






Year : 1983 (Retrospect Records Edition 2011)
Style : Melodic Heavy Metal , Melodic Hard Rock
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 118 mb
Bio:
American heavy metal / hard Rock band formed 1978 in Fairbanks, Alaska, that moved to Los Angeles, in the early 1980s.The band released three albums on Metal Blade Records, and was featured on the first Metal Massacre record with Metallica, Ratt, and Steeler. Lead singer Chris Resch died of a heart attack in 2007.Arriving in Los Angeles in late 1980 with original drummer Kevin Fitzgerald, Pandemonium began playing the local club circuit, along the way playing shows with Ratt, W.A.S.P., Great White, Malice, Metallica, and other groups. After a couple of years the band had risen to weekend headlining status at famous clubs such as the Troubadour, the Whisky a Go Go and the Roxy. After appearing on the first Metal Massacre album with Ratt, Bitch, Steeler and Metallica, Pandemonium signed a three-album deal with Metal BladeRecords.1983 saw the release of their first album Heavy Metal Soldiers, increasing press coverage, good reviews, and the arrival of new drummer Glen Holland, later in Noize Toys and also known as Glen Söderling (W.A.S.P, 1987) and Tripp Holland in the band Engines of Aggression.During this time Pandemonium shared stages with bands such as Ratt, Metallica, Slayer, Quiet Riot, Black'N Blue, Rough Cutt, White Sister, Girlschool, and W.A.S.P. In mid-1984 the band played a sold-out show back in their home state of Alaska, opening for the Scorpions in Anchorage, on their Love at First Sting tour.Second album, Hole In The Sky was release late in 1985, on Metal Blade Records and featured new drummer Dave Basch. Engineered and co-produced by well known producer Bill Metoyer, this album had much better, heavier sound and received great reviews.During the next year, Pandemonium had moved up to headlining status at all of the major venues in the Los Angeles area, and also toured some, including shows all over California and in Las Vegas.Their third album, The Kill, also co-produced by Bill Metoyer, was released in early 1988 and featured new drummer Dave Graybill. The band shed their glam image to go along with the much heavier, Black Sabbath influenced sound of the new record. Many shows were played in the Los Angeles area to support it, including big LA shows headlined by Savatage, Kings X, Sanctuary, and Killer Dwarfs among others. After the departure of drummer Graybill in 1989, sensing the changing of the music scene, Pandemonium broke up in late 1989.David and Eric Resch moved to Seattle in 1990 and recorded a seven-song unreleased demo for a fourth album, playing clubs and recording as a trio, with new drummer Shane Wacaster. Ironically, the grunge movement of their new city, Seattle, made it clear that times had changed, so they chose to put together a cover/bar band that became popular, and played all over the North West for years. Singer Chris Resch moved back to hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska, in the 1990s and lived a happy, productive life working as a painter/drywaller, and riding dirtbikes and snowmobiles all over Alaska and the family "homestead" until he died in 2007, of a heart attack, at the age of 48.Eric Resch still lives in Seattle, owns a Karaoke business, and plays in a couple of cover/bar bands to this day. David Resch moved back to home town of Fairbanks in 2015, and also plays in a popular cover band, as well as working at a large musical instrument store, where he bought his first guitar in the late 1970s.In 2012, expanded versions of all three albums, on CD, with extensive liner notes, new photos, and unreleased bonus tracks were released on Retrospect Records. The label is now defunct, but copies are available on the internet and in record stores around the world. Negotiations are underway for another re-issue on a new label as of 2021.
