▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Gargoyle ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Gargoyle █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 1988 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2020-01-12 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: New Renaissance Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ USPM might not ever have been in a truly short █ █ supply, but there were simply so few bands that █ █ managed to make their marks before Europe █ █ essentially took over the game. Despite their good █ █ intentions, so few bands were producing the level █ █ of vocal quality that splayed a Fates Warning, █ █ Lizzy Borden, Omen or Riot out across the memories █ █ of the metal populace. Unfortunately Gargoyle, a █ █ fairly obscure act from Oregon who likely had █ █ ambitions to lock horns with the bigger bands of █ █ their region like Queensryche, Fifth Angel or █ █ Sanctuary, are one such band suffering primarily █ █ in the vocal department. █ █ Now, Tim Lachman is not exactly a slouch, and I █ █ don't mean to mislead anyone into thinking that he █ █ lacks some degree of range or talent. He can hit a █ █ reasonable height with a shrill delivery, but █ █ there is just some elusive element of spirit █ █ missing from his performance here (I didn't █ █ exactly love him in the equally obscure Glacier, █ █ either). He works best at an octave below the █ █ power metal or NWOBHM gods ala Bruce Dickinson, █ █ Geoff Tate and Rob Halford, and perhaps he is most █ █ comparable to a James Rivera of Helstar, █ █ especially since the riffing of Kevin Sanders and █ █ Pat Lachman (the same Pat Lachman that would front █ █ the post-Pantera Damageplan, and return to the █ █ guitar for a spot in Halford) has a similar level █ █ of ambition and classical influence to that Texas █ █ legend. █ █ Yes, if Gargoyle shines anywhere, it's in the █ █ guitars, which balance some fairly well composed █ █ rhythms with a slew of melody integrated far █ █ beyond the mere leads. There was time and effort █ █ sunk into these 9 songs, and it shows, even though █ █ they really fail to capture the imagination in the █ █ long run. A track like the charging "Final █ █ Victory" delivers composition on a nearly Helstar █ █ level, circa A Distant Thunder or Nosferatu, but █ █ the band is not nearly so acrobatic, and Tim is █ █ just not the equal of James Rivera. There is █ █ certainly an added level of complexity here beyond █ █ the typical NWOBHM worship of 80s-era USPM, and a █ █ few tracks like "Out from the Shadows", the █ █ pumping mid-paced "Blind Faith" and the feisty if █ █ predictable speed metal of "The Burning" are ample █ █ evidence of a potential. Yet, for each of these, █ █ there is a song like "Aryan Diplomacy", no less █ █ carefully crafted, but musically gelded with few █ █ standout rhythms. Coupled with the underwhelming █ █ vocals, these add up to impassable gaps on the █ █ record which I just couldn't find the legs to leap █ █ across. █ █ Had this band given themselves a few more years █ █ and albums, I have little doubt that they could █ █ have developed into something special. Alas, a few █ █ years would have placed them in the 90s, in which █ █ the vast majority of metal heads turned their back █ █ on the genre (outside of Metallica and Slayer); █ █ performing traditional, power or progressive metal █ █ here in the States was tantamount to career death, █ █ unless you were one of those few bands that had █ █ already been established, or one who wisely █ █ marketed itself in Europe (ala Kamelot). Pat █ █ Lachman would go on to bigger if not brighter █ █ things, and the rhythm section would support Matt █ █ McCourt of Wild Dogs and Dr. Mastermind for a few █ █ of his solo records in the 21st century, but █ █ Gargoyle was left to crumble atop the stone █ █ edifice of a potential never realized (i.e. New █ █ Renaissance Records), and certainly not delivered █ █ here. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ Laid out spread eagle by the bandÆs three-tune █ █ trial disc earlier in the year, tracks ôThe █ █ Burningö, ôFinal Victoryö, and ôLook Homewardö █ █ foretold a sound bound heavily to the traditional █ █ vein, minor power and speed elements aside, and █ █ with six more the Oregon quartet managed to █ █ fortify themselves in the genre without actually █ █ becoming consequential to it. Considering the █ █ loneliness in the bandÆs tiny discography, itÆs █ █ not much of a surprise. Regardless, the second █ █ metal act to use the Gargoyle moniker didnÆt █ █ exactly suck. █ █ With two of the lpÆs most alluring, indispensable █ █ tracks already volunteered to the underground-hip █ █ masses, much of the additional musical machinery █ █ rolls up a little thinner in tire tread and a few █ █ pounds lighter, apparently having drafted ôLook █ █ HomewardöÆs more peaceful and submissive persona █ █ slightly over the controlled rambunctious flow of █ █ the epÆs other partners. ôBlind Faithö sails █ █ slowly along its lines except with less obvious █ █ Queensryche burrs clinging to it, and the █ █ mudrakingly-titled ôAryan Diplomacyö, some of █ █ ôNothing is Sacredö, and most of ôDown to the █ █ Groundö arenÆt tracking far behind. On the other █ █ hand, thereÆs just as much brain matter leaking █ █ over from ôThe Burningö and ôFinal Victoryö into █ █ the fairly animated minds of ôOne from the █ █ Shadowsö and ôDark Mirror Dreamö, bringing the █ █ albumÆs vitality to an almost even split. █ █ But if thereÆs any real importance about Gargoyle █ █ that fans will commit to memory, itÆs the █ █ presentation of their music that, incidentally, █ █ doesnÆt boil down to one or two details, like the █ █ songwriting or the musicianship, but the whole █ █ enchilada. For songwriting's sake, most of these █ █ songs donÆt/arenÆt going to buzz around your head █ █ like flies with a couple hundred eggs to lay, █ █ meanwhile the musicianship, in particular █ █ guitarist Kevin Sanders and warbler Tim Lachman, █ █ while striding above the ordinary, doesnÆt over █ █ saturate; itÆs not daring or complicated, but it's █ █ not difficult to soak in (though its staying power █ █ wanes a bit over time). █ █ With a little more umph, Gargoyle couldÆve been a █ █ quicker springer to mind. They could jab you with █ █ ability, production (thanks to Triad Studios), and █ █ even distribution, but had a hard time landing the █ █ songwriting haymaker. █ █ While nothing on the lp announces Nothing is █ █ Sacred as the title, a few people seem to think █ █ itÆs the case. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Nothing is Sacred 4:28 ░ ░ 2. The Burning 4:00 ░ ░ 3. Aryan Diplomacy 3:09 ░ ░ 4. Final Victory 4:31 ░ ░ 5. Look Homeward 5:25 ░ ░ 6. Out From the Shadows 4:48 ░ ░ 7. Dark Mirror Dream 4:05 ░ ░ 8. Blind Faith 4:38 ░ ░ 9. Down to the Ground 5:52 ░ ░ 40:56 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░