Graceful Degradation

Before Motley Crue there was ... Wrathchild.  Okay, so they didn't have the same level of success as Vince, Nikki, Tommy and Mick, but they were one of the early bands of 80s glam metal as opposed to the glam rock of the 70s.  Formed in Evesham in 1980, they only put out four albums (contractual problems in the mid-80s didn't help matters) then split in 1990 when singer Rocky Shades went punk with Discharge.

I first caught the guys when they were playing as Psychowrath.  Marc Angel, Phil 'Wrathchild' Vokins and Eddie Star had recruited Gaz 'Psychowrath' Harris to handle the vocals, and they are terrific live.  It wasn't until 2009 that they acquired the trademark for the name and reverted to Wrathchild, and now we finally have a new album.

Most of these tracks I've heard live and love.  Trikk or Treat is one that stuck in my head the very first time I heard it and is probably my favourite from the live set.  By default it's therefore one of my favourites from this album too.  Nice 'N' Eazy, White Hot Fever, I Luv the Nite and opener Goin' Down are also high on the list for me, and it's great to hear Wrathchild going at it with all the energy and enthusiasm they give to their live performances. 

The production is a bit on the raw side, and I'm not sure of the wisdom of closing with ballad Psychophantic Suicide because it ends the album on bit of a downer.  That said, Stakkattakktwo is classic 80s style glam/sleaze, and on that score it's all about the party.

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