The Evil Invaders Alive
(Oxidized Razor Rex Records)
50:32min
"This is an edition made from fans to fans!" and "Only analog is real!! Beware sound fetishists, pure unholy Speed Thrash master tape sound" is printed in the booklet and should already be proof enough, that "The Evil Invaders Alive" is by no means an official RAZOR live album. But hey, that doesn’t mean that it ain’t worth checking out, especially considering the fact that the quality is way better than those statements may suggest you in the first place. This exciting ten track live attack by one of Canada’s finest Metal exports ever was recorded in Toronto, Canada on May 10th, 1985 and already circulated in tapetrading circuits for many many years. I suppose it originally used to be a soundboard recording as it actually sounds way better than the usual live tapes of that period and showcases the classic RAZOR line-up in perfect shape! The setlist only consists of true Speed/Thrash classics here (‘Legacy Of Doom’, ‘Time Bomb’, ‘Escape The Fire’, ‘Speed Merchants’, ‘Evil Invaders’, ‘City Of Damnation’, ‘Take This Torch’, ‘Cut Throat’, ‘March Of Death’ and ‘Torture Skull’) and is the ultimate legacy of a line-up that should have deserved way more recognition than it actually got back then. Stace "Sheepdog" McLaren’s vocal delivery in combination with the unique songwriting skills of guitarist Dave Carlo is still exceptional, even after so many years and maybe even more impressive when you listen to the energy that the band set free in a live situation like this. They never ever reached this quality again when Bob Reid took over the vocal duties, so it’s really a pity that they never made it to Europe in the original line-up at the time. The CD is completed by three songs of RAZOR’s 1984 demo (‘Take This Torch’, ‘Fast And Loud’ and ‘Hot Metal’) and furthermore features a cool booklet full of old live pics, the whole discography and a band history. So, dispite the fact that it ain’t an official live album, I suppose it’s needless to say that this is an essential purchase for all RAZOR fans nevertheless!
Frank Stöver
• RAZOR - Escape The Fire (Julián "Gatecrasher" Núñez)
• RAZOR - Live! Osaka Saikou (Anders Peter Jørgensen)
• RAZOR - Open Hostility (Stefan Hagmayer)
• RAZOR - Shotgun Justice (Thomas Ehrmann)
• RAZOR - Interview (Timothy Dovgy)