This box contains the complete vaults of TROJAN and TALION on five silver discs. As a dedicated heavy metal fan, these compilation albums will make you a happy man. It's packed with studio recordings, demos, live recordings and extensive booklets containing a whole lot of loud heavy metal history. The album "Chasing The Storm" is a great starter with ten songs, worthy of pure heavy metal and a bit over forty minutes. Title track "Chasing The Storm" will already attract your attention completely. It's fast and loud and it's a guitar explosion extraordinary with references to those high class bands, such as JAGUAR, ANGEL WITCH, RAVEN and BITCHES SIN. It sounds explosive, faster than the speed of light and loud as hell. And if you like your metal that way, don't go and look any further because the bashing goes on in the next fast head banger, called "Tonight We Got It Made". The short intro of "Only The Strong Survive" gives you a bit of time to take a deep breath, before the magnificent riff starts up this song, which has got a slightly catchy touch and contains another explosive guitar sound. There is a short speed change in the middle and after the instrumental break, the opening riff is back and you will be banging your head up and down to the sound of it. "Hypnotized" keeps up the fast pace and I bet, they got a lot of speed tickets in those early days. Every song reaches that same high speed level, so every speed metal fan will surely love this. They change back to fourth gear in "Backstabber", which is another killer track, that will definitely invite you to sing along to it in a live situation. "Icehouse" is a firm rock song and a very good one indeed. And hey, just wait until guitarist Pete Wadeson explodes in anger, then things are really getting crazy. Guitar solos like that can easily lift a song up to a higher level from very good to a 'must-hear' status. It reminds me of the riffs and licks, which turned the song "Angelwitch" into a NWOBHM classic. Clearly, this album is at such a 'must-hear' level and you won't find any fillers here and just killers. Just check out "Take No Prisoners", which contains the perfect bang your head speed, next to some finger licking good guitar solos. Better fasten your seatbelts, when "Hot 'N' Ready" starts off. It will knock you off your feet for sure, if you're still standing by now. I'm totally out of control myself, because I like it when metal is being played at breakneck speed. Before you know it, you have arrived at one of the final songs on this album, called "Help Me". Well, you'd better 'help me' a little, because at this point I've fallen off my chair and I'm lying on the ground and foaming at the mouth. Can someone please start the next song, because I need more of this and I need it now!!! "Aggressor" closes this CD and a ballad type of song seems to unfold itself here. But hey wait, it's not and another fast killer riff explodes right away. Better run and hide, because 'The Aggressor' has entered my room. There is no escape and this whole album has ripped me apart already. One down and four more to go. I am glad, that the loud bang at the end of this song is not my CD player, which has exploded. What a blast and such an amazing sound! You can definitely chase a storm with an album like that. I will give the full score of ten out of ten for this first album in this box set.
The second CD is a live show from 1986, recorded on January 19th at the well-known Dynamo club in Eindhoven. The main question is of course are they able to maintain the same quality live on stage and are the songs just as energetic and raw as on that amazing album? The answer is a fully: yes! Just listen to the fiery sound of opener "Backstabber". Things even get better with "Tonight We've Got It Made", which follows right after that. The insane guitar licks, the speedy drum beats, the high screams and energetic vocals, this is the exact same vibe as on the studio record. "Only The Strong Survive" is on next and it has got a slightly commercial feeling around it. It is also possible to sing along to the chorus. "Hypnotized" is another firm rock song with some amazing hot guitar work. "Take No Prisoners" has the same vibe. Clearly, I think, that the band is playing an overwhelming set for the hungry metal audience. Just check out "Hot 'N' Ready". The band shuffled all the songs from the "Chasing The Storm" album and created this mighty fine live album, turning it into "Capturing The Storm". What a brilliant move, if you'd ask me. "Help Me" gives guitarist Pete Wadeson some space to show his excellent skills. "Icehouse" is one of my favorite songs here, because it's stretched out a bit and it contains a longer instrumental part. "Aggressor" turns it all up even a little bit more. The beer and tonz of sweat must have been dripping against the wall from excitement by then, I guess. Another highlight for me is the set closer of tonight, called "Chasing The Storm", which is the title track of their first album. The band has also played a show in Belgium that same period of time with HEIR APPARENT and SAVAGE GRACE. Afterwards, the band sadly broke up. This live recording sounds excellent and I think it's a damn shame, that TROJAN disbanded after that. I This gig is nine out of ten for me for sure.
