Giuffria was formed in the
early '80s by Angel keyboardist Gregg
Giuffria after Angel failed to break
any ground in the exploding heavy metal scene. The band included ex-Sorcery vocalist David
Glen Eisley, guitarist Craig Goldy (who later went on to play with Dio),
bassist Chuck Wright, and drummer Alan Krigger. Goldy and Wright were later
replaced by Lanny Cordola and
David Sikes. Lanny, Greg and Chuck later went on to form House
of Lords.
Giuffria (Axe Killer) 1984
1. "Do Me Right (4:12)
2. "Call to the Heart (4:37)
3. "Don't Tear Me Down (4:54)
4. "Dance (4:08)
5. "Lonely in Love (4:53)
6. "Trouble Again (5:24)
7. "Turn Me On (4:25)
8. "Line of Fire (4:56)
9. "The Awakening (2:34)
10. "Out of the Blue (Too Far Gone) (5:32)
Ahhh, at long last, the coveted debut cd from Giuffria. Apparently even the re-issue is now out of print and once again in high demand. A good friend picked this French import up for me, only to find out that he got the very last copy that Axe Killer had in stock. After Angel fell apart in 1980 Gregg almost immediately began putting together a new project. He had originally planned to keep the Angel moniker for his second cinematic rock show, but the change in style, as well as the fact that the entire band had changed, made the name change imminent. The first incarnation of the band was Chuck Wright-bass, ex-Rough Cutt guitarist Craig Gouldy, drummer Alan Krigger and vocalist David Glen Eisley. Craig eventually went on to record with Dio, among others. The music on this disc is the most Angel like of any of Gregg's projects, yet Giuffria certainly is not an Angel sound-alike. This album actually has a slightly more metallic AOR sound, not unlike Journey or Night Ranger. I suppose most metalheads wouldn't be caught within a mile of this disc, but I enjoy it, having been a long time fan of Gregg's music. Also, the excellent musicianship and tight songwriting is simply undeniable. Each and every member of Giuffria are talented and are masters of their instruments, and that includes vocalist David Glen Eisley. His smooth, passionate, yet aggressive David Coverdale like voice adds much character to the music.
Giuffria-Silk & Steel (Axe Killer) 1984
1. "No Escape"
(5:28)
2. "Love You Forever" (4:00)
3. "I Must Be Dreaming" (4:24)
4. "Girl" (4:29)
5. "Change of Heart" (3:35)
6. "Radio" (4:27)
7. "Heartache" (3:48)
8. "Lethal Lover" (4:21)
9. "Tell It Like It Is" (4:06)
10. "Dirty Secrets" (4:39)
BONUS TRACK
11. "Say It Ain't True" (3:45)
Slick AOR from former Angel keyboardist Gregg Giuffria. Listening to this, it's really hard to believe that Giuffria didn't go over much bigger than they did. I mean, several of these songs should have been blasting from every prom across the country and perhaps even a few weddings, as there are several tear-jerking ballads that would have done well against anything Steve Perry was popping out in '84. The rockers are quite good as well, with a radio ready hook, glossy production and those clean, classic rock vocals. I think part of the reason these guys didn't go over better was because they were marketed as a heavy metal band, since metal was exploding at that time. To be quite honest though, this really isn't a heavy metal disc. I suppose the band had a metal image but the music was more akin to Journey than Iron Maiden. So why am I interested in them then? I suppose growing up as an Angel fan, I also became a Giuffria fan. Besides, ya gotta mellow out some times. The band broke up after this disc and went on to form the slightly more metallic House of Lords. This French re-issue contains the bonus track "Say It Ain't True" from the Gotcha Soundtrack. Before this re-issue, this disc was fetching some hefty prices on eBay.
Also see David Glen Eisley-The Lost Tapes, which is basically a collection of Giuffria demos.
Related
collections:
Angel | House
of Lords | Lanny Cordola | David Glen Eisley | Sorcery