Rock Candy
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Visit product page →. Special Deluxe Collector's Edition
. Fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology
. Cult AOR Melodic Rock album / Contains 'Hands In The Till, 'How Do I Exist' and 'Requiem'
. 12 page full colour booklet ' 3,000 word essay, enhanced artwork, rare photos and new band interview.
The Music Business is littered with sob stories. Those that shoulda', coulda', woulda' made it if matters hadn't conspired against them. It's a familiar tale of woe alright and one that we've heard a million times before yet the strangest thing is some of the world's greatest recordings have been cruelly thrown to the kerb by a simple twist of fate. Step forward Fortress, an act that really ought to have made a much bigger splash than they did.
Although the band came and went in the wink of an eye, they're members had actually been active for a number of years, even rubbing musical shoulders with several prestigious outfits during the 70's, including Tom Petty's Mudcrutch and cult hard rock act White Witch. The big break came with the formation of Fortress yet, sadly, through no fault of their own, success failed to materialise.
Based in Los Angeles, the band attracted the ears of Freddie Piro a producer who had already made a big splash recording the progressive rock band Ambrosia. Prio's Fortress demos attracted the attention of Atlantic Records who promptly signed them, resulting in 'Hands In The Till', one of the most impressive heavy and melodic rock albums of the early 80s, attracting eager comparisons to the likes of Journey, Roadmaster, Foreigner and Boston. Sadly, like many other stunning examples, changes in the hierarchy at their label put paid to their dreams.
1. Hands In The Till2. How Do I Exist3. Comin' After You4. Requiem5. Kisses6. Let's Do It Again7. Breakin' Free8. Carry Me Back9. Back On The Path10. Mystery -
Visit product page →. Special Deluxe Collector's Edition
. Fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology
. Contains 'Easy Rocker', 'Smelly Nelly' and 'Mr 69'
. 16 page full colour booklet ' 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork, rare photos and band involvement.
It's fair to say that the Swiss music scene hadn't exactly set the world on fire but with Krokus that situation was rapidly reversed. The band's fourth album 'Metal Rendez-vous' became a surprise success, not only in their home country (sales rocketing to three times Platinum) but also globally where they secured a strong foothold in the charts and on the live front. The band's no-nonsense brand of tough-guy hard rock found favour in a market that was wide open for that revolution.
'Hardware', therefore, was released into the arms of an eager fan base feeding off the energy of their previous album and it didn't disappoint them. Issued in 1981, the record picks up where the band left off, laying down some serious riffage on songs that display a cheeky lyrical charm; an unexpected side-effect of their Swiss/Maltese heritage. Engineered by British studio master Mark Dearnley (AC/DC, Def Leppard) and recorded in London, the album makes full use of their powerful armoury, led by the ripping two guitar attack of Fernando von Arb and Tommy Keefer.Heavy but memorable, the album contains a superb selection of tracks, including the in-concert favourites 'Easy Rocker', 'Mr 69', 'Smelly Nelly' and 'Mad Racket', songs blessed with a swish and swagger that made it clear the Scorpions weren't the only band in Europe with big potential.
1. Celebration2. Easy Rocker3. Smelly Nelly4. Mr. 695. She's Got Everything6. Burning Bones7. Rock City8. Winning Man9. Mad Racket -
Visit product page →. Special Deluxe Collector's Edition
. Fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology
. Contains 'Heatstrokes', 'Bedside Radio' and 'Tokyo Nights'
. 16 page full colour booklet ' 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork, rare photos and band involvement.
You can count the amount of internationally successful European hard rock bands on one hand; Swiss based Krokus are one of only a few acts that can be included on that list. With roots reaching back to 1975, the band spent several years experimenting with various line-up changes and recording three albums, before settling on a unique style that came fully into focus with the appointment of Maltese born frontman Marc Storace, formerly of Swiss heavy progressive rockers Tea.
It was this formation that signed to German record label Ariola and cut 'Metal Rendez-vous', an invigorating example of explosive four-to-the floor hard rock, big on hooks and jam-packed with hell raising riffs. Chief amongst their selling points was Storace's signature voice and his ability to punch home some incredibly well constructed songs. In addition, guitarists Tommy Kiefer and Fernando von Arb were no slouches either, peeling out a series of ripping solos and laying down tough as nails musical support in a manner befitting the times.
Originally issued in 1980 and co-produced with the band in Switzerland by English producer Martin Pearson, the album contains a number of classic Krokus tracks including 'Heatstrokes', 'Bedside Radio', 'Streamer' and 'Tokyo Nights', some of which still remain in the band's live set to this very day.
1. Heatstrokes2. Bedside Radio3. Come On4. Streamer5. Shy Kid6. Tokyo Nights7. Lady Double Dealer8. Fire9. No Way10. Back-Seat Rock 'N' Roll -
Visit product page →. Special Deluxe Collector's Edition
. Fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology
. Produced by Tony Platt (AC/DC) / Contains 'Long Stick Goes Boom', 'Bad Boys Rag Dolls' and 'American Woman'
. 16 page full colour booklet ' 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork, rare photos and band involvement.
