Salem
In the Beginning...
Rating
Style: NWOBHM
Release date: July 25th 2010
 

Salem? Wait, is this the Israeli Salem, the brilliant extreme metal I reviewed a couple of months ago and made the album of the month?

Ehm, no, it certainly isn't. This is an entirely different ball game.

This band, ladies and gents, was there when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal started. The band rose out of the ashes of the band Ethel The Frog that appeared on the famous Metal for Muthas combilation where Iron Maiden was also found.

The present release is a collection of demo recordings of mixed standard and shouldn't be purchased for its hi-fi value.

Personally, I find it hard to get into the album. The quality of the music is high, but for me this is a case of 'you should have been there'. And I wasn't. I loved Iron Maiden and never really got into any of the other NWOBHM bands because I was soon onto harder pastures. I bow my head and admit that I never even heard of Salem.

'In the Beginning...' is in my view a piece of documentation of an outdated sound and a by-gone time and as such it is a true titbit for those of you who wallow in the history of NWOBHM and Heavy Metal.
For me it's just nice and nothing more, really.


Tracklist

01. The Keeper of the Keys: Introduction (0:48)
02. Hangmans Noose (2:51)
03. Cold as Steel (4:32)
04. Fool's Gold (5:58)
05. Coming for You (3:23)
06. Make the Grade (5:12)
07. The Keeper of the Keys trilogy:
(16:35)
 Part I - The Keeper
 Part II - The Revenge
 Part III - The King
08. Reach For Eternity (3:20)
09. Make the Grade (5:06)
10. Save the Night (3:49)
11. Rock Fever (4:08)
12. Fool's Gold (4:18)
13. Cold as Steel (4:49)
14. Coming for You (4:15)
15. Other Side of Hell (5:35)
16. Fighting for the Cause (4:45)
17. Run for your Life (4:51)

Label: Pure Steel Records
Promotion: Pure Steel Records
Artwork rating: 50/100
Reviewed by: Thomas Nielsen
Date: August 3rd 2010
Website: www.salemband.co.uk