Year : 1986 / 1983 (Dissonance Productions 30th Anniversary Limited Edition 2019)
Style : Heavy Metal , Power Metal
Country : United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 242 mb
Bio:
English metal band Desolation Angels were founded in 1981 by vocalist Dave Wall, guitarists Robin Brancher and Keith Sharp, and bassist Joe Larner. Drummer Brett Robertson eventually completed the lineup that recorded 1983's self-financed "Valhalla" single. By this time, the group had nevertheless established itself as a solid club draw throughout London's East End, often playing alongside other arrivals to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal such as Chariot and Elixir. They'd also gained the support of independent Bullet Records, but the label unfortunately went bankrupt in early 1985, on the eve of releasing the band's eponymous debut. This would eventually see the light of day a year later (through another independent label, Thameside), by which time the drum stool had been handed over to Adam Palfrey. Desolation Angels managed to forge ahead through a few more years before finally calling it quits in 1994. The release of the Feels Like Thunder box set in 2008 prompted original guitarists Robin Brancher and Keith Sharp to start up the old machinery, and by 2012 the band was playing live again. In 2014 Desolation Angels released a new EP, The Sweeter the Meat, and in 2016 they celebrated their 30th anniversary with a reissue of their eponymous debut album.
Album:
Surely one of the most iconic latercomers (album-releasing-wise anyways) of the NWOBHM scene were DESOLATION ANGELS and their 1986’s self titled LP “Desolation Angels“, a classic and fairly rare cult platter hard to find for years.This is “Desolation Angels [Special 30th Anniversary Ltd Edition]” release featuring the LP remastered including a bonus disc with a previously unreleased show captured live in London, 1983.DESOLATION ANGELS is a perfect example of a band who did almost everything right – a grrreat band name, fantastic cover art, some crushing, true Heavy Metal anthems… and yeah, here comes the ‘But…’, in this case, too late for this style of metal.So the songwriting is rather diverse in both style and quality, but not to the extent that it feels too sprawling since it’s all churned out with the same raw, devil-may-care attitude.On the lower steps of the ladder you find your primordial NWOBHM-rockers like “Unsung Hero” and “Death Machine”, dating all the way back to their debut 1981 demo and just maybe those numbers could have been ceremoniously buried in a later reissue-type time-capsule release, as they must have come off a bit dated even back in 1986.On the complete opposite side of the spectrum we find the mighty, mystic metal monsters in “Evil Possessor” and “Dance Of The Demons”, the former being a traditional galopping metal banger in its most crude (good crude) form, while the latter carries a semi-doomy vibe where comparisons to both Sabbath mournful harmonies as well as Witchfinder General’s crunchy graveyard riffing can be drawn.There is however more goodness inbetween. The opening 8 minute anthem “Spirit Of The Deep” combines a pounding troglodyte lead riff with more of those classic first half of the ’80s vibe and it never feels drawn out despite its length.“Valhalla” is yet another archetype NWOBHM number but with larger Saxon-muscles than some of that earlier material, and at the end of the road the energetic riffing in “Angry Rain” rocks’n’Metals us into the ground with a force of the Grim Reaper himself riding a bat-winged horse!Desolation Angels debut LP is a rather unpolished product, for better or worse. At times the rough edges feel like they belong, but you can’t help wondering what kind of an album we could have had with a little more fine-tuning here & there. However, in its rawness resides its charm.Unfortunately, in 1986 this sound would neither have made them mainstream – nor underground darlings. Desolation Angels recorded another album 1990 then disbanded, but returned some years ago and keep playing and releasing music.“Desolation Angels” is pure traditional metal, plenty of endless riffs but highly addictive – “please sir, I want some more!”
Line Up:
Dave Wall – Vocals
Keith Sharp - Guitars (1981-present)
Robin Brancher – Guitars
Joe Larner – Bass
Brett Robertson – Drums
Production:
Recorded At – The Ruskin Arms
Producer – Jerry Tilley
Tracklist:
CD1: Desolation Angels 1986 – Remastered
01. Spirit Of The Deep
02. Evil Possessor
03. Valhalla
04. Unsung Hero
05. Death Machine
06. Wild Gypsy Woman
07. Dance Of The Demons
08. Angry Rain
CD2: Live at Ruskin Arms, London UK 1983
01. Spirit Of The Deep [Live]
02. Unsung Hero [Live]
03. Boadicea [Live]
04. Hounds Of Hell [Live]
05. No Mercy [Live]
06. Death Machine [Live]
07. Satan’s Child [Live]
08. Angry Rain [Live]
09. Valhalla [Live]
10. Doomsday [Live]
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
