Lizzy Borden, a Los Angeles based heavy metal band, surfaced in 1985 after Motley Crue, W.A.S.P., and Twisted Sister, but their sound and horror lyrics themes unique to themselves, perhaps even hinting back to Alice Cooper. Their ride started with Love You to Pieces (1985) taking fame and criticism with their name from the infamous Lizzie Borden from Fall River, Massachusetts, with latest album in 2007, hence a retro of their 10-year anniversary of Appointment with Death via Metal Blade Records. This album marks their sixth full-length record filled with traditional heavy riffs and some powerful metal cords, not a lot of thrash metal though it does an intense moment of it.
This time around the music harkens back to some NWOBHM, but adds in some youthful flavor with guitarists Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal), Corey Beaulieu (Trivium) and the legendary classic talents of Dave Meniketti (Y&T) and George Lynch (Lynch Mob and Dokken) all working together with the band on various tracks delivering another shot a glory. The album strives for conceptual design, perhaps a little muddled at times, but the theme works on Death and Stalking the Living. However, the track “Under Your Skin” deals with real life anguish, the act of social bullying, stereotyping and cutting oneself, the entire song gives a progressive rock track, which borders more to a rock track than metal, and viewing the video gives more insight into the meaning of the music. The track “Perfect World (I Don’t Wanna Live)” presents their best work, and at 3:12 the music lowers from speed from riffs and great vocals, to a deep tone it just doesn’t work thankfully only there for a moment. In fact, the last three remaining tracks give the ideal performance of their skill, noting the final track “The Darker Side”. However, an extra song “Tomorrow Never Comes (Acoustic version)” does exist, only available on a limited edition of 250-vinyl album released by Night of the Vinyl Dead Records in July 2012.
Many of the metal bands one see’s in concert they wear the t-shirts of their heroes from Armored Saint or Lizzy Borden, along with the main stays of Ozzy, Alice Cooper and of course Slayer, but all pays tribute to them. This album might not attract everyone, but for the long fans and those of that recall the 80s LA scene its highly recommended to find this long-lost treasure. I listened to this per MP3s and the acoustic song via YouTube, but a CD and vinyl the preferred method of enjoyment for their music.
Track List:
1 – Abnormal – 5:12
2 – Appointment with Death – 3:47
3 – Live Forever – 5:01
4 – Bloody Tears – 4:48
5 – The Death of Love – 5:17
6 – Tomorrow Never Comes – 4:22
7 – Under Your Skin – 5:06
8 – Perfect World (I Don’t Wanna Live) – 4:53
9 – Somthin’s Crawlin’ – 5:43
10 – (We Are) the Only Ones – 4:01
11 – The Darker Side – 5:22
Band Line-Up:
Lizzy Borden – Vocals
Ira Black – Guitars
Marten Andersson – Bass
Joey Scott Harges – Drums
Band’s Link:
https://www.facebook.com/Reallizzyborden/
Label’s Information:
https://www.facebook.com/metalbladerecords
https://metalblade.bandcamp.com/artists
Night of the Vinyl Dead Info: