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GRIM REAPER - Fear No Evil |
Spitfire Records | |
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Posted: 10/18/04Reviewed by: Dirt Category: Heavy Metal Original Release (UK): 1985 – Ebony Records Original Release (USA): 1985 – RCA Records Reissued: 10/2000 Label URL: www.spitfirerecords.com | |
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Grim Reaper formed in 1979 in Droitwich, England. Their 1984 debut, See You In Hell, peaked at #73 on the Billboard Top 200, and spent three months on the charts. Fear No Evil was their 1985 follow-up and featured similar raw production but overall better songwriting. The razor-sharp guitars of Nick Bowcott and the multi-octave range of vocalist Steve Grimmett were highlights.
I remember hearing this album after getting into Reaper’s 1987 recording, Rock You To Hell. A girl that I was friendly with (‘Metal Marni’) exposed me to a load of metal bands and albums that I was unaware of. In the case of Reaper, I had already seen their “Fear No Evil” video on MTV’s Heavy Metal Mania a few years before, but never had the opportunity or the cash to purchase the album. Compared with Rock You To Hell, this record was stripped down to the basics. The fact that the record was recorded in nine days may have had something to do with its sound.
The evil and hell references were still present from the debut, but all of it was tongue in cheek. The spoken intro to “Final Scream” is a grand example, as a demon-throated father instructs his high-pitched dungeon caged son to go to bed.
Anthems like “Let The Thunder Roar,” “Rock & Roll Tonight,” and the aforementioned “Fear No Evil” are some of Reaper’s best.
While this reissue does not include any bonus tracks, Nick Bowcott did contribute some in-depth liner notes (although you’ll need a magnifying glass and some Visine to read them).
The Bloody Truth: Fear No Evil is similar to its predecessor but definitely contains better songs. Powerful anthems – big riffs – a well-rounded vocalist – all of this comes through on this album. When metal was metal, albums like Fear No Evil were thrust upon an unsuspecting public. Now is the time to dig up this classic reissue. | ||
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