Year : 1996 (No Remorse Records Edition 2025)
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 105 mb
Bio:
Paul Andrews (born 17 May 1958)better known as Paul Di'Anno, is an English singer best known as the first vocalist to record with heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from 1978 to 1981.In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno has issued numerous albums over the years, as both a solo artist and as a member of such bands as Gogmagog, Di'Anno's Battlezone, Praying Mantis, Killers and Rockfellas.After the breakup of his self-titled band, Di'Anno formed Strike with DeeRal (guitar) who recruited drummer Bob Falck (who had used the name Sid Falck while playing drums in Overkill) and the Hurley brothers John (2nd guitar) and Chaz (bass). The project was eventually named Battlezone, after a name straight from a comic book,upon the vocalist's return to Britain in 1985.Paul had previously known guitarists John Wiggins and John Hurley from bands such as Deep Machine and Iron Cross.The band's initial line-up comprised Di'Anno, guitarists John Wiggins & John Hurley, bassist Laurence Kessler and Adam Parsons on drums. The latter had gone under the stage name A.D. Dynamite whilst in Aunt May. However, Parsons left shortly after to replace Vince Hoare in the London-based glam band Belladonna (formed by former Hell's Belles vocalist Paul Quigley, with Paul Lewis, Jeff Fox and Neil Criss)and Falck reappeared on the scene in time to record the band's first album written by Di'Anno & DeeRal Fighting Back. 1986 also saw the enrollment of former Lonewolf and Tokyo Blade guitarist John Wiggins.Battlezone performed a club tour of America in 1987 to promote the début Fighting Back, but musical differences, arguments and physical fights within the band led to the departure of John Hurley and Bob Falck after the first tour. According to Di'Anno's book The Beast, Hurley had become an "egomaniac" and the drummer Falck a "liability", so they were thrown out the band. Their places were taken by ex-Persian Risk members Graham Bath and Steve Hopgood respectively, following the tour's completion.The second album to be released was entitled Children of Madness and achieved considerable commercial success. It featured a track entitled "Metal Tears", which is about a guy who was unable to have a steady relationship and built a female robot who he subsequently fell in love with. The original idea came from a book titled "Clone".However, the track received criticism from the media for being very similar to a track (entitled "London") on Queensrÿche's Rage for Order lbum.Guitarist Graham Bath, who had been recruited to play second guitar, wasn't enthusiastic about touring, so he was fired from the band. Peter West, the bassist, recommended a replacement Alf Batz, who joined just in time to go to New York for the video shoot."The video for "I Don't Wanna Know" was played in rotation on MTV in the US.Drugs and infighting again put a strain on the band. Towards the end of the final tour, most members had quit leaving Di'Anno to complete the tour with a backing band in order to fulfil his contract.Subsequently, American guitarist Randy Scott, along with Dave Harman on guitar and Eddie Davidson on bass, signed up with Battlezone. However, the band were without proper management and disbanded shortly after.Following the breakup of Battlezone, Di'Anno and Hopgood formed the power metal band Killers releasing four albums. Hurley would later form glam rock band L.O. Girls and release the "Twelve Bore Honeymoon" single in 1990 and "Just Can't Say I Love You" in 1993. During 1990, Di'Anno fronted Praying Mantis for a tour of Japan, which was recorded for the subsequent Live at Last album release with ex-Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton. Wiggins joined a reformed Tokyo Blade in 1995.By 1998, Di'Anno had resurrected the name Battlezone. Joining him were Wiggins and fellow ex-Tokyo Blade members bassist Colin Riggs and drummer Marc Angel. Second guitars were supplied by the Brazilian Paulo Turin. This line-up cut the album Feel My Pain, released by the fledgling "Zoom Club" label. Working titles for the album included "Spoon Face" and "Smack", both containing references to heroin use. The album had a heavier edge compared to the first two Battlezone albums. The band undertook a sold-out Brazilian tour in January 1998, with erstwhile Killers colleagues bassist Gavin Cooper and guitarist Nick Burr joining on this South American tour.The band toured Brazil in the same year playing a three-week tour to sold-out audiences up to 6000 fans a night. Being brought back down to earth, Battlezone upon their return home put on a gig at the Walthamstow Royal Standard with an audience of only a hundred or so and a gig at JB's Dudley in the West Midlands attracting fewer than a dozen fans. A live track from the Walthamstow gig later appeared on a compilation of all three Battlezone albums, entitled Cessation of Hostilities. Ex-Battlezone bassist Gavin Cooper joined Lionsheart in December 2004, then moved onto Statetrooper in May 2005. The bassist subsequently joined the ranks of Magnum singer Bob Catley's solo band for UK dates in April 2006.In mid-2008, a Battlezone compilation entitled The Fight Goes On was released as on the Phantom Sound & Vision label as a 3-CD box set featuring all 3 Battlezone studio albums.
