning star
2.towards the unknown
3.witches eye
4.run with the pack
5.leather lust
6.possession
7.the shadows of iga
8.Dracula's castle

When I re listened to Helstar I heard lots of Omen, a touch of Maiden, and even a c hair of Riot. This Texas metal band has forever been overlooked within the metal scene. I think they were another band that was sorta stuck between the power metal and speed metal scene of the mid eighties. We, the kids were sorta looking for stuff that was faster, heavier and sicker in every way shape and form. Things were becoming extreme in the metal scene, and I think bands like Helstar were sorta lost in that. Its funny because I think as a metalhead I appreciated this one so much more 5-10 years after it came out. The record is a true metal album with NO hints of anything else...just pure 1980's heavy metal.
This is high school shit for me. It reminds me Pounding beers in the bushes someplace in Latham NY on a friday night with friends like Dave Stevenson, and Pat J. Not a care in the world... metal and partying. One of my favorite record covers of the time period. Enjoy this one.

http://www.mediafire.com/?gnzmynodz24

WARFARE pure filth LP(1984)

01.warning
02.total armageddon
03.noise, filth and fury
04.let the show go on
05.break out
06.collance/rabid metal
07.dance of the dead
08.limit crescendo
09.rose pedals fall from her face

This post is inspired by my excitement of seeing Motorhead again in Sept. at Roseland in NYC.
Warfare are a crossover fans wet dream for sure. They were able to take the best parts of bands such as Tank, Motorhead, and Venom, throw them in a blender and out came a raw, catchy metal infused Discharged style punk band. It's seriously beautiful man. The song "total Armageddon" is a classic rager for sure, and always has me playing air drums for the entire 6 minutes of the song. I guess the band suffered from non popularity, or rather, obscurity due to the Drummer doing the lead vox. This really was a no no back then, and Seemed to really kill it for any metal band in the 80's who tried this task. The drummer/vocalist's name was Evo, and he was also in such punk bands as the Blood, Major Accident, and the Angelic Upstarts.
This is the bands first full length, and it was produced by Tank's Algy Ward. Most metal heads I knew growing up had a certain disdain for Warfare. I'm not really sure why, perhaps the rawness, and the Discharge styled drumming wasn't always metal enough for certain purists. What ever the case this shit is noisy, loud and raw. Turn It Up, and please Comment!

http://www.mediafire.com/?mzwzjzyykaj

STALAG 13 in control 12"(1984)

1. Conditioned
2. No Excuse
3. Black Stix/Silver Badge
4. Sometime
5. Clean Up Your Act
6. Black and Grey
7. What Are You Looking For
8. The Choice is Yours
9. In Control

This post is inspired by a comment(and e mail conversations)I had with scab R.K.L. bassist "Ricky", who played with the band after Vince and before Joe. Ricky informed me that he also helped form and played with Stalag 13, but left right before they recorded the 12".
This got me thinking about the record, and pursued me to listen to it again after more then a decade.
I think Its easy to tell they were influenced by 7 Seconds, and Minor Threat. Its also easy to tell that Uniform Choice must have been pretty influenced by Stalag 13. You know, The vocals being sung in that high pitched screaming manner, with the catchy, melodic, fast music just brings it all together.
I own two copies of this nowadays, but I bought my original copy at the Record Vault on Polk street in S.F. This was a record that Andy from Attitude Adjustment pushed on me. It didn't take much to push, I was already into the cover art work. I had no idea who the Hernandez Bros. were back then, so this was my introduction to their cartoony comic book style of art. I went on to follow their careers in the comic book industry, and their book "Love and Rockets" pretty much turned me on to other underground, or more Adult themed comics.

http://www.mediafire.com/?zzbfwezryzq

V/A BORN TO METALIZE Compilation LP(1984)

The BEAST
01.randal flagg
02.is this life
03.the shape

SNEAK ATTACK
04.ultrasonic metal
05.dirty harry
06.sneak attack

TORTURED DOG
07.can't run from evil
08.witch hunter
09.tortured dog

HADES
10.rogues march
11.gloomy sunday

What can I say, this is where I first heard New Jersey's Hades. Most the bands on here were from Jersey, and one of them from NY. The bands are pretty obscure, and prolly aren't all to relevant to many people(cept for maybe Hades). The bands did however have a impact on me. The Sneak Attack song "ultrasonic metal" is brilliant. I can listen to that song over and over and over. Its epic.
This record came out during the time in metal when strange things were happening. You had Nwobhm style bands trying to jump ship, and start playing faster, and heavier because it was sorta easy to see that that was the future of metal. I think you can sorta hear that in most these bands on this comp, they are semi stuck in a weird metal purgatory.
I'm sorta shocked that I bought this record because the cover art is just so awful. Back then the cover was helpful in selling me a record. Today I think the cover is bad, in a good way. Its funny, and made me laugh when I pulled it out after years of neglect.
The Tortured Dog song "can't run from evil" has a few skips in it. I kept it on anyways, because its a awesome song. Please comment.

http://www.mediafire.com/?z2mytkinnom