|
|
|
|
This 4 track 7” E.P. would have to be one of the rarest and best metal/punk e.p’s that I have ever heard in my life. I actually looked around for this jewel for so many years with no success, and it was only recently I was able to obtain it for an enormous amount of money. Through my searching expedition over the years, I actually realized that it was near just as expensive, and actually rarer than Iron Maiden’s 1979 7” ‘The Soundhouse Tapes’. It was released on a very small pressing on the Mutha Records label (MUTHA 006) in 1983 and in two versions, one being the standard black and white cover pictured above, and the other with the beast’s eyes and the band’s emblem coloured in red which I was informed all coloured copies were actually painstakingly coloured by the band members themselves. Both versions also featured a lyric-sheet insert.
I first became acquainted with this New Jersey band back in 1984, when I first heard them on a compilation album titled ‘Born To Metalize’, which was put out by the Megaforce Records label. After a small intro, the band had the opening credits on that album, followed by another three bands of that era, and fired away with three tracks titled, Randall Flagg, Is This Life and The Shape- which is also featured on this 7” earlier recording at a much raw version than the more power metal influenced and cleaner produced version of the compilation. Also noteworthy is to say that the lyrics of The Shape are actually based on John Carpenter’s Horror Slasher Killer Michael Myers (Halloween). Instantly upon listening to this band, I thought, “WOW”, what an awesome tight outfit. Incredible melodies and power, which in my book, back in 1984, put them amongst the top ten best power metal bands around.
I recall to this date how every metal-head that was freshly acquainted with ‘THE BEAST’ was instantly mesmerised by the band’s driven melodies and fury. All you had to listen to, was, the brilliant ‘Is This Life’, and you were instantly possessed. Total power metal with a thrash influence to it, misinterpreted as punk due to its era and predecessor 7” power metal E.P. This is where all the confusion began about the band’s musical elements. You see, the little jewel above, actually does contain amazingly power metal and punk elements mixed together, so closely related that it would almost be impossible to differentiate which style dominates the other. Nevertheless, this is exactly one of the reasons this E.P has been one of the most sought out vinyls by both, punk and metal fans around.
The opening track, ‘The Beast’, starts of like your run-of-the-mill metal band riff, and then explodes into a what would be classified even by today’s musical standards as a no-nonsense aggressive punk riff that kicks you straight in the teeth.
The second track, ‘Radical Man’, though slightly slower, still grabs you from the beginning to the end, and here is what I would definitely interpret as a punk song. Even the vocals are very punk-ish sounding, very similar to the punk band vocalists of that era.
Flip over to side 2 now, and track title ‘Enemy Ace’ opens up with a standard metal style intro and breaks out with a great melodic solo which then continues with what makes this band so unique. Yes, I say unique because there is no clear-cut distinction between punk and power metal elements. Brilliant!
The final track is ‘The Shape’ which I totally love, especially the E.P. version, because of its rawness, even though both versions of this track totally kick arse. Full-on-power-metal at its best. This is what makes us metal heads love bands like ‘THE BEAST’.
I am amazed why this band never made it, but whatever the reason, they left us some awesome but sadly extremely rare tunes. Whether you want to call them power metal, punk, or whatever else, quite frankly, I don’t care. THEY ROCK!!!
| Tracklist |
| 1. The Beast |
| 2. Radical Man |
| 3. Enemy Ace |
| 4. The Shape |
: N/A
| Buy other The Beast albums |
