Reviewed by Jim Coursey / LISTENING POST DISCOVERY
Released: 1981 Mistreater Hell's*Fire Genre: Stoner Metal Rating: 4.5 of 5 Highlights: Big "A" Evil Woman Fortune Lady “Hell’s Fire” is the lone album by Mistreater, a heavy slab of independently produced stoner rock from Creston, OH, a town of 2,000 that sits 45 minutes from Cleveland, The Bandcamp re-release claims, “Today the album is considered a US metal classic and is considered one of the strongest metal albums ever made by metal aficionados - original copies are hard to find and there’s a hefty price tag if you’re lucky enough to find a copy for sale.” [1] Well, I’ll leave aficionados to fact check that statement, but I’ve independently verified that this album is pretty f***ing good. After 30 seconds of formless wanking, "Big 'A’” gets to the point: chunky heavy riffs, slow and steady with copious tom fills, searing guitar leads. This is the music of your stoner friend's tapestry filled basement bedroom in the 70s, right down to the blow by blow account of an acid trip. You would be forgiven for thinking they didn’t make music like this in the 80s, but believe it, they did. Most of the album follows a similar pattern – doomy and thick and reeking of pot. Title track “Hell’s Fire” (as well as bonus track “Baby Blue”) veers more into amped up Deep Purple territory, but for the most part the album keeps its tempos in check, right down to the dirge-like closer “Will You Believe Me.” They are good at any tempo but I really dig the slow stuff. The album may not be polished, but independently produced or not, it sounds surprisingly good. Great guitar tone, beefy overdriven bass, crisp cymbals, and both definition and body on those toms. Maybe a tad bit dry, but I’ll take that over a swamp of reverb. However, my lone gripe with their sound is the vocals which are so dry and up in the mix that they practically render a lyric sheet unnecessary. A touch of reverb and a notch down on the volume dial and it would have kept a bit of mystery while allowing the rocking elements to rock that much harder. The overly clear vocals also highlight the shortcomings in lyrical themes. Specifically, most of the album leans too heavily on the “Joe Lies” theme. [2] It’s a breakup album. I don’t know if she really was an “Evil Woman” (great song, tired lyrics), but maybe find more creative, less blamey ways to express your pain? I guess they missed the part in Kurtis Blow’s 1980 hit, “The Breaks” when he raps, "If your woman steps out with another man (that's the breaks, that's the breaks) and she runs out with him to Japan (that’s the breaks)." [3] Meanwhile, the “mean mistreater” that gave them their name turns out, surprise surprise, to be an ex – “because of you” goes the refrain – which is perhaps completely fitting: the band for better or worse is defined by a woman that caused the lyricist pain. The thing is, I can’t stop listening. Especially to the highlights. Wallowing in self pity or not, whiff of misogyny or not, they sound so good doing it it’s hard to argue. Let’s just agree that she was a demon spawn if it keeps this party going a bit longer. ********** 1. https://jobcentrerejects.bandcamp.com/album/mistreater-hells-fire 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lCIaHHCnRE 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heXlCbrVzcc&t=45s
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