There comes a tipping point in every artist's career where years of hard work and paying dues suddenly turn into an avalanche of praise and success. Krokus reached this point with the release of 'One Vice At A Time, a supremely crafted album, boasting a clutch of tracks that elevated their appeal far beyond anything previously conceived or, indeed, achieved.
Co-produced in London by former AC/DC engineer Tony Platt and issued in 1982, the band made a concerted effort to refine their sound and ambition by bringing their trade mark style fully into focus. Sure, certain accusations that that their riff hungry approach was uncomfortably similar to that of AC/DC had been banded about but their distinctively European charm and quirky lyrical approach helped to ameliorate such criticism.
Jam packed with a number of raucous tracks such as 'Bad Boys Rag Dolls', 'To The Top', 'American Woman' (a cover of the Guess Who classic) and perhaps their best known song 'Long Stick Goes Boom', there is room enough for the band to drill down deep yet retain a sense of composure befitting a band safe in the knowledge that they were about to reap the rewards of years of hard work. Look out for an appearance by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, who provides backing vocals on the track 'I'm On The Run'
1. Long Stick Goes Boom2. Bad Boys Rag Dolls3. Playin' The Outlaw4. To The Top; Down The Drain5. American Woman6. I'm On The Run7. Save Me8. Rock 'N' Roll -
Special Deluxe Collector's Edition / Fully Remastered Audio / Features Shred', Hello From The Gutter'and Head First'/ 16 page full colour booklet - 3,500 word essay, enhanced artwork with previously unseen photos and new band interview.Visit product page →
WHENEVER THE TERM thrash metal is mentioned most people instinctively drawer a connection with the America West Coast and in particular San Francisco's Bay Area where the likes of Metallica, Megadeth and Exodus originated from.
However America's East Coast scene had, by the mid-80s, also developed a batch of acts lending support to such top notch acts as Anthrax, Testament and Nuclear Assault. Both scenes proved to be fertile breeding grounds for the genre acting as magnets for newer groups to form and feed off the excitement.
Overkill, originating from New Jersey, was one such act throwing themselves into the ring at a time when anything in the world of thrash metal was possible. Signing to the much loved and influential Megaforce label they cut two well received albums prior to unleashing Under The Influence'in July 1987.
Recorded in upstate New York and produced by well-respected studio wizard Alex Perialas (mixed by Michael Wagener), who had already worked with Testament, Anthrax and Flotsam & Jetsam, the album refined the bands style and sound turning them from an interesting curio into world class contenders.
Overkill's secret ingredient was not just their intense sonic assault but an inherent ability to condense riffs into an almost symphonic cacophony employing a strong melodic sensibility imbued with thick crunching guitar work.
The songs resonate with muscle and melody, a trait not often found in the majority of thrash metal outfits, and the production is crisp and clean lending the sound a decidedly sophisticated sheen.
Tracklisting:
1. Shred
2. Never Say Never
3. Hello From The Gutter
4. Mad Gone World
5. Brainfade
6. Drunken Wisdom
7. End Of The Line
8. Head First
9. Overkill III (Under The Influence) -
Visit product page →. Special Limited Deluxe Collector's Edition
. Fully remastered sound shaped from 24 BIT digital technology
. Features Adrian Vandenberg from Whitesnake and MoonKings
. 12 page full colour booklet ' 3,000 word essay, enhanced artwork, memorabilia, rare photos and new interview with Adrian Vandenberg
Adrian Vandenberg has been, quite rightly, hailed as one of the world's best rock guitar players, carving out a first class reputation for himself since the early 1970s. His band Vandenberg, formed in Holland in 1981, became one of the surprise attractions during the early eighties, storming the US charts and stylistically rivalling the cream of hard rock contenders such as Ratt, Dokken and Def Leppard. With the right looks and hooks it appeared that they could have gone on to bigger and even better things. Sadly, however, it was not to be.
'Alibi' was their third and final album. Recorded back in Holland, and issued in 1985, the record showcased all that was good about the band, with its powerful riffs, melodic hooks and well-crafted arrangements. Once Again, it was Adrian who stole the show, writing all the songs, designing the artwork and providing a remarkable selection of guitar solos, contributions that would not go unnoticed amongst his contemporaries. Indeed, once Adrian had disbanded the band, David Coverdale approached him to join Whitesnake for their hugely successful '1987' album.
Produced by former Golden Earring drummer Jaap Eggermont, 'Alibi', despite its relative commercial failure, still holds firm as a record that combines all the great elements of Vandenberg's all too brief day in the sun, leaving behind a vapour trail that still impresses to this day.
1. All The Way2. Pedal To The Metal3. Once In A Lifetime4. Voodoo5. Dressed To Kill6. Fighting Against The World7. How Long8. Prelude Mortale9. Alibi10. Kamikaze