Music Review: Acid Reissues from Cherry Red Records

By Tim Murr

Probably every town has some awesome band the rest of the world will never see. These days, thanks to the Internet it’s easier for some Oklahoma punk band to reach listeners in Japan, but back in 1980, forget it. Victims, perhaps, of the glut of metal bands from all over Europe and the UK, Acid fell through the cracks. There wasn’t a huge metal scene in their native Belgium when they formed, and little in the way of avenues out of the country. So they formed their own record label, Giant, and between 1980 and 1985, when they broke up, released three solid albums.

The three albums, Acid, Maniac, and Engine Beast are united by themes of sex, cars, metal, and Satan. If you’re asking, comparable bands would be Venom or Grim Reaper, but Acid had something special: Kate De Lombaert for a vocalist. De Lombaert had an amazing voice and she sang in English with her Belgium accent. This gave Acid’s dark material an unexpected pop edge, which enhances every track.

Cherry Red Records and HNE Recordings deserve a round of drinks for rescuing these three gems from the dustbin of history. Fans of classic metal will definitely want to add these reissues to their library. Each album includes bonus tracks, alternate takes, and demos. My favorite tracks are “Ghostriders,” “Halloween Queen,” “Lucifera,” and “Lady Death,” but all three albums are great.

Metal has changed in the last few decades and as a result, some of the bands from the 1980s can come off as silly or clichéd. Acid would certainly not emerge from such accusations unscathed, but despite having at least one song per album that declares their allegiance to metal, Acid’s music has a sincerity—and a harder edge—that nudges them ahead of some of their peers. Plus Kate De Lombaert’s vocals rule.

Cherry Red Records and HNE Recordings will reissue Acid, Maniac, and Engine Beast on August 21.