It was a managerial reason why the band broke up and the writing team of TROJAN stayed together and formed speed metal outfit TALION. The album "Killing The World" contains seven tracks and it's worthy of a bit over thirty-five minutes. Title track "Killing The World" is a true killer. The music is definitely more speed metal than NWOBHM, yet the amazing killer guitar solos of Pete Wadeson are again mind-blowing and definitely not of this world. It's the speed metal version of TROJAN, so to say. "Sanctuary" is next and I don't have to explain that it has got nothing to do with the other well-known IRON MAIDEN song. It's just another killer metal song with ditto guitar solos. The powerful drive and the energetic vibe, it's all there and it still stands tall after so many years. "Living On The Edge" on the other hand has an 'easy sing along' chorus, which works very well in a live situation. Also check out the great instrumental part in this one. When you picked up your jaw again, which dropped on the floor, it's time for some "Speed Thrills". Be warned though and better sit down before being exposed to this kind of guitar exorcism. This song only lasts three freaking minutes. Shortly, it's actually one giant guitar eruption. Better fasten your seat belt, because this is truly awesome! "Laws Of Retaliation" is a lengthy track, which is stuffed with subtle mood and speed changes. There's no reason to be afraid, because the guitar solos will make your eyes pop out of excitement again. Ten minutes holding your breath is a bit too much, still there is a lot going on here. It shows the craftsmanship of this band. "Screamin' For Mercy" starts off as a tender love song. This is only the first seconds, after that the fire has been lit and the axe attacks fly like a hot knife through a piece of butter. You'd better start screaming for mercy, although I'm afraid it won't help you much. These guys don't show any mercy. Check out that very last song "Premonition", which existed already in the TROJAN days. Obviously, there is a good dose of NWOBHM in here, but the speed and the power will crack your skull, if you try to bang your head on that one. Just WOW is enough comment, I guess. This is the way I like my speed metal. The band killed the world with this album. Again I would like to go for a score of nine out of ten for this.
The fourth CD captures the band live and it also contains four demo tracks. The live songs were recorded in Sofia at the Plovdiv Amphitheatre, Bulgaria on July 29th, 1990. The show starts off with an intro tape and the song "Killing The World". TALLION was in their speed metal years and this is a really amazing opener. This is another example of how great the band sounded live. Same goes for "Sanctuary", which is full speed ahead. Bulgaria may be an odd country to play as a heavy metal outfit, but they sure deliver some very good quality live recordings. Check out the amazing drum intro to "The Punishment Befits The Crime", which is a wild powerful track with crazy fast drum beats. It's a hit on the head and a knockout punch. "Living On The Edge" contains some powerful drum beats and raunchy riffs. The short set in Bulgaria closes with the furious "Screaming For Mercy", which is a great song to play live. The demo tracks start with "Killing The World", the opener of the live set in Bulgaria. You can ask yourself of course why "Living On The Edge" never made it to the charts. In my opinion, it would fit quite well in there. It sounds raw, yet it still has that very catchy vibe. The demos for "Sanctuary" and "Screaming For Mercy" close this fourth CD, which also receives nine points out of ten for me. One CD to go and I am still really flabbergasted about the high quality of it all so far.
The fifth CD is the 'TROJAN Demos' album, packed with thirteen songs and fifty-five minutes of demo material. "Chasing The Storm" starts off and what we get here is actually the complete "Chasing The Storm" album in its elementary form, except for the song "Take No Prisoners" which is not on it. Raw, unpolished versions of raw NWOBHM anthems.... What more could you ask for? Actually, "Chasing The Storm" has been in my CD player for weeks now, so I can sing along to it quite easily. That album is by far the best material there is of this band. Briefly, nine songs from the debut album of TROJAN are on this demo-CD and I would like to refer to the start of this writing for a full review. In the meantime, I grabbed my best air guitar, put some fresh strings on it and played along to these nine magnificent songs. If my conclusion didn't stir up your interest yet, the album really is the Holy Grail of the NWOBHM scene, in its original format, as well as the demos. It's heaven on earth for all you heavy metal disciples out there. There are also few extras here and let me tell you about that, while I put away my air guitar. "Bring On The Night" feels like EXCITER's "Under Attack", which is another killer song from their NWOBHM period. The song is followed by "Young Wild Fast 'N' Furious". As the title suggests, this is a soft and tender love song and an amazing ballad. No, of course not, I'm kidding here. We are dealing with TROJAN here and they press the pedal to the metal one more time. The CD closes with a second version of "Backstabber" and "Icehouse", which completely emptied the vaults of TROJAN and TALLION.
Five CD's containing some of the best NWOBHM and speed metal there is available. We Dutchies can be really proud of the fact, that Roadrunner picked them up in the early days and believed in what they were doing.
The booklet contains a great band history, cool pix and the lyrics to the songs. This TROJAN / TALLION compilation has got it all. And I can only rate this five CD compilation with a very high score, because it's well-deserved. Every single second, the band hits me with their best shot and not that many bands present such great songs like that. Killer stuff!!
