ATLANTIS – The Missing Links [recorded 1988 / digitally remastered] (2022) *only at 0dayrox*

Anyone remember the mighty Fifth Angel? If the answer is “yes”, then you’ll also have heard of James Byrd who once played guitar for that fantastic band. James was fired from Fifth Angel in 1987 forming his own band called James Byrd’s Atlantis Rising, and within days of that departure he and his band were recording a brand new album, with some songs that had been written for the second Fifth Angel release. This new record became ‘James Byrd’s Atlantis Rising’, released 1990-1991.
Fast forward to 2022 and vocalist Freddy Krumins, digging through a box full of tapes dating back to the 80s, found the original pre-production recordings of the band when it was simply named ATLANTIS.
Titled “The Missing Links“, the just released album includes the early versions – some very different – from songs later recorded for ‘James Byrd’s Atlantis Rising’, plus unreleased material. The sound quality is very good, hard rocking tunes in the vein of FIFTH ANGEL, DOKKEN and CRIMSON GLORY.

Cleaned and remastered, these songs / recordings sound very well. I’m so glad they are releasing them because if like me you loved that wonderful melodic metal sound Fifth Angel had, then this early recordings will be something you’ll want to hear again and again.
The tracks from the ‘James Byrd’s Atlantis Rising’ debut are much heavier sounding and less polished than they were on the Shrapnel album. The rifftastic ‘Fly To The Sun’ and ‘After The Fire Burns’ are pure 80’s melodic metal songs with big choruses, which are great to hear once again.

And when these original tracks are complimented by songs that never made it into the album (yet still dating from ‘87) songs, including ‘Stranger In The Night’ with it’s superb guitar solo, ‘Chasing The Shadows Away’ with it’s Fifth Angel like riff or the wonderfully Dokken-esque melodic ‘I Don’t Believe In Love’ then you know your onto a winner.

If you haven’t heard these songs before or even if you do own the ‘James Byrd’s Atlantis Rising’ first album, you still need a copy of ATLANTIS ”The Missing Links”. You can then turn up the volume to maximum, sit back, relax and remember the great US melodic metal / hard rock that was being made 3+ decades ago.
Highly Recommended

You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

01 – Chasing the Shadows Away
02 – Got You On My Mind
03 – Stranger in the Night
04 – I Don’t Believe in Love
05 – I’ve Gotta Find You
06 – Waiting in the Shadows
07 – Remember Love
08 – Angel of Mercy
09 – After The Fire Burns (first demo)
10 – Fly To The Sun (first demo)
11 – Angel Of Mercy (acoustic version)

Freddy Krumins – All Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion
James Byrd – Guitars, Bass
Tim Wolfe – Bass
Jeff Mills, Richard Stuverud, Ken Mary, Gary Thompson, – Drums
Andy Baldwin – Keyboards

BUY
freddykrumins.bandcamp.com/album/the-missing-links-2