Well, if you're a fan of the more obscure and underrated side of glam metal/hard rock, this massive four-CD compilation from Eönian Records is an unquestionable must-have. The label got in touch about this set back in March, and I was so excited that I literally bought their entire discography to date. 20+ CDs, all in one shot. No joke.
Rock 'n' Roll Rebels & The Sunset Strip: Volume 1 is simply the latest and greatest of the bunch: 36 bands, 72 tracks, and nearly five hours of music from the self-described "third and final wave" of the heyday of the Sunset Strip scene. The booklet's 13-page intro, "Rock 'n' Roll Rebels: Sunset Strip Certified," by Johnny X (The Wild) and Adam Gifford (Paradise), seems to define the first wave as bands like Van Halen and Quiet Riot that got started in the '70s, and the second wave as the early- to mid-'80s with bands like Dokken, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, and Guns N' Roses—placing the third wave during the late-'80s to mid-'90s, which is probably when the acts included herein were most active, though some of them did form back in the early-'80s.
Most of these cuts were "industry" demos that were never officially released, and it looks like the majority of the bands remained unsigned and failed to issue any proper recordings. The only exceptions I could find were:
- Mad Reign dropped a 12" EP on Iron Works in 1986.
- Hans Naughty did a 7" single and an album in 1987, also on Iron Works.
- Aces & Eights and Enticier each had one song on the Son of Pure Rock compilation in 1988 (which I actually own, so they were the only participating bands that I had heard prior).
- Rattlesnake Shake had an EP released in Japan in 1990.
- Shel Shoc posthumously released Rocked and Loaded in 2010.
- Eönian has handled posthumous collections for Charlotte, Shake City, Cold Shot, and Charlemagne.
Whatever you want to call it—glam metal, "hair metal," hard rock, etc.—this compilation has it all: straight-up Sunset Strip rockers or power ballads; bands that infused a bluesier twist, a poppier edge, or a sleazier grit; and a small handful of groups that flirted with funk metal or alternative/grunge as the '90s rolled in. Of course, some are better than others. In certain cases you're kinda like, "Yeah, I think I can see why they didn't quite make it," but there are definitely some hidden gems, too.
My personal favorites happen to be those that built upon more of a "traditional" metal influence—Enticier, Agent Zero, Byte the Bullet, Charlemagne—but there's also LongGone (featuring Ralph Saenz, a.k.a. "Michael Starr," from Steel Panther), Cyclone Sound, Hap Hazzard, Blackboard Jungle, etc. Beyond that, Bad Bones' ballad, "My Love is for Real," feels like it could've been polished into a surefire hit; and the quirky, funk-tinged grooves of The Wild (with future Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed) or the Seattle-infused grunginess of Mad Reign ain't so bad, either.
Some of the songs were mastered from the original DATs, others from cassettes or vinyl, so the quality varies but is fairly decent all things considered. Even when things get a little rough around the edges, the "worst" sounding tracks are still pretty listenable. But what can you do? This is probably the last chance for some of this material before it rots away forever, so it's better to hear something than nothing!
In addition to the aforementioned intro (which is scattered with flyers and pics from the good ol' days), the enormous 60-page booklet includes one page per band with a photo, lineup, dates active, succinct bio, influences, and recording credits. An awesome touch. Very nicely done.
SEE ALSO: 5 Underrated Glam/Hair Metal Bands
I had absolutely no idea there were soooooo many lesser-known bands of this nature out there. I mean... sure, the Sunset Strip was by far the biggest scene for this niche of rock music—to the point where bands relocated to Hollywood from all over the world—but, still... this is just one area of one state from one country! And this is only Volume 1!?
It's mind-blowing to imagine the sheer volume of music that has gone largely unheard over the years, so I'm damn grateful that there are labels like Eönian Records out there who are still interested in dusting off that music and giving it a new lease on life.
Get It
- Eönian Records (CD)
- Amazon (mp3)
