SURFACE (UK) - Race the Night (LP, Killerwatt, 1986)

RATING: 7/10

Short version:
Yet another one of the countless good NWOBHM bands that never really got anywhere, Surface shows themselves in quite a good form in "Race the Night", a very unusual debut live album that may not hit that hard, but definitely offers some nice songwriting and a vibrant, mostly very engaging hard/heavy repertoire. If you're into the more melodic, less frantic end of the NWOBHM spectrum such as Shy, Heavy Pettin or early Chrome Molly, this might be your thing - but really, give this one a listen even if you don't, as it's definitely one that can appeal to a large array of heavy rock palates.

Extended version:
(well, not that extensive anyway, but I think these persevering heavy rockers sure deserve the courtesy of a more careful review)

I must confess it took me quite a long while to give Surface's "Race the Night" LP a proper chance. I don't know, maybe the concept of a band's debut being a live album didn't appeal that much to me, or perhaps my previous knowing of the band as a not-skull-crushingly-heavy entity would always direct them to the end of my Must-Listen queue, in favor of more immediate and/or fast-and-furious propositions. But there you have it, I finally did it, and oh well, isn't it actually a pretty good record after all? I wouldn't go as far as calling it an underrated NWOBHM classic or anything, but it's indeed a good listen, with mostly nice songs that don't sound contrived or formulaic, and from a bunch of musicians that damn sure knew how to get the job done. 

Hailing from Birmingham (a pretty promising pedigree, as we all know), Surface originally came to be sometime in 1980, as something of a merge of now long-forgotten hopefuls Xenon and Good Grief, both group failing to get anywhere but the nearest pub under their original guises. From the onset, they seem to have set their sights into a more melodic, slighty more convoluted sound than most of their contemporaries, adopting a somewhat ambitious six-piece line-up from a very early stage. Similarly, and though Surface became something of a popular local live attraction quite early in the decade, they seem to have consciously opted to hone their skills to a high level before circulating any demo tapes. Their first 4-tracker (as listed by Malc McMillan in his mighty NWOBHM Encyclopedia) came out in 1984 (not 1981 as some sources state), and though originally being fairly well distributed in and around their geographical area, seems to have been deemed unrepresentative by the band members themselves in later years (maybe they felt the reaction from promoters and record labels wasn't the warmest, who knows). A second tape would make the rounds later that year (a live recording meant to shift hands as a souvenir for the loyal fans), and a proper new studio demo came out in 1985 - a more confident collection of songs, it seems, as Killerwatt Records (a label that were home to some reasonably high profile acts such as Angel Witch and The Babysitters at the time) agreed to offer them a contract before the year was out, to which they gladly signed the dotted line. I mean, the fact that they had recently managed to book a six-week tour of France without having a single slice of vinyl to call their own probably made quite an impression on the label's executives. The later demos from 1985 are now easier to locate, thanks to a CD reissue by the Divebomb label, but the early output from Surface is still quite elusive, and I'd definitely love to give these a listen, so if you happen to have it and feel like sharing it in a way or another, please kindly get in touch.

Now, your guess about why Surface's first (and only) LP came out as a live album is as good as mine, though I tend to think that the financial side of things had a lot to do with that decision. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that "Race the Night" was regarded by the band (and perhaps even the label) as kind of a pre-debut, something along the lines of Stampede's "The Bootleg Album" - a record meant to introduce them to the masses and create some anticipation towards their first 'proper' studio long-player, though Stampede were surely more explicit about that if it was indeed the case. Whatever the story, the band had suffered some minor reshuffling before the tracks were commited to tape (during a hometown gig at The Railway in Birmingham, a common haunt for the lads almost since their inception), with founding guitarist Mike Chesire giving way to Loz Rabone (no previous allegiances I'm aware of), the new axeman adapting quite well to his bandmantes Gez Finnegan (V), Mark Davies (G), Dean Field (K) and brothers Ian (B) and Jamie Hawkins (D). 

