RACE AGAINST TIME (UK) - Race Against Time (Demo, private, 1980)

RATING: ***

It's common knowledge today that Race Against Time was the first known band of Mr. Dave Halliday, later to find fame (well, some) and fortune (none, unfortunately) with Hell, a band that truly embodied the "underground legend" status in years gone by and now, thanks to a kick-ass CD called "Human Remains" (2011), achieved a whole different level of success and adulation. Tragically, Dave Halliday took his own life in 1987, many years before the ground-breaking music he wrote with Hell could reach the album destiny it always truly deserved. All things considered, it's perfectly understandable that Halliday's earlier efforts with Race Against Time are also having something of a mini-revival in later years - not only their sole vinyl legacy, the track "Bedtime" for Logo's "New Electric Warriors" compilation (already reviewed somewhere around here), but also the scarce demo recordings known to exist today.

Race Against Time was a reasonably popular live atraction in the East Midlands (UK), being part of a bands cooperative with fellow groups such as Paralex and Radium, who would arrange gigs together, share gear and rotate headliners to keep things fair. As mentioned above, they made it into "New Electric Warriors", their "Bedtime" effort being one of the heaviest tracks on display, but failed to capitalise on this useful exposure, being pretty much disbanded at the tail end of 1981. Apart from "Bedtime", the only studio legacy of the band is a three-track demo recorded at Cargo Studios, released sometime in 1980 and presenting Mr. Halliday (V/G) with Al Short (B) and Geoff Green (D) as accomplices.

To be fair, Race Against Time's music wasn't a million miles away from what Hell would later become, although it's undeniably a much more run-of-the-mill, straight-forward Metal proposition. Of the songs here featured, I won't hesitate to indicate "The Harbinger of Death" as the most capable of all - unsurprisingly, it's also the song with the closest similarities to Hell. It's an intense number with many brief tempo changes, semi-demonic lyrics and a great chorus, all pieces clicking together for great effect. Dave Halliday's vocal histrionics are also shown in embryonic form here, making a clear point that the theatrical side of Hell was always something he had in mind. All in all, an extremely enjoyable number, no doubt about that.

The demo version of "Bedtime" is nearly identical to the one released on the LP compilation - there's a few subtle differences in singing, but not much else to distinguish one take from the other. It's a very direct song, with a heavy drive and lyrics filled with a debauching view on not-remotely-romantic sex ("I don't want to look inside your head / I want to take you to bed!"). As I once told, I happen to like it a hell of a lot (no pun intended), but I can surely understand that many HM devotees consider it to be a minor song, as there's surely no Metal Revolution going on here. The final song "Bleed You Dry" is a kinda odd one: I assume it is something of a banter on the then-collapsing Punk Rock scene, with scornful lyrics and even a football-anthem section to make sure the irony won't go unnoticed. It's not a song for all tastes, that's for sure - but it's surely a Heavy Metal number, and those of you already familiar with Dave Halliday's particular sense of humour (remember, for instance, Hell's now legendary "Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us") are most likely to enjoy it to the full.

I wouldn't say that Race Against Time's early demise was exactly a misfortune or musical injustice - not only because it was a crucial move to allow Hell to be spawned on earth (pun intended, sorry), but also because I'm not sure they could have gone any further in its original form. For my ears, they sound like a transitional project all along: although I'm sure it wasn't the original plan, they kinda make a bridge from the knockabout roots of NWOBHM to the more ellaborate, theatrical and complex contribution that Hell (and kindred-spirited bands such as Sabbat and - why not? - British Doom metallers such as My Dying Bride and Anathema) would develop in later years. Apart from Dave Halliday (who, as we all know, gave his blood and soul to Hell before commiting suicide in 1987), the only other member of Race Against Time to have a future role on Heavy music was bassist Al Short, who took part in Witchfynde soon after the recording of "Lords of Sin" in 1984, but didn't really had a chance to influence the fortunes of the collapsing outfit, making his personal leave of the music scene soon after the group was disbanded.

Dave Halliday (V,G), Al Short (B), Geoff Green (D).

01. The Harbinger of Death 5:08
02. Bedtime  2:50
03. Bleed You Dry 4:03

Huge thanks to Strappado Metal Blog for picture scans!

Have you been involved with any of the bands mentioned here? Have any extra info and/or corrections? Please e-mail me at drequon@gmail.com and let me know!