Seeing that there are a plethora of reviews on Slayer, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Alice in Chains, W.A.S.P., and Fear Factory (bands I absolutely admire), I decided to focus on so-called "unknown" bands and noticed there's nothing on Keel, a solid heavy metal band that never enjoyed the same popularity as similar bands like Quiet Riot or Dokken. Ronnie Keel (singer and founder, from whom the band takes its name) is, to me, great, endowed with a powerful and resonant (or rather thundering) voice, a screamer who is no less than a Rob Halford, a Bruce Dickinson, or a Bon Scott; in other words, he is an underrated talent who has never been properly rewarded.
Keel started out with shredder Yngwie Malmsteen in Steeler (just namesakes to the German ones where Axel Rudi Pell played). Having left the group, Ronnie auditioned for Black Sabbath in 1984 after Ian Gillan (fresh from a reunion with Deep Purple) left, but ultimately was not chosen. As soon as he was rejected, our Ronnie wasted no time and founded this band with guitarists Bryan Jay and Marc Ferrari (for those who don’t know, the latter collaborated with Pantera in their glam/speed era album "Power Metal"), bassist Kenny Chaisson, and drummer Dwain Miller.
From the diligence of the five members (with the help of His Majesty Gene Simmons as producer) emerged this album, "The Right to Rock" in 1984. Rude, dirty, and nonconformist, for me, it is one of the best hard & heavy products of the eighties. The self-titled "The Right to Rock" and "Electric Love" are great compositions that demonstrate how AC/DC influenced the band's sound, but the jewel of the album is "Back to the City", a genuine burst of metallic energy with Ronnie raging like a bear, of course in music. Besides the singer, Ferrari’s performance is also noteworthy, both for instrumental technique and songwriting, providing solid compositional support for the singer. Another track I adore is "Speed Demon", where the title fits the music perfectly. Also worth mentioning is "Let's Spend The Night Together", a cover of the Rolling Stones in a heavier version.
In conclusion, it is a product that will surely please nostalgics of classic eighties metal, the kind made of studs and leather jackets. It's a real shame that Ronnie Keel has never received proper attention and that he has currently put heavy metal aside for country, but he has left us with a work worth discovering.
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