Description

Black vinyl with gatefold cover, bonus track and printed innersleeve

The eighties were full of bands like Clevelands Mistreater, bands who managed to record a self-financed album or two and play to their local fan base, but never achieve any major claim to fame. The history of Mistreater starts when in the late 70s guitarist Larry Nottingham put together a band called Scarem that releases a private pressed single in 1980 where Larry does both the vocals and guitar work. Then he meets up with vocalist Curt Luedy and they put together the band Mistreater who releases another private pressed vinyl single the same year. They spend the rest of 1980 to write more material and in 1981 they enter the Brittain Square Sound studios in Pennisula, Ohio to re-record the A-side of the single together with 6 newly written tracks for a private album released the same year with the name ‘Hells Fire’. The album shows a youthful band bent on bashing out straightforward rock/metal, with a 70’s-influenced style that doesn’t bring anyone in particular to mind but somehow is as familiar and comfortable as one’s favourite shoes. You will hear in the teenage vocals of Curt Luedy, almost Vince Neil in a law-abiding mood, and Larry Nottinghams showy solos that whip around and about in brief blizzards of electricity, that they were far too obscure to influence others but it’s also clear that they had for the time a very unique droning sound and an almost cabalistic atmosphere so its easy to imagine that the current crop of stoner bands are influenced by bands like this. After the album Larry left and he was replaced by Dave Hall on guitar. Larry starts up his own band again Scarem but now re-naming them Scarum. He brings in Wes Weber on bass and Al Leister on drums and together they record another private pressed two track vinyl single. Meanwhile Mistreater without Larry continues to write material and recorded a couple of demos. Two tracks makes it onto local compilation albums. The two tracks are ‘Without You`’ on the ‘Cleveland Metal’ compilation in 1983 and the second ‘Wizard Star’ made it onto ‘Cleveland Heavy Metal: Etched In Steel’ in 1984. Then Dave Hall passes away and Larry Nottingham are asked by Curt to rejoin Mistreater and so he does but under the conditions that he can bring Al and Wes with him. So the Scarum line up with Mistreater vocalist Curt Luedy goes back to Brittain Square Sound studios to record the follow up album to ‘Hells fire’. 8 new tracks were recorded and released as a private pressed lp in 1987 with the title ‘Swami’. ‘Hells Fire’ has during the years received a long-lost gem status. For you who don’t have a big enough wallet to ever get the original vinyls then this vinyl re-issue is a great way to find out what it was all about.

Track list:
1. Big A
2. Hells Fire
3. Evil Woman
4. Fortune Lady
5. Baby Blue
6. Mistreater
7. Lies – Graverobber
8. Will You Believe Me