Forgotten Metal: Outstanding Metal Gems

Artist: Mysstress , Disciple , and Mark Lowrey
Label: Revenge of True Metal
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Import
Media: Audio CD

UPC: 667344368427
EAN: 0667344368427
ASIN: B0009UWZP4

Release Date: 2005-04-28

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General

| Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

Trashy metal is good...and it stinks too!.......2005-09-14

Hi Metal Fans! Earlier this year I discovered this series of triple threats from the Revenge Of True Metal(?) label and became immediately intreagued! There are 18 seperate discs in this series that chronicles some of the underground metal scenes most obscure recordings from the 1980's (mostly anyway...a few from the early 90's). Each one features 3 complete recodings by different heavy metal artists, making a total of 54 full-length LPs and EPs in all, so each one is jam packed with music!

I purchased a complete set of these and have now had time to listen to each one and, since these are expensive and many of you have no doubt never heard (or heard of!) a lot of the bands on these recordings, I thought I would help out and offer my reviews of each one and thereby recommend some of the better volumes in the series! Hope all my effort helps you pick the best ones!

The music on this Volume is by the groups MYSSTRESS, DISCIPLE and MARK LOWREY.

This trio of metal albums on Volume 12 begins with the US group MYSSTRESS and their self-titled 4-track EP from 1986. I had heard a little something about this band before I finally was able to listen to their lone record from metal's obscure pages of history. The information I received before hand said I should expect to hear a TWISTED SISTER clone. Although I can't totally say this would be wrong, I can't fully agree with that analogy either. The band's image and music itself are cut from the same mold and "sex, drugs and rock n' roll" spirit as TWISTED SISTER, but the main difference is lead vocalist John Tejada, Jr. He's no Dee Snider I can assure you! In fact, his vocals are quite distracting and even annoying at times on this short collection of songs. The metal music is o.k. like I said. There's kind of a clanky element to the sound, not sure what makes me say that, but it's definately there. The hard driving style is pleasing but falls into the "standard issue" category somewhat. Not a bad offering. If they'd have cleaned up their sound a little and switched out the vocalist for a better one, who knows? We might be talking about MYSSTRESS as the 80's metal gods instead of TWISTED SISTER, and listening to the John Tejada, Jr. show in syndication instead of Dee Snider! Hey, I'm sure there's an alternate universe somewhere where that scenario played out!

Next on Volume 12 is another US band's self-titled EP. This one is by the group DISCIPLE and was issued in 1986. This one skirts that familiar grey territory between hard rock and metal once again. There is some good production on this one, and that helps the nicely executed instrumentation and quality lead vocals of Don Lord shine through. He's got a big, tough sound to his voice and it actually helps beef-up the band's sound instead of acting as an unfortunate distraction. As for comparisons, this is another one where many come to mind but none are deadringers by any means. It's a bit like NASTY SAVAGE's more accessable tracks, with perhaps an even more accessable sound to them...if that makes any sense? All in all this is well crafted 80's hard rock/metal that is very easy to like!

The final offering on Volume 12 is a full-length album from U.S. metal man MARK LOWREY. His album, which bears his own namesake is entitled "Rusty Mark In The Metal Palace" and was released in 1985 and is aptly named I feel. Why? Well, Mark is the lead vocalist you see, and outside of the lead guitars perhaps, Mark is the rustiest sounding thing on this piece of rubbish! What makes this such a stinker all together is the putrid combination of both! Mark's voice is just awful. He sounds sick, or drunk or both. No range, improper pitch, never a correct note...am I making this clear enough, the guy sucks and he named the band after himself! The funniest song on the whole album that truly showcases his inability to sing is on the ballad (dear God, they did attempt one!) called "Unsung Song" on which, as the title suggests...he doesn't sing at all! No, this is not an instrumental either. Instead Mark actually whispers all the lyrics! Oh gee whiz man, if you have to name a song after the fact you can't sing, it's truly time to face the music! Problem here is that it is just as bad! The main problem is that the guitars on this album sound just like Mark's vocals! It's like the feverishly desperate calls of a thousand cats being sucked into a black hole in space. The guitars whine, they wail, they screech and they scratch and they never hit a note that's right either. I'm really not sure who this Mark Lowrey fellow was anyway. Perhaps some poseur wannabee rich kid who's dad gave him the money to finance his own record because he thought it would be "fun". This record is anything but. It makes me think of the part in the movie "Boogie Nights" where Dirk Diggler and his porn star cohort attempt to sing power anthems like John Parr did in the 80's. Only difference here is that I liked Dirk's material way better than Mark Lowery's! Yuck! This thing is a rusty mark all right...in metal history that is.

Well, we seem to have hit another snag in the road again. I think I liked the DISCIPLE the best and it saves this Volume from getting snubbed with the dreaded 1 star rating. MYSSTRESS was a bit cookie-cutter, but I liked it o.k. MARK LOWERY on the other hand had me thanking God that jerkish record producers everywhere were all graced with the ability to say "NO!" Someone sure needed to say that to Mark before he put in the (mmgghhh, chortle) effort(?!) on his release. 2 stars, no more...no way!

Music CD:

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

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Parasite Eve 2 ~ Original Soundtrack

Luna ~ Original Soundtrack

Small Rebellion ~ James Keelaghan