2024 edition by: R Ibanez
Part 2 of our ongoing glam metal/glam rock series further delves into some of the best and underrated glam metal albums in history, depending on how you view these recordings and the genre in general. Like it or not, they kick ass and stand as true classics or important documentations in time.
Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction
Tattoed Beat Messiah
Vertigo Records
[1988]
You might remember Zodiac Mindwarp from some long forgotten late Friday night/Saturday night/early Sunday morning, trashed and loaded on your couch watching MTV and getting the holy bejesus kicked out of you with that infamous “Prime Mover” music video. While not really glam but more of a hard rock band, they were Britain’s best kept secret, and were even handpicked as Mötley Crüe’s favorite band.
Most 80s glam metal bands tried to outdo each other on who’s the most debauched, the most flashy, or could pull the most chicks at shows, and all manner of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. Zodiac Mindwarp didn’t have to prove themselves or stake their claims in public and in the press. They were already Britain’s most notorious biker metal/glam metal/hard rock heavyweights by the time their killer sophomore album “Tattoed Beat Messiah” arrived. And arrived they did.
Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction was the work of one Mark Manning (main songwriter, frontman, vocalist, intergalactic biker outlaw, among others), a graphic artist for a number of UK heavy metal magazines. He took the first part of the name from an obscure comic book and the rest from his over-the-top crazed imagination and lifestyle. The band and the legend came out of the British underground blazing hellfire, leather, bikes, and pure sleaze, and the rest was history.
ZMATLR outflashed, outsleazed, and even outrocked most of their peers with this album. They were unapologetic and tongue-in-cheek at the same time, taking the piss, pissing you off, and pissing all over you with attitude. There were tales of excess, partying, womanizing, being a shameless sleazeball to get the women, and other various biker glam metal outlaw attitude and behavior. They were all set to 666 BPM revved up glam metal and hard rock with a snarl and smirk. It also only helped that this album had great production by Bill Drummond (notorious member of The KLF) and David Balfe which propelled their tunes and this album to legendary kvlt status.
For some strange reason, they were also good friends with pop rock/punk legend Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Gos and The Germs. They appeared with her on a European awards show miming to her hit single “Leave A Light On” along with Paul Raven of Ministry and Killing Joke on bass.
The fact that they were active from ’85 to 2022 meant something, their longevity and staying power were strong despite all the trends that have come and gone. No one died from ODs, they kept their extreme lifestyle away from the press, and made most of their loud dynamics focused on sleazy, nasty heavy metal/hard rock that no one can match.
Celtic Frost
Cold Lake
Noise Records
[1988]
We go to one of two unofficial “glam metal” releases from otherwise non-glam bands on our list who decided to ride the glam metal bandwagon (and coattails) by the late 80s. Celtic Frost, one of the pioneers of extreme metal, thrash, death, black and doom, for some reason dipped their toes into the whole glam metal sound by the time 1988 came through. But this was actually a technicality brought upon by several changes.
Celtic Frost ’88 was no longer the same band that recorded “Morbid Tales”, “To Megatherion”, and “Into the Pandemonium”. These well-recognized releases were some of the early influential death/thrash/black/doom/experimental/avant garde metal albums that helped shape extreme metal history.
The very lineup has changed significantly, featuring Warrior and his new recruits, new lead guitarist Oliver Amberg, new bassist Curt Victor Bryant, and Hellhammer alumni Stephen Priestly on drums. Warrior also had more collaboration with Amberg and Bryant, resulting in fresh, new material that initially turned off many hardcore Frost fans.
With powerhouse drummer Reed St. Mark and OG bassist Martin Ain out of the lineup, the Frost sound changed drastically. From the pioneering avant-garde “Into the Pandemonium” album that marked their heavy experimentation and infusion of industrial, classical, goth, and post-punk influences into their sound, Cold Lake arrived instead with many glam metal and 80s hard rock and heavy metal sounds.
Many fans expecting a return to the heavy and crushing Frost sound were left very disappointed in Cold Lake. It pissed off many people, including their fans and their record label.
