Steel n' Chains

Guardian Records is probably best known for releasing Satan’s debut 7” Kiss of Death. Besides those guys, the five or six bands they labelized have been lost like old homework papers to the wind, and that includes Spartan Warrior who came a few years after the style was already being waved around on banners. They can’t say they jump-started the movement with their debut, but they didn’t kill it, either.

On Steel N’ Chains, SW performs a Jekyll & Hyde routine. One minute they’re a shade or two heavier than bands like Saxon and Aragorn, then the next I have suspicions that future members of Kingdom Come have usurped their instruments and wig out with material trite and almost glammy. With a strong production to help, there’s no doubt SW have spent a day or two with their instruments, and the vocals of Dave Wilkinson are a medium-pitched clean reminiscent of Valhalla, Tysondog, and Hellanbach, so what’s the deal with some songs undergoing an L.A. movement metamorphosis?

“Cold Hearted” is one of those safe songs that’s not over the top, yet doesn’t lay there like an old log in the woods, but what some would consider classic for opening an album. A strong conventional chorus is the main attraction here toasted by heavy guitar tones that hearken to life in the riff-assaulted “Stormer” and even more so with the burst of Maiden-esque fervor at the start of “Breaking Sweat”, but then is overtaken by a more anthemic power intertwined with the influence. More urgently methodical tracks are “Easy Prey” and the title cut, both chorus-heated and brawny with melody that is anticipated with this style of metal. Sounds good so far, eh?

Contrary to side one, side two is much like beer sucked of all its carbonation, very ‘normal’ in its presentation, and is where the soft, plushy stuff finds a home in the first three tracks, “It’s Allright”, “Hell Hath No Mercy” and especially sappy “I Don’t Wanna be a Loser”. Barely clawing their way from beneath that pile of rubbish are the mildly heavier “Hunted” and more driven “Witchfinder”.

If it weren’t for those three humdingers decaying side two, I wouldn’t be on the fence with this. I’d say they were a fairly sturdy band that knew what they wanted to do, but decided to throw in some range they thought would spark interest in fans of other genres, but for me stalls at just the opposite. Perhaps their later self-titled lp is better. Been awhile since I've dug it out.