Charger - Desperadoes

Charger were latecomers to the NWOBHM scene, with their only release being a single that saw the light of day in 1986-1987 (earlier release dates reported by some people have been refuted; see Malc MacMillian's 'The NWOBHM Encyclopedia'). Both tracks are fantastic, high-energy numbers. 'Desperadoes' moves at a furious pace with absolutely blistering guitar work and is on par with the fastest NWOBHM songs (e.g., Jaguar's 'Axe Crazy', Sweet Savage's 'Eye of the Storm', etc). Songs like this one clearly demonstrate how speed and thrash metal grew out of the NWOBHM scene (of course, both genres had taken off well before this particular single was released). The b-side, 'Are You Out There', is also a high-octane headbanger, but it has a more anthemic vibe to it; it's the kind of song the crowd is meant to sing along to with fists held high. Both songs feature a great vocal performance, the singer having a strong, 'pure' voice similar to bands like STAGEFRIGHT and HOLLOW GROUND. The production, while not stellar (it was a small-time recording after all), doesn't hurt the music either. The single is a rare and collectible item among NWOBHM fans, although its late release date seems to be something of a turn-off to some purists. http://thesecretofthesteel.blogspot.com/