Tag Archives: 1989

Black Metal, Genre, Song Reviews

Tormentor – Elisabeth Bathory (Song Review)

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“Oh how I love to feel your breath”

Due to the challenges of being an extreme metal band in Communist Hungary, Tormentor’s 1989 debut album Anno Domini didn’t see the light of day as an official release. But a tape of the record soon found its way into the global tape-trading network and it became a big influence on the burgeoning black metal scene of the 90s. A key factor in this influence was the brilliantly prescient track Elisabeth Bathory. Like a lot of black metal the track is rooted in place and history: a love-letter to the notorious Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer rumoured to have bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth. It’s cold, hypnotic stuff with relentless mid-pace, eerie arpeggios and a theatrical, vampiric performance from vocalist Attila Csihar. The impressive Csihar was later recruited by the infamous Mayhem to record vocals for their genre-defining classic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, which sent many black metal fans (like me) scurrying back to investigate his previous work with Tormentor. But it doesn’t matter whether you encounter this song in 1989 or 1999… or ten years from now. Elisabeth Bathory is quintessential, fervid, eternal black metal.

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Song Reviews, Thrash Metal

Helloween – How Many Tears: Live In The U.K. (Song Review)

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“Unite! It’s not too late”

Back to 1989 for a song that puts the “power” into power metal. It’s German legends Helloween with a storming version of How Many Tears from their Live In The U.K. album. It’s a full-on assault of pounding vrrrs, grrrs and drrrs. The riffs are Scorpions-on-steroids, late drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg is on ferocious form and when the intro riff returns after a dreamy interlude it manages the impossible feat of being even more gigantic than before.

It’s also a thrill to hear Michael Kiske add his high-flying vocal stamp to a song originally sung by the grittier Kai Hansen (who just plays guitar here). And I believe this is the last recording to feature both Kiske and Hansen until they reunited with the band in 2017. Both are set to appear on the band’s new studio album Helloween, released 18th June. If the album is even half as good as this then I’ll be one happy pumpkin.

Album Reviews, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM

Saxon – Rock N’ Roll Gypsies (Album Review)

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Saxon – Rock N’ Roll Gypsies (1989)

Saxon had lost their way with the dicey Destiny album. Dropped from EMI in 1988, they took a creative break. For the next couple of years their activity was restricted to touring and the release of a couple of live albums through one-off record deals. The first of these, recorded on a tour of Eastern Europe, was 1989’s Rock N’ Roll Gypsies.

The main historical interest is the new lineup: Nigel Glockler makes a welcome return to the drum stool and bassist Timothy ‘Nibbs’ Carter makes his Saxon debut. There’s no song duplication with their previous live album, 1982’s The Eagle Has Landed, and none of that album’s sweaty, beery atmosphere. But it kicks off very promisingly indeed. The band sound driving and ballsy and thunder through Power and the Glory, And the Bands Played On, Rock the Nations and a superb Dallas 1PM, only slipping up on a sleepy version of Broken Heroes. The next side kicks off with a rousing Battle Cry before things start to go pear-shaped. The patchiness of the band’s EMI years rears its ugly head as Rock N’ Roll Gypsy, Northern Lady and I Can’t Wait Anymore progressively suck more and more life out of the album: the excitement level dropping so low that the kinetic closer This Town Rocks barely registers.

CD editions add quality and value with bonus tracks The Eagle Has Landed and Just Let Me Rock but, all in all, Rock N’ Roll Gypsies is a solid but unremarkable live stop-gap. The lack of song duplication with The Eagle…  is a double-edged sword. It’s more collectable and interesting to hear different songs but the feel of a live Saxon show is hampered when there’s no Wheels of Steel or Strong Arm of the Law. And given the lack of concert classics, the omission of Crusader (one of the band’s most triumphant post-1982 songs) is unforgivable. Great performances, dodgy tracklisting. The faltering steps of a great band finding its feet again.