Description
Black vinyl with a 4 page booklet. Limited 350 copies
Bassist Phil Grasso from US metal legends Steel Assassin details the history of From the Vaults; I released From the Vaults on my own GME Record label in 1998. I also released Madd Hunter s/t and Madd Hunter Silence Of The Lamb on my label. The original cover artwork looked pretty old-school, according to Phil Grasso: That cover was a quick and cheap endeavour. I came up with the original concept quickly. I just wanted to use an image of the band, and in that time, the main image of the band was Doni in his leather and studs and his swords. So that’s where the arm with the sword came from. That’s actually my arm holding my great-great grandfather’s sword. He was in the Civil War. And as for the mausoleum, that is located in a cemetery not far from my house. So I just took a photo of it and had a graphic guy put the two photos together. Simple as that. Phil continues to talk about the material on the record: It’s basically three demos that were done between 1983 and 1984. The first demo was in 1983 before I joined the band, and Steve Bunker was the bass player. The songs Cobra, Demon Hell Rogues, and Heavy Metal Soldiers were done at that time. Then in late 1983 or early 1984, soon after I joined the band, we went in and did another demo. The songs Spartacus, Phaeton, Falling Steel and Executioner were done at that time. That recording of Executioner also ended up on Metal Massacre IV on Metal Blade Records in 1985 I think. The rest of the songs were recorded during a demo session sometime later in 1984. So From The Vaults functions as a historical retrospective for the band as it contains all of the cumulative works between 1983 and 1985 in one nice little package. Musically this is fodder for NWOBHM fanatics who want to hear an American answer to Judas Priest in a similar vain as early Queensryche and Fates Warning even though the production feels dated and the vocal delivery on this demos is not quite as tight and together as the likes of Ray Adler or John Arch. But tracking down this collection of old gems from a band that didn’t quite make the cut in their day is still recommended.
Track listing:
1. Spartacus
2. Phaeton
3. Falling Steel
4. Cobra
5. Demon Hell Rougues
6. Retaliation
7. Attilla the Hun
8. Crusader
9. Sorcerer’s Mistress
10. Barbarians on the Frontier
11. Heavy Metal Soldiers
12. Executioner