Description
Reduced price due to vinyl having some small hairline marks after the innersleeve
Rare original SPV/Steamhammer release with printed innersleeve
Heaven’s Gate were a German power metal band formed in 1987 from the ashes of an earlier group named Steeltower, where vocalist Thomas Rettke and drummer Thorsten Mueller achieved little recognition despite putting in almost five years of work and releasing an album on Mausoleum Records in 1984. They would be far more fortunate with Heaven’s Gate (also featuring guitarists Bonny Bilski, Sascha Paeth, and bassist Manni Jordan), which capitalized on the late-’80s and early-’90s power metal craze with some solid efforts. Their 1991 album Livin In Hysteria is an excellent piece of Teutonic power metal delight. Equal parts Walls Of Jericho and Defenders Of The Faith, this little firecracker never overstays its welcome, nor does it pretend to be anything other than a great excuse to bang your head off. Shredding guitars and soaring choruses are the special of the day, and Heavens Gate deliver like champions. The title track’s frantic rhythm is a great hint of what the rest of the record has in store. Lots of high octane, flaming heavy metal to be found here, thank you very much! Well, except for that bizarre semi-bluegrass break near the 3 minute mark, that is. German bands have always been prone to goofing around for its own sake, but it barely detracts from the testosterone-laden speed metal that permeates the rest of the track, so it’s not too much of a distraction. Not everything is about speed and adrenaline though, as the exquisite “The Never-Ending Fire” demonstrates with gusto. This marching stomper of a song tells a heroic tale of valiant knights, complete with Queen-like choral arrangements and heartfelt solos. It’s a more than a bit cliché, yes, but they definitely make it work. One of the reasons Heavens Gate is so effective despite the somewhat generic sound are the vocals of frontman Thomas Rettke. Clearly a follower of the Halfordian discipline, his tone is pitch perfect, with a slight rasp and a great upper range. His enthusiasm is loud and clear too, and it’s almost impossible to not sing along with him, even when he amps up the cheese and ham to the max in numbers such as “Can’t Stop Rockin'”. Arena rock choruses rarely sound this manly. Barrelling into the scene like a flying rhinoceros, Livin’ In Hysteria is proof that wearing your influences on your sleeve and just rocking the fuck out can work out just fine, if you got the heart and the fire for it. Put on that denim and leather, spin this album, and go crazy. You won’t regret it.
Track list:
1. Livin In Hysteria
2. We Got The Time
3. The Neverending Fire
4. Empty Way To Nowhere
5. Fredless
6. Cant Stop Rockin
7. Flashes
8. Best Days Of My Life
9. We Want It All
10. Gate Of Heaven