Various Artists "Metal Meltdown"

Various Artists

Metal Meltdown

1989 Pure Metal Records

album cover

 back

disc

Songs & Interviews from:

Whitecross

Scarlet Red

Tempest

Bride

One Bad Pig

Jerusalem

Leviticus

Lightforce

Rosanna's Raiders

This plays out more like a radio show than your typical compilation album. Hosted by Ken Farley (I'm guessing he was a radio host for a Oklahoma radio station based on information from the last track), Ken talks about the emergence of Christian heavy metal music, why it's relevant, why there was/is push back from the Christian body. It's meant to be an introduction to parents I assume to clue them in on what exists for their teenagers to listen to versus the secular bands at the time (Motley Crue is specifically mentioned in one interview) and to give a little more information about the bands featured.

I'll be honest, listening to this today I did find it a little humorous at times, but growing up listening to this music I can relate. My parents weren't too keen on my having Stryper's "To Hell with the Devil" album just based on the album title alone. I remember what it was like having to show my parents the song lyrics to convince them there was nothing wrong with songs like Bride's "Hell No"!

For each band there are interview snippets inserted in between parts of various songs. Unfortunately no full songs are played, just enough to wet your appetite for more. To get the full effect you need to listen to the "album" from beginning to end, which will take approximately one hour.

Song snippets included for each band are as follows:

Whitecross

• When the Walls Tumble Down
• Walk With Me
• Because of Jesus

Scarlet Red

• Don't Dance with Danger
• Cry Out

Tempest

• True Love
• Rock for the Light
• Goodbye

Bride

• In the Dark
• Live or Die
• Heroes

One Bad Pig

• Let's Be Frank
• People Cry Out
• Smash the Guitar

Jerusalem

• Plunder Hell and Populate Heaven
• We're Gonna Take Europe
• Dancing on the Head of the Serpent

Leviticus

• Get Up
• I'm a Believer
• Saved

Bjorn Stiggson

• Way of Living
• Lovin' my Woman
• Come On

Lightforce

• Metal Missionary
• Mystical Thieves
• Crossfire
• Searching

Rosanna's Raiders

• We are Raiders
• Serve Someone
• Run the Race

While I enjoyed my recent listen to this CD, I really can't recommend it unless you are a hardcore Christian metal collector of the genre or one of the bands. The quality of the interviews aren't the best and with the music playing in the background I found it hard to hear what they were saying at times without having to turn up the volume. Some of the interviews are interesting, especially since this hails from pre-social media days. Some of the bands never released a follow up album (on the Pure Metal label or any label for that matter) so I can see how some would find this to be a fun collector's item. Be prepared to pay $25+ on the secondary market for a copy. That's a little high in my opinion, but then again I wonder how many copies originally sold (even at the special price of $5.49!) and how many exist today?

Tempest "Eye of the Storm"

Tempest

Eye of the Storm

1988 Pure Metal Records

Produced By: Dan Rudin & Tempest

album cover

insert (back)

insert

disc

Track Listings

Storms (instrumental) (1:41)

Rock For the Light (5:30)

Goin' Nowhere (3:15)

Good-Bye (3:24)

Let Them In (3:30)

True Love (Never Fade Away) (3:00)

Eye of the Storm (2:32)

All For One (3:21)

Lost Without Your Love (3:16)

Midnight (instrumental) (1:58)

U.S.A. (3:03)

Band Members

Mikk Rowe: Guitars, vocals

Jaime Rowe: Lead vocals

Darren Lee: Bass, vocals

Bobby Andrew: Drums, vocals

Eye of the Storm is Tempest's 2nd and final album recorded for Pure Metal Records. Formed by Jaime Rowe's (Guardian) younger brother, Mikk. Thanks to the pages of the old Heaven's Metal magazine, I was introduced to this band. Finding a cassette copy of this album was easy and all through out junior high and high school this cassette stayed in my truck. It wouldn't be until later (a few weeks ago) that I finally picked this up on CD.

While this album was never a favorite, I did enjoy many of the tracks. Listening to the CD, several of the songs I felt like I had not heard in years. I'm guessing I frequently fast forwarded through half the album! A second listen however has me enjoying the whole album, not just pieces of it.

Jamie Rowe's vocals have always been some of my favorite and while you can tell he's a younger that what you or me may be used to hearing, he still has a very powerful voice. Musically the album has the solid 80's metal sound. Guitars are loud and at times very very good.

For me, the highlights of the album are still the two instrumentals, Storms and Midnight. Let Them In, True Love, Eye of the Storm and All for One all have a good hook and a catchy chorus. The only song that I still don't care for, even after all these years is the final track, U.S.A. Goin' Nowhere isn't the greatest either.

Overall this is a pretty solid second effort by the band. I'd say 75% of the album is really good. Good enough to drop $30-$40 for the original Pure Metal release on CD? Nope. In fact I scored the disc and the album cover/insert for just $.99 on eBay. You an also purchase a double album with both of their full length albums for under $20 online.