Going for Gold was the second album from Maineeaxe back in the mid-1980s at the height of the original New Wave of British Heavy Metal days.
The follow-up to their debut album – Shout it Out – and it’s a big step up being a more mature album with a much better mix and a bigger sound. Shout it Out was good though Going for Gold is an improvement.
There were line-up changes with Grant Kirkhope, Nigel Harrison and Roger Gibbons coming in from another Yorkshire based NWOBHM band named Syar.
The addition of Kirkhope’s stunning guitar chops and Harrison’s booming drumming really pump things up resulting in an album of consistently strong, muscular hard rockers.
Rock is the Word being a thunderous opener driven by a pulsing riff with a huge solo and a soaring vocal belting out the big chorus. No nonsense stuff. Next up is The Score which is along similar lines.
The title track is quite a highlight. Another big slashing riff backed up by fine powerhouse drumming, more guitar histrionics and an irresistible and impossibly catchy chorus. Burns right in to your head. Have a listen:
Infatuation features a spectacular piece of shredding in the solo. Frantically fast and brutal. As good as you’re likely to hear anywhere.
Ride the Storm another punchy, flowing song with another huge chorus amongst the big riffs and flying lead work.
The other four tracks are equally strong and positive. In particular Gimme Your Love as it steamrolls along and the big closer featuring the booming riff and rumbling bass of The Best is Yet to Come.
Alas if only that was a prophetic title as that unfortunately wouldn’t be the case for Maineeaxe and there wouldn’t really be much to come, never mind the best.
A high profile slot supporting Magnum didn’t seemingly give them much of a push forwards. There would be a third album of sorts. A six track extended EP titled the Hour of Thunder in 1985 then that was it for Maineeaxe.
As with Shout it Out, I was able to get my hands on that CD and also Going for Gold after seeing them available in limited numbers from Sonic Age Records. Both CDs were from the Brazil based Classic Metal label.
As I type, both Shout it Out and Going for Gold are shown as available there: https://classicmetal.com.br/
The Going for Gold CD has the Hour of Thunder mini-album as bonus tracks. If you can’t grab the CD the digital version (including the Hour of Thunder tracks) is on Amazon Music here:
https://amzn.to/3IPv6Gc
Mark down Maineeaxe as yet another NWOBHM-era band who most certainly had the talent if not the breaks. Both Going for Gold and Shout it Out more than worthy efforts.