I am sure that there a lot more that I never knew about, and this case right here might not be the last time that I receive a piece of could be rarity. After I reviewed the reissues of the French Heavy Metal band EXCEL, I thought to myself that the underground of the French Metal scene, which has never been closer to those in the UK or Germany for that matter, probably has numerous hidden Metal sources buried. To our fortune, there are excavation teams, and one of them from Greece, No Remorse Records, cleaned the dust out of the old Lyon Hard Rock / Heavy Metal band HITCHHIKE. Back in 1988, the band released its sole EP "Tequila!" and several years after disbanded without a trace. However, through the reissue of the EP, several later unreleased demos were recovered, songs that would have never seen the light of day if not for present technology. I guess it is another trip down the past lane.

Through the original six songs of "Tequila!", I noticed a band that assimilated the American driven street type Metal, maintaining the alliance between tough Hard Rock and crunchy Heavy Metal. "On Stage" for instance carried out a hard to the bone traditional Metal riffing, crossing as the band's heaviest effort, maintaining the vibe from top of the bottom. On the other hand, "Hitchhike" and "Tequila" displayed the might of the solid ball of Rock, adding a crispy taste of Rock N' Roll to the high pitched Metal fused material. Generally, the ample level of songwriting ensured the French band a solid bargaining chip to use to advance themselves forward. Sadly, it ended with this EP as their only official release.

Supposedly after the release of the EP, HITCHHIKE disbanded with the members scattered to bands that weren't even close in their musical approach to the former. However, as it seems, the breakup wasn't right after the EP but a few years later. In 1990, the band recorded several demos that remained under wraps. While listening, it was evident that they were in a sort of a musical crossroads. It appeared to me that there was an attempt to connect with the alternative and Grunge that started to put holes in the 80s traditional form of Metal as displayed on "Please" and "Gave It All". However, even with their experimentations, HITCHHIKE didn't let go of the heavier notes that included roughed speed as on "Steel Wheels".

Though obscure as a whole, I see this EP plus the following unreleased demos as one of the better exemplification of a band's development and how the change of decades made its impact. For collectors, this one is a solid piece.