The Obscure NWOBHM Releases crew have pulled another one out of the hat with Welsh rockers Tok-Io Rose from the 1980s and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal heydays.
The band came from Cardiff and came up with the name change to Tok-Io Rose after a legal issue from a band with a very similar name.
They worked hard around their local area building up a following making the decision to head to London in the hopes of bagging a recording contract.
That was helped to some extent by the release of a self-financed double A-side single comprising of Bad Girls and Desperate Situation.
An offer was made from a small label however the band opted to wait to try to land a bigger fish. That didn’t happen and Tok-Io Rose sort of faded away.
Now, thanks to Obscure NWOBHM Releases we can enjoy what the band had to offer. As usual with the label, it’s a limited edition CD of just 600. A dozen tracks in total which consist of the aforementioned single and various demos.
The single kicks it off. Bad Girls being fast and furious hard hitter typical of the NWOBHM scene at the time. Desperate Situation is a bit milder perhaps though no back number. I’m in Love and Winters Tale bounce along nicely too.
Then there’s a definite change of style away from the harder edged stuff in to more what could be called 1980s style melodic rockers with the introduction and use of keys to swell out the sound.
Cuts such as Follow You, Julie-Anne and Doesn’t Matter do feature some tasty guitar work and memorable hooks and harmonies and are enjoyable enough, though for me they miss that bit of extra bite.
Perhaps writing such songs in this style was a conscious decision from the band to go down a more commercial route in the hope of attracting that elusive recording contract form a big label.
The closer here – Whispered Anticipation – is a monster of a song. A simple, powerful, cutting riff with soaring vocals, the atmospheric keys in the background, thumping bass line and a tight solo. Very much reminiscent of early 1980s Uriah Heep. Would have fitted right in on Abominog. Have a listen:
Whilst things didn’t work out for Tok-Io Rose back in the NWOBHM days it can’t have been for want of trying. And it’s always good to rediscover such bands from back then thanks to the efforts of the likes of Obscure NWOBHM Releases who keep on finding them.
As mentioned, this a limited edition run of just 600 CDs. I bagged mine from the label’s web site. As I type this review on 22 January 2022 it is showing as available from there and also Sonic Age Records. Links below if you’d like to check out Tok-Io Rose for yourself.
Obscure NWOBHM Release: https://onreleases.bigcartel.com
Sonic Age Records: https://www.sonicagerecords.com/