Hell first came into being in the early 1980s, during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement that gave the world
Iron Maiden, Raven,
Diamond Head, and many other acts. They never managed to record more than a single at that time, though; the label they were signed to imploded two weeks before they were supposed to enter the studio. The band called it quits, and original vocalist Dave Halliday committed suicide. The reunited lineup here includes three original members: guitarist/multi-instrumentalist
Kev Bower, bassist
Tony Speakman, and drummer
Tim Bowler. They're joined by new singer
Dave Bower (brother of
Kev) and guitarist
Andy Sneap, best known to most metal fans as a producer, though he's also in the U.K. doom outfit
Sabbat. A few of these songs date back to the band's earliest demos, but others are new. Old or new, they're classic heavy metal in style and approach, with hammering drums, galloping guitar riffs, and a thick, full bass sound.
Dave Bower's vocals are high-pitched and overwrought (he's been an actor for decades, so he enunciates every syllable and generally acts the role of a heavy metal frontman, tipping over into goofiness more than a few times), and the lyrics are often quite cheesy in a Satanic-fantasy vein, with sound effects adding entertainment value. This is a fun record that will give fans of old and/or retro metal a lot to like. ~ Phil Freeman