Persian Risk’s debut album, Rise Up, from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal days has an excellent re-issue via High Roller Records including a hefty number of bonus tracks which consist of their various singles from the early 1980s which pre-date the album.
Persian risk of course formed by none other than Phil Campbell around 1979/1980. The initial vocalist was John Deverill – though he’d soon clear off to replace Jess Cox in the Tygers of Pan Tang. Deverill’s replacement in Persian Risk would be the towering voice of Carl Sentance.
A few singles appeared in a generally straight ahead NWOBHM style showing much promise and gaining them some attention. However Campbell auditioned or a little band called Motorhead (what do you mean, never heard of them…..) where he’d stay until Lemmy sadly passed on bringing Motorhead to an end in 2015.
Things still looked rosy for Persian Risk as they bagged a record deal, appeared on the old ECT (Extra Celestial Television) Channel 4 program performing three songs and recorded Rise Up.
However appears there were delays surrounding the release of the album and by the time it was released in 1986 they’d split.
Such a shame as Rise Up is a superior album full of enjoyable hard and heavy songs. Big booming drums, thumping bass, chugging and churning riffs aplenty, scorching solos and the huge vocals from Sentance.
With the exception of Jane – which is something of an outlier with it’s sugary “power ballad” approach, the remainder are all first class NWOBHM with finesse amongst the power and some huge shout-along choruses.
Songs such as Hold the Line, Rise Up and Women in Rock so enjoyable. Others such as Sky’s Falling Down and Dark Tower mix it up a bit bringing in some well placed variation.
Here’s Hold The Line to whet your appetite:
This reissue of Rise Up from High Roller brings the opportunity to enjoy how good Persian Risk were. It’s a tasty package too. The jewel case inside a slip case then the booklet folds out in to something around A3 size having a lengthy recollection from Sentance on the history of the band on one side and on the other various press cuttings from the old days. Also there’s a small “mini-poster” of the cover artwork
The CD has the album tracks and also eight bonus tracks including those early singles and one track (50,000 Stallions) which appeared on one of those compilations Neat Records did back then.
Thanks to High Roller for putting Rise Up back in to circulation. Persian Risk yet another New Wave of British Heavy Metal era band from the original days which did not get the breaks.
If you’d like a copy – links here to High Roller and Amazon
https://www.hrrecords.de/Home_2
https://amzn.to/3TnBfjl
High Roller also have give then treatment to another one album and out band from the NWOBHM days – this one being Omega and their album The Prophet. Have a copy of that. Review to follow.
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