THE ANGELS (aka Angel City) – Dark Room [Remastered +9] +2 Extras

Here’s another request fulfilled;, Aussie rockers THE ANGELS‘ “Dark Room” album in its remastered edition including as bonus tracks no less than 9 songs, which in fact are 10 as there’s a hidden track. Additionally, we added the 2 tracks exclusive to the original European / North American LP version appeared under the Angel City moniker, never released on CD.

It’s hard to tell which is the quintessential The Angels album, but “Dark Room” is among their best. The Australian version of the LP spent many weeks on the local charts, going platinum. In America, however, The Angels – with their albums released under the band name Angel City to avoid confusion with the Giuffria’s act Angel – still struggled to find an audience.
The problem was no one knew how to classify the band. Too classic rock for heavy metal, they were too rock for punk and too heavy for new wave. As singer Doc Neeson put it: “Punk / Heavy Metal / New Wave… we don’t care about genres… we’re a rock and roll band. Those other words confuse me.”

Indeed, The Angels were a rock and roll band, and “Dark Room” rocks in fine form. Like all The Angels albums, “Dark Room” has the same propulsive rhythms, manic vocals and contains its own classic of Orwellian paranoia in the form of the song “Face the Day.”
Again, Neeson’s voice is barely contained within the structure of the songs and the Brewster bros. blast out one mighty riff after another.

“Dark Room” contained The Angels’ first #1 hit with the single “No Secrets”. As the first sounds you hear when the CD spins, “No Secrets,” kicks off the affair with a stuttering riff that builds in intensity until Doc Neeson’s twisted vocals sneer on top of the pounding bass.

“Wasted Sleepless Nights,” begins with a pumping bass line, gradually building momentum until the guitar slashes in, Neeson’s vocals building in mania until he screeches across the chorus. Absolutely, vintage Angels.
“Night Comes Early,” and “Devil’s Gate,” follow form, just balls-out rock and rollers in serious need of a thorazine injection.

But, without a doubt, the highlight of the album is “Face the Day,” a perfect vehicle for Doc Neeson’s brand of mental illness. Great White dis a cover of this song, but no one could do justice to this amazing declaration of schizophrenic paranoia other than Neeson.
As always, the band is incredibly tight behinds Neeson’s mad vocals, riffs executed to perfection, the rhythm section endlessly flawless, as they propel the songs forward, ever fricking forward.

The arrangements on “Dark Room” are more complex than on the previous albums, with more variation of tempo within the songs, rather than the straight ahead blues-busting riffs.
“Poor Baby” is catapulted into the stratosphere with a grinding prototypical Angels riff, while “Alexander” would sit comfortably on any AC/DC album with the exception of the lyrics, which are far much more elaborated.

On this stupendous remastered reissue there’s a bunch of extras, b-sides, outtakes and rare 7” single versions.
We added as well the two tracks exclusive for the European and North American markets: the tracks “Alexander” and “I’m Scared” were replaced by “Ivory Stairs” and “Straight Jacket”. These two are taken from LP vinyl, the only format available

The Angels are a true treasure of straight-out raucous rock and roll that somehow got lost on the sanitized American shores. Thankfully, those brilliant Aussies knew what they had, and The Angels enjoyed a huge measure of success there.
Highly Recommended

Only at 0dayrox

01 – No Secrets
02 – Poor Baby
03 – Wasted Sleepless Nights / Dark Room
04 – Face The Day
05 – Night Comes Early
06 – Alexander
07 – The Moment
08 – I’m Scared
09 – Devil’s Gate
BONUS TRACKS:
10 – Back On You
11 – Alexander (Early Take)
12 – Hot Shit
13 – Hard Sell
14 – Staring Voices
15 – I’m Scared (Live)
16 – Face The Day (Single Edit)
17 – Public Enemy
18 – Into The Heat
EXTRAS (vinly LP only:)
– Ivory Stairs (US Edition LP as Angel City)
– Straight-Jacket (US Edition LP as Angel City)

Doc Neeson – lead vocals
John Brewster – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Rick Brewster – lead guitar, piano, organ
Chris Bailey – bass guitar, backing vocals
Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup – drums

BUY IT !
www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/rock/dark-room-30th-anniversary-edition/275939/