Released by: HHR
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Power Metal
Links: https://heavenandhellrecords.bandcamp.com/
Tracklist:
1 Tortured And Twisted
2 Iron Lady
3 Accept Your Fate
4 The Ripper
5 Burn In Hell
6 Destructor
7 Chambers Of Darkness
8 Bloodbath
9 Are You Ready To Die?
10 Metal Man
11 Blood Bath
12 Burn In Hell
13 Chambers Of Darkness
14 Destructor
15 Metal Man
16 Reign Of Terror
17 Gargoyle (1983)
18 My Life (1987)
19 Edge Of Doom (1987)
20 Leaving For Yesterday (1987)
21 Bloodbath (1987)
Jack the Ripper (no, not the famed serial killer) is an American Power Metal band dating back to 1981 are back and laying down the law with their brilliant collection called Tortured and Twisted that offers longtime and new fans alike the chance to check out pretty much the entirety of their catalog all on one album. Heaven and Hell Records have really pulled out all the stops for this long awaited release, fans only given a taste with the release last year of their EP Bloodbath. This was how I came to know the band, and was blown away.
Hailing from Columbia, SC, Jack the Ripper’s sound is very much rooted in the early American power metal movement exhibited by bands like Manila Road, Helstar, Liege Lord, and Heir Apparent, as well as hints of NWOBHM like Diamond Head and early Maiden. Raw, heavy, fast, and unrelenting, Jack the Ripper have the chops and songs to have made an bigger impact back in the day had they had the advantage of getting their name out their. The first ten tracks of the album are taken from their album recorded in 1981 of the same name as this collection. It was recorded, but never released, finally seeing the light of day 35 years later after being shelved. Tracks 11-16 are the aforementioned Bloodbath EP originally released in 1984. The remainder of the album are demos culled from 83 and 87 respectively.
This is a must have for collectors of rare, hard to find, and obscure metal bands from the early 80’s very much displaying and laying down the groundwork of where metal was at the time and headed in the future. Casual listeners might find some of the song repetition a bit much, but I assure you this album contains some excellent old school metal not to be missed. Heaven and Hell Records did another massive job of putting out some music overlooked and lost for so long, giving the bands another crack at glory and fans the opportunity to hear music they may have thought gone forever. Tortured and Twisted is the perfect way for both band and fans to relive those old days yet again.
Written by: Chris Martin