Metal Reviews

Hellanbach are:
Jimmy Brash Vocals
Dave Patton Guitars
Kev Charlton Bass
Steve Walker Drums

Tracklisting:
Disc One:
1. Out To Get You (3.05)
2. Light Of The World (2.50)
3. Let's Get This Show On The Road (2.27)(EP ver)
4. Nobody's Fool (3.06)
5. All The Way (60 min + version)(3.14)
6. All Systems Go (Full Scale Emergency)(3.03)(One take...No Dubs)
7. Dancin' (4.06)
8. Times Are Getting Harder (3.58)
9. Look At Me (3.06)
10. All Systems Go (3.27)
11. Maybe Tomorrow (3.51)
12. Motivated By Desire (3.12)
13. Taken By Surprise (5.10)
14. Let's Get This Show On The Road (3.00)
15. Kick It Out (3.58)

Disc Two:
1. All The Way (3.18)
2. Everybody Wants To Be A Cat (3.52)
3. Beaten To The Bone (2.32)
4. The Main Man (4.21)
5. Nobody's Fool (3.00)
6. Bandit's Run (3.37)
7. S.P.G.C. (3.25)
8. Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting (3.44)
9. Panic State O.D (3.35)
10. Daddy Digs Those Cats (2.28)
11. When All Said And Done (3.44)
12. Urban Paranoia (4.13)

Hellanbach had formed during the late 1970s in the North-East of England, basing their sound around Patton's frenetic fretwork and the similarly flamboyant showmanship of the aptly named Brash. Soon enough everyone began making comparisons to Van Halen's duo of Edward Van Halen and Dave Lee Roth. Some even referred to them as 'Halen-bach'!

With the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal in full swing they recorded their first four track EP, which included "Out to Get You", "Let's Get This Show On The Road" and "Nobody's Fool" all of which are included on this double disc.

The debut album 'Now Hear This' which was released in 1983, attracted rave reviews but still the Van Halen references continued and not without good cause. Critiquing in Sounds magazine, Mark Putterford balanced out his opinion that he'd been forced to "clutch his sides, almost crying with laughter at Hellanbach's ridiculously accurate Van Halen impressions and outraged at the impertinence of such a blatant rip-off" but also with the fact that he "was secretly marvelling at the brilliance of the band's method and exciting execution"

This is perhaps a good time to mention that although all the comparisons to Van Halen were being made, Hellanbach were a force in their own right. Unfortunately for them, a few bad deals and not enough gigs did more than enough damage and the inevitable happened.

Check this double disc out, with 27 tracks of pure roller-coaster metal I'm quite sure you will not be disappointed, those of you who have not heard of Hellanbach may enjoy what was once a promising young heavy metal band.

An Essentail Production For Castle Music, A label of Sanctuary Records Group Ltd.
,Sanctuary Records: http://www.sanctuaryrecords.co.uk