In retrospect, Cold Lake was a good 80s heavy metal album. Many overlooked albums usually start with initial disappointment, due in part to HIGH expectations and aversion to change. Another thing is the lineup change, with the exit of key members that contributed a lot to the overall sound. This was the case with Frost, even if Warrior was the main songwriter. It was like Blizzard Of Ozz-era Ozzy with more hairspray and makeup and some nasty 80s heavy metal and glam and about 10 to 15% Frost.
Cold Lake featured a hybrid sound of the heaviest 80s glam metal filtered through Frost’s grim sounds. There were wild shred/divebomb/pinch harmonics/glam metal scalar runs, a huge, booming 80s-production rhythm section, and the Frost guitar sound ran through 80s antiseptic treatment to attract glam metallers like moths to chemical neon lights. Michelle Villanueva’s sultry vocals, most prominently on “Cherry Orchards” added an extra glammy touch to the proceedings.
Despite initial disgust, many have revisited this album and found it a decent metal record, just leave those heavy and extreme expectations out the door. However, many still regard it with hate and/or indifference. It seemed like metal betrayal when the pioneers of extreme metal does an about face towards the land of flamboyant glam metal, a sell-out move that estranged them from their fanbase. The band would recover later on, but this album exists as a weird phase and period for Warrior, and many people including him, have learned to live with it. However, it remains un-reissued to this day.
Discharge
Grave New World
Clay Records
[1986]
Many of the readers of this zine are more or less familiar with Discharge THE progenitors of dbeat/crust/punk/hardcore, and not Discharge the glam metal band. But this album exists and many, including the band, chose to forget it later on and deleted it from their core memory.
Branded as sell-outs, traitors, and wusses by the hardcore and metal scene when the record came and tour (!) followed, it had the makings of a disaster. It destroyed the band which of course led to their first breakup. It was some sort of a joke and prank that came true and got serious for some reason.
Cal Morris’ over the top glam metal wailing and super falsetto singing and some (otherwise) competent shred/divebomb metal playing of one Stephen “Fish” Brookes (who used to play in the early version of The Jam, yes that one) with OG alumni rhythm section Garry Maloney and Rainy Wainright on drums and bass respectively was a weird, over-the-top, and super ridiculous collection of glam metal/heavy metal, with traces of prog in some parts. Rainy left after the recording in frustration. Nick Bushell replaced him for the (disastrous) USA tour.
Cal’s vocals in particular were the sore thumb #1 that instantly stood out and caught you by surprise. He more or less steered the band towards the glam metal direction. Any self respecting punk and metal Discharge fans were left with a huge WTF?! upon hearing the first minute of the album. WTF was going on??
Upon closer inspection and listening, and without ever thinking about their original sound, and the fact that they were Discharge, “Grave New World” was actually a pretty decent glam and heavy metal record complete with a 180 degree turn in lyrical approach. In place of anti-war and political anger was peace and love, and a little bit of emotional soul-searching. There wasn’t even a hint of misogyny, debauchery, or glam metal cliches involved. If this record came out under a different name, it would have probably been a different story.
The fact that they toured this album with hardcore and punk bands in the USA without warning, meant they had bigger balls than anyone in punk during this time. That was punk as F and very brave, especially in the 80s. Of course, they were met with heckling, violence, garbage thrown at them, and general disgust and detestation. Discharge tried to carry on wounded legs and public embarrassment, but soon, they folded for the first time. Like Celtic Frost, they recovered well in the 90s and beyond, but with this one weird, total mindF album that they had to live with.
Alice N’ Chains
Demo 1 and Demo 2
[1987]
No, this ain’t a typo, and definitely not Alice in Chains the grunge band that readers of this zine are fans of (including yours truly), at least in sound. These were the long-lost legendary demos that traced the origins of their singer Layne Staley and his early and interesting development into one of the most prominent Seattle rock singers.