(9,8/10- Toine van Poorten)
I remember seeing THE DEEP many times. The band consists of former members of DEEP MACHINE that performed live at the Dynamo in Eindhoven in the mid-eighties. After the release of their full-length album "Premonition", it became rather quiet around the band and now they're back with a vengeance. This eight track single is called an EP, although it's more like a second full-length CD because the songs are worthy of over forty minutes of brilliant NWOBHM. Just take a bite at the ballsy and catchy opener "Prepare To Rock". Obviously, the band proves that they still rock at full force. I bet, you will sing along to the chorus after hearing it for the first time. This song grabs you by the balls right away and turns back the time to the good ol' heydays of the NWOBHM. The harmony vocals work just fine and the guitar solo will most likely give you the chills. After all, the two guitarists are well armed and forever looking for a chance to fire their solos at you. The next song "Dead Man Walking" has got the same power. Just have a listen to that magnificent voice of front man Tony Coldham, who was one of the original members of DEEP MACHINE that I was talking about earlier. He was also part of TYTAN for a short while and I'm so glad that we saw them in Kortrijk, Belgium a couple of years ago. He did two shows there, one with THE DEEP and one with TYTAN and both were just incredible. The guitar work on "Dead Man Walking" is really breathtaking. Check out the amazing guitar solo here, which will make you bang your head even harder. By the way, the first two tracks are recorded with Alan Mogg on drums, while the second two studio tracks have Fraser Powell on drums. Just to set the record straight. Title track "Watching You" brings some rest after that overwhelming and dynamic start. The other ingredients are the same. The song is very catchy and it has some incredible guitar licks. The eyes on the sleeve are looking at me, as if they see what I'm writing. I'd better be positive, as they probably know where I'm living, too. There is also a slightly creepy feeling in this song, like ALICE COOPER does it, who is the master of creating a horror type of atmosphere. In "Taking Over", the band steps on the gas again. And although the NWOBHM era is far behind us, many bands are still there and they keep on playing that particular heavy metal sound of these glory years in the British music history. I think that if the band had released these four songs in the early eighties, they would definitely have received a lot of amazing reviews. They stay very close to the sound that was presented back in those days and that's exactly the way I like it. They don't care about innovation or any commercial bullshit and they just stay true to that amazing original NWOBHM sound of the 1980s. These four songs are a throwback in time and a must to every devoted NWOBHM fan. However, this is only just the beginning because the EP contains four more songs. These are four live tracks recorded at the British Steel Festival in Fismes, France in 2016. I hear some air raids go off. Something is about to happen here. This is your final warning! Hide in your shelters!! There is no escape!! THE DEEP is in the house and they are going to take you by storm. I love it, when songs are starting this way. You know that something special is about to happen. And there is, I can tell you that much. The sound quality of the four live tracks is really superb and above all, it sounds very powerful. The band starts off with "Premonition". What a freaking and amazing song that is. Guitar solos keep coming. Mick Feleppa and Paul Smith are the guitar wizards here, who share equal leads, which is topped by that powerful voice of Tony Coldham. This sounds like NWOBHM at its very best to me. "The Rider" is on next and this is my personal favorite track of the "Premonition" album. It has got a very catchy hook and again you can easily sing along to the chorus, if you want to and who doesn't? "All I Want" is also made to sing along to with the catchy chorus parts. The good vibe of a live band is being captured here very well and you almost can feel that you're among the audience, when you listen to these recordings. The EP closes with a live rendition of "Night-Stalker", which is another song on my list of favorites from the "Premonition" album. One more time, you can sing along to it on top of your voice. The speed change in the middle is really great. The two guitar players are standing in the spotlight once again. What a treat for all the fans of this band. Four brand new tracks, four amazing live songs and two spooky eyes staring at you. The "Watching You" EP is more than you would expect. It's the power of the live tracks that really blew me away, but it's also the strength of the four new studio tracks that keeps me going until the next full-length album by THE DEEP. This will be without guitar player Mick Feleppa, who sadly enough left the band. They are still searching for a suitable replacement. But how can you replace a brilliant guitar player like Mick? I hope that they will, because this band is simply too good to die young. Good luck to Mick and thank you very much for these magical guitar moments on this eight tracker. Buy or feel sorry for the rest of your live. THE DEEP are Tony Coldham on vocals, Mick Feleppa on guitar, Paul Smith on guitar, Phil Reeve on bass and Alan Mogg on drums. Go to: http://www.thedeepband.co.uk or http://www.facebook.com/TheDeepUK for all the latest information about this incredible band.
