Green Metal

Not eco-friendly metal but rather metal from the emerald isle, Ireland. Another regionally specific metal comp that probably never got much attention outside it's country of origin, probably due to the fact that it isn't very good. Let's break it down. Assassin kick things off with some wimpy party pop metal. Poorly recorded and corny, Assassin doesn't leave much of an impression. Blackwych play some street tough NWOBHM style biker metal. Nothing extraordinary but having a song called "Metal Maniac" can't hurt. April South have a female vocalist, also worth noting: there first track "Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile" is sung in Gaelic and has a distinctive Irish feel, like a proto-Cruachan. Their second song "Rock n Roll Rodeo" is a feckin' mess. Up next is Kruger, and not to reference an old stereotype, they sound drunk. Kruger aren't great or anything but there is a charm to their sloppy approach to classic, fun heavy metal. Stonesnipe only get one track on the album, a ballad called "A Change From Yesterday." Totally forgettable. Speed contribute a track called "A Real Live Wire" apparently about a lass who is bad news. The song is made enjoyable by it's ham-fisted drum beat, corny overdubbed drum fills, and the banshee like shriek of the singer. Trojan kind of owns this comp based on the performance of vocalist Eddie Kenny and the driving chug of their track "Soldier's Song." Overall a fairly mediocre comp with a few highlights (Trojan, Speed, and Kruger.) I'm sure Ireland had better bands in 1985 than these.

Up The Irish!