So, no prizes for guessing that this is a compilation, but I was surprised to find out about the history of this band when I started doing some research. Formed in Katowice, Poland, by Piotr Luczyk (guitars) and Ireneusz Loth (percussion) in 1979, they were soon joined by Tomasz Jagus (bass) and Ryszard Pisarski (guitar) and they started as an instrumental group, not finding a singer until they met Roman Kostrzewski in 1981. Over the years there have been multiple line-up changes, and the band themselves appear to have been dormant for the last nine years, but during their peak they were seen as one of the most influential bands in eastern Europe, and supported many of the major acts when they came over from other countries including Metallica, Hanoi Rocks, Overkill, Helloween etc.
Now, the problem with this release for me is that I was provided with a download to review, but have no information about what this CD contains, and given that it is sung in Polish, and is obviously from multiple sources (including some live numbers) with different recording quality for some (which I am guessing is rare or demo songs), that puts me at a huge disadvantage. What I do know is that although they are indicated by some as being a trash act, these guys actually have more in common with Seventies hard rock/metal, coming through with strong hooks and an approach that is far more NWOBHM than anything else. But given when these guys were formed, perhaps that isn’t too surprising. The songs are of a consistent high quality, and it has spurred me on to try and find out more about these guys, as if they had come from the UK or American I am sure that they would have been more widely known. True, there is a certain naivety and lack of bottom end on some of this, but it would still be interesting to hear more.
www.metalmind.com.pl
