In retrospect, it may seem that there were 100's of bands like Attacker back in the mid 80s. And there may have been, but for those that got to the recording stage, Battle at Helm's Deep is actually quite a bit ahead of its time. Personally I hear a lot of Fates Warning's The Spectre Within in Attacker. These are not the usual straightforward metal riffs and compositions. There's quite a bit of tempo and theme variation within each track. Also there's lots of raw guitar solos, ball squeezer vocals, and dopey fantasy lyrics to ensure that yea, sure, it's 1985 alright. And these guys are so Italian New Joysee, each LP should have come with its own meatball. And the threads these dudes are wearing? Oh my. And how about that cover? I stepped on a bug in my garage yesterday that looked like that. Well sure, we can make fun, but damn the music is solid here. I love everything about it, and it's this kind of metal that was the only thing that made the mid 80's great - a period of history I could go a lifetime without remembering. How I missed this album originally is something of a mystery to me. It was written up enthusiastically in Metal Forces, a crap rag I read religiously back then. Well, better late than never.
Personal collection
CD: 1999 Sentinel Steel
CD features new artwork (aww, c'monnnn!). Though they were kind enough to leave the original on the back. I could probably write a thesis about it... it's so glorious in its ridiculousness. It also features the original demo that Metal Forces originally enthused about, and which helped them land a record deal. Great liner notes, photos, review clippings, poster shots, etc....
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