Satan
Court in the Act

THE REVIEW

The fact that Satan is known to most only for being the authors of that "Trial By Fire" covered (I would say more than respectably) by Blind Guardian gives an idea of how fate can be mocking and disrespectful towards some bands. However, for the sake of fairness, it's necessary to acknowledge that the members of the combo themselves, even more than some of their colleagues (Kevin Heybourne comes to mind), were the true architects of their own (mis)fortunes.

The group was formed in 1979, at the dawn of the NWOBHM movement, by the will of guitarists Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey, soon joined by Graeme English on bass, thus completing what would be confirmed throughout the ages as the cornerstone of the lineup. The lineup itself would prove to be the main problem for the trio: it would take over three years of activity and a frantic turnover of drummers and especially singers before the group could really be considered complete. The turning point came right on the eve of the recording sessions for the debut album, with the entry of one of the best singers of the entire scene: Brian Ross, previously with Avenger and before that, Blitzkrieg.

"Court In The Act" saw the light only in 1983, in a NWOBHM scenario now nearing demise, yet still determined to unleash some of its best shots. The overall sound of the album, it must be said, presents itself essentially as the sum of those heavy archetypes that the big names of the scene had helped to define and codify. However, what may at first glance seem lacking in originality is totally reevaluated by the high quality of the product. What stands out, first of all, is the excellent work of songwriting and arrangement, with particular emphasis on the rhythm section of Sean Taylor (formerly a drummer in Raven) and English who, especially in the faster tracks, proudly display technical prowess and an executional care truly above the standards heard until then (exemplary, in this regard, the famous "Trial By Fire" and the subsequent "Blades Of Steel").

The true creative epicenter of the entire album, however, must inevitably be found in the refined yet powerful guitar work of the Tippins-Ramsey duo. It is there that the foundations of that perfect blend of solidity, speed, and rich ideas characterizing the entire album are to be sought. And it is there that one can easily find, besides a masterful command of the six-string, also an excellent taste for melody, harmonization, and above all, a remarkable solo work that has nothing to envy to the much more renowned and appreciated Murray-Smith pair (for all, "No Turning Back" and "Broken Treaties"). It is at least necessary then to make mention of what is, in all probability, the true added value of the package: the vocal performance of Brian Ross. Piercing (though, in my opinion, not always fitting) in his high notes, his unique timbre carries a vaguely melancholic flavor, yet never compromises the real interpretation: aggressive just enough, in some episodes perhaps too over the top ("Alone In The Dark"), and yet with a decidedly catchy drive, certainly indebted to poorly hidden backdrops of pure hard rock style ("Dynamo").

Finally, there is a very specific aspect to take into consideration. If properly contextualized, the debut of Tippins and company stands as an undeniable precursor and source of inspiration for the German power scene, which a few years later would rage: not only in the blend of power and solidity of riffing with massive doses of melody or the rather high speed of the tracks, but also in a certain lingering on particularly catchy choruses and refrains. Suffice it to recall in this respect the triplet rhythms of the intricate and visionary instrumental "The Ritual" (practically a forerunner of the entire discography of Running Wild's pirate period...) or the tight riffing of the splendid "Break Free" and "Alone In The Dark" (more or less what almost all German metal bands would do in the next 15 years). An album, in short, in some ways in perfect balance between the recent past and the impending present which, commendably, achieved a fair amount of sales success.

As anticipated, what could have been the beginning of a dazzling walk on the paths of success, turned out to be the beginning of the end for the Newcastle group, especially due to a frantic delirium of lineup and monicker changes that would eventually mark the destiny of the band for good. Already a few months after the release of "Court In The Act", Brian Ross leaves the group and decides (after a brief stint in Lone Wolf) to reform Blitzkrieg with whom he will record one of the last gems of the NWOBHM: "A Time Of Changes" ('85). In the meantime, the monicker Satan begins to create some problems for Tippins and Ramsey: these are the years when the first dark cries of what will become the death/black scene begin to be heard, and the band increasingly often gets confused and misunderstood.
It is precisely in this context that one of the singers who had alternated behind the microphone before Ross's arrival is recalled to the band's ranks: the young Lou Taylor, who in the meantime had founded Blind Fury, garnering considerable public appreciation at the same time. Thus, Tippins and Ramsey were persuaded to abandon the name Satan in favor of Blind Fury, under whose monicker the subsequent album "Out Of Reach" ('85) would be released. However, the band's sound proves to be far more melodic, and commercial failure is almost anticipated. So goodbye to Taylor and the Blind Fury monicker: they return to the name Satan with a brand new singer, one Michael Jackson (!!), with whom they record the EP "Into The Future" ('86) and the full-length "Suspended Sentence" ('87). When everything seems to have finally reached a certain stability, it's the record label itself (Steamhammer, a powerhouse at the time...) that changes the game, imposing on the group the final abandonment of the name Satan in favor of the more exotic Pariah. Tippins and company manage to release two more LPs ("The Kindred" of '89 and "Blaze Of Obscurity" of '89), but an elusive consecration in terms of sales ends up mortifying the remaining hopes of a future for the band. Discouraged and disappointed, Ramsey and Graeme decide to follow former Sabbat Martyn Walkyer in his venture with Skyclad. But that, as they say, is another story.