PARADOXX – Plan Of Attak [The Complete Worxx] (2021) HQ

After many years being an extreme rarity, Chicago metal band PARADOXX only 1985 mini-LP ‘Plan Of Attak’ finally got reissued by No Remorse Records as ”Plan Of Attak [The Complete Worxx]’‘. The reissue includes the rare EP plus songs PARADOXX recorded for the “Chicago Metal Works: Battalion 1” and “Chicago Class of ’85” compilations.
While FnA Records reissued the album some years ago, this is ”The Complete Worxx” as adds two previously unreleased tracks.
In the mid-Eighties, Paradoxx was a quickly rising band from Chicago with growing legions of fans. During this period, Paradoxx entered Sound Summit Studios with the intention of releasing their very first EP entitled Plan Of Attak. The album was recorded and pressed (albeit in a very limited quantity to start off with), but what would happen next is what gives this recording legendary status.

There was some sort of problem or error with the pressing, and Paradoxx only picked up 50 copies from the plant due to the error. The band handed out most of the copies they snagged to friends and family, while the rest were scrapped / destroyed by the record plant (A small handful of copies were mailed out as promos). That’s it! Only 50 copies survived the initial pressing – the album was never available at retail outlets or at the shows and was never repressed. The extreme rarity of the album has led to original copies of the album fetching anywhere between one and two thousand dollars ($1,000 – $2,000) on eBay.

Back in 1985, after the ‘Plan Of Attak’ vinyl debacle, Paradoxx trudged on playing packed shows and winning over fan after fan. Guitarist Gary Vermette eventually left the band and was replaced by Dave Shankle who would eventually go on to play with Manowar.
Shankle along with the Paradoxx boys would record the song “Night Ryder” which was featured on the ‘Chicago Class of 85’ compilation, and is added here as a bonus track. Additionally, one other track, ironically entitled ‘Plan Of Attak’ (but not featured on the original pressing of the 4 track vinyl of the same name), is featured here as well as a bonus track.

Musically, this is early ’80s US metal pieces, the climax of which manifests itself in “Black Siren”, because here the singer’s talent becomes obvious. Midtempo ‘Don’t Let Go’ has a certain Dokken feel about it, some Riot on ‘Unleashed’, while ‘Live Free or Die’ and ‘ Plan of Attak’ ecalls early Lizzy Borden.
Then, the riff of ‘Prince of the City’ has similarity to the first Impelliterri.

All these recordings have been remastered within the limitations of not having the original master reels, along with artwork true to the original vinyl pressing. However the sound quality is fine to appreciate this lost slab of mid-80s American metal.
Highly Recommended

01 – Don’t Let Go
02 – Unleashed
03 – Live Free or Die
04 – Black Siren
05 – Plan of Attak
06 – Night Ryder
07 – Prince of the City
08 – So Far Away

Tracks 1-4 are taken from “Plan Of Attak” EP, originally released in 1985
Track 5 is taken from “Chicago Metal Works: Battalion 1” compilation
Track 6 is taken from “Chicago Class of ’85” compilation
Tracks 7-8 are previously unreleased recordings

Glen Dobbs – Vocals
John Dobbs – Guitars, Vocals
Gary Vermette – Guitars, Vocals
Frank Rotondo – Bass
Jerry Wiener – Drums
Dave Shankle – Guitar

BUY
www.amazon.com/Plan-Attak-Complete-Worxx-PARADOXX/dp/B095GHWD43