The marks scale is as follows:
You mean people might pay for this crap?!
If there was no other music on the planet, I might listen to this
Turn that down! It might annoy grandpa!
Turn that up! It might annoy grandpa!
Does this thing go up to eleven!? WOW!

All these images courtesy of Duncan Hamilton (dbu1@cableol.co.uk). Get in touch with him if you want some great graphics work done!

Promo: Helldorado
Artist: W.A.S.P.
Label: Snapper Music
Description: Classic Heavy Metal
Available: 17th May

Two tracks from the upcoming WASP album, due out in May '99. Helldorado itself is typical hard-hitting, guitar-driven WASP. You can bash your head from the first chord right through. Second track Dirty Balls is (here comes a bad joke) balls to the wall. Every bit as fast-paced as Helldorado, and just as enjoyable.
Like WASP? Love this.

Rating:

Promo: Killing Position
Artist: Symposium
Label:
Description:
Available: Soon

Just the one track (two versions thereof) on here. Both rather good. I'm sure I've heard this track in clubs recently, so request it in your local. It's pretty good. Nice heavy verses, nice clear chorus. Not much else to add based on the one song, but have a dig for it. Worth two quid if you can find it as a new single just to give it a listen.

Rating:

Promo: Eye To Eye
Artist: Scorpions
Label: EastWest
Description: Classic rock/metal
Available: Soon

The Scorpions are one of those bands that just refuse to lie down and die. Good job, too, if they keep pumping stuff like this out. Nice variety of tracks on the promo, too. Opener Mysterious is a by-the-numbers rock'n'roll track. Straight in with a good hook and the beat keeps going for the whole song. To Be Number 1 is a little more strange, verging into keyboardy territory while Mind Like A Tree is very Sabbath-esque. The last two tracks - Yellow Butterfly and Aleyah are more what you would expect from The Scorpions, which is no bad thing. Assuming the album comes along as well as the promo, it's going to be work a look at least.

Rating:

Promo: Babylon
Artist: Backyard Babies
Label: Coalition
Description: Punky rock
Available: Album out now

Taken from the mini-album Safety Pins amp; Leopard Skins, this track bears a more than mildly incanny resemblance to the ramblings of Faster Pussycat. Remember them? Imagine Poison do punk (sort of) and you're getting there. The intro sample and main riff are ripped right off, but who cares? It's a good tune, amusing song and quite representative of the Backyard Babies' style. Total 13 is a great album, so the LP's well recommended as well, especially on the strength of this track.

Rating:

Promo: Champion/Railrider
Artist: Grinspoon
Label: Universal
Description: Trippy dancey rocky stuff
Available: Around now

I'm not sure if this promo really reflects the band's music as both the songs on it are remixes. All the dancey keyboards and samples may well not be in the actual songs. I hope not anyway, because they're crap.
If you're from Oz, you'll most likely have heard of this lot. Voted one of the top band in Australia's Rolling Stone magazine, and with a 12-week stint at number one, it doesn't take a genius to work out that they're fairly popular Down Under. On the strength of this promo, though, it's hard to see why. Sure, you can hear some decent drums and guitars but both songs are ruined by the remix process.
Roll on the proper release...

Rating:

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