SAD IRON - TOTAL DAMNATION (1983) / CRYSYS - HARD AS ROCK (1981)

$

56

SAD IRON - TOTAL DAMNATION

Side A:

Side B:

5. Hellfighter

6. Total Damnation

7. Three Crown Saws

~ Sad Iron play fast, hard, heavy & remorseless Heavy Metal without one ounce of wimpness. Simple, yes, but very inspiring & uplifting with great leads and riffing + even a harmony or 2, which more than makes up for the small imperfections in the vocals and musicianship. Proto-Speed Metal monsters like "Demon's Night" and "Prisoners", the NWOBHMy "Hellfighter" and especially the monstrous, epic title track all comes with really catchy choruses and rudimentary hooks. Even the token R'n'R song "Rock 'n Roll Rendez-vous" kicks ass, sounding somewhat like a metallized Dead Kennedys. "Three Crown Saws" closes the album in a more intricate manner, with plenty of different fast-heavy-melodic parts scrambled together Mercyful Fate-style!

Throwing in Crysys as a free bonus.

CRYSYS - HARD AS ROCK

Side A

1. Blue Steel     

2. Running     

3. Hard as Rock     

4. Touch Me     

5. My Desire    

 Side B

6. Fire Light    

7. Super Starz

8. Satans World     

9. Black Out    

10. Hellsville     

~ Crysys was an American metal band that released just this one album in their career. The year was 1981, and there weren’t that many American metal albums to keep track of. These were some really down years for U.S. metal and hard rock. Scant few heavy bands were on major labels at the time. Crysys, like fellow American heavy metal bong-loaders Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road, went the indie route in 1981. Hard As Rock was released on Long St. Records (for all I know, this may have been self-financed by the band… or their parents). In 1983 Hard As Rock came out on the Metalworks label with a different cover. The new cover photo was actually just the back cover of the original LP.

Like many NWOBHM albums of the same time period, it is the low-budget, underground sound of Hard As Rock that makes it an endearing listen. One of my favorite cuts is Blue Steel, which houses a simple, but catchy main riff. Oddly, the vocals on this track sound like they were emanating from across the street (and through a megaphone), but it’s all good. Another highlight is the semi-ballad Touch Me, although it’s too damn short. I wish Crysys had put a little more time into fully developing this tune, because I think it could have been greater.

Okay, so I guess I can’t get too carried away. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Hard As Rock is an essential masterpiece. So why all my excitement? I dunno. I guess I really have to respect any American band that proudly flew the flag of metal when it wasn’t necessarily the cool thing to do. 

PAYMENT TERMS = Pay-Pal (quicker & faster for both of us).

SHIPPING ZONE = Free domestic (USA) shipping.

•  Worldwide use shipping calculator for First Class International rates (1 LB , 9 Ounces). If you don't wish to have the free Crysys album and only Sad Iron ... message me on e-bay and I can remove that and lighten the load & postage.

RETURNS = I stand by the quality of all my merchandise. If a problem develops get back to me and we can work something out.