Hellanbach - The Big H: The Hellanbach Anthology

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Metal maniacs, rejoice! I’m proud to present to you: HELLANBACH; signed via Sanctuary Records, hailing from England - performing Heavy Metal, on their compilation set entitled: “The Big H: The Hellanbach Anthology” (released in 2002).

Since formation in 1979; the quintet in question have an EP, a Split and 2 full-length albums behind them. I’m introduced to their compilation set entitled: “The Big H: The Hellanbach Anthology”. 26 tracks on 2 discs, ranging at around 51:39 for disc 1, and 41:52 on disc 2. With HELLANBACH split up, it’s about time to go back to the past and digest some old school Heavy Metal treats. Starting off with “Out To Get You”; I immediately notice the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) element, which arranges an intricately designed development of heavy-hitting songwriting originalities. The sound production is fairly concrete, and delivers a solid slab of unique attributions which flair with adroit proficiencies so far.

“Lights To The World” consists of consistent; rhythmic nimbleness that showcases psychedelic 70s characteristics, amalgamated with early 80s heaviness. “Let’s Get This Show On The Road” balances with distinguished songwriting complexity as Jimmy Brash on vocals constructively excels with clean, high-pitched singing juxtaposed with some epic screams here and there. “Nobody’s Fool” has an organic substance of fluid instrumentation and musicianship expertise; that while it may not seem like much nowadays, it still represents a tangible display of impact on the prominent skill at hand. Dave Patton on guitar flairs with dominant dexterity as he efficiently provides a rapidly groovy manifestation of motivating riffs, especially in “All The Way”.

“All Systems Go (Full Scale Emergency)” coordinates more enjoyable traits of bouncy mechanics and thumpy sound production diligence from powerhouse bassist Kevin Charlten; who can nicely be heard throughout the record, creating a grandiose of blisteringly galloping methods. Songs like “Dancin’” are a little generic, but still manage to keep a captivating grip on me. “Time Are Getting Harder” supplies noteworthy orchestrations from pulverizer Steve Walker, distributing meaty hooks and metrical salubriousness. “Look At Me” systematically provides dynamic craftsmanship, shining with spirited efficaciousness and meticulous detail - a lot of melodic and symphonic kinda stuff in this portion.

“Maybe Tomorrow” has a simplistic design to it, reminiscing early IRON MAIDEN - still having the ability to keep me tapping my feet. While “Motivated By Desire” up scales the contrast with more elegant composing that while the borderline foundation is uncomplicated in structure, it still flows with a quirky pattern that flows with groovy invigorations. “Taken By Surprise” implemented a kind of jazzy punchline to it, which infused crunchy yet progressive technicalities with exquisite compositions. Overall concluding disc 1 with “Kick It Out”; I was in the end quite surprised with this discovery, it didn’t exceed expectations – but you can guarantee to get a fix on some authentic yet creative evolutions. Now, onto disc 2.

Disc 2 establishes similar measurements; “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat” had me baffled quite honestly, as for a song title it sounded like child’s play on the lyricism department - still a fairly entertaining track, in its own way though. “Beaten To The Bone” relished with relentless vehemence that changed the tempo and pace extravagantly, admirably compiling a diverse variety in musical complexion. “The Main Man” has more variegated differentiations, fabricating persistent ramifications that are still pleasantly welcome. “Little Darlin’” shined with radio-friendly subtlety, still maintaining that exciting sense of weighted precision. “Bandit’s Run” had slight savageness built in, which brings back the jumpy executions comically.

“S.P.G.C.” has previous similarity to the last track; while “Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting” is a remarkable, punky rock cover of the ELTON JOHN song. “Panic State O.D.” brought back the sinister hostility again with ambitious results, yet again diminishing the scale with the light-hearted “Daddy Dig Those Cats”. “When All Is Said And Done” has versatile uniqueness, until “Urban Paranoia” concludes the disc with primitive excellence. Bottom line, HELLANBACH divulged in the NWOBHM campaign and helped revolutionize the growth of the genre by a large margin. The silver lining is that this compilation is a lesson on educating yourself on some classic roots of musical clarity - check it out.

Songwriting: 7
Memorability: 7
Originality: 7
Sound Production: 8