Description
An odd metal compilation album from Trend Records/Gama Musikverlags GmbH
Stranger
Strangers debut album, The Bell (1985), is probably the closest thing to Helloweens Wall Of Jericho out there, an essential release in the ancient German speed metal chapter. The Bell features Gerd Salewski and founding guitarist Rikki Wolfgang Rieger (both would later go on to Chroming Rose). It then took the band a whopping five years to finally release a new album, and what happened? For starters the entire line-up has changed besides founding guitarist Rikki Wolfgang Rieger (later in Chroming Rose), and this is probably why there’s an entirely new sound and direction here. Gone were the furiously fast rhythm’s, pounding beats, soaring vocals and choruses, ripping solo’s that continue on endlessly. In comes some keyboards, synths, a drastic decrease in speed, silly whistles, terrible themes, ballads left and right, and the disappearance of blood thirsty riffs. This second album was not impressive at all. Comparing Pretty Angels to The Bell is practically like comparing Helloween’s Walls Of Jericho to Chameleon, only I’d take Chameleon over Pretty Angels anyday.
Snakes
A totally unknown act that are featured here with two cover tunes; Whitesnakes “Here I Go Again” and Scorpions “Still Lovin You”. If you check your history books and search the internet you will probably come up with zero information. My guess is that the label couldnt come up with enough “ballads” among the Gama catalogue so they quickly made up a cover band in the studio. I guess only Peter Garattoni has the answer to this one.
Tox
Tox from Göppingen in Germany released their debut album “Prince Of Darkness” in 1985 on Mausoleum records. The album title and cover artwork exude a certain aura of heaviness however Tox wasnt the heaviest band or a band into the occult or satanic imagery. Their second and final album was released the year after.
The Adicts
The Adicts are a British punk rock quartet founded in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, in the late ’70s by lead singer Monkey (Keith Warren), guitarist Pete Davidson, bassist Mel Ellis, and drummer Kid Dee (Michael Davison). The group affected the look of the “droogs” in the film A Clockwork Orange. Largely independent record makers, they nevertheless made the British charts with their second album, Sound of Music, in 1982, and the single “Bad Boy” in 1983.
Heros / Heroes
Another unknown act that are exclusive for these Gama compilation albums. The track are written by Peter Garattoni and Schiele so its probably another one of those Peter Garattoni’s projects. 4 known tracks are spread over several of the Gama compilation albums but doesnt seem to have been released anywhere else. On most compilations the band name are spelled Heros but here it says Heroes
Tyran Pace
There’s really no way around it, Tyran Pace were pretty much blatant Judas Priest clones at the time of the Eye To Eye album. Eye To Eye was the first of three albums from this German metal band. Vocalist Ralf Scheepers provided the Halfie karaoke (adding a German accent for good measure), while a trio of guitarists did their best Tipton/Downing impression. Ralf Sheepers would go on to Gamma Ray and then to Primal Fear. Is Judas Priests influences would carry on to this groups too.
Stormwitch
Do you wanna take a trip back to the past for a moment, when Heavy Metal meant unity, the bands were absolutely true and, anyway, there was a special mood in the entire Metal scene? It was the early 80s, and while the NWOBHM movement was kicking the worlds ass, in Germany things were a little bit different. Apart from the already familiar names of Scorpions and Accept, many bands with a special teutonic sound were coming out, bands like Avenger (pre-Rage), Helloween, Running Wild, Gravestone, Veto, High Tension, Sinner, Steeler… and Stormwitch. Formed as ‘Lemon Sylvan’ in 1979 before renaming the band Stormwitch. Their popularity grow with albums like ‘Walpurgis Night’, ‘Tales Of Terror’, ‘Stronger Than Heaven’ and the album ‘The Beauty And The Beast’ features some awesome heavy metal very well-written and consistent throughout the whole album.
Tokyo Blade
80s heavy metallists Tokyo Blade went through numerous line-up changes during their career, but their only constant throughout it all was founding member Andy Boulton (guitar). After the ‘Blackhearts And Jades Spades’ tour Andy Boulton put together a new line up of the band featuring Pete Zito on vocals, Alex Lee on drums, Cherokee bassplayer Andy Catlin, who was shortly after replaced by Chris Stover. They released the commercial ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ as ‘Andy Boulton’s Tokyo Blade’, and did a tour, and at one point found themselves on a festival billing with Black Sabbath. This line up only lasted the one album
Midnight Darkness
To sum up this lost German band, I can offer only that it’s somewhere between the Scorpions and Accept, with the vocals reminiscent of a Klaus Meine at their lower range, screaming up into ridiculous heights that might have been best left alone by Jörg Reuter, since they do seem to break up in that register. Otherwise, the record has that good old ‘climbing the walls’ feel to it which one could only ask of most mid-80s metal that was not blazing a path of ambition or obscurity, but helping cement the status quo. Midnight Darkness chug a little harder than the next band, the tones of the album are thick and welcome, the drums hammering along like a garbage truck out of Hell, and one certainly feels the prototypical spine tingling force of the power metal genre running an undercurrent through their underpants.
Veto
Legendary among those who love and praise German Heavy Metal. The band were founded in the early 80s but had major problems to find a permanent drummer. However in 1984 they managed to score a record deal with GAMA records. Even a record deal couldn’t help to attract the right drummer so label boss Peter Garattoni stand in as a session drummer during the recording of their debut album released in 1986. Just like most other Gama bands Gravestone, Noisehunter, Tyrant and Stormwitch they weren’t that well received by the media but more loved by the metal fans. The problem with finding a decent drummer would follow the band during their whole career so the band became more of a studio project than a live band. In 1988 the band released their second and last album ‘Carthago’ and Garattoni laid down the drums even this time. The second album was just as strong as the first one but still no media back up and soon afterwards the vocalist Harry Liebhauser had to leave and that was the final nail in the Veto coffin. The band tried with a new singer but they soon disbanded. Veto had the quality of uniting melody with class and metallic feeling, going from fast songs to melodic stuff and all between.
Track list:
1. Stranger-Is This Love-from Pretty Angels 1989
2. Snakes -Here I Go Again
3. Tox -Hard Harted-from Prince Of Darkness 1985
4. The Adicts -Beauty Sleep-from Fifth Overture 1986
5. Heroes -Tears Of A Rose
6. Tyran Pace -Leave Me Tonight-from Eye To eye 1984
7. Snakes -Still Lovin You
8. Stormwitch -I Wan’t You Around-from Eye Of The Storm 1989
9. Tokyo Blade -Aint Misbehavin-from Aint Misbehavin 1987
10. Midnight Darkness -Forever-from Holding The Night 1985
11. Veto -Mean Mistreater-from Carthago 1988