The fourth in a series of records that brings an era well-revered for its impact on the latter power/thrash scenes, Roxxicalibur dig deep again into the land of obscurity for NWOBHM From the Vaults. Pinpointing 1979-1985 works (outside of the short “Doctor What” instrumental that originally developed in 1963 by Ron Grainer), the 13 main tracks consist of ultra rare seven-inch or regional compilation records which will probably be very new to even the most ardent of followers. The members have ties to acts like Abandoned, Manilla Road, Masters of Disguise, Trance, and Viron – established musicians who can properly pay homage to this material in ideal execution of the spirit for the cause.
An immediate devil’s horns salute appears in the authentic sounds/tones captured from the production under the hands of guitarist Kalli Goldsmith. Devoid of digital triggers or loudness/pinned to the grid maneuvers, you’ll feel the crackle of snare hits next to natural bass kicks or energetic tom fills, the warmth of twin guitar harmonies, proper low-end thump with extra hook support, and vocals that carry melodies to another galaxy. Highlights are numerous. “Fight For Your Freedom” an early standout from the group Energy taken to interesting heights – intertwining early Iron Maiden with the finesse of Diamond Head, the closing twin melodic harmonies from Kalli and Holger Ziegler pure gold. “Wheels” takes a Tredegar track into the stratosphere due to Alexx Stahl’s higher vocals which ascend through the chorus – another anthem bristling with infectious chord progressions and Neudi’s tasteful kit work. Alien’s “Could Have Done Better” fuses elements of early punk rock and metal into a shorter 2:29 arrangement – the raw nature, swinging back beat, and spitfire lead break hard to ignore.
What made this genre so special is the incorporation of multiple influences to create this explosive style that showcases everything from epic sides to anthem-oriented material – a Dio-like Black Sabbath number such as “Wild Machine” (originally done by Shiva) another stellar cut, Mario getting a small bass showcase spotlight in the instrumental section next to some sinister wah-wah enhanced axe bend activities. Commercial aspects also spring to mind on “Mystery Girl” – a Storyteller song from 1985 that has qualities of early Riot meets “Living After Midnight”/Judas Priest between the main riff and supportive vocal melodies. CD owners will also get a bonus cut in “Gotta Get Back to You” – a Prowler song with a barroom boogie aspect that should get them dancing in the aisles if you love old AC/DC next to a harder edged Tygers of Pan Tang.
The wealth of material keeps Roxxcalibur front and center in bringing the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to the forefront of the scene album by album. NWOBHM From the Vaults represents another treasure trove of bands unsung who can now make a slightly bigger ripple in the history of the genre thanks to their homage (or tribute) status.