These demos feature vocalist Layne Staley as we all know, or not, who was in an early version of this Seattle band that was glam metal. They were previously known as Sleze (sic), another Seattle glam metal band that rocked many local Seattle rock clubs during 1984 to 1987.
The story goes that Layne’s half-brother recommended him to the members of Sleze as he knew 17-year old Layne wanted to be a singer/frontman despite being a drummer. He was asked to audition despite also being too shy to sing right upfront. But as soon as he started belting out his powerful vocals to the band, they knew he was their singer then and there.
Sleze folded in ’87. The other members continued on using a new name, Alice N’Chains. Originally it was Alice In Chains, but Layne’s mom thought it was too offensive and pertained too much to bondage and BDSM, hence the slight alteration.
The early demos of Sleze and Alice N’Chains are available on YouTube for those interested in investigating the glam and hard rock roots of Staley. The typical girls and rock n’ roll lifestyle were still prevalent in his lyrics, a far cry from the tortured existence that were later to adorn their major label classics.
Alice N’Chains mixed hard rock with some funk, particularly on some songs like “Lip Lock Rock” on demo 1 and “Sealed with a Kiss” demo 2. There were rough rock n’ roll tunes that mixed emotional singing with high pitched wailing crescendos such as on “Over The Edge” or the heavy garage glam of “Don’t Be Satisfied”, with decent lead solos and tight and tasty playing. Many might question the inclusion of the old AiC here, but most of it is in appreciation for the later grunge AiC’s actual roots and Staley’s development as a diamond in the rough discovery that already had the makings of a powerful Seattle singer.
The young Staley’s vocal approach was very different during his teenage years, with high pitched falsettos and wailing vocals perfectly fitting right in with their early garage/glam combination sound. It was devoid of the heavier unmistakable style he started doing when he formed a completely new band that reused and altered the name into the actual original name, Alice In Chains.
Pantera
Projects In The Jungle
Metal Magic
[1984]
Our last entry for this issue is none other than some kickass glam-era Pantera. This is no rag-on against the band. Before Phil Anselmo took the young band to a heavier direction and 90s metal superstardom, Pantera was a competent 80s glam metal band of teenagers who were already big in the Texas hard rock circuit.
Despite all the commentary of purists and elitists, glam-era Pantera was great. Even in their teens, Darell was already a local guitar hero and shred master, and Vinnie Paul and Rex Brown were already one of the best and tightest rhythm sections around.
“Projects in the Jungle” was a great long-lost slab of prime 80s glam and heavy metal with a huge Texas attitude and great riffs with a touch of Priest and a growing interest in southern rock but not yet in dominant doses. For a bunch of teenagers, they were already far and ahead musically, surpassing most of their older peers. Darrell’s incendiary playing in particular was a highlight of many of these early Pantera albums, and they were awesome and unmatched even to this day.
Frontman Terry Glaze originally was their second guitarist, and soon moved to lead vocals, while still contributing guitar riffs. He characterized the early era with super high range vocals and falsettos, fitting for their early sound. They also had good, sharp production with Vinnie and Darell’s dad and manager, Jerry Abott, a country legend and top producer in his own right in Texas. All these elements played a crucial role in making their sophomore outing a standout 80s metal classic.
Right from the start, Pantera worked harder than most of the metal bands, by doing their own tours and marketing themselves DIY-style. This was something that carried over after Phil Anselmo arrived, which helped catapult the band into the big arenas and major label success. They toured in vans, appeared in local record stores, and marketed and promoted the band tirelessly on their own, and this would pay off in huge dividends as each album came out.
Projects was a killer album and a cool blend of early glam metal along with classic heavy metal riffing and the early influences of thrash and speed metal creeping in. Sure the vocals were more in the vein of Whitesnake meets Van Halen, but their tunes were killer nonetheless.
They were also huge fans of Metallica, eventually meeting the thrash superstars in ’85 and becoming friends after having meeting and hanging out with them. This added heavier influences into their sound later on, along with Slayer (also their good friends) by the time the legendary transition album, “Power Metal” got released in 1988.
Towards Harmonious Civilization Zine 
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