Album:
The three brothers Resch are the crux of this early Alaskan four-piece originally known as Demon who, growing up in Fairbanks to find the scene there only so wonderful, sought the more motivational vista of L.A. and, with bassist Eric Resch and drummer Kevin Fitzgerald dropping out of school and doubtfully making their parents proud, loaded up their Ford Econoline van and moved there in ’81. Indeed, the city proved more their speed and fairly quickly they earned some buzz. Their prediction was an accurate one, for L.A. turned out to be their right place at the right time. Soon after, seeking not to abandon their moniker after learning of the UK band with the same name, Demon was enlarged to the more original Pandemonium.Pandemonium has their small place in history as one of the chosen bands owing fealty to the debut Metal Massacre compilation of ’82. “Fighting Backwards”, culled from their ’80 Demon demo, with its unrushed Witchfinder General-esque style, proved as formidable as any of the compilation’s other finds and lead to the band signing with its label, Metal Blade Records, which resulted in ‘83’s assuringly-titled Heavy Metal Soldiers.There within lies the album’s biggest problem - the title’s promise of metal to metal fans who’re looking to be pinned to the wall and just doesn’t deliver = let down city for those already awash in, well, just about any of the day’s then-modern metal, starting with primaries Priest, Sabbath, T. Sister, Maiden and Crue to the weakest Riot, Saxon, Accept, and Tygers of Pan Tang. The simple truth is more was expected from a band dubbed Pandemonium with an lp called Heavy Metal Soldiers, and I don’t think I speak only for myself here.Sooner or later, you realize the trick to enjoying (or at least accepting) this album is to take it for what it is and not what gleamed in your eye as you strode up to the check-out counter.Finding themselves shackled to glam scenery is not at all uncommon, yet cosmetically, of the four in the back cover shot, only blonde puffball drummer Glenn Holland gives the mascara-wearin’ willies. More importantly, other than cutesy song titles “Girls in Love”, “Little Lady Liar” and woeful “Kitten Mittens”, glam’s flash and fauna just aren’t there, at least not to any conspicuous extent (alright, I’ll give ya “Girls in Love” is more the sap sucker than not). It’s obvious the foundation of Heavy Metal Soldiers is clear and central hard rock that’s in apparent acceptance of further future hardening, however it seems to struggle at times while soaking up metal’s stepped-up sheen. Some habits die hard, but that doesn’t mean all the troops are addicts.Spirited “Kitten Mittens” and “This World”, live-steppin’ opener “Road I’m Traveling”, the burly title tune with its wily-played militaristic start, and the sturdy mid-paced “The Prey” soak up enough light metal to balance things out, and even the lies of “Little Lady Liar” are fairly enjoyable from a musical standpoint. The lengthy undertaking of “Radiation Day” is yer broader-ranging, industrious ‘idea’ song and clear cut finale. Collectively this is all halfway decent, listenable material with shortfalls that are nothing irregular, and if the title Rock n’ Roll Soldiers ended up plastered across the album jacket, the feeling of running through quicksand may not have seemed as prevalent.A routine search for weak links orange-alerts the rather scrawny and derivative vocals of Chris Resch, whose personal style graduated from the British new wave mid-high tenor academy so many other singers have attended. Also found is the link loosely holding the unsharpened production together, one that subsequently rubs the band’s mechanics dull and outdated, however the record’s overall amateur procession has to be blamed on its fairly mediocre songwriting.Again, save your disappointment for more important things and let Pandemonium live their metal-soldiering daydream, a vision that comes to life more with follow-up Hole in the Sky.Strangely, despite recording a three-track demo in ’82 of presumably updated material, the only throwbacks sheltered here are from the ’80 demo, and of the three, cool “Fighting Backwards” isn’t one of ‘em, plus it doesn’t make it easy to sound ’83 fresh.
Line-Up:
Chris Resch (R.I.P. 2007) - Vocals
David Resch - Guitars
Eric Resch - Bass, Vocals
Glenn Holland - Drums
Production:
Recorded At – Prime Track Studios
Mastered At – MCA Whitney Recording Studios
Cover – Dixon Jones
Engineer [Engineered By] – Mark Healy
Lyrics By – C. Resch (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13), D. Resch (tracks: 1, 6, 7, 11), E. Resch* (tracks: 2, 3, 5)
Mastered By – Kevin Gray
Music By – C. Resch (tracks: 8, 13), D. Resch (tracks: 1, 6, 11), E. Resch* (tracks: 2 to 5, 7, 12)
Photography By [Back Cover Photo] – Marsha Blackburn
Producer [Produced By] – Pandemonium
Tracklist:
01. Road I'm Traveling 03:18
02. Heavy Metal Soldiers 04:17
03. Little Lady Liar 04:01
04. The Prey 02:42
05. Girls in Love 03:26
06. Kitten Mittens 02:36
07. This World 03:52
08. Radiation Day 06:08
09. Fighting Backwards 03:46 (Bonus Track)
10. The Battle (1980 demo) 03:38 (Bonus Track)
11. Kitten Mittens (1980 demo version) 02:35 (Bonus Track)
12. The Prey (1980 demo alternate version) 03:05 (Bonus Track)
13. Radiation Day (1980 demo alternate version) 06:34 (Bonus Track)
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