Sunday, June 6, 2010

Rollerball

Here's some more Italian action from 1983 for your earholes, and am I ever excited about this one. Rollerball's debut EP Outlast The Game has to be one of my favorite obscure metal treasures. Rollerball hailed from Florence and played NWOBHM-inspired metal, but what makes this record an undisputed gem is the performance of a feisty frontman named Maxx Bell. The little guy's voice drips with so much character, and then, when the mood strikes him, he goes into his evil persona (check it out on the first song at about 2:44.) This record is pure joy right from the opening track "Rollerball," which sounds like Raven meets the Bad Brains to end, but the standout track is the oddly titled "Do You Know Alan?" Outlast The Game closes with the hook-laden track "Escape," and before you know it it is over and you are left wanting more Rollerball. Seriously, if anyone out there has their Don't Push The Button album please contact me, I need to hear it.


Also, the blog will be down for about a week (I know, there's been a lot of that lately) while I go up to Portland to do some Agalloch work.
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18 comments:

  1. mr.AJune 6, 2010 at 10:53 AM

    AWESOME!!! Big thanks for this one dude, made me happy.

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  2. HelmJune 6, 2010 at 11:10 AM

    The 70's original movie Rollerball with James Caan (and not the excretable 00's remake) is one of my favorite films ever.

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  3. phil vasJune 6, 2010 at 11:13 AM

    Rippin! Reminds me a bit of Cirith Ungol. Don't they also do a Bach intro on one of their songs?

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  4. HelmJune 6, 2010 at 12:47 PM

    Phil Vas: It's not an intro, it's a rendition of Tocatta in D minor at the second side of their record, "King of the Dead" but yes, it's Cirith Ungol.

    Here the part of the Tocatta that starts this EP is from the rendition of the piece for the movie Rollerball.

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  5. TarjeiJune 6, 2010 at 2:38 PM

    Best thing i have heard from this site. Simply fantastic.

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  6. Ambassador MAGMAJune 6, 2010 at 3:04 PM

    Damn, now I want to know Alan... that triple(?) tracking on his voice is awesome!!!

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  7. joelJune 6, 2010 at 8:25 PM

    long time fuckwit, first time commenter. this record is just plain fun - more from the wide spectrum of awesome ive come to expect at the hearse. better late than never - THANKS for all of it.

    up to portland eh? blessure grave tomorrow night...

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  8. kittyempireJune 7, 2010 at 7:32 AM

    Fantastic blog sir. Thanks very much for this (and others!). THis EP is incredible...

    BTW, the verification word to post ths comment was 'UNTSC'. They don't make anagrams like they used to.

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  9. slimanJune 7, 2010 at 11:59 AM

    hey can you post my band?

    were called anchorites.

    we are a chaos magick/ activist/ stonner/ discordian/ music collective, from the middle ov thee industrial wasteland of Brooklyn. we play weird lofi tape bm, with a hint of sludge and clearer passages. this is our demo rehearsal tape. the band is comprised of members of various metal, punk and noise projects in the diy scene in Brooklyn.

    thanks
    -nomis

    music: http://www.mediafire.com/?om12wdxoqo3

    cover:

    http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/slymlym/anchorites3.jpg

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  10. FrankJune 7, 2010 at 6:13 PM

    Brilliant! I would of never heard of this gem if it hadn't been for the wise guidance of the hearse

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  11. AnonymousJune 10, 2010 at 9:29 AM

    i have the 2nd lp-it s not good,just very pop,even with keyboards,don`t ask me to rip it as i have it in italy and i don`t live there anymore.i saw them live ages ago,very good show...

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  12. farawayJune 10, 2010 at 11:08 AM

    i have their 2nd lp,it`s not so good-kind of pop-i don`t like it...even silly keyboards...i cannot dowload this file anyway...what happen?

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  13. JGDJune 10, 2010 at 12:31 PM

    have fun in Portland. Make sure to get a quesadilla at Por Que No.

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  14. kevinesseJune 13, 2010 at 12:10 AM

    hey Raf...http://nwobhmbrasil.blogspot.com/2009/02/rollerball-outlast-game-1989.html

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  15. MillaJune 13, 2010 at 4:31 AM

    Ahhh what can I say... never a dull moment with the Italians!

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  16. farawayJune 13, 2010 at 4:08 PM

    hey Kevinass,thanx a lot,i managed to get it from that address you told me-i am collaborating with radiomolotov blogspot to post there punk,hc punke t similia and to vita ignes corpus lignum to post there esoteric electronick and noise industrial-i might pass to this blog some heavy metal from the past,obscure tapes...anyone interested?

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  17. farawayJune 13, 2010 at 4:12 PM

    do you know astaroth??the old italian band(speed metal)-they were pretty good-i have one minilp already in digital format,to pass to this blog-if the boss wants...let me know-

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  18. TMMJune 16, 2010 at 5:18 AM

    Not Back Yet.........Bummer

    ReplyDelete