Every once in a while there comes a label that picks up the glove to reissue materials by obscure bands that gained little to no attention when they were active. One such posthumous spotlight was turned at the beginning of 2017 to CHAINED LACE, and obscure short-lived Heavy Metal band with Doom Metal overtones and some punkish vibe. The guys at Heaven and Hell grabbed the materials that were released on demos in 1985 and some tracks that have never seen the day of light, remastered them, and unleashed them upon the world to resurrect the legacy of the band in the form of a 73-minute compilation titled "Morbid Fascination" (which was the title of the 1985 demo that featured half of the songs).

So, what CHAINED LACE is all about? Basically, it's an assortment of Heavy Metal/Hard Rock with early Doom Metal sensibilities and minor Punk influences. In addition to that, they band was fronted by the late Cheri Blade who added her unique spice of half-sung, half-recited vocal delivery with tons of charm and attitude, which was quite rare at the time.

CHAINED LACE has a good sense for dirty Rock 'n' Roll. You don't have to stretch your imagination to see the unmistaken skeleton of the BLACK SABBATH foundations showing underneath, as well as early SAINT VITUS and PENTAGRAM influences. I assume the band also took inspiration from PLASMATICS in the terms of the dirty vibe, although it's slightly more polished and not as sleazy.

Realizing I have to endure 73 minutes of listening, I took a deep breath and pressed the play button. What I found out was that 73 minutes could pass by pretty fast, which tells a lot about this album. The remastering was thoughtful enough to enhance the sound but still retain the inherent tone and atmosphere (it sounds old, for sure). The album starts with "Last Chance," a mid-tempo rocker and a solid riff. The band sounds tight and Blade sounds like a brassy teenager with the chewing gum in her mouth that doesn't give a damn about anything. I must comment that some of the tracks are taken from another project Blade was involved in, namely RAT SALAD, which was actually the band FORCE that was temporarily titled differently. That means that "Last Chance" and "Black Widow," to name a few, were composed by no other than Al Morris III of IRON MAN fame, who is a true master-riffer.

"Morbid Fascination" is an intense track with nerve-wrecking riffs. The guitar solos sound retro even compared to the 1980's. The slightly muffled sound can't do enough to ruin the listening experience; it just gives it a sense of authenticity. "Can't Close Your Eyes" borders on Speed Metal and is a vibrant piece that will invoke headbanging. "Too Much, Too Soon" is more funky and playful than the other tracks, but doesn't seem too odd to be included here. The band was clearly talented and multi-faceted. "Dismembered" is a NWOBHM-ish fast-tempo song with guitar work that would make SATAN proud. "Exterminence" clocks over 7 minutes and is more sluggish and features nice melodies.

"You're Crying Now" is pure Glam Rock; the pace, the atmosphere, the guitar works, everything. It's quite surprising that such a short-lived band managed to squeeze in their work so many influences and still remain true to their DNA. There is a fine thread that goes along the entire recording that ensures you are listening to the same band. "Fortress" is a nice ballad and Blade shows here emotional side as well. The final track, "Forever and a Day," starts slow with a doomy and looming atmosphere, but about six minutes into the song it gathers speed and transforms into a crushing riff-fest.

The question is no whether you like 1980's Heavy Metal, but rather whether you like METAL at all? I know some younger listeners that would shake it off altogether without even listening, only due to the fact that music is more than 30 years old. But any true music aficionado, not necessarily a metalhead, should embrace this fun, diversified and well-performed music, and so should you.<