Description

With no promotion the ‘No Remorse’ album stiffed immediately, leaving Boulton nursing his wounds and wondering what to do next. The answer, it transpired, was 'Burning Down Paradise', which brought things pretty much full-circle. In 1990 Boulton hooked up with Alan Marsh in Mr Ice (a name presumably won in a 'what's-the-worst-name-for-a-metal-band' competition). Although this thawed pretty quickly bridges were built and Marsh and Boulton, together with Colin Riggs and Mark Angel from Mr Ice and a returned-to-the-fold John Wiggins, were soon to wave the Tokyo Blade banner once more. 'Burning Down Paradise' was released in 1995 and, as the music world had moved on considerably by then it found itself largely unwelcomed by reviewers at large. A shame, because it's apparent that in the interim the boys had been listening to Metallica; and the genetic crossover between an original NWOBHM band searching for its roots and the biggest band in the world influenced by the movement, created a dynamic album which, had it been released ten-twelve years earlier, would have set the world on fire. But this wasn't the early Eighties, it was the mid-Nineties, and by this time the world already had one Metallica it was getting bored of and no-one was interested in Tokyo Blade; not even a Tokyo Blade as revitalised as this. The neck-wrenching 'Flashpoint Serenade', the Zeppelin-esque 'Hot Breath' and the kick-ass opener 'Burning Down Paradise' itself all make a point in emphatic punch-punch-punch style. In fact, there's not a duff cut on offer as one classy, classic metal riff follows another. Had more people heard the album things might have been different, but as it was it wasn't too long before things ground to a halt once more. In the booklet notes, Boulton is quoted as telling Marsh 'I've had as much as I can fucking take. The name Tokyo Blade is cursed.' The band split up, leaving Boulton clutching his axe and wondering what to do next. The answer, it transpired, was to teach guitar at Winchester College and turn his back on Tokyo Blade once and for all. Until 2010, that is, when Boulton, Wiggins, Wrighton, Pierce and vocalist Nicholaj Ruhnow began work on 'Thousand Men Strong'. But that's another story… Track listing: 1. Burning Down Paradise 2. Friend in Need 3. Flashpoint Serenade 4. Kickback 5. Wing And A Prayer 6. Hot Breath 7. Head Full of Bad Wiring 8. Papering the Cracks 9. Get out of My Face 10. Only the Strong 11. Woman And Love 12. Dead End Kid