"Race the Night" is quite a solid package, with solid songwriting and almost not a filler in sight. The recording is pretty good, and the mixing (by Les Hunt, once a Demon stalwart and then the sitting producer in Killerwatt) is impeckable, with every instrument being given ample room to breathe. The opening duo of "Something" and "Race the Night" is quite impressive, with a remarkably lively delivery that are miles ahead of what most like-minded contemporaries could do at the time, and though we have to survive the somewhat insipid ballad "Take the Morning" right after that, everything moves quite smoothly from that point onwards. Songs like "Night Creature", "Paris" (despite the somewhat nonsensical lyrics) and "Hideaway" are all very good, and even slightly more dated efforts like "Band Girls" work quite well within the album's flow. If you're looking for comparisons, maybe Shy, Bronz and Wildfire (at their most melodic) would be the closest you can get, which is to say Surface's sound stands in the very frontier between hard rock and heavy metal, with generous doses of melody and pretty accessible (though never overtly saccharine of radio-friendly) arrangements. Nothing to make you bang your head until your neck gets sore, that's for sure, but those who are not that much into pop-tinged rock music won't have to hide it as a guilty pleasure, and the unmistakeable '80s vibe of the whole package is actually very enjoyable, adding to the LP's strength rather than diminishing it. Well done really, and quite a good surprise when I first pressed the 'play' button. 

Unfortunately, it seems obvious that "Race the Night" didn't shift as many copies as originally expected, and the strategy of putting a live record out before launching into a full-blown studio assault turned out to make them lose momentum, rather than building it. Credit to the lads, they clearly tried their best to keep things going, and when America's JDI label decided to reissue some Killerwatt releases in the USA in early 1988, the band had already metamorphosed themselves into Beneath the Surface - a somewhat pointless move when it come to name choices, but still a clear indication they wanted to take the opportunity to the fullest and start afresh under a new moniker. There was some serious talk about booking a tour in the USA to promote the "Beneath the Surface" LP (with new logo and front cover, but the exact same recordings and running order), but I suspect these good-spirited plans unfortunately never came to fruition, though I wouldn't be surprised to learn otherwise (these gentlemen were true rock fighters, you know). The repackaged live album seems to have reached pretty modest sales at most, but still served a good purpose as a means to invigorate the band, and Beneath the Surface kept things going until 1990 at the earliest, with signs of minor activity pointing to some form of existance even after that. Jamie Hawkins joined Starfighters in the late '80s, but he kept handling the drumsticks for Beneath the Surface whenever they graced a stage, and the line-up seems to have remained remarkably stable for such a long-running entity, left alone being a six-piece in the first place. Keeping the band on the road for a full decade without making loads of money out of it is no easy feat, you know, so immense respect to them for giving their collective rock and roll dream the best shot they possibly could.

As far as I know, only Laz Rabone tried his luck with other outfits after Beneath the Surface disbanded, lending his considerable guitar skills to Felony and Merciless, none of which seems to have got further than the demo stage. I don't have the CD reissue by Divebomb just yet, so I had no access to the liner notes on such release (this is going to be corrected very soon, I promise), so I'm not aware on any further activities from the musicians involved, though singer Gez Finnegan does have a handful of engineering work to his credit, most famously for Benediction's death metal classic "The Grand Leveller". I suppose they left the limelight without any regrets or hurt feelings, having given their heart and soul to the music as long as it made sense for them, and I sincerely hope they really enjoyed whatever activities they devoted themselves to after their persevering band had fulfilled its lifespan. All in all, a good one to have in your collection if you're a NWOBHM fan, and you may even score a coveted spot in your heart if you give it a few careful listens. Thanks for the music, lads, tonight I'll toast to your health while giving this one another spin. Cheers!

Thanks a ton to Discogs for Surface's picture sleeve scans

Gez Finnegan (V), Mark Davies (G), Laz Rabone (G), Dean Field (K), Ian Hawkins (B), Jamie Hawkins (D). All songs by Field, Finnegan, Hawkins, Hawkins, Davies and Chesire.

01. Intro / Someday 3:10
02. Race the Night 3:57
03. Take the Moment 6:45
04. Paris 4:08
05. It's No Good 3:50
06. Night Creature 4:06
07. Don't Cry 3:56
08. Hideaway 2:46
09. Bad Girls 3:59
10. Story Teller 7:25

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!

DANIEL WEST & MODERN MUSIC (USA) - 4:01 P.M. (7'' single, Present, 1981)

RATING: 7/10

I'd really wish to have more information to share with you guys and girls about Daniel West & Modern Music, you know. Such a rare gem, and one that really did set some pulses racing among NWOBHM collectors not so long ago, though now we know it's not a record anyone should really tag as part of the multiverse in question. But alas, fact is I know very little, and any info that can be provided by you people out there in the collecting-world wilderness will be greatly appreciated. I'll drop a few lines about this humble "4:01 P.M." c/w "Strategy's Fashion" 7'' anyway, hoping to be able to add significant info and personnel here sometime in the future. The music is quite nice, you know, so it's well worth the effort. 

