Mystrez - The Indictment. 1990 Netherlands

On the Savage Steel review I wrote: "Yet another late 80s technical thrash band I was unfamiliar with. I'm beginning to wonder if I was there at all, with so many of these under the radar thrash bands cropping up in my world, some 30+ years after the fact."

And here we are again with yet another tech thrash band I'd never heard of. I keep lists of groups to check out, and this wasn't one of them either. When I was offered up the album, I looked it up, and noticed comparisons to fellow countrymen Osiris, one of the (apparently) few albums I did get to know real time, and have reported here on UMR. That's a no-brainer, I must check out Mystrez then. Who knows what the band name is supposed to mean. Mistress? Mysteries? My Stress? lol.

There's essentially 10 tracks on here with an intro and outro. It's of the genre, so if you like metal that is wild, all over the place, thrashy, and technically challenging, then The Indictment should go on your want list. A couple of interesting diversions: 1) The singer doesn't scream his way through this in ball-squeazing fashion. Rather he takes the barking matter-of-fact approach (but not grunting, it's very clear what he's trying to convey). The other is the soft ballad that closes Side 1. I quite like it because of its placement. Generally these tracks are put up front to set the opposite atmosphere so that the band can pulverize you afterward. But placed here, it's quite soothing.

While researching this album, I learned about a few more bands and albums that are similar to Mystrez. Like I asked prior - was I even there? Apparently not. I find music like this timeless, and have no qualms about adding more to the collection.

Ownership: LP: 1990 Bad Taste (Germany). Single sleeve. Purchased from JL before the Denver record show about 2 months ago. Bizarre cover.

6/4/23 (new entry)

Realm - Suiciety. 1990 USA-Wisconsin

I was most excited to revisit Suiciety when it came up on a random search. You all know how much I enjoy the tech (or prog) thrash genre. There were three albums that got me into the scene originally: Sieges Even - Life Cycle, Watchtower - Control and Resistance, and Realm's Suiciety. And to take that even further, this was the very first metal album I purchased new on CD, as the LP was scarce at the time, and vinyl appeared to be going the way of the dodo anyway (how times have changed).

From a personal standpoint, Realm's second and final album has a lot of meaning. From a musical perspective, it's an astounding achievement. Even though I had a very high rating on it already, I managed to squeeze a +1 into this listen. A word of caution for the newbie - the vocals are an acquired taste, just like all bands operating in this genre. He's an air raid siren for sure, but I think it fits the music perfectly. As with many albums in this space, the compositions tend to spray all over the place. The production is brilliant, and really brings out the bass here, which is some of the best I've ever heard on a metal album. This guy could replace Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) in a pinch if ever needed. Best of all is the use of electronics. And why is that? The producer was none other than Jim Bartz, who had recently saw some success with his first solo electronic album only 3 years prior. An odd choice, but a great contrast is offered. In conclusion, there is simply no other album like Suiciety. For that alone, it will remain immortalized in my collection.

Ownership: CD: 1990 Roadracer. Jewel case with booklet containing lyrics. Purchased new upon release as discussed above, from a local metal store in Richardson (Dallas area).

6/5/90; 10//14; 6/25/22 (new entry)

Sieges Even - Steps. 1990 Germany

Steps is the second album from Sieges Even, and is considerably toned down from their Life Cycle debut. Gone is the thrash and in its place is a modernized Rush like sound. The rhythm section of the Holzwarth brothers sounds more jazz fusion than heavy metal. Even Franz Herde sounds like he might actually be able to sing rather than scream. Opening with a 25 minute tune named 'Tangerine Windows of Solace', I think it's safe to assume Sieges Even were still about being progressive rock oriented. Sieges Even will keep you guessing throughout as to what they will do next, and they certainly have the chops to it. And they prove that, perhaps too often. I miss the pure raw tech thrash of the debut, but this is a very fine, if unexpected, follow up.

Ownership: LP: 1990 Steamhammer. Gatefold. Sent to me by a good friend in Florida not long after release in 1990. The cover is beautiful, and fold out covers were unusual during this era, especially in metal. The centerpiece includes full lyrics and a band photo.

1990 (first listen); 6/19/06; 6/22/17; 1/1/22 (review / new entry)

Social Tension - It Remainds Me of Those Days. 1990 Japan

It wasn't that long ago I re-listened to, and added to the UMR, Social Tension's debut Macbethia. It Remainds Me of Those Days is a very similar experience, though even more retro sounding. This was long before the term "retro prog" even entered the lexicon. If you enjoy the heavy organ driven sounds of the early 1970 UK progressive rock scene, then Social Tension is an easy recommendation. Even considering the rather awkward vocals.

Ownership: CD: 1990 Made in Japan. Standard issue jewel box CD with obi. I do love the cover artwork on both of the Social Tension albums. Worth noting that the title is not a typo. Now whether or not Social Tension were purposely trying for a play on words with Reminds and Remains, I cannot say. A later compilation refers to it as Reminds, which of course makes more sense. Was part of a large collection buy in the late 90s.

