HEAVY METAL – Music From The Motion Picture [Vinyl LP reissue] (2017)

After many requests, here’s in exclusive the legendary “HEAVY METAL : Music From The Motion Picture“, in its 2-LP recent release. This is part of the Rhino Records ‘Rocktober’ series, an annual campaign featuring limited edition vinyl releases of classic albums, issued in October, 2017.
The 2-LP release is only available in the U.S. and Canada, already sold out now and very expensive.

‘Heavy Metal’ is a 1981 Canadian-American adult animated sci-fi-fantasy film based in the Heavy Metal Magazine, which was the basis for the film. Like the magazine, the film features a great deal of graphic violence, sexuality, and nudity, censored at various countries.
The movie soundtrack features songs inspired by the story, but most the artists involved aren’t musically ‘heavy metal’ at all. The term is used here into other context.

Musically, “HEAVY METAL : Music From The Motion Picture” offers more than the title suggests, and the songs fit perfectly with their respective film segments.
Most songs are exclusive to this soundtrack, some never appeared into any other release, some are different from the originals, noted as ‘Soundtrack Version’.

Sammy Hagar’s title track opens the first LP side A, which like many others was deleted in the 1990s and commanded ‘heavy’ prices on the second hand market. This version of Hagar’s “Heavy Metal” is different from the one on Sammy’s ‘Standing Hampton’ album, and it is not the only such exclusive. “Heavy Metal” is one of Hagar’s best tunes, simply legendary.

The rest of the album is equally awesome.
Riggs delivers the exclusive to this OST rocker called “Heartbeat” that is definitely good enough for rock n’ roll. You might not expect Devo to be on an album called Heavy Metal, but what’s not to like about “Working in the Coal Mine”? Pure ’80s.

Blue Öyster Cult “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” leans heavily on synthesizer, a dark, menacing apocalyptic ballad that can’t be touched, a classic through and through. A haunting gem.
Cheap Trick utilized synths too, but their “Reach Out” is a rocker, a damn fine tune, and not on one of their albums at the time.
Don Felder from the Eagles isn’t the kind of guy you’d expect to hear do a song called “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)”. It’s an Eagles-metal hybrid and it’s pretty cool, more metal than Eagles, but you can hear them in there.

He’s followed by Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen who presents the interesting “True Companion”, a light progressive rock track. Nazareth re-centers it back to rock and roll, with “Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment)”.
Riggs returns with “Radar Rider”, one of my favorites from this OST. Heavy riff in hand, it’s a slammin’ good track full of swagger.

The best-known song here is Journey’s immortal “Open Arms”, one of the biggest ballads in the history of Rock balladry. It’s a slightly different version, exclusive for the movie.
Grand Funk Railroad contributes with a ‘spacial’ version of “Queen Bee”, and then it’s Cheap Trick again, with a noisy track called “I Must Be Dreaming”. It’s a weird song, but they do bizarre just as well as they do catchy.

There’s one band that I think blew the doors off the album. One band that, to me, is always associated with this album. One band that defines the phrase “heavy metal”, and that one band is Black Sabbath.
If you listen to fools, the mob rules! sings Ronnie James Dio. This was a brand new Black Sabbath song at the time; “Mob Rules” wouldn’t be out yet for a couple months.
While it isn’t noted as ‘Soundtrack Version’, this is quite different to the recording that made it onto the official Black Sabbath album. It’s darker, freaky, livelier… and more “Geezer-er”.

Don Felder takes it back to a slow groove with “All of You”, a good rock ballad with some seriously cool funky bass. All told, the Heavy Metal soundtrack has some damn fine playing on it from all of these bands — just incredible musicianship in these grooves.
Next is Trust, and a true heavy track called “Prefabricated”. Nicko McBrain was in Trust in 1981, but this does not sound like Nicko on drums. The song would have been better without the vocals, especially when it’s followed by Stevie Nicks, one of the most iconic voices in rock.
Nicks’ “Blue Lamp” was recorded for her solo debut Bella Donna, but not used. It’s certainly not outtake quality. In fact it’s pretty damned classic.

“HEAVY METAL : Music From The Motion Picture” never was available as digital download, so you can’t get separate tracks. There’s a CD reissue now out of print, but of course you have to own this album on vinyl-LP. This format has the charm of an era, when the soundtrack was originally released.
This ‘Rhino Rocktober’ LP reissue sounds exactly like it should; no mastering effects, no saturated compression, just plain vinyl LP sweetness.
A CLASSIC


You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

A1 – Sammy Hagar – Heavy Metal (Soundtrack Version)
A2 – Riggs – Heartbeat (Soundtrack Version)
A3 – Devo – Working in the Coal Mine
A4 – Blue Oyster Cult – Veteran of the Psychic Wars (Soundtrack Version)

B1 – Cheap Trick – Reach Out (Soundtrack Version)
B2 – Don Felder – Heavy Metal [Takin’ a Ride] (Soundtrack Version)
B3 – Donald Fagen – True Companion (Soundtrack Version)
B4 – Nazareth – Crazy (A Suitable Case for Treatment)

C1 – Riggs – Radar Rider (Soundtrack Version)
C2 – Journey – Open Arms (Soundtrack Version)
C3 – Grand Funk Railroad – Queen Bee (Soundtrack Version)
C4 – Cheap Trick – I Must Be Dreamin’ (Soundtrack Version)

D1 – Black Sabbath – The Mob Rules
D2 – Don Felder – All of You (Soundtrack Version)
D3 – Trust – Prefabricated (Soundtrack Version)
D4 – Stevie Nicks – Blue Lamp

BUY IT
www.rhino.com/product/heavy-metal-music-from-the-motion-picture
www.amazon.com/Heavy-Metal-Music-Motion-Picture/dp/B075GG2QWJ