White Hot is the debut album from Nerve Star. And it’s one of the most crushingly heavy albums you’ll hear.
The booklet notes state that they play a blend of hard rock, heavy metal, NWOBHM and some punk with the aim of an album of unrelenting riffs, big drums, thumping bass and loud guitars all over the place.
Let me tell you – the album fully meets that description and more.
I bought it on spec after hearing about the New Wave of British Heavy metal influences and also because the very great Tony Bourge guests on the cover of Richard III – Nerve Star’s version of the track from the Tredegar album, the band Tony formed after leaving Budgie.
He’s one of my favourite guitarists and one that can crank out a riff more than most. Especially during the Budgie years. For example In the Grip of a Tyre Fitter’s Hand, Sky High Percentage, Breadfan and many more.
White Hot grabs form the first riff and does not let up until the final riff had dissipated.
Hell on Wheels starts with a seven and a half minute chunk of relentless power and changing pace. The riffs and solos are relentless. Cutting, ripping, chugging and slashing away. Rip-snorting solos everywhere. Those aforementioned big drums and thumping bass making for a huge wall sound. Add in the monster vocals too and it’s a wild ride from the off.
Black Ice, Say it to My Face and Winner Takes All each similarly blistering.
The brief instrumental interlude of Cool, Calm and Collected gives a slight breather until the magnificent aural assault continues with the three minute spitting hard hitters of Black Jack and Hard Rain Fallin’ slam in.
Space Ritual is next and it’s magnificent. One of the most cutting riffs anywhere in the first section which comes in as a bit trippy and hypnotic, sort of a very heavy Hawkwind, then breaks in to a speedy section of breakneck pace, solos from all angles and the constant pounding drums and bass before calming down a bit in the end section. Check it out:
The following songs are all done deal bangers then comes that cover of Tredegar’s Richard III with Tony Bourge. Much heavier that the original (which is heavy enough). Bourge and the two Nerve Star guitarists blazing away furiously.
I think it was the then Sounds journalist Geoff Barton who said around 1980 that Diamond Head way back had more good riffs in the average single song than there are in the first four Black Sabbath albums”.
With White Hot, Nerve Star have a debut album with more riffs in any one one song on White Hot than Black Sabbath had in any one album. It’s that good.
>> NERVE STAR WHITE HOT ON AMAZON <<
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