Welcome to our request corner. Sometimes, I also write a review on demand by certain band members or a record label or whatsoever. I wish, I would have more time to write about CDs, that don't belong in the Metal Maidens or Holland Heavy Metal section, which is already a fulltime second job, next to my daily job during the week. This time, I'd like to write about a band, that surely belongs to the cult metal scene in England. I'm talking about SACRILEGE. Their new CD is called "The Court Of The Insane" and it contains ten brand new tracks, which will knock you off your feet in about fifty-five minutes. The court is entering the room, so all rise and pay some attention. From the very first notes on, it's quite obvious that this is not a standard party metal CD. The dark tones will introduce you to "Celestial City", the place where SACRILEGE is at its very best. It's a cold and dark place, where evil dwells and horror rages on. The low tuned vocals fit just perfectly here and the creepy atmosphere will get you in the right mood. If you're into some good horror type of metal, then this is definitely something for you. Their sober and down-hearted sound can also be very up-tempo at times, although their message is certainly not positive. Have a listen to "Lies" and judge for yourself, if it's true or just one big lie. Well, I can assure you, that this is true as hell. Check out the horrific high scream at the beginning or the guitar solo in this fast rocker for that matter. What a killer song and I'm definitely telling you the truth. Those fast, heavy pounding drum beats of drum-beast Neil Turnbull, who is referred to as "The Devil Himself" in the CD booklet are stunning and f*cking heavy. That's exactly the place where he's living, when he is not behind his drum kit with his glow in the dark drum sticks. He's a true legend in my eyes and if you dig very deep into your memory, you will remember him from his days in DERVISH. Talk about cult metal or what??!! In the meantime, we have arrived at the title track of this album, which is called "The Court Of The Insane". SACRILEGE knows to capture very well, that this court is not the average one. Just listen to the end: it's a court that rules with madness and it's a really gruesome place. I hear anger, I hear fear and I hear the truth. This is a place where you can get confused, where there isn't justice for all, like in a usual court. Check out the guitar work and the almost aggressive sounding shouts near the end. "Bring Out The Dead" is next and my mind directly goes out to the "Monty Python And The Holy Grail" movie, in which the dead collectors have that hilarious part with the horses pulling the car on which the dead bodies have been carried away. Oops, I got a little distracted here and this song by SACRILEGE is something completely different and they are not funny at all. The dead collectors have arrived and this is some serious stuff. So far, I would compare the sound of SACRILEGE as a good mix between GHOST and DEATH SS, to name two bands that get very close to the subjects that this band is dealing with and also musically, they have got a lot in common. This is heavy metal with some dark elements and a horror kind of approach. Oh, and did I mention the fantastic guitar solos already?? "Depression" continues with a leading role for Jeff Roland on bass. He's a killing machine, he's 'Mr. Rock and Roll' himself. The music however keeps me far away from a depression. On the contrary, it gives me a lot of strength. "No Bequeath" has some nice speed and mood changes and the absolute stunning guitar work of Dave Lear, who replaced Tony Vanner, at least on this CD. What an enormous power he presents in his playing here. Think about Brad Gillis in his heydays, fast and raw, just the way I like it. "The Prophet" starts with some moody vocal parts, that hold the middle between King Diamond and Ozzy Osbourne, at least there is the same sadness in Bill's voice. By the way, if you don't know their front man yet, just let me introduce you to the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Bill Beadle. as he's the man behind all those sick thoughts and lyrics of SACRILEGE. I'll take my hat off with deep respect for this man and make a very deep bow for creating so many beautiful albums over the years. It's all done for the love of heavy metal and every album contains so much high quality, that I really don't understand why this band never got any bigger than the underground scene. "Unhinged Mind" has got some early MOONSPELL and GHOST influences and the guitar parts sound more than magnificent. If the songs weren't that good already, they would definitely bring them up to a much higher level, because of the instrumentation. This band definitely knows the drill. "I Can Hear The Silence" is next. It has got a nice and very catchy hook that would do justice in a live situation, if you'd ask my honest opinion. I'm still telling you no lies. The last song will bring you back to the world of today. You slowly crawl outside the dark mind of SACRILEGE and return to a more airy subject. Get your bike and 'Ride Free" and feel good. That's the perfect song to escape the dark thoughts of Bill Beadle and SACRILEGE, who astonished me once again with the high level of hard rock and heavy metal on this brand new album. You will find the verdict at the bottom of this review and I suggest to play it as loud as you possibly can. You can not argue against the verdict of a judge, can you?! SACRILEGE consists of Bill Beadle on vocals, rhythm guitar and keyboards, Neil 'The Devil Himself' Turnbull on drums, Jeff Roland on bas and Dave Lear on guitar. Tony Vanner plays lead guitar on "Lies", "I Can Hear The Silence" and "Ride Free". For more info about this demonic NWOBHM band, visit their official website at: http://www.sacrilegenwobhm.com or go to their FB page at: http://www.facebook.com/sacrilegerock.