Is there any mystery left in Olde Metal Hunting? A harsh question perhaps, but to the cynics and sceptics The Corroseum's answer will always be "Yes!" Plenty of features on this site will prove this point, often
dealing with artifacts possibly even more obscure than those presented below. Yet strangely enough, the
US and Canadian Heavy Metal 7"-scene
is still one of the least explored niches in the domain of Old Metal Vinyl Collecting, at least in relation to its size and popularity. Hence forum member and long-time fan & collector of rare American 7"s, Kristian "Khnud" Knutsson has taken on this impossible feat of documentation, making this the 3rd and - surely in the long run - largest Singles-Special of The Corroseum to date...
A note on rarity Most of the releases reviewed herein are to be considered rare, usually released in either 500 or 1000 copies by small independent labels, or by the bands themselves. The rating is therefore an attempt at approximating how often an item shows up for sale.
= Rather common, a copy can most likely be found without too much effort
= Uncommon, still turns up a few times per year
= Rare, you'll most likely have to search a bit before you find one
= Very rare, expect to have to search several years before one turns up
= More or less impossible to find. The number of known copies can be counted with the fingers of one hand
Also, please note that rarity scores might change over time. A good example would be the Hazardous Waste 45, which was once believed to have been released in only 200 copies and was at that point a very expensive and desired item. Many years later another 300 copies were discovered in a warehouse and the item is, at the time this is written, reasonably easy to find at an affordable price.
A note on ratingReviews are subjective. What I think is great, someone else might think is crap. And the other way around. I strongly suggest using the reviews as a general guide and not as a definitive quality indicator.
= Bad. You probably don't need this unless you're a manic completist (like yours truly)
= Ok, but nothing spectacular
= Good, definitely worth checking out
= Great, buy or die!
= You need this more than oxygen...
Finally, I'd like to thank John Haupt, without him this project would never have been possible.
LA Fuzzz - Show Me Your Badge / Wild Situation
(Blue Ash Records, 1981)Upon hearing the first few seconds of "Show Me Your Badge" I thought for a second I had found the holy grail! The long lost diamond of gritty, dirty back street savagery, the meanest hard rock carbon copy of Bon Scott era AC/DC this side of the northern hemisphere. Unfortunately the song never picks up after those first few seconds. Instead, it depends too much on the slide guitar, has a rather bland chorus, and is way too repetitive. The b-side is more of the same, except without that killer intro riff that still has me thinking what a superb single this could have been if the rest was equally outstanding. But a mere 3 seconds of glory just isn't enough. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Lace - Nervous Breakdown
(private, 1985)Don't let the band name or picture fool you. While this Queens, N.Y. quartet obviously took a lot of inspiration from bands like KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE, there's no hint of glam in the music. Just pure heavy metal played with both passion and aggression. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Lani - Power Surge / Judy
(Sherwood Records, 1981)Perhaps the most garagey inclusion in this whole review project, both musically and production wise. But I'll be damned, this minimalistic approach to home made hard rock/proto metal straight outta mum's basement actually works. "Power Surge" is so packed with mean riffs, it's easy to forget that it sounds like it was recorded on a $10 budget. Make sure to play "Judy" to the end so you can hear the tape recorder shut off - I'm not sure if the band decided to include this on purpose but it definitely serves as a fitting end to such a DIY project. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Lazer - Sweet Roll / Demon's Daughter
(JD & D Records, 1979)Ok, I know I’m going out on a limb here, but I'll publicly denounce everyone who disagrees that this contains some of the most insane vocals ever recorded. While off to a slow start on "Sweet Roll", the b-side "Demon's Daughter" is a complete and utter meltdown of late 70's PENTAGRAM / BLACK SABBATH riffs and leads with absolutely demented falsetto singing. I've never heard anything like it, and I probably never will. A completely unique and absolutely outstanding track, making this single a complete must have for any obscure metal collector! Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Legion - Nice Guys Finish Last / Used To Be Blind
(private, 1984)Dirty, mean, noisy-as-hell, HEAVY metal from start to finish. The sound is like it's being put through a concrete grinder, and the guitars are almost as chainsaw-y as on the infamous "12 a.m." LP by INNER SANCTUM. If that's not a quality indicator, I don't know what is! Both songs can be found on a compilation CD from when the band had changed their name to BLIND LEGION, which is likely a lot more easy to find than this original vinyl single. Get both of 'em! Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Limousine - You've Got The Power / Natural Fact
(Nu-America, )Perhaps released a tad too early to be included here (some sources say as early as 1975), but hey - this is my review project and I can do whatever the hell I want. And since the guitar player went on to play in HALLOWEEN, it certainly merits an inclusion. Far from being horror metal though, instead this is funky and bluesy 70's hard rock, similar to JAMUL or ALLMAN BROTHERS, but with a distinctly raw edge. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Lord Ryür - Pact With The Sinner / Heroes After Heroes
(private, 1986)One of the great metal singles from Canada, with screaming guitars, thunderous double bass drums and catchy choruses. There's a caveat though - you must be able to endure more changes in vocal style in one song than you'll have notes in a Malmsteen solo. Theatrical? Perhaps. Insane? Almost. Entertaining? Yes, definitely! Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Lost Breed - The Desert Fox / No Hope
(private, 1989)Consisting of former members of (BLIND) LEGION, this band boasts once having Wino (OBSESSED, SAINT VITUS among others) within their ranks at one point. This particular release, however, neither shares the raw, unpolished intensity of their forerunners, nor the down tuned, slow doomyness of Wino's more well known collaborations. This is straight up classic heavy metal, but it's executed very well. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Lucrecia - The Hunter / No One Gets Out Alive
(Zylon Records, 1986)There are a few odd things with this one. One example would be the combination of Saxophone with pummelling TROUBLE-style riffs on "The Hunter". And what's up with female vocalists in metal always trying to sound like naughty temptresses? Still, those high pitched screams from the lady in charge (the band is named after her, after all) will surely pierce both your ears as well as your soul. Does it work though? Yep. Unfortunately "No One Gets Out Alive" has none of the interesting quirks that made "The Hunter" so special, instead sadly coming off as a pretty forgettable hard rock number. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
Lyre - Hungarian Rocksody / A Long Road Home
(private, 198?)A DEEP PURPLE-ish single for fans of, eh them. Add a DIO-esque vocalist and you have the classic PURPLE/RAINBOW hybrid. Early hard rock/heavy metal sound with heavy emphasis on the hammond organ. Quite 70's sounding of course, but since it's produced by none other than MANOWAR's own Ross The Boss it was most likely released in the 80's. "Hungarian Rocksody" is an interesting take on the old classical piece by Franz Liszt, but their own composition "A Long Road Home" is actually way more interesting. While no "Stargazer", it's still epic enough to be mentioned in the same sentence. Rating: - Rarity: - Country:
...and the mandatory, accompanying, downloadable CDR-samplers:
For comments, questions and critique praise of this guide, please visit the designated North-American Heavy Metal 7"s Guide-thread in the forum, or contact The Corroseum (all messages concerning this guide will be forwarded to Khnud)