There's no picture sleeve in sight, and very little info on the labels to help us in our quest, but I'm sure you'll be sensible to the fact that anyone naming their band as Daniel West & Modern Music are not really trying to pass themselves as a heavy metal outfit at all. Any purist NWOBHM collectors can skip the read and go straight to the next entry if you like, as it's definitely an artifact from the US, with no connections to the British scene (apart from the music contents, that is) after all. In fact, Present Records turns out to be a very small imprint from a fellow named Fela Johnson (yeah, pun intented), an L.A. resident who did release some vinyl in a synthwave/minimal vein in the early 1980's - a material that is quite well regarded by those who enjoy/collect this kind of music, incidentally. As good fella Fela is credited as producer for the Daniel West & Modern Music 7'', the connection is beyond doubt, and more than enough to keep this one away from the NWOBHM wants lists. But we still have the music, you know, and it's very decent music indeed, I tell you.

"4:01 P.M." showcases an excellent, though very simple, riffing coupled with punkish, kinda snotty vocals that bring the track closer to power pop territory - but not your usual good-time poppy punkish fare, that's for sure, as the guitar work sound remarkably heavy and commanding throughout. The bass sounds great too, loud and unrelenting, keeping the energy flowing with sheer commitment to the cause. It definitely sounds British, you know, and those more accostumed with borderline NWOBHM acts such as Baseline, Tutch and Sidewinder will catch my drift on that one. It's probably just coincidence, you know, but still it puzzles me how some young dudes from California managed to sound like working-class geezers from the East End of London... Whatever the story, and though there's nothing too complicated going on, the track as a whole is surprisingly quirky for such a simple structure, so it may take you a couple listens to get used to what the song has to offer. I love it really, and most open-minded metal fans out there will probably be hooked after giving this one a fair chance, as it kicks some serious ass, plain and simple. As for flipside "Strategy's Fashion", it's a more typical, mid-tempo hard rocking number, with a distinctive glam feeling in the guitar melodies and vocal delivery overall. Another simple, but very effective main riff carries the song along with very little effort, and (though it's fair to say it sounds like a more lively Pretty Boy Floyd or Mott the Hoople rather than anything truly metallic) anyone who enjoys the NWOBHM aesthetic will probably find very little to complaint around here. Well done really, and I would definitely love to add a physical copy of this 7'' to my collection, if it weren't for it costing half my monthly salary at least.

The label says it's a 1981 release, and there's no reason to doubt it really, as the entirety of the Present Records' catalog (two EPs from Fela Johnson, and that's it) are from roughly the same period. There's definitely more to this partnership than we know at present, as no other groups ever got their songs pressed by the label, and Fela Johnson seemed to opt for a one-man-army mentality when recording his stuff, with little (if any) accompaniment from fellow (here comes the pun again) musicians. Maybe it was a project from the man himself, using the Daniel West name as a soubriquet and with no support from a proper band? Or perhaps there is a real Daniel West after all, someone who Fela Johnson decided to tutor and/or produce as a friendly gesture? There is, in fact, a certain Daniel West still doing the rounds in Southern California with a vast number of rock, jazz and experimental projects to his credit, his more recent claim to fame being a duo named LoveyDove. It would be a bit of a stretch in terms of age (as, by my calculations, he would be like 13/14 years old by the time this "4:01 P.M." piece of wax came out), but he claims in his biography to be doing the club circuit with bands since he was 11 (and he himself also admits to be highly influenced by British rock music, mind you), so it's not beyond the realms of possibility that he is our guy after all. Let's keep an eye on this one, hopeful for some interesting new developments in the not-too-distant future. 

Million thanks to Discogs for label scans!

Musicians unknown

01. 4:01 P.M. (D. West) 3:04
02. Strategy's Fashion (D.West) 2:41

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!

