Watchmen "Fear No Evil" (Convicted to the Avant Garde, Part A, Volume 2)

Watchmen

Fear No Evil

1987

cover

Track Listing

Fear No Evil (lyric video) (live video)

Tug of War

Set Free

The Healer

Kingdom Come

Power from the Lamb

Christian Soldier

His Song

(listen to the whole album here)

Musicians

Greg Sweet: vocals

Kevin Antholt: keyboards

Doug Larson: bass

Kevin Whisler: drums

Dave Van Liew: guitars

My first experience with this band was via a compilation which then led me to their second album, Generation, released by Regency Records. Eventually I tracked down a cassette of their independently first release, Fear No Evil. Over the years I have misplaced this cassette and I thought I'd never get to hear this album again. One day while surfing eBay I ran across this "Convicted to the Avant Garde" CD that featured Fear No Evil. I had no idea what this really was, but I knew I wanted it. I don't remember what I paid, maybe $20, and I anxiously awaited for it to arrive in the mail.

Not surprisingly the album is a bootleg from Greece and part of a larger collection of underground metal bands. The quality of the album isn't that great. There are a few songs that just don't play, sounding like fast forward is left on. Parts of "The Healer" and "Christian Soldier" are unlistenable, which is a real shame. I don't know if it's just my copy or if all of them are like this. The album does come with a reproduction of the original cassette jacket complete with lyrics. It's not a dead on one for one, but it's pretty close.

Once I found more info on these releases I did recognize other names such as Xalt and Deliverance. I guess at one time this was the only way to get these songs/albums on disc, but since many of these "lost" albums and demos have been properly released via companies like Retroactive Records. 

Fear No Evil is a fantastic, hard hitting album. I like it better than Generation as it sounds a little more raw and harder. There are some songs that I feel the use of keyboards are just out of place, but overall they have a great sound. Greg Sweet was an amazing vocalist. Just watch the Fear No Evil live video linked at the top and listen...he sounds just as good (if not better) live than he did on the album. Simply amazing. This is easily one of the best 80's metal albums I've heard, independent or not. I really wish someone like Retroactive or Girder Records would release this album proper on CD.