Old CDs Reviewed Anew #4 - Chastain - For Those Who Dare

Chastain

For Those Who Dare

Tribunal Records / Divebomb Records - 2010

http://www.divebombrecords.com

The remastered and reissued 1990 Chastain album For Those Who Dare comes with an introductory essay and an interview with guitarist/mastermind David T. Chastain.

The standards are here, with the lyrics reflecting stances on social issues, lightning fast guitar riffs and the instantly memorable voice of Leather Leone. David T. Chastain wrote most of the songs on this album but Leone did write the lyrics for four of the songs.

The album opens with "The Mountain Whispers" and for the most part continues on a very intense heavy rocking sound all the way through. I did like the tempo changes in "Please Set Us Free" though. It opens with a menacing sound with a midtemp pace, rises to the pace of the other rockers on the album and then settles back into how the song began for the final verse.

The title track is fantastic, and the video they made for the song while standard fare did make its way into airplay back in the day. You can see it below.

Other than the title track, my favorite song on the disc had to be "Night of Anger". The song works perfectly lyrically and musically.

I liked the way the band covered the Heart song "Barracuda" in a very metallized way. Although, I think Leather did over sing in a couple of spots. The song "Secrets of the Damned" would've been better if the vocals hadn't been buried in the mix.

I didn't particularly care for how the vocals were delivered in "Not Much Breathing". The whole performance vocally just felt off to me for some reason.

The album closes out on a pretty good note with another hard charger, the song "Once Before".

The band was tight and powerful under the hand of Chastain who produced the album as well. Leather Leone left the band after this album and practically disappeared for a good 20 years, though thankfully she's starting to get back into the scene.

I love that the album got reissued, nothing can top bringing a band as good as Chastain was back into the spotlight. This album was decent (read the interview for what Chastain's problems with it were). I don't think you'll necessarily bring in a large new crowd of admirers but there is a lot to love here despite my own misgivings with some of the songs.

RATING: B MINUS

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