SLAVE RAIDER – Bigger, Badder & Bolder (1989)
The year was 1989. Cult-favorite Twin Cities shock hard rockers SLAVE RAIDER found themselves without a label, having been dropped from the Jive Records roster following the release of their first two albums – Take the World by Storm (1986) and What Do You Know About Rock ‘n Roll? (1988).
Despite losing two members in the major label fallout, the group refused to throw in the towel and set to work independently producing what would become their most hard to find album… one that would be – quite literally, ”Bigger, Badder & Bolder”.
These are in fact demos with a fine production, but songs with a lot of attitude and angry.
”Bigger, Badder & Bolder” was released on CD by the band themselves but in extremely limited quantities, no barcode, a private collectible.
By the time of ”Bigger, Badder & Bolder” songwritIng & recording, SLAVE RAIDER had a new bass & guitar player, and the delivery is more raw, street hard rock than the previous glam sound.
Despite being demos, songs like the title track, the anthemic ‘Who Owns America?’, ‘Bad Boy Boogie’ (with some Skid Row on it) and the rebellious ‘Fight For What You Believe In’, all totally kick ass.
We have some bonuses here: “Win Twins Win”, which is actual reworking of “TNT” by AC/DC. The band has “cleverly” redone the words but has retained the riff as a tribute to the Minnesota Twins, the American Baseball Team.
The other is ‘You Can’t Hide From The Purple Pride’, recorded years after, for the Vikings during their playoff run during the 1998 NFL season.
”Bigger, Badder & Bolder” isn’t SLAVE RAIDER in their early glammy side, but more hard rocking ala Kix, Twisted Sister, Kick Axe, etc, rawer & dirtier.
Highly Recommended
01 – Bigger, Badder & Bolder
02 – D.O.A. (Dead On Arrival)
03 – Bad Boy Boogie
04 – Blackout
05 – Who Owns America?
06 – Fight For What You Believe In
07 – I Don’t Need Your Love
BONUS TRACKS:
08 – Win Twins Win!
09 – You Can’t Hide From The Purple Pride
Chainsaw Caine (Mike Findling) – Vocals
The Rock (Richard Jacquin) – Drums
Lance Sabin – Guitars
Tommy Dades – Bass