Heavy Pettin' was a NWOBHM band formed in Glasgow in mid-1981 when the band Weeper, comprised of guitarist Gordon Bonnar,
bassist Brian Waugh and drummer Gary Moat, added vocalist Steve Hayman and lead guitarist Punky Mendoza to the line-up.
Heavy Pettin' - Lettin Loose (Majestic Rock) 1983
| 1. In And out of Love (3:54) 2. Broken Heart (4:17) 3. Love on the Run (4:04) 4. Love Times Love (4:03) 5. Victims of the Night (5:24) 6. Rock Me (5:03) 7. Shout It Out (3:34) 8. Devil in Her Eyes (5:08 9. Hell Is Beautiful (4:07) 10. Roll The Dice (4:04) 11. Shadows Of The Night (4:41) |
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The NWOBHM scene had it's heavier, harsher bands like early Diamond Head, Venom and Raven. The scene also had more melodic bands like Tygers of Pan Tang and Def Leppard. Heavy Pettin fall in with the more melodic side of heavy metal. Their full length debut has a sound not unlike the two previously mentioned bands. Previous to this LP, the band had released only a handful of singles. Those must have done well for the band as they were soon picked up by Poldydor Records. On "Lettin Loose" the band manages to successfully balance out the commercial vibe and the heavier attitude that metal requires, much like Def Leppard did on "On Through the Night" and "High 'n' Dry". Of the heavier material, "Victims of the Night" rocks the hardest. The melodic, haunting intro is outstanding. The song wouldn't have been out of place on an early Saxon album. The oddly titled "Hell is Beautiful" is an upbeat rocker as well and is one of those songs that brings about the Def Leppard comparisons. Had this song appeared on "On Through the Night", no one would have been the wiser. "Love on the Run" and "In And Out of Love" are two other hard rocking tracks, both possessing solid hooks. Of the more melodic numbers, "Shout It Out" carries that early Def Leppard vibe as well. Vocalist Steve "Hamie" Hayman has a slightly raspy vocal delivery reminding me of Riot's Guy Speranza. Overall, the album is well balanced containing some faster, heavier tracks, as well as some more mid-paced, more melodic numbers, making for a solid listen from beginning to end. This is helped by the stellar production balues. "Lettin Loose" was produced by rock and roll icon Brian May of Queen fame.
Originally released on Polydor Records in 1983, this CD re-issue on Majestic Rock contains two bonus tracks. The 8 page booklet contains the original album art, a biography and a few photos of the band.
Heavy Pettin - Rock Ain't Dead (Majestic Rock) 1985
1. Rock Ain't Dead (4:01)
2. Sole Survivor (3:37)
3. China Boy (3:25)
4. Lost In Love (4:34)
5. Northwinds (4:00)
6. Angel (4:11)
7. Heart Attack (3:32)
8. Dream Time (5:05)
9. Walkin' With Angels (3:44)
10. Throw A Party (3:54)
11. Crazy (3:15)
12. City Girl (4:21)
Originally released on Polydor Records, "Rock Ain't Dead" was the second album from Scotland's Heavy Pettin. They were one of the more melodic bands to come out of the NWOBHM movement, falling closer to the hard rock side of the spectrum than to true heavy metal. Heavy Pettin had much in common with bands like Def Leppard and later day Tygers of Pan Tang, balancing melodic, hooky songs with power chords and a metal sheen. Unlike heaviers NWOBHM bands like Raven, Maiden and Venom, Heavy Pettin were less about speed, aggression and ultra-heaviness and more about big hooks and hard rock anthems. The title track is the perfect example as it's an ultra-catchy rock and roll anthem. Had this song been recorded by Def Leppard on their "Pyromania" album two years earlier, it could have been a hit. As it stands, it's still a good song with a big hook. When I first heard this song, back in the day, I would have swore that it was a girl singing lead. Vocalist Hamie has a smooth tenor voice that has a lot of feminine qualities. Like him or not, he gives the band character.
Overall, "Rock Ain't Dead" is more polished and perhaps slightly more memorable than the band's debut. It seems that the band might have been purposely trying to go into an even more commercial direction. For example, "Walkin' With Angels" is pure 80's pop rock, right down to the sing-along chorus, processed guitars and the blistering lead break. (C'mon even Prince and Michael Jackson had guitar lead breaks in the 80's.) "Throw a Party" is exactly what the title implies, a hard rock party anthem tailor made for radio play."Lost in Love" and "Sole Survivor" are two more songs that easily could have been hits. Both songs have big pop hooks, the later being a power ballad. Again, both of these songs have a lot in common with Def Leppard, with only the vocals standing in stark contrast. Other songs like "Crazy" and "Nothwinds" are more straight forward rock songs, but again, the melodic pop metal sound is still very prominent. If "Pyromania" wasn't one of the band's biggest influences for when writing this album, I would be very surprised.
Heavy Pettin - Big Bang (FM Revolver) 1989
1. Born To Burn (3:25)
2. Romeo (4:58)
3. Lonely People (5:18)
4. This Is America (5:26)
5. Looking For Love (4:45)
6. Madonna On The Radio! (3:21)
7. Don't Call It Love (4:20)
8. Heaven Scent (3:50)
9. Two Hearts (4:50)
'Big Bang' was the third full-length release from Scotland's Heavy Pettin. Though the album was recorded in 1986 for Polydor, t wasn't released until 1989 on the FM Revolver Records label out of the UK.
If "Rock Ain't Dead" was akin to Def Leppard's "Pyromania", then "Big Bang" is likened to the Leppard's "Hysteria". "Rock Ain't Dead" was a hard rock album with a slight pop sheen. "Big Bang" is a pop album with barely a trace of heavy metal or hard rock. Keyboards lead the way, with some guitar riffs giving some of the songs a slight edge. The production is polished to the point of shiny plastic but the songs are full of big pop hooks and some nice guitar solos. The 80's were kind to guitar shredders. Even non-metal bands seemed to love a good guitar solo.
"This Is America" is one of the more straight-forward rockin' songs on the album. It's a big anthemic song and sounds like a song Night Ranger could have recorded during their heyday. I must say, I quite enjoyed this song right down to the dueling guitar solos. "Don't Call It Love" is another straight-forward rock and roll song. "Born to Burn" also has hints of Heavy Pettin's more rockin' past, though the keyboards sort of rob the song of it's heavy edge. Hamie's vocals are unmistakable. His high, smooth voice seems to work well for this type of keyboard driven, 80's pop rock. "Romeo" is an incredibly cheesy ballad and was apparently the song the band chose to represent this album. The band showcased the song on Scotland's Eurovision Song Contest much to the shock and surprise of the bands NWOBHM fan base.
I read a review on-line that stated, "This (album) sounds more like Belinda Carlisle than one of the bands that spearheaded the NWOBHM." Well that may be a bit of a stretch, but the point is still relavant. "Big Bang" is a far cry from the hard rock of "Lettin Loose".