format: LP
year: 1989
country: Spain
label: Cambaya
#: [tba]
info: Band is from UK - Gibraltar (that's the reason it reminds you on NWoBHM, John), but the LP was only released in Spain!
style: Melodic Metal
Tracks
Don't stop it
Goodtimes
Teaser
Never want to cry
Fool for your love
Dreaming
Back on the road
Murder in the streets
Killer queen
Dont be fooled by the psychedelic (a la GONG) but excellent cover because ORACLE play very fine melodic metal and their album is a highly sought after rarity of Spanish metal. Some tracks can be considered more hard rock than metal, for example Goodtimes, but that goes only for the first side as the second one is a small masterpiece in my humble opinion. To my ears ORACLE sound like the more melodic bands of N.W.o.B.H.M., somewhere between GRIM REAPER (Rock you to hell), MAGNUM (On a storytellers night), TOKYO BLADE (No remorse), PERSIAN RISK and stuff like that. They might also slightly remind to some of you of STRANA OFFICINA especially on their last album. No Spanish lyrics, a very good vocalist and excellent dreamy sometimes-guitars are more than enough to make you chase this album. As I said B-side is almost excellent and if I had to choose one song to be the leader that would be Murder in the streets- its the heaviest of them all and has a very memorable chorus as well. So, dont waste your time searching for well known (but pretty average IMO) bands like OBUS, BARON ROJO etc. and try at least to hear ORACLE. I bet you wont regret it.