Search - Bang :: Bang

Where were you in '72?

MarkM3 | Houston, TX | 03/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have mellowed considerably but I once preferred hard rock and heavy metal to any other music form. If you listened to (and still appreciate) Mountain, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Led Zep, Black Sabbath, BTO or early Rush I expect you will find this disc a worthwhile purchase. It is as strong as the first Boston album for delivering a full disc with no throw-aways.



The Bang album holds it own against any hard rock album, any time, anywhere. Of the 8 tunes 5 should have been in heavy rotation, of the other 3, only one is ballad-y and only one has dated lyrics. This is what sets Bang apart from so many albums of the time: the lyrics of Tony Diorio. (I misunderstood much of them until recently, visit their website to download lyrics.) Frankie Gilcken & Frank Ferrara are quite a musical force and there is no lack of monster rhythm tone and excellent lead breaks. Frank isn't allowed to do much singing on this disc, but he screams as well as anyone named Ian, Geddy or Ozzy.



I also recommend the other two discs originally released by Capitol: Mother in '72 & Music in '73, but for slightly different reasons. On those discs Bang is moving away from the no-prisoners-taken approach of the Bang disc, but there are examples of excellent hard rock and highly entertaining pop rock. I like discovering new music and there are gems on those albums.

"

WOW

A. J. Mathison | Lynnwood, WA. USA | 12/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unbelievable. I've searched for these Heavy Metal Poets on CD for years. I still have their first two vinyl albums and have played them to death. Way ahead of their time and obscure to the max. They're not thrashing all over the place, but they sing and play heavy metal ballads, and you can actually understand the words. Very, Very heavy. A cross between old Black Sabbath (with Ozzy) and Led Zep. I highly recommend these Heavy Metal thudding rockers who never got the attention they deserved. This first album is their best. A+++"

The feel

Gary B. Gray | Bristol, Va. | 11/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The best way I can describe Bang's affect on me is this: imagine you've just discovered distortion, the fuzz box and volume. You've figured out some power chords and how to make the sound aggressive and meaningful. You're bursting with angst and have discovered a way to express it. So you take it one step further. This is that step. I still have this LP wrapped in whatever it is that I used to keep it. That was more than 35 years ago. I'm the type that doesn't give up on what I like. The wicked riffs, mayhem, darkness and solid, power tromping here has aged well, meaning the feeling behind the sound is as valid today as it was then. I cherish this type of garage-ish early metal. It hits with conviction and sincerity. A keeper, for damn sure. You'll know it when you hear it played the way it was meant to be played -- loud."