Holy Danger

Item: One Way
Author: Daniel Baillod

One Way

(1986)

Reviewed by Daniel Baillod

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Label Dragon Slayer RecordsAdonai Metal Rock #4May 1991

heavy metal speed metal thrash metal

Translated from the original French

Originally from Oregon, HOLY DANGER is said to have formed in 1985 and to have had FM beginnings before veering some time afterwards into heavy thrash. Given the little information obtained, the band's history will be abridged and hypothetical...

But for now, let us put the cassette in the player, and press the "play" key, and listen to what this gang has in store for us...

"Rock For Your Maker" is presented in the setting of a pseudo-concert with: a presenter, the leader's count-in, whistles, boos, etc... Fairly successful. The track finally begins and the colours are announced. The vocalist is manifestly influenced by Udo Dirckneider (ex-ACCEPT), the guitarist gives us an excellent heavy garnished with a few riffs in the manner of "The Edge" (U2) as well as a bit of classical, then the bass/drums duo will play its role within the norms without departing from them. Chuck PEPPER, singer by trade (and Guy RITTER by his real name) will give us a few hollers with a "Delay" effect on his voice which will lend a little power; he will repeat this feat several times for our greatest pleasure. The track would have been a fine success if the last set had not been so ugly. Next comes "One Way", dazzling in its speed, as much rhythmic as lead guitar. The colour turns to speed and Pepper's singing confirms the influence cited above. The track is broken by a superb plaintive and melodic break, sung over an echo which will conclude in a long super-speed devastating solo from Harrington who takes flight in his whirlwind of notes (this guitarist really has the craft in his hands). The last two tracks on Side A: "Breakin'Out" and "Power Anthem" will be of lesser strength despite some efforts from Pepper and some short "classical guitar" style passages from Dee Harrington.

Turning the tape over, we begin Side B, which opens with a specially disquieting atmosphere in "Runaway" where Dee takes pleasure in spicing things up. Yet the track will take a turn similar to the last tracks of the previous side. "Don't Slaughter Your Daughter" has its ups and downs. Ups through the quality of Harrington's intro and of his solos and rhythm parts, which become technical, even complicated. Downs coming solely from Chuck who, in an almost spoken singing, has a frankly disagreeable voice. In "Stranger", the synthesiser's contribution will be discreet and will feature only on this track. The same remark applies to the voice on the previous song.

Acoustic guitar begins "Where Would I Be Without You" gently, before electrifying itself to 220 volts; Chuck Pepper adopts an odd high-pitched, nasal voice at low volume, not really among the most successful... Dee will raise the level with his playing, decidedly very good.

The conclusions. Despite a manifest talent for melodic creation, Pepper's vocal performances are not up to standard, a big lack of power and volume makes itself felt. Most of the tracks begin with fine intros, either on electric or on acoustic guitar, but the voice generally does not follow, hence the semi-failures of certain tracks. At the mixing level, Chuck is evidently pushed to the front with a few additives (delay, reverb and echo) to make up for his shortcoming. Dee Harrington, for his part, plays so to speak "dry", apart from an echo for certain calm moments... In third position comes the drum kit, which has had no particular sound apart from a little on "Rock For Your Maker" and "Breakin'Out", and finally the bass, which, not really having been called upon by the mixing, is extremely discreet.

Let us not forget that the demo is the road to a first album, hence perhaps a few negligences. An original peculiarity: the beginning and the end of each side is announced by a synthetic robot-style voice (!?).

To be listened to first and foremost: "Rock For Your Maker" and "One Way".

NB: Dee Harrington had left HOLY DANGER to join SAINT (see the review of "Too Late For Living", the third SAINT, in AMR). Moreover, TOURNIQUET is the new band founded by Guy RITTER, the former vocalist of HOLY DANGER.