AVENGER (UK)
“BLOOD SPORTS”
(re issue)
Album Review by Piers Renfree

6/10

1982 was a big year for metal – Judas Priest released “Screaming For Vengeance”, Iron Maiden released their career defining “The Number Of The Beast” and in Newcastle, from the ashes of Blitzkrieg, Avenger was formed. In 1984 the band, consisting of vocalist Ian Swift, bassist Mick Moore, drummer Gary Young and lead guitarist Les Cheetham, released their debut LP “Blood Sports” on Neat Records.

In 2002, it was re-released by Sanctuary Records along with the rest of their discography and also a compilation album “Too Young To Tame”. This re-issue of their debut album has been remastered by Bart Gabriel for Dissonance Productions.

The album opens with a thrashy riff and drums for the fast paced “Enforcer”. The vocals are clean – sounding like a mix of Biff Byford of Saxon and Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran. The song has a bit jumpy and echo-y lead into the solo. “You’ll Never Take Me (Alive)” quickly follows, the mid-fast paced intro leads us into another fast paced song. A fast paced intro leads us into the third song “Matriarch”, which is a cover of the Montrose song. It has a fast, yet disjointed riff and slower yet disjointed drums for the verse, things pick up and then we’re back to the disjointed riff and drums for the second verse. The guitar solo here is quite good and the song grows as it goes on.

The pace slows for “Warfare”, the fourth song. It’s a ballady type song and has a melodic solo, but the vocals aren’t quite suiting this one. “On The Rocks” is the fifth song and is a fast paced rocker. Drums introduce the sixth song “Rough Ride”. Bass joins in and the song has a nice, driving riff. Seventh Song “Victims Of Force” is mid-slow paced, but picks up for the middle instrumental section. “Death Race 2000” has a fast paced opening, the pace picks up, but the main riff is disjointed and the drums follow the same pattern. Ninth song “N.O.T.J.” is the final song from the original album. It has a fast-mid paced intro, drops to drums and bass guitar for the vocals in the verses and the solo is top quality.

First track of the bonus material is the band’s jingle that they did for “Hot ‘N’ Heavy” radio show. It’s very raw sounding, fast paced drums and then guitar joins in and as a show jingle/intro, it’s over very quickly. “Enforcer – Demo” is the second of the bonus material and is just a rawer version of the album track.  Final song of the bonus material is the demo of a song called “Love’s Too Late”. It has a slow guitar intro which leads into a mid-paced rocker. The vocals here aren’t so great, although it is a demo, to be fair.

Overall it’s not a bad album. The band’s musical talent is obvious, but it definitley sounds like a group of people finding their feet and in places the songs and thus the album, suffer for it The bonus songs are a nice curiosity for people who like that, but don’t add anything to the album itself.

TRACKLIST

Enforcer
You’ll Never Take Me (Alive)
Matriarch (Montrose cover)
Warfare
On The Rocks
Rough Ride
Victims Of Force
Death Race 2000
N.O.T.J.
Hot ‘n’ Heavy Express (radio jingle 1982)
Enforcer (demo 1983)
Love’s Too Late (demo 1982)

http://www.avenger-uk.com/
https://www.facebook.com/avengerukofficial/

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