Mythra - The Death and Destiny (EP) (224)

line-up :

Vince High - vocals
Maurice "Mo" Bates - rhythm guitars
Alex Perry - lead guitars
Pete Melson - bass
Barry Hopper - drums (ex-Hellanbach)

Review :

In '80, tens of bands, mostly from England, took their first wobbly, ambiguous baby steps into a part of the hard rock woods that was mostly undiscovered. It groaned with wicked-looking trees, teemed with predatory animal sounds, but with the courage of true explorers they plunged deeper. And leading the caravan...first band to leap to mind - Maiden, right? Okay, beside Sabbath (with Heaven and Hell). Judas Priest? Stuck in the quagmire that is the mid/late-seventies, though marshlighting it nicely into the next decade. Of course, these are all big names, Magellans and Cortezes. What about your little pub-filler bands? As leaders? Nah, we'd have heard of them if they were that important. Well yeah, you have, Saxon probably being the biggest, then Samson and Accept (German, but got their boots muddy) to a lesser affair, and there are tons of articles on the blessed event of NWOBHM that have beknighted all of these names eight ways til doomsday. So then, you say, there you have it. Then a deadpan voice coming from the far edge of the calvacade yells, "yeah, and Mythra"! Confused murmurs ripple silence until an annoyed "oh will you shut up, Harvey" dissolves the threat of uncertainty, and Harvey never gets his due credit.

And what of this near-extinct five-piece and why do they need a shoehorn to get a bit of room in these discussions? One ep when it mattered, that's why. Often cited as a 'holy grail' to the movement, a lot of people think the ep's collectibility (that is slowly waning for some reason) has supplied this honor. More over, two of these four tracks possess many of the benchmarks of the soon-overflowing British style without even seeing the initial snow drift of 1980, but unlike all the bands listed above that share that gift of chronology, they remain(ed) cruelly anonymous despite apparently selling a startling 15,000 copies in less than a month. Destiny?

The title cut, a fairly simple rocker thinned by Vince High's puerile, teenagery vocal tone that impresses Loverboy fans, won't give you what you're looking for, but "Killer" will. Fleet-fingered, confident, and feverish, riffs agile as anything Maiden launch the track into a style-wide glory that in time will become long-lived and 'old school'. "Overlord" rules somewhere between the two a-sides, still fairly fast and energetic, yet incomplex in a, dare I say, punk sorta way, but still not really confusable with hard rock. By the somewhat flat and unmoving "U.F.O.", it may be said High's high-end, adolescent vocals stunt the band's soundwaves, but honestly their flow as a whole is much more dynamic when barrelling along, Vince or no.

2 for 4 may be a hell of a day in baseball, but for an ep it's a bit wasteful (but since the original non-Street Beat reissue, non-picture sleeve Guardian release was being sold for 1 GBP, it's not worth complaining). Mythra didn't stride up to music's unsettled boondocks and stop at the line thinking 'boy, if only our mothers could see us now'. They sailed right past it running, then fell into a pit for about nineteen years. Destiny?

1.	Paradise	03:08	[view lyrics]
2.	England	03:01	[view lyrics]
3.	Warrior of Time	03:22	[view lyrics]
4.	Vicious Bastard	03:22	[view lyrics]
5.	Heaven Lies Above	02:42	[view lyrics]
6.	At Least They Tried	02:27	[view lyrics]
7.	The Death of a Loved One	04:46	[view lyrics]
8.	The Age of Machine	05:24	[view lyrics]
9.	Death and Destiny	03:52	[view lyrics]
10.	Killer	03:17	[view lyrics]
11.	Overload	02:03	[view lyrics]
12.	U.F.O.	03:13	[view lyrics]
13.	Blue Acid	03:15
Total playing time		40:37

Download Link

Pass : http://demo-series.blogspot.com/

Iron Maiden - The Soundhouse Tapes (Demo) (192)

Line-up :

Paul Di'anno - Vocals
Steve Harris - Bass
Dave Murray - Guitar
Doug Sampson - Drums

Review :

Being the first demo of a band, you might think that there isn't any point in getting it. In most cases, the production is god awful and the songs are usually re-recorded for their full length. In every way, the demo might be worthless and pointless but for the band's benefit when they need it. Not in Iron Maiden's case. There are much about this demo that makes it worth getting, even if you have their debut.

