SCARLET BRIDE is a band originally from New York, formed in 1982. They hit their stride in the mid-late 1980s in Atlanta, Georgia and ended up releasing one full-length album before breaking up for good. Part Hair Metal with some Heavy Metal influences and a little Guitar Rock thrown in for good measure, they only released the one record. Now, for the first time on CD and in digital formats, Heaven And Hell Records re-released a remastered version of Standing Still on April 23, 2021.

With only five songs on the record, this EP clocks in at just over 26 minutes. The first song, "Hideaway," starts with a pretty cool guitar riff and a high-pitched scream from Bernie. Since there is only one guitarist and there are definitely two distinct guitars in many sections, it is fairly obvious they layered in the studio. It gives the song a much larger feel. It allows for some interesting fills and frills over the rhythm.

The title track is next and is more melodic. The guitars are more restrained and the rhythm is darker at the start. This is a bit of a moody song with some doom undertones, but not true Doom Metal. This is more a feeling than a sound. At times very BLACK SABBATH-esque, this is actually a really nice song for the time. The intricacies are pretty impressive and it is fairly obvious this song has been remastered some. The sound is crisp and the 80s "glitches" are missing. This is nicely redone.

Next, we have "Out of Time," a pretty cool song with a nice almost galloping rhythm. Again, the song sounds like it has been reworked with care. The original sound is definitely there, but it sounds a lot clearer than some 80s records did. "Play to Win" follows this and has a nice heavy riff. With a lot of attitude, this is a pretty aggressive song about being the alpha in any situation, playing the game of life with the intention of coming out ahead.

Wrapping up the record is the nine minute "Slave Of Ages Past". Starting with an acoustic guitar to set the mood, this is a song that takes its' time to get going. This is okay since they have plenty of time to get to the summit. This is the song that people would pay to see live. It has everything the band does well, killer guitar riffs, epic tones, a rhythm that you can bang your head to and a scream at the end that just leaves you in awe.

SCARLET BRIDE did not it make it out of the 80s unfortunately. This is a missing gem that fans of '80s Hair/Heavy Metal should add to their collections. Unlike many of the "rediscovered" bands and records from that era, this one has been lovingly remastered and cleaned up. Definitely worth a listen.