Blade Runner – Hunted (Reissue)

Blade Runner

Hunted (Reissue)

by John Paul Romero at 05 January 2020, 9:40 PM

Back when the NWOBHM revolution was just on the rise, the scene was flooded by an endless sea of equally competitive bands seeking glory in music. Unfortunately for them, very few made it to the halls of victory and left a mark in history forever… And the rest were almost if not completely forgotten. One of the forgotten bands were the London pioneers BLADE RUNNER. You might be familiar with the name, but that’s because they got it from the 1982 blockbuster sci-fi film that is still widely popular and recognized today.

The actual length of their career was a bit unclear, but what’s certain is that they have only released 2 full length records from 1984 till 1986. Last year, they issued a remastered edition their debut “Hunted” in CD format for the first time which comes with a 12-page booklet that features interviews and rare photographs of the band. Considering its rarity and undeniable high quality, this album can easily be considered as a hidden treasure in the realms of Heavy Metal. The good thing about this reissue is that there is not so much modification in the sound that it still sounds classic and old but did just enough to make the guitar sound more crisp and clear. It’s fun to hear their classics “Too Far, Too Late” and “Dogs of War” in this day in age for the first time in CD. Hearing Mark Wilde and Gary Jones exchange shreds really gives so much nostalgia. Another fun thing is that this issue is limited to a very small amount of 500 copies worldwide – making it a must-have for NWOBHM lovers and/or collectors.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 9
Memorability: 8
Production: 7