First off, the production is amazing, for being a demo from 1979. Each instrument is clear and mixed well so that nothing is overbearing. The only thing I can say is a flaw in the production is a vague fizzing sound and the drumming sounds a little soft. Other than that its well produced demo.

There are two songs on here that are also featured in Iron Maiden's debut, the song Iron Maiden and Prowler. If you love them on the debut, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get The Soundhouse Tapes. The songs sound much different that the debut version and I think they sound much better on this demo.

The song Iron Maiden, with the drums not as loud, doesn't sound as aggressive. Instead the oddly rockish beats played make the song sound a bit more classic rock than heavy metal. But this is only slight. The guitars, when they play the leads sound more clear and loud, as oppose to the debut where it hardly sounds any louder than the other instruments. Also the vocals are more eccentric and energetic in the demo. Paul Di'anno screams out the lyrics in a crazy fashion and randomly wails as oppose to the more tame and less varied vocal work off the debut.

The song Prowler's rhythm guitar is less distorted and raw. It sounds more like a rock sound. However the lead guitar is quite distorted and metallic. The hard rock beat is still there, perhaps a bit more of a punk style beat, and combined with the simple and strong bass, the song is blessed with a energetic and catchy rhythm. The solo is as crazy as ever, and the rough distortion sounds even more metal.

The other song, Invasion, is new one, for me at least. It doesn't really sound different than the others. The classic rock/punk beat is still present, with the bass dishing it all out with power. The guitar is of the slight distortion but overall, a clean tone. The solo is great as well, as is basically a shred fest but you can clearly hear it fit in key of the rhythm. A solid song overall for the classic Iron Maiden fan.

Looking at this short demo, you still might think that there might be some good stuff here but it still not worth getting. Well, you're wrong. The raw production, energetic vocal performance, and cool rhythm section makes this a unique and enjoyable demo. I honestly have probably have listened to The Soundhouse Tapes far more times than the Iron Maiden album because the sound is that good. If you are a fan, get this.

1.	Iron Maiden	04:03	[view lyrics]
2.	Invasion	03:09	[view lyrics]
3.	Prowler	04:19	[view lyrics]
Total playing time		11:31

Download Link

Pass : http://demo-series.blogspot.com/

Cirith Ungol - 1979 Demo (Demo) (320)

Line up :

Tim Baker - vocals
Jerry Fogle - guitar
Greg Lindstrom - guitar
Michael Flint - bass
Robert Garven - drums

Review :

A Real Man's Music

"...probably with the biggest dick ever. Seriously it's like a small child rolled up in a carpet."

This was the phrase a friend of mine uttered while trying to describe Cirith Ungol, or more particularly the physiology of the lead singer. While crude, it goes right to the point: Cirith Ungol is music for men, music for fans of real heavy metal.

This early demo is a bit different from their later releases; while Cirith Ungol took on a much more original sound with their mix of heavy and doom metal later on this demo represents them as more of a traditional heavy metal band. There are traces of doom, for sure, and some crushing riffs are to be heard especially on "Frost and Fire" (later the name of their first album) and "Better Off Dead."

The production is rather lacking, but on the whole it gives this demo a homegrown and unique feel that you will never find in a more popular heavy metal band like Iron Maiden or even Judas Priest. The most important part of this early Cirith Ungol demo is that is gives the listener a sense of what an amazing band they would eventually become. Every song is well written, and very enjoyable to listen to. It's a bit rough around the edges, but for the prize of strong, powerful, manly heavy metal the price of admission is well worth it.

1. Frost and Fire 03:50 2. Last Laugh 04:07 3. Hype Performance 02:21 4. The Twitch 02:15 5. Better Off Dead 04:35 6. What Does It Take 03:22 7. Return to Lankhmar 05:59 8. Darkness Weaves 06:51 9. A Little Fire (instrumental) 03:30 10. Title Unknown 06:22 Total playing time 43:18

Download Link

Pass : http://demo-series.blogspot.com/