D É T E N T E
Détente - Recognize No Authority (Cognitive Records) 1986
1. Losers (3:21)
2. Russian Roulette (4:16)
3. It's Your Fate (3:16)
4. Holy Wars (4:25)
5. Catalepsy (2:52)
6. Shattered Illusions (3:08)
7. Life is Pain (3:58)
8. Blood I Bleed (2:53)
9. Widow's Walk (2:34)
10. Vultures in the Sky (3:44)
Détente were a vicious American speed metal band lead by vocalist Dawn Crosby. In the 80’s it wasn’t easy for females to break into heavy metal. There were the more melodic singers like Lita Ford and Doro and the more harsh metal singers like Leather Leone (Chastain) and Debbie Gunn (Sentinel Beast/Znowhite). Crosby certainly sat squarely on the more aggressive side of the fence. Her style is that of a shrieking thrash metal scream, though she does slip into more melodic singing on songs like "Life Is Pain" and "Blood I Bleed".
"Recognize No Authority" was produced by Dana Strum, known as being the bassist for Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Slaughter. The production is pretty typical of the 80’s thrash scene; harsh, heavy and slightly muddy. Personally I like the production and feel it fits the music and gives the album personality. Musically, the band rides a fence between thrash metal and classic heavy metal. They tend to lean more towards the thrash metal side of things, but some songs have that traditional metal feel as well. "Russian Roulette" sounds a bit like Omen and is most certainly 80’s American power metal, as opposed to straight forward thrash. Likewise album closer "Vultures in the Sky" sticks to the mid-paced classic metal sound. On the other hand there are songs like the double bass dominated "Shattered Illusions" and the straight forward speed metal of "Losers". All of the songs are riff driven and contain some soaring solos from guitarist Ross Robinson.
Originally released in 1986 on vinyl and cassette tape only, “Recognize No Authority” was later released as part of the highly collectible Price Killers series. The album was finally re- released on CD in 2007 on Cognitive Records.
Dawn Crosby went on to form Fear of God, a band that was darker and more gothic tinged than Détente. Dawn passed away of acute liver failure on 12-15-1996.