IRON MAIDEN (UK) - Ed Hunter (2 CD, EMI, 1999)

RATING: 6/10

Ok, let's keep it simple on this one. Under usual circumstances, there would be close to zero reason to review "Ed Hunter" around here - it's mostly a video game, you see, and this sort of multimedia is of little interest for the purposes of this blog. Oh yeah, there's an accompanying 2-CD set as a soundtrack for the game, but there's very little in the way of new and/or unusual material on it, so it would hardly be a collectable for anyone but the most passionate fans of Iron Maiden. But timing is everything, you know, and the period when "Ed Hunter" hit the shops coincided with one of the most significant changes in line-up ever witnessed by metal, no less: out was Blaze Bayley (a man that, despite his genuine dedication and commendable character, never managed to be the singer the Beast really needed) and back in were not only Bruce Dickinson, but guitarist Adrian Smith as well - the outfit still keeping the services of Janick Gers in order to become a six-piece, three-guitar assault. To be frank, this seems an obvious solution now, over 25 years since it was first figured out, but it wasn't a safe bet back in early 1999: as it transpires, the name of Doogie White (who had already done well in a few auditions with the band a few years previously) was even considered for a short while, before Steve Harris asked Rod Smallwood (who still had a hand on Bruce Dickinson's solo career back then) whether or not Bruce would be willing to be back into the fore. 

It was little more than a passing idea at first, but it started to gain momentum when, after a conversation between Smallwood and Dickinson, the singer made clear that he would be willing to discuss the possibility. Let's face it: no matter how good his solo career was doing at the time (and "The Chemical Wedding" is a hell of a frickin' great record, your know), good old air raid siren Bruce would hardly ever get the crowds he once had alongside Maiden, and the chance to have a second bite at the cherry was surely one not to be turned down. After getting Harris and Dickinson in the same room, things pretty much fell into place, including the potentially difficult issue of bringing Adrian Smith back into the picture as well: the vocalist made clear it was a mandatory condition in order for him to sign the dotted line, but Steve Harris also felt it would be nice to have three guitarists, and Adrian himself admited he wouldn't feel comfortable if his return to the band meant that Janick Gers had to go. All things considered, turning into a six-piece was not only the right thing to do, but also a mostly natural move given the circumstances, while also creating an immediate feeling of excitement and renewal around the band. 

"Ed Hunter" was already comissioned by this juncture, having very little (if any) weight in the whole reunion thing, but the fact that it was hitting the shops offered Iron Maiden the perfect opportunity to spread the word around with a celebratory tour. It was very fortunate, and the jaunts to promote it were all a resounding success, but that doesn't mean one should see "Ed Hunter" as a more important release than it actually is. The tracklist was put together via a poll on the band's website, which is a charming move, but there's nothing nowhere near a surprise in the running order, and the only minor highlight here is a semi-new version of "Wrathchild", where the original 1981 recording is remixed with Bruce Dickinson singing instead of Paul Di'Anno. He does a good job out of it, that's for sure, but a classic is always a classic, and I can hardly imagine anyone playing this compilation on a weekly basis just because he likes Dickinson's version so much better, if you know what I mean. I personally never bothered about the game, and I never played it, so I have no idea of how good or bad it is (though some friend who are way more into the gaming world than I used to say it was a bit of a corker, so there you have it) - but, when it comes to music, we all have the original albums anyway, this package therefore being of interest only for those who really can't live without having every single item ever released by the band they love (nothing wrong about that, of course). If you don't fit the description, rest assured there's far more better purchases you can do with your hard earned cash.

Whatever turns the story took afterwards, fact is that any major changes need some transitional period to fully come to fruition, and the whole "Ed Hunter" thing, though mostly irrelevant in terms of music (the fact that there's zero prospect of any reissues in the foreseeable future is quite a giveaway on that matter), sure served an important purpose when it comes to make the Iron Maiden reunion into a tangible reality. By the time these honourable and talented gentlemen decided to put their minds into writing new music, everybody already knew that the three guitarists could work quite well together, and the collective feeling around the upcoming record was of genuine anticipation, with very little doubt that they could do things right and get their career back on track for good. After years of turmoil, the dreary '90s were fizzling out in a way more hopeful mood, and soon a new era of world domination would begin for the lads.

CD 1

01. Iron Maiden ("Live After Death" live vrs)
02. The Trooper
03. The Number of the Beast
04. Wrathchild
05. Futureal
06. Fear of the Dark
07. Be Quick or Be Dead
08. 2 Minutes to Midnight
09. Man on the Edge
10. Aces High
11. The Evil that Men Do
12. Wasted Years
13. Powerslave
14. Hallowed Be Thy Name
15. Wrathchild (1999 vrs)

CD 2

01. Run to the Hills
02. The Clansman
03. Phantom of the Opera
04. Killers
05. Stranger in a Strange Land
06. Tailgunner

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

On a Wing and a Prayer (Compilation, UK, Teesbeat, 1985)