Providence - And I'll Recite an Old Myth From... 1990 Japan

For years, I used to joke that Providence were the Night Ranger* of Japanese prog. It was always meant to be a lighthearted stab, an innocuous crack aimed at the good-natured prog fan (if such a creature really exists). Of course, humor works best when there's a hint of truth in it... I mean it's not like Night Ranger went on long instrumental flights of fancy. Nor did they employ a mellotron (fake as it may be) as a key sound device. But you know, there are times when they remind me of....

There are four components that will catch your ear when listening to Providence's debut. One is the powerful female vocals of Yõko Kubota, who defiantly sings in Japanese in the same manner as any number of these girls on the TV vocal contest shows would. Second is the bass playing of Yasuyuki Hirose, who puts in a monster performance. And he obtained that perfect woody bass sound like Chris Squire would do in his prime. Third is the synthesizers, sounding every bit of an early to mid 80s power AOR band (...it's the final countdown....). And finally is the superb production. Hard to imagine a small private label album from Japan besting many of the major studios and labels of the time. Oh, and Christian Beya of the old 70s French band Atoll joins on guitar, and he's rockin' out! Overall, there are long stretches of high energy progressive rock here to enjoy. But be prepared for some MTV styled power pop too. Maybe Yõko looks cute in leather pants?

* I just noticed Night Ranger are still around! Now that's the ultimate example that begs the question: What's the point? One would presume they're not trying to preserve their artistic legacy. rofl.

Personal collection
LP: 1990 BSP
CD: 1994 Nexus

I bought this on LP not long after it was released in 1990 and still own that copy. It comes in a very nice poster cover, with a booklet. High production all the way, as mentioned in the review proper. This is one of the rare LPs from Japan that wasn't released with an obi, as it appears it was made for export (despite the lyrics being sung in Japanese). Ironically it's also one of the few Japanese albums that was never reissued outside of Japan. Strange. I never felt compelled to own this on CD, but just within the last month, I did secure one on the cheap (1994 Nexus). That was the impetus for this listen. Interesting to note that the CD reissue (with different cover - 3rd scan) misspells the title "...On Old Myth From"

The Morrigan - Rides Out. 1990 England

On paper at least, England's The Morrigan doesn't sound like my cup of tea. In essence, The Morrigan play rocked out versions of English traditional folk songs. Or self-penned tracks that sound like English traditional folk songs. Fortunately I happened upon Rides Out not long after the CD release, and was captivated immediately. Not only are these spirited reproductions - or originals - but there is definitely a psychedelic/heavy rock slant to their approach (and guitar sound), reminding me of some of the early 70s greats like Mellow Candle or The Trees. The female vocals and recorders - heck the entire production - are crystal clear and one can be forgiven for breaking into a jig mid-song. It's apparent the band had roots in the UK Festival scene of the mid 80s, though by 1990 the band had honed their sound to a professional level. Not surprisingly I found myself enjoying the original material best, but if in a positive mood, the whole album works well together. A wonderful find, especially if you tire of the endless Public Broadcasting Company's tepid vision of said sound.

Ownership: CD: 1997 English Garden. Part of a large collection buy not long after this release. Jewel case with 2 page booklet containing detailed recording info plus a photo on the back. Originally released on LP in 1990. The CD features one relevant bonus track recorded at the same time as the album.

8/26/14 (new entry); 2/1/21

Quaterna Réquiem - Velha Gravura. 1990 Brazil

Quaterna Réquiem were one of the first bands of the late 1980s/early 90s progressive rock renaissance to review the works of the Mediterranean bands such as Quella Vecchia Locanda and Gotic, rather than the standard English "Big 3" of Genesis, Yes, and ELP. As such, their in-depth research of 1970's progressive rock adds a dimension sorely missing from most works of this time frame. Quaterna Réquiem performs a new interpretation of a much missed genre of music - what was once known as "Euro Rock". And the only thing keeping Quaterna Réquiem from classic "retro prog" status, that which is all the rage in 2000+, is the lack of analog keyboard instrumentation. But the compositions, skillful playing, and youthful exuberance carry the day here, so that Hammond organs and mellotrons are hardly necessary. A very fine work from a band that dissolved all too quickly in its original form.

Ownership: CD: 1992 Faunus

My original copy was the LP purchased upon release. It was an easy decision to switch it out for the CD not long after.

1990; 1/8/13 (new entry)

Intra - s/t. 1976-1990 USA (archival)

Over a year ago, we featured a fantastic archival find from Pittsburgh by a band called Arabesque. Prior to that, Shroom hit gold with Intra. After years of silence, Shroom has reappeared, so hopefully they have more archival discoveries like this!

This is yet another classic progressive rock album from the Midwest USA - this time Cleveland. The UK group Yes once again plays a major role in the overall sound, though snippets of other progressive rock groups enter here and there. A bit more complex, and less radio friendly than some of their peers. Hence they never found anyone to release their material in the first place! Definitely a product of the region it comes from.

The below matrix represents the recording dates:

Tracks 1-5. 1976
6-7. 1984
8-9. 1990
9-11. 1980 live

Perhaps most remarkable is the consistency of the music quality across the 15 year duration.

CD: 1999 Shroom