SPIDERS – The Complete Anthology (4CD Box) Lemon / Cherry Red

Early 80s boogie metal band produced some fine (some might say clichéd) tracks that really are well enjoyable and worth checking out.

After a number of reissues and compilations of varied quality we now get the complete works. 4 CDs, all in quality card sleeves, in a box with a thick booklet, with photos and Dave Ling penned sleevenotes.

The band’s debut Rock’n’Roll Gypsies kicks off with AWOL and also features the blistering Talkin’ ‘Bout Rock’n’Roll and the slightly chunkier Part Of The Legend. There’s also the more than decent Rock’n’Roll Will Forever Last. The album featured a couple of singles and the band toured the Gillan at the time. The boogie owes much to Status Quo, and there’s plenty of twin guitar shred and vocal harmonies. A little rough’n’ready but it’s full on heavy metal rock’n’roll.

Second album Rough Justice is a little more polished, and a tad more varied too. Opener Death Row is solid, and The Minstrel has it’s gentler moments but features a keyboard and some quality guitar work. There’s still plenty of boogie, especially in the heads down You Make Me Offers I Can’t Refuse and Here We Go Rock’n’Roll. The blistering solos over the boogie do work well.

The band’s final album was not given much of an official release at the time (1986) as the record company went into liquidation on the day of release. It’s a good album but the weakest of the three, it sounds very mid 80s, it’s not dated so well, but it’s good, and good to get an official release.

All three albums come with bonus tracks (singles et al), and the fourth disc is entitled The Early Years, rounding up pre debut album singles and the like.

Some good metal and an excellent package. 8.5/10

Joe Gessin