THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO...DESOLATION ANGELS – Hounds Of Hell (independent release)

One of the great unsung bands of the NWOBHM, and one of the hardest working too, Desolation Angels were originally formed in 1981 by guitarists Robin Brancher and Keith Sharp. A well-received single ‘Valhalla’ and self-titled album earned them considerable respect, and even as traditional metal gave way to thrash, and thrash to grunge, the band continued to struggle against a rising tide of apathy until bowing to the inevitable in the early Nineties. At least they’d made a stand though and in doing so had created both a name for themselves and a legacy which became the catalyst for the band’s reformation in the Noughties.

Over the years, musicians have come and gone, and ‘Hounds Of Hell’ makes for a very interesting stopgap release. With modern audiences seeing and hearing a very different band to the one that recorded some of the Angels’ classics back in the day the current line-up – vocalist Paul Taylor, the aforementioned Keith Sharp and Richie Yates on guitar, Clive Pearson on bass and Chris Takka behind the drum kit – have re-recorded a clutch of songs to bring them up-to-date. Does it work? Of course it does. A good song will always stand the test of time, and modern studio technology gives the reworked material a punchy, contemporary sound, none more so than in the title track. Over fifty minutes the band serve up nine cuts (Desolation Angels were always more about allowing their songs to unveil their secrets slowly rather than belting out wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am three minute workouts) with ‘Dance Of The Demons’, ‘Valhalla’, ‘Evil Possession’ and ‘Spirit Of The Deep’ originally appearing on that acclaimed self-titled debut, ‘Chainsaw’, ‘When A World Dies’ and ‘Fury’ coming off 1987’s ‘Fury’ EP and ‘God’s Departure’ and ‘Hounds Of Hell’ drawn from the ‘Feels Like Thunder’ box set.

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CD insert shot - no credit available

The songs have lost none of their energy over the years, the re-recordings are fresh and forceful, and the sequencing is spot-on, making the album sound more like a bona fide release rather than a compilation. This is one of those albums you simply can’t stop playing. Crank it up and keep it on repeat until the neighbours start banging on the walls...