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Shok Paris Appreciation

nwobhmbanger
Sun, 29/03/2015 - 04:11

Who here's a fan of Shok Paris? I got into this band a couple of years ago, but never really listened to anything made before or after Steel and Starlight. It's only in recent times that I got around to checking out Go for the Throat, but think this sophomore release has a lot of charm to it.

Every song is literally a standout, with the title track, "On Your Feet", "Fallin' for You", and "Lost Queen" being my personal choices. Vocalist Vic Hix doesn't stray that far off from sounding like the ideal cross between Loudness' Minoru Niihara and the late, great Ronnie James Dio. I also pick up a huge Tokyo Blade and Pretty Maids vibe out of this album, so it's definitely worth looking into.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU62nSOlOs0



joecubbie's picture

This thread inspired me to check them out. Listening to Go for the Throat at the moment. It's alright. Nothing that blows me away, but still solid.

nwobhmbanger's picture

It's a solid start, but nothing too special. I'd recommend starting off with the album that I embedded. The whole thing is beyond words. "Fallin' for You" is full of Def Leppard-like hooks.

Knightwhosayni's picture

Didn't know them, cheers for the tip!

ToxikAssault's picture

I was watching this sci-fi action movie called The Hidden (1987) and there was a car chase scene with really sick metal music, so I had to know what was the name of that band and it turned out it was Shok Paris, and that's how I heard about this band.
Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad52RbO-BEc

Very underrated movie and very underrated band.

nwobhmbanger's picture

Kind of a shame that the song kept getting cut off by the scene transitions, but that's still pretty cool to see.

nwobhmbanger's picture

Since these guys don't get a lot of attention, I'm going to repost my Forces of Steel review of Steel and Starlight:

Well, where to begin? This is a monster of an album, and rightfully so. Shok Paris had a good start in 1984 with Go for the Throat, but nowhere near their sophomore album a few years later. All that was lacking from their debut album had finally been put into place to ensure the sheer quality of Steel and Starlight, and why it's an album that deserves every bit of praise imaginable.

The one thing that you can't deny sticking out like a sore thumb is the raw, soaring range of Vic Hix. Just picture the American counterpart of Minoru Niihara, and you're all set. He reaches some INSANE highs, and then rebounds with some of the most well-done mids. There's never any slouching going on with the man's voice. When he sings, he undeniably brings his forte, and that's what matters for a genre that's so in-your-face.

Guitarists Ken Erb and Eric Marderwald wrote some of the most crushing riffs that are comprised of many thousands of wonderful hooks within. The vocal and guitar harmonies are never-ending, from the softer moments of "Castle Walls" to the authoritative, balls-to-the-wall madness of "Fallin' for You" and "Go down Fighting". The likeness to Guy Speranza-era Riot is evidenced by the powerful song arrangements that place the importance of melody far ahead of any technicality, although all the musicians present here are at their tightest.

Finally, Kel Berkshire is always complementing the songs through his distinctive bass lines, as well as keeping up with the fine drumming of Jan Roll, then-recent to the band after the dismissal of original drummer Bill Sabo. Fortunately, Sabo was able to record his playing on "Fallin' for You", which I'd say has a general vibe that reminds me quite a lot of Def Leppard's Pyromania, an album that came out four years before this one. It's also one of my main favorite songs, but being the cult classic that Steel and Starlight is, there are no songs that make me check the time to.

I can appreciate just about every song that was put on this album, and I try my best to avoid sounding like a fanboy who's obviously praising this album so much. Are there any dull notes? In my humble opinion, absolutely not. Let's just say that if you love heavy metal from the 1970s and 1980s, then you'll probably find it very hard to be put off by this album. No matter the current tone of a song, it's always going to attempt to creep its way into your head, leaving you humming to the tunes for DAYS in a row.

In a way, you could even classify this album as somewhat power metal, but it's mostly "Go down Fighting", "On Your Feet", "Exhibit A", and "Hot on Your Heels" that evoke that sort of feeling. Regardless, the whole thing just smokes. "Lost Queen" is a great slab of atmosphere between catchy rhythms and omnipresent melodies that send flashbacks of those old Mercyful Fate albums to mind. "Rocked Outta Love", "Tokyo Rose", and the title track are all great pieces of nostalgia for every metalhead of old and new to celebrate their favorite music to.

Is there anything else that hasn't yet been said about this album? I'm going to sound like a broken record again for saying this, but it really IS an excellent album, especially with the great production and competent musicians performing on it. It has just about every necessary ingredient to making a monumental classic. What a shame that the album is so hard to find for a good price, but I assure all curious souls reading this review to listen to this album. It's not underrated, since nearly everyone I've discussed this band and album with has had many great things to say. I'll say that it's overlooked, and that's really the problem with an album that has so much enjoyment to offer, and yet not enough acknowledgement is being made by even the people who claim to love this kind of music.

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