ACID – Engine Beast [remastered reissue 2015]

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Cherry Red Records and their specialized reissue label Hear No Evil are resurrecting really lovely bands, and now it’s the time for the remastering of ACID three albums. Some kind of an underground metal classic, their 3rd and last record “Engine Beast” always has been a personal favorite.

Probably every town has some awesome band the rest of the world will never see. These days, thanks to the Internet it’s easier for, let’s say, some Oklahoma indie band to reach listeners in Japan, but back in 1980, forget it.
Victims, perhaps, of the glut of metal bands from all over Europe and the UK, ACID fell through the cracks. There wasn’t a huge metal scene in their native Belgium when they formed, and little in the way of avenues out of the country.
So they formed their own record label, Giant, and between 1980 and 1985, when they broke up, released three solid albums.

The three albums, ‘Acid’, ‘Maniac’, and this “Engine Beast” are united by themes of sex, cars, metal… and Satan. Their musical style was firmly rooted in the NWOBHM, with some speed & hard ‘n heavy.
But Acid had something special: Kate De Lombaert for a vocalist. De Lombaert had an amazing voice and she sang in English with her Belgium accent. This gave Acid’s dark material an unexpected pop edge, which enhances every track.
And this is specially notorious on this “Engine Beast”: while the to previous records were all uptempo and really heavy, this one adds much more melody according to the era (mid-Eighties) and certain hard rock groove.

I still remember my teen years listening alot of AOR bands (my favorite genre) but also I got a metal heart, and ACID was one of those ‘rebel’ acts to me, specially this “Engine Beast”.
You know, this band toured with all major names from the ’80s heavy metal wave, but they never lose their ‘underground, street metal feel’. And there’s where resides Acid’s appeal.
Cherry Red Records and HNE Recordings deserve a round of drinks for rescuing these three underground gems from the dustbin of history. Fans of classic metal will definitely want to add these remastered reissues to their library.
Very Recommended.

01 – S.T.C
02 – Lost In Hell
03 – Halloween Queen
04 – Big Ben
05 – Lady Death
06 – Warriors Of The Dark
07 – Let Me Die
08 – She Loves You
09 – Engine Beast
10 – Satan’s Delivery
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Heaven’s Devils
12 – Power
13 – Hooked On Metal
14 – Hell On Wheels

Kate De Lombaert – vocals
Dirk Dizzy Lizzy’ Simoens – guitars
Donald ‘Demon’ Deevers – guitars
Peter ‘T-Bone’ Decock – bass
Geert ‘Anvill’ Riquierl – drums

BUY IT !
shop.cherryred.co.uk/cherryred-exd.asp?id=5125
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