There exist moments within ones musical exploration where a multitude of bands are scattered throughout every corners, some bands may leave a lasting Impression with memories of fondness recalling the quest of stumbling across the treasure that is their discography, while others may only remain with you momentarily only to serve as a compass which  guides your voyage to other material...and then there exist those bands that were never visible upon your map, those bands that just ...appear like a wisp of air that takes physical shape...and it's your curiosity that encourages you to explore this new discovery that has been bestowed to you....and sometimes the revelation of unearthing this gem may leave a smile upon your face as you examine its features, it's structure, even though it may be foreign to you...you regard it as an unexpected...but most welcomed finding. This was my recent discovery of BLIND PETITION.

If you are not familiar with BLIND PETITION they are a Heavy Metal band hailing from Austria, the band's conception dates from 1974, and since then they have released a myriad of material ranging from full length, eps and live albums. So...which release are we looking at today? "30 Years in A Hole 1991 Rarities and Oddities", which is compilation album of material from their backlog. Now first impression, from my first listening experience, with the track, "Look up the grave" I couldn't help but close my eyes and grin as the song evoked a carefree spirit that is untamed, it's like when you listen to "Born to be Wild" by STEPPENWOLF, and memories form to that opening scene of the movie, Easy Rider which oozed that free spirited feeling as though one could unlatch and be...free. I'll give you a minute to stop laughing and compose yourself...because on writing it may sound absurd, but that's the beauty of BLIND PETITION. Now don't get me wrong, the music has been heard before, but I'm not going to discredit the talent brought forth and most importantly...how FUN this compilation is!!

A large portion of the praise besides the instrumental prowess (we'll get to that in a bit... just hang on) is the production. The way these songs are packaged to the listener. The overall ambience has that "pub-like" aura where you would experience a band in a confined space with the sound reverberating around the room as amps churns streaks of crude-like chords. Now this may dissuade some with the quality, but it's the novelty of the recording that adds much characteristics to the album as it uses the ambience to its advantage. If I were to compare the mix, think a fusion between KISS (1974 self-titled album) and "Alive" (KISS live album). Now the instrumentation is another element which wields this unpolished mix to its benefit, since the playing here ranges from Heavy Metal to Hard Rock to some Stoner Rock, the production helps enhance the spirit of these styles of playing, listen to tracks like, "Breaker of your heart" and "Only suspense" to get a feel of the different shades emanated from the album. The guitar tone expels a rather psychedelic feeling at times but it's the mix that gives it an organic like skin that feels alive, "All that we started" and "Danger" are perfect songs that demonstrates the progression of the chords and it's raw like demeanour to the listener, as it dispels a 'fuzz' like sound with the picking of the strings. The vocals here take on a gruff like appearance with a tinge of Blues where the delivery is more based upon emotion rather than how certain notes should be stylistically sang...In other words, think of Peter Criss (KISS) singing "Black Diamond" as every line delivered comes from the emotional core, so too does BLIND PETITION excel with their vocal hooks.

The only negative I would point out, which is rather minor, and it may be only attributed to me (others may agree or disagree), however, I found that the drumming could have exerted slightly more enthusiasm in its output. Certain tracks have a rather electric feeling towards them but the drumming, even though stylistic, felt a little too flat, in my opinion maybe with slightly injected adrenaline into the formula would have elevated the song structure. For Instance, a song like "Steelhunter" while rather enjoyable and catchy, the guitars and vocals are upbeat in tempo, but the drums are just..."there", with a more energetic style playing to the percussion I believe this would have given the track a new breath of air. But don't let that negative be a thorn which discourages you from checking this album out, as it doesn't detach from the overall listening experience, the songs are still fun...and well played. That being said, I'd definitely recommend this to newcomers of the band who are willing to venture into their discography.