HELSTAR Helstar (1983) Helstar hail from Houston, Texas and have just produced one of the best demos I have ever heard. Containing seven tracks of out-and-out metal, the tape has not left the deck since it was sent to me. It kicks off with ‘Burning Star’, featuring some excellent twin lead guitar work from Larry […]
STEELERSteeler Shrapnel (1983)Rating: 7/10 This album features the talents of ex-Rising Force guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, who is of course the Swedish axe hero extraordinaire that has recently joined the ranks of Graham Bonnet’s new band Alcatrazz. Here, Malmsteen displays the talents that have already earned him the “Yngwie is God” tag from many of California’s […]
SAINTS’ ANGER Saints’ Anger (1983) Saints’ Anger are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1981 by vocalist / guitarist Harald Piller. Then a three-piece, the trio was completed by Joachim Walter (bass) and Harald Reiter (drums). It wasn’t until April 1983 that they added a fourth member, guitarist Jürgen Knief. Musically, slight comparisons can […]
RANDY HANSENAstral Projection – Live Shrapnel (1983)Rating: 5/10 This has to be the most puzzling release of the year. An album of Jimi Hendrix compositions (not forgetting Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along The Watchtower’) performed live at the Keystone in Palo Alto, California. Now Randy Hansen, you may remember, had a self-titled album out some three […]
STRUTT Strutt (1983) Strutt come from East London and feature three ex-members of the now defunct Deep Machine, a band that despite its line-up problems built a somewhat cult following around the world on the strength of a couple of demos and a handful of live appearances, especially in Holland. The ex-Deep Machine trio of […]
SLAYER Slayer (1983) Not to be confused with the San Antonio,Texas-based band of the same name, this Slayer hail from Southern California and are acclaimed as being the United States’ heaviest metal band, and after hearing their three-track demo I’m not going to doubt that for one moment! A four-piece band, Slayer have been in […]
METAL FORCES – Issue 2 Magazine Cover (1983) « Previous Cover Next Cover »
THE JOE PERRY PROJECTOnce A Rocker, Always A Rocker MCA (1983)Rating: 9/10 Joe Perry is back! After nearly two years of waiting since his excellent I’ve Got The Rock’N’Rolls Again, he’s produced another storming album. Out have gone all of his old backing band and in have come three fresh new faces. The singer, Cowboy […]
SHYOnce Bitten… Twice Shy Ebony (1983)Rating: 9/10 Ebony Records isn’t one of my favourite record companies for producing class acts, but I was totally shocked by this LP. Even when I saw the silly sleeve with the old clichéd poses on the front, I thought this is gonna be another thrash ‘n’ bash LP. But […]
FUTURE TENSE Battle Of Metal (1983) I have not been known to like many European metal acts; they always seemed to have tired ideas and copybook looks… until now. Future Tense have just come blasting out of Holland; a four-piece consisting of Cock van Drunen on vocals, Rob Weber on guitar, Tjerk Kiesel on bass […]