RATING - 7/10

This particular compilation isn't exactly a huge mystery among NWOBHM collectors, though it's still a nice find if you ever locate a copy for a reasonable price. The Teesbeat label was active for the best part of a decade at least, with a studio facility under the same name in Stockton-on-Trees and always showing a laudable disposition to help new bands from the North East of England to reach the vinyl stage - it was, for instance, where Black Rose released their first 7'' single way back in 1982. It seems they released a grand total of three LP compilation during the label's lifespan, this 1985's "On a Wing and a Prayer" being the second (the other two, 1984's "The New Bowery" and 1986's "Rumour Sets the Woods Alight", are hopefully appearing around here sooner rather than later), and it's nice to find out that Teesbeat always allowed the bands they picked to lay down at least two songs for their releases, which not only render the records more cohesive but also gives the hopefuls in question a more generous space to show whatever talent they had. Not that much going on when it comes to genuinely heavy music (and only one act that can be securely labeled as NWOBHM), but still a pretty interesting compilation if we're to be honest, and more than worthy of a proper review around here.

It seems that the LP came out with different inserts, depending on what bands were trying to sell it - an interesting move indeed, as it allowed the groups in question to use it more effectively as a promotional item. Some surviving copies have two, or even three sheets with information about the bands; with that said, it's unfortunate that I'm working with a copy that has no insert at all, as I would be really glad to offer some significant info about Trixter, the only bona fide NWOBHM outfit here featured. Still, let's try to put together the pieces of what little we know about them, always hoping to add new information when it surfaces. The group seems to have been short lived, but fact is that many important local scenesters seem to have had some level of involvement with the combo, most of all guitarist Miles Lofthouse, who also made the rounds with Millenium (as well as their brief re-christening as Tyrone-Power) and thrashers Major Threat. Though the origins of this particular family tree lie in a early 80s combo named Avarice, where Lofthouse first joined forces with Nigel Crooks (I was told once he was a drummer, but I can be wrong, so let me know if you happen to know better), it seems that Trixter was an offshoot from a post-Avarice project, whose name is not yet known and that seemingly recorded a demo or two before adopting the new Trixter guise. Guitarist Jeff Leighton probably took part on the recordings for "On a Wing and a Prayer" as well, and I believe the bass lines were played by Kiko Rivers, who would later record with the most recent incarnations of Black Rose. Have no idea on who was the singer though (maybe it was Nigel Crooks after all, and the band had another drummer, who knows?).

As for the pair of Trixter's originals here featured, "Burn So Bright" starts missing a drum beat, no less, which is quite uncomfortable first time around, But don't give up on them just yet, as this is a pretty interesting (though definitely quirky) heavy number with nice guitar arrangements and a lot of different (and creative) parts for its relatively short running time. The basslines give something of a new wave vibe to the whole thing though, and it takes more than a single listen to really get into what they're trying to reach here. In the end, this may not be the most accomplished of songs, but it's still engaging and enjoyable, and bonus points to the lads for trying to think outside the box and find their own, distinctive sound. "Fraulien", on the other hand, was obviously mispelled on the album cover (I'm not a scholar in German, you know, but I guess they meant to say "fraulein", you know), but does no wrong when the needle hit the grooves: it's a hard-hitting, catchy, full-blown heavy metal tune, and the most interesting track for metalheads when it comes to "On a Wing and a Prayer", hands down. Nothing too complicated going on (though the lead guitarist does a pretty good job with his virtuoso melodies during the instrumental section), but everything works quite well and hints of a band that could have really made it further in the business if given some encouragement and/or financial backing. Well done, lads. 

From the other five bands included, I'd say that Secret Garden's "Tsantsa" is the next best thing as far as us heavy metal enthusiasts are concerned: quite an energetic power pop tune indeed, with some psych rock intonations in places, most of all in the tension-building "shaking your head" chorus. There's also a very interesting solo section towards the end, with some near-metallic melodies that truly deserve a mention. Not NWOBHM by any stretch, but quite a nice song nonetheless, though it ends rather abruptly and leaves the impression that they could have had kept their good thing going a little longer. The other contribution from them, "Summer of Hate", is a mid-tempo number where the new wave influences are far more prominent, though it's still a power pop number for the most part. Not as good as the previous number, unfortunately, and you'll most likely forget it as soon as it's over, as there's nothing too out of the ordinary going on. I also enjoyed True North's "The Wintergarden" - despite a bombastic, deceptive intro, we're into indie rock / post punk territory here, with undeniable similarities to early The Cure and another pretty charming guitar solo halfway through. A good opening number for the LP, which is the exact opposite situation with their "Photographs of Jane", an indie rock ballad carried along by acoustic guitars and loud (though mostly not too intrusive) basslines. It's not a bad composition, but it sound a bit like a three-minute intro rather than a proper song, as you can't help expecting it to explode into a full-band arrangement and it just never happens. The compilers should have allowed the LP to close with "Fraulien" and insert this tune somewhere else in the running order, as it's hardly an exhilarating (or particularly impressive) way to finish proceedings, but there you have it.