Dennis Stratton - Born in Canning Town, London, Dennis Stratton early in life was a promising schoolboy footballer, who was briefly on the books at West Ham United until at the age of 16 he took up playing guitar. A keen fan of the East End music scene, his first serious band was performing with Harvest, who later became Wedgewood. After two years he then formed the locally popular Remus Down Boulevard. "R.D.B." playing to large crowds, touring in support with Rory Gallagher and Status Quo and recording a "live at the Marquee" album with music producer Jonathan King.Stratton was invited to join Iron Maiden as a second lead guitarist and backing vocalist by Steve Harris after he had seen Stratton playing with Remus Down Boulevard in 1979. He left Iron Maiden in October 1980, being replaced by Adrian Smith One of Stratton's earliest filmed appearances with Iron Maiden was in a concert at London's Marquee Club in October 1979. Dennis Stratton participated in the recording and production of the group's first album, Iron Maiden in December 1979. He has also appeared in the home video recording Live At The Ruskin in early 1980 (released in 2004 as part of The Early Days DVD set), Iron Maiden's first video "Women in Uniform," the Women in Uniform single, some subsequent single releases, as well as in the band's first appearance on British TV ("Running Free" performed live on Top of the Pops) and the Live!! +one album. Some concert bootlegs exist including a memorable performance at the 1980 Reading Festival. Stratton was also a member of Iron Maiden during their 1980 European tour, supporting KISS. Dennis Stratton left Iron Maiden in October 1980.Accounts of the reason for Stratton' departure vary; Stratton has mentioned that he left due to conflicts with manager Rod Smallwood and Steve Harris. Both Smallwood and Harris said they rated him as a singer and guitarist. Officially the band stated "musical differences" being the reason for his leaving Stratton was replaced by Adrian Smith.Since the recording of the band's first album, Stratton has been the only member of Iron Maiden not to have contributed to the writing of any recorded material.After his departure from Iron Maiden, Stratton played with bands such as Lionheart and, after a NWOBHM tour with them in 1990 joined Praying Mantis, staying to record nine studio albums and two live ones. Stratton officially left Praying Mantis in 2006, although his final recorded material with them was in 2003.Stratton can still be seen playing in pubs around the East London area and also in Essex. Stratton also performs in a reformed Remus Down Boulevard and often tours Europe with "Dennis Stratton Iron Maiden" and various bands playing classic-era Iron Maiden songs.Stratton is also endorsed by Caparison Guitars, from his days with Praying Mantis. Live, he uses a Marshall Twin Valvestate combo and a Boss effects/control unit.
