Lost/Forgotten Album #219

This week's pick was a bit difficult since it is Halloween week and I needed something with that Halloween theme.

"Horror Show" from Iced Earth would have been a perfect pick, but that was already featured a couple years ago and I don't believe in repeats. What about the OST for "Trick Or Treat" by Fastway? Well, it was pulled but then I remembered that Fastway was featured a month or so ago, so that one was out as well. There's another reason why that album was declined, but I refuse to mention why.

How about some early Opeth? That too was pulled, but then I remembered how much people would bitch and whine about the vocals. "My Arms, Your Hearse" was evil enough, but I'm not in the mood to listen to a bunch of whiny babies (you know who you are).

Evil was ditched. I just needed to find something that had just a LITTLE something to do with Halloween, and that's why this week's L/F pick is "Superheroes", the 2001 release from Racer X. The title has a Halloween feel as do some of the song titles.

What's even better is that there was a cry for help on the latest AOTW. Some poor sod was getting burnt out on a certain vocal-type but, thankfully, I am here yet again to save the day.

And now, a mini bio of the band courtesy of allmusic.com:

"This Los Angeles band earned a reputation for melodic, technical, incredibly high-speed rock. Their original lineup featured Paul Gilbert (guitar), Jeff Martin (vocals), John Alderete (bass), and Harry Gschoesser (drums). Scott Travis replaced Gschoesser in 1986, when Bruce Bouillet was added as a second guitarist, beginning a period considered to be the band's best. Gilbert left in 1988 to join Mr. Big, and the band broke up soon afterwards, with Bouillet pursuing a solo career. Martin later joined Badlands as a drummer."

(NOTE: 100% collusion free! All facts are from jonsmindopedia, unless otherwise noted.)

Of course you need the album review, again courtesy of allmusic.com:

"From the outside, Superheroes seems to be a rather bizarre concept, as the band's members are all dressed to the nines in strange outfits and get accompanying odd nicknames; bassist John Aldrete is known as "The X-Tinguisher" and wears a red getup replete with several fire extinguishers. Apparently, the influential instrumentalists have watched one too many episodes of The Tick. Put the disc in the player and it's more along the lines you would expect from this virtuoso vehicle: a whole lot of shredding guitar solos courtesy of Paul Gilbert, intense drumming from Scott Travis (who rejoins the band during breaks from Judas Priest duties), and Jeff Martin's distinctive shriek. That said, there are some deviations from the norm this time out. Racer X's version of "Godzilla" is a Technicolor comeuppance of flash, truly making it their own; "Mad at the World" and the innuendo-laden "That Hormone Thing" border on hair metal commercialism, and "Evil Joe" is a sample- and quirk-laden rap-metal number. Still, you get the sense that Racer X will be relegated once again to preaching to the converted like most of the Guitar Institute set does."

So there you go. My Halloween album of 2014 plus it's the second time Racer X has been featured as an L/F album (for those counting). The first time was way back in January 2013 so enough time has passed. Deal with it.

Did you know one of the songs on this album was featured elsewhere on this site at another time so very long ago? Did you?

Superheroes

1. Superheroes
2. Let The Spirit Fly
3. Godzilla
4. Dead Man's Shoes
5. King Of The Monsters
6. Mad At The World
7. Evil Joe
8. That Hormone Thing
9. Viking Kong
10. Time Before The Sun