TALON - Neutralized - [FULL ALBUM 1984]

Talon - Neutraliz... hells_unicorn, February 20th, 2012 🔘The early German metal scene could be likened to the thick roots of a grand oak tree, from which the glorious speed metal explosion of the mid 80s came to pass to give us the likes of Running Wild, Helloween, Sinner and Rage as the tree’s bow and branches. Among the thicker and more prominent roots are obviously the likes of Scorpions and Accept, but there are also a good number of smaller, less noticeable ones that have since become a hobby of reclusive collectors like myself, ergo bands like Talon. This is a band that is neck deep in just about every idea that would become cliché by 1987, yet carries it very well and all but lays the ground work for the speed and mid tempo metallic ideas that were picked up and exaggerated by the likes of Primal Fear and Paragon over a decade later. The band’s debut album “Neutralized“ is something of an ironic title in the sense that the band puts for th a sound that is quite animated and enticing. Even when compared to the faster, meaner work put out by Dokken around the same time, the band rocks hard enough to not have their manhood questioned, though their look is just a few steps removed from glam. Vocalist and guitarist Uwe Hoffmann keeps things primarily in the mid range, avoiding the stereotypical banshee wails and Udo styled AC/DC screams that tend to come along with this package. But apart from this, the typical blend of animated riffing to complement the usual power chord grooves and an impressive slew of shredding solos paint this as a very time appropriate album. Just about everything on here is short and to the point, embracing the streamlined songwriting approach that was expected for radio play at this point in history. But the band makes good use of this limited template and delivers the goods quite effectively. The galloping glory of “Gale Warnings“, the crunchy rocking in the mode of “Tooth And Nail“ in “Victims Of Suicide“ and the blazing speed of “Overlords Supreme“ which sounds pretty close to what Riot would be dabbling on “Thundersteel“ minus the lack of screechy vocals, are all examples of solid songwriting that seeks a multifaceted approach to getting laid. Even the cheesy, prototypical love ballad “Time Could Not Heal“ manages to charm with its serene simplicity and likeness to the Dokken radio hit “Alone Again“ or a number of select ballads ala Leatherwolf. _________________ 🔘Talon whimpered onto a German scene in which they could damn well have exploded, given ideal circumstances, because they were a fairly solid entry into the field of melodic heavy/speed metal. Clearly drawing on the inspiration of NWOBHM acts (Raven, Judas Priest) and their countrymen Accept and the Scorpions, they possessed the hooks and the ’looks’ to run in the circles of early Running Wild, Avenger, Sinner and Samain, but for some inexplicable reason they just never caught on, and now belong only in the province of treasure seekers and record collectors on and offline. Neutralized was their first and best offering, with a pretty potent slew of songs that balanced great guitar work and enthusiastic energy. It starts off extremely strong, with the mighty mid pace gait of “Hatred Grows Slowly“, huge Accept chords glistened with streaks of spry melody, as the bass pumps below and Uwe Hoffman’s resonant, accented vocals. Some might find it hard to get past the ’hand clap’ in the chorus, but the chord pattern reminds me a lot of Running Wild, and I enjoy guitar riff in the bridge also. “Neutralized“ picks up to speed metal territory, and this is probably one of the best on the album, with it’s John Gallagher-like screaming and incendiary bridge melodies that hook you straight into that phenomenal mid-80s German bliss. These are joined the weighted hard rock of “Victims of Suicide“, driving hesher force of “Backlash“ and “To the Bitter Dregs“, and two late bloomers “Hotter Than a 1000 Suns“ and “Gale Warnings“, for a fairly strong selection. The album does have its weakness in the throwaway ballad “Time Could Not Heal“, but there are also a pair of tracks here that remind me of Avenger (and Rage) that are quite good: “Overlords Supreme“ and “Preacher of Evil, so overall, its almost completely consistent and enjoyable. (*Enciclopedia Metallum) _TRACKLIST_ 01. Hatred Grows Slowly 02. Neutralized 03. Victims of Suicide 04. Backlash 05. Time Could Not Heal 06. Overlords Supreme 07. To the Bitter Dregs 08. Hotter than a 1000 Suns 09. Preacher of Evil 10. Gale Warnings LINEUP Uwe Hoffmann..... Vocals/Guitars Andy Hammon...... Bass Hubert Wattenbach...... Drums Steve Hohenberger.. Guitars Recorded at Studio Bär & Studio Hiltpoltstein, Germany, 1984. Producer by Rainer Hänsel. Producer, Engineering & Mixing by Manni Neuner. Video made non-profit and solely for recreational purposes. Copyright belong to their respective owners #80sheavymetal #oldschoolheavymetal #classicheavymetal