Album:
Reputed reissue label No Remorse Records is releasing PAUL Di’ANNO & DENNIS STRATTON album ”The Original Iron Men II”, fully remastered and featured in exclusive here.Originally released in the mid-90s, there were two volumes, the first released 1995, and this one 1996. While the cover art looks pretty ridiculous (but fun!) the music packed inside is a great mix of melodic metal, hard rock, and edgy AOR.This project brought a unique approach to hard rock / metal brings puting together the two former members of Iron Maiden, and also featured the presence of big names in rock and heavy metal such as Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath – Bass), Gary Ferguson (Hughes/Thrall – Drums), Nigel Glockler (Saxon, Asia – Drums), Fast Eddie Clarke (Fastway – Guitar), Paul Samson (Samson – Guitar), Don Airey (Deep Purple, Rainbow – Keyboards), Biff Byford (Saxon – Backing vocals), Kim McAuliffe (Girlschool – Backing vocals), Doogie White (Backing vocals), among others.This was a studio project glued by Lea Hart (Fastway), and not only Fast Freddie Clarke play here, also many songs were previously recorded by Fastway and the other Hart project / band; True Brits. The results are very good.While there was – and still is – a controversy from Stratton’s side about this reissue (read below) ”The Original Iron Men II” is a great addition to your collection.Dennis Stratton has said a couple of months ago; ”Please don’t buy this album. Paul and myself did not record this album. No Remorse may not know this, but I’ve made it clear now, so they do now.Let’s make this clear so everyone understands. Back in the early ’90s I was running the cart and horses. Also I was a full time member of Praying Mantis. I was asked to go into the studio and record a bunch of songs as a solo project. Which I did.But without my knowledge the songs were put on this album and Paul’s voice was added. I did not know this was gonna happen until I saw the CD case at one of my shows. Over the past years whenever I’ve done live shows… meet and greets… and signings and I come across this album I always tell the person who owns it the same story. I’m not sure if this company who’s selling it knows the truth. But now everyone knows.”Well, Stratton is wrong.Way back when these albums were first initially released, the artists were apparently and supposedly kept in the dark about how these albums were going to marketed, how they were going to be presented or branded… each musician recorded their parts at different sessions not knowing the other was involved.And they were paid for the job. This happened a lot in the ’70s / ’80s and even until now: hired session musicians.The masters were owned by the producer of the project… who at the time (early 90s) made a deal with a now defunct label to publish these.When that label went out of business years later, the rights transferred over to a new label who had purchased the masters and catalog… you know who? Cherry Records UK.And thus Cherry Records rightfully and legally has a right to sub-license these to any other company at their discretion. In this case it is No Remorse Records who these have been licensed to… a label whom are certainly not to blame for the apparent decades old “sins” of the original producer or original owner of the recorded masters. No Remorse Records do great work and quality releases.Anyway, PAUL Di’ANNO & DENNIS STRATTON’s ”The Original Iron Men II” rocks, with great songs and fine performances, benefited by this new powerful remastering job.
Line Up:
Paul Di'Anno (R.I.P 2024) - Vocals - See also: Paul Di'Anno, ex-Battlezone, ex-Gogmagog, ex-Killers, ex-Di'Anno, Rockfellas, ex-Iron Maiden, ex-Praying Mantis & Paul Di'Anno, Dennis Stratton, ex-The Almighty Inbredz, ex-The Pedophiles
Dennis Stratton - Lead Vocals and Backing Vocals, Guitar – See also: Ex-Iron Maiden, ex-Lionheart, ex-Dennis Stratton
+ guests:
Guitar – Dave Senczak, Fast Eddie Clarke, Paul Samson
Guitar, Keyboards – Ray Calcutt
Keyboards – Don Airey, Jem Davis
Bass – Neil Murray, Tim Carter
Drums – Gary Ferguson, Nigel Glockler
Backing Vocals – Biff Byford, Kim McAuliffe, Doogie White
Production:
Producer, Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Lea Hart
Tracklist:
01. Let Your Body Rock (Vocals – Dennis Stratton)
02. The Fool You Left Behind (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
03. The Answer Is You (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
04. No Repair (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
05. This Man’s Face On Fire (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
06. Don’t Take These Dreams Away (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
07. So Far Away (Vocals – Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno)
08. Dead Or Alive (Vocals – Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno)
09. Big Beat No Heart (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
10. It’s Only Love (Vocals – Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno)
11. Danger Lead (Vocals – Paul Di’Anno)
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