Also of some interest for those who enjoy heavy music is The Outfit's "Hazy Down", an acoustic ballad with a contemplative (and somewhat grandiose, almost epic) vibe. It's mostly a voice-and-guitar kind of tune, with the full band appearances basically serving the purpose of enhancing the tension and/or emotion in particular parts. The result is somewhat intriguing, let's put it that way, and it could even pass as a semi-metal ballad under different circumstances, so give it a careful listen and perhaps you might enjoy it. "Listen" is pretty much the same formula, though it's a more typical new wave tune with prominent (sometimes nearly intrusive) keyboards, the semi-acoustic vibes being restricted to the chorus this time around. It lacks energy for the most part, and the doo-doo-doop-pah-pah-pah vocal arrangents halfway through are very annoying I'm afraid, so there's very little for us metal collectors to enjoy here, though it's by no means a disgraceful track at all.

The rest of the pack is of minimal (if any) interest for us metalheads, so let's be brief about them. Secret History offer us a Bossa-nova tinged, definitely pop-inclined new wave in both "Won't Let You" and "Peace of Mind" - the latter being quite an oddball actually, with the previous description augmented by some reggae/ska guitar arrangements overwhelmed under a heavy coating of keyboard/brass saccharine. That being said, I think "Won't Let You" is a decent song that mostly fulfill its promises, with a gifted female singer and very nice basslines throughout. As for The Restrictors, their "Peanuts" number is a rock/ska collision that strongly remind me of some similar attempts by The Clash, though with more busy vocal lines (and with a strong cockney accent going on) and instrumentation. The production values doesn't help, as it sounds like there's just too many people playing in the room - the kind of feeling you get when watching a rehearsal from a not very cohesive band, if you know what I mean. As for "Own Little World", it could have been a half-decent Oi! tune in a Cock Sparrer vein, if not for the strident (and very annoying) brass and mellotron arrangements all over the place. Punk/ska collectors may enjoy it, anyway.

Unfortunately, "On a Wing and a Prayer" turns out to be an apt album title, as none of these hopefuls ever managed to make it big. In fact, most musicians and bands involved simply vanished from the scene, with Trixter being one of the few instances where something can be said of their sophomore activities. It seems that the band didn't really last for long after their vinyl appearance, as Miles Lofthouse was recording a demo with Tyrone-Power even before the year was out, and both Nigel Crooks and Jeff Leighton were involved with an outfit named Bedlam later in the decade. Nigel would become a studio engineer and sound designer in later years, with a fair number of projects to his credit (he would produce a demo for Lofthouse's thrash project Major Threat, for instance) before his untimely passing in 2023 (RIP dude, and thanks for all the music). There are rumours of a third Trixter tune floating around, named "In the Heat of the Night", but it's actually the same "Burn So Bright" under a different name - a confusing development indeed, as it's how Nigel Crooks himself named the track on his Soundcloud account. Maybe it was originally called "In the Heat of the Night", and the "Burn So Bright" came as a last-minute decision from someone involved with the label? One can't be sure by now, but there are no other Trixter recordings floating around as far as I know, with this "On a Wing and a Prayer" being the only chance to listen to their considerable collective talents. Some may hesitate to buy a full LP by virtue of a band alone, but "On a Wing and a Prayer" won't cost you a lot more than you'd have to pay for an obscure 7'' single if it was the case, and most of the music is decent at least, so I would say you can do far worse than putting some hard earned cash on this one if you have the chance.

Extra thanks to Discogs for picture and label scans

Side A

01. TRUE NORTH - The Wintergarden
02. SECRET GARDEN - Tsantsa
03. SECRET HISTORY - Won't Let You
04. TRIXTER - Burn So Bright
05. THE OUTFIT - Listen
06. THE RESTRICTORS - Peanuts

Side B

07. THE OUTFIT - Hazy Down
08. THE RESTRICTORS - Own Little World
09. SECRET GARDEN - Summer of Hate
10. SECRET HISTORY - Peace of Mind
11. TRIXTER - Fraulien
12. TRUE NORTH - Photographs of Jane

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