WOLFSBANE
Wolfsbane - Live Fast, Die Fast (Def
America) 1989
1. "Man Hunt"
(2:45)
2. "Shakin'" (3:41)
3. "Killing Machine" (2:55)
4. "Fell Out Of Heaven" (3:03)
5. "Money to Burn" (3:49)
6. "Greasy" (3:16)
7. "I Like It Hot" (3:19)
8. "All Or Nothing" (2:02)
9. "Tears from a Fool" (5:11)
10. "Pretty Baby" (4:44)
"Live Fast, Die Fast" is lively, greasy, British heavy metal with a definite NWOBHM flare. The other big influence I heard was in the guitar work of Jase Edwards, that reminded me of Eddie Van Halen at times both in the solos and in the rhythms. The songwriting itself isn't overly flashy, but each song is catchy. Whereas some disc take a while to grow on you, this one was instantly contagious and kept me coming back for another listen. Part of the appeal was the vocals and melodies of Blaze Bayley. He has a rough quality to his vocals, but his range here is pretty incredible. (Especially when compared to the stuff he would do with Iron Maiden in a few years.) The production is raw and heavy. However, the drums seemed to stick out a bit here and there, especially some of the rolls in the song "Shakin'", which may have been an intentional thing. A friend picked up this disc in Chicago for $3.99. (quite the bargain. Thanks James.)
Wolfsbane - Massie Noise Injection (Bronz) 1993
1. "Protect And Survive"
(3:47)
2. "You Load Me Down" (3:02)
3. "Black Lagoon" (4:54)
4. "Rope And Ride" (4:08)
5. "Kathy Wilson" (4:21)
6. "Loco " (3:33)
7. "End Of The Century" (4:10)
8. "Steel" (4:56)
9. "Temple Of Rock" (5:37)
10. "Manhunt" (3:56)
11. "Money To Burn" (6:56)
12. "Paint The Town Red" (3:48)
13. "Wild Thing" (5:31)
A live recording capturing Wolfsbane at their best. While I don't know how much, if any, overdubs were used, this CD is a testimony to the fact that Wolfsbane were far better live than they ever were in the studio. From personal experience I know it is hard to actually capture a band's sound in the studio unless you have the right producer who not only knows and understands your sound, but also knows how to record that sound. Well, I think Wolfsbane suffered from this same problem, at least that is my opinion upon listening to this vicious recording. This live recording not only captures the band, but also manages to capture that live feel; the shouts and screams, the excitement, the sweat, the interaction between the band and the fans, etc. Blaze Bailey sounds as good as he ever has here and the band is just on. Some of Blaze's in between song banter is pretty amusing, if not downright funny. At one point after telling the crowd how "sexy" they are he threatens those not getting into the show by stating, ""If you're not putting your fists in the air, before we go off this stage, I'm coming out there and I'm gonna to..." You get the picture. Actually if I were to introduce this band to someone who had not heard them before, this album would probably be the best place to start. The production isn't perfect, but again, it is suitable and captures that feel of the performance. Songs like "Protect and Survive" and the classic "Manhunt" all sound fantastic here.
Wolfsbane (Bronze Essential) 1994
1. Wings (4:26)
2. Lifestyles Of The Broke And Obscure (3:47)
3. My Face (3:26)
4. Money Talks (4:25)
5. Seen How It`s Donev4:36)
6. Beautiful Lies (3:25)
7. Protect And Survive (3:25)
8. Black Machine (3:14)
9. Violence (3:42)
10. Die Again (6:50)
11. Say Goodbye [hidden track] (4:07)
Wolfsbane's self titled CD was the last the band recorded before Blaze Bayley was snapped up by Iron Maiden. Blaze has such a street level sound with this band, it's no wonder that Steve Harris saw fit to bring him into the Maiden fold. However, Maiden are a far different animal than Wolfsbane. Whereas Iron Maiden are galloping heavy metal, I would call Wolfsbane heavy street rock. They have more in common with Motorhead and Girlschool, being punk influenced, but never really crossing a line into pure punk. They have a street level credibility that would rock any club in the world, but probably would not translate as well to the big arenas. "Beautiful Lie" sticks out as one of the more oddball tracks, opening with nearly a minute of spoken word before breaking into an upbeat punk rocker that recalls The Ramones. Wolfsbane are raunchy, kick-ass, British rock and roll. I can't think of any better way to describe this CD than that. This self titled CD probably isn't quite the classic that "Live Fast, Die Fast" is, but it isn't far behind either.
At the end of "Die Again" there is a hidden track called "Say Goodbye".
Related Collections:
Iron Maiden | Blaze