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Description Check exclusive video showing the LP for sale! Check exclusive video showing the LP for sale! Kick Axe is a Canadian heavy metal band from Regina, Saskatchewan. Influenced by rambunctious arena rock from the 1970s and early 1980s, the group is perhaps best known for their 1984 album Vices, praised by publications such as AllMusic for its “down-and-dirty guitar riffs” and managing to crack the American market. The band achieved moderate commercial success in the mid-1980s on the strength of the singles “Heavy Metal Shuffle”, “On the Road to Rock”, “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “Rock the World”. Following the release of their 1986 album Rock the World, (an album that combines the rawness of their debut LP with the commercial touch of their follow up, but manages to have a harder edge) Kick Axe disbanded and remained on hiatus for many years. Kick Axe – Rock The World Label: Mercenary Records – MER 2103 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo Country: US Released: 1987 Style: Hard Rock A1 Rock The World 4:06 CHECK VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geWbnze6Bwg A2 The Chain 4:33 CHECK AUDIO: Kick Axe – Rock The World – 02 – The Chain Great cover Fleetwood Mac (Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band) [the original was Written-By – McVie*, Buckingham*, Fleetwood*, Nicks*] A3 Red Line 3:04 CHECK AUDIO: Kick Axe – Rock The World – 03 – Red Line A4 Devachan 5:08 A5 Warrior 4:44 B1 We Still Remember 5:46 B2 Great Escape 3:14 CHECK AUDIO: Kick Axe – Rock The World – 07 – Great Escape B3 Medusa 4:26 B4 The Dark Crusade 4:42 B5 Magic Man 5:25 Comes w/ insert. Runout is etched “Pressed by” is denoted in the runout Matrix / Runout (Runout side A): MER2103 – A DM.. HUB Matrix / Runout (Runout side B): MER210 ̷3̷ 3- B DM HUB The core of the Regina group formed in 1976 when guitarist Larry Gillstrom [R.I.P August 4th 2025 of cancer], vocalist/bassist Victor Langen and his brother Gary on drums. The trio played the area circuit, mostly doing covers of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin until they decided their careers might be bettered if they moved to BC. Unwilling to make the move, Gary Langen was replaced on drums by Gillstrom’s younger brother Brian. Along with new second guitarist Raymond Arthur Harvey, the group hit the Vancouver area with a hard fervor. Disappointed at BC’s lack of a decent football club also, they decided however to make the most of the situation by honing their chops in the local bars, where they’d make their home for the next year or so. In early ’79, the group went into Sculptures and Sound Recording Studios and cut a demo. Though several tracks were taped, it was soon decided the group still lacked something, and the tapes were scrapped. The result was the recruitment of singer Charles McNary in ’81. To this day those early recording sessions have never been released. Though the band was unsigned, they definitely were attracting a cult following. A music poll by Playboy magazine even had the band’s independent single, “Reality Is The Nightmare” included in the magazine’s promotional record, PLAYBOY – STREET ROCK. By 1981 McNary was insecure of the band’s future and decided to call it quits. It was nearly two years and over 200 audition tapes later before Kick Axe would settle on a new singer. Wisconsin-born George Criston was added, bringing them back to five. The addition of a new singer however did not change the group’s attitude towards music. Though off the circuit for two years, Kick Axe still had a reputation as one of the best unsigned bands on the scene, bristling with energy and vigor. The group hooked up with Spencer Proffer, most notable for his work with Quiet Riot’s first record available outside Japan, METAL HEALTH. The meeting resulted in Kick Axe being signed to Pasha Records in the States, with Epic handling Canadian distribution. They released VICES in 1984 and backed by the success of thelead off single, “On The Road To Rock” quickly began touring North America, supporting Whitesnake, Quiet Riot and Judas Priest. The second release, “Heavy Metal Shuffle” quickly picked up where the first single left off … blazing riffs backed by a tight beat, highlighted by Cricton’s searing vocals. An underground fave before, Kick Axe was garnering radio play on both sides of the border and was building a true metal following. The band’s third single from their debut was a cover of Humble Pie’s “Thirty Days In The Hole”, and wound up on the soundtrack to the film “Up The Creek”. Following an extended tour, Kick Axe returned to the studios to record WELCOME TO THE CLUB. A definite maturity was already forming in the band’s writing, as well as their choice of covers. Their remake of The Beatles’ “A Little Help From My Friends” was a Canadian who’s who. The inclusion of Rik Emmett, Lee Aaron, Sheron Alton of Toronto and Alfie Zappacosta helped make it one of the year’s sleeper hits. “Comin’ After You” and “Feels Good Don’t Stop” epitomized the Kick Axe sound, party anthems with clever hooks, along with the rip yer face off style of numbers like “Hellraisers” helped push the band’s notoriety. Somewhere in the shuffle though the band’s maturity was being conceived as ‘wimping out’. Though WTTC was by no means a ‘pussy-metal’ record, the band’s softening turned the fans of the harder-edge of VICES off, but turned them on to a new legion of more sophisticated fan. The group found itself on the TRANSFORMERS movie soundtrack the following year, under the name of Spectre General on management’s advice. Following the ensuing tour for THE CLUB, personal conflicts caught up with Harvey, causing his departure. Hearing the cries of the metal-heads, the band forged on as a foursome and cut ROCK THE WORLD in 1987. Though packed with the punch of VICES, it still showed a growth in writing. Following a brief tour, the band called it quits. It wasn’t long however before the members were resurfacing in assorted projects for nearly the next two decades. Larry Gilstrom first formed Giant with original drummer Gary Langen, and after a barely a year of mediocre success, hooked up with brother Brian to form Lion’s Gate until the early 00’s. Criston meanwhile had formed Paradise. After a few years, he left and resurfaced in ’95 with Harvey on a heavy blues record called NATURAL PROGRESSION, under the name Criston/Harvey. Though laden with intricate acoustic blues, the layered harmonies are pure Kick Axe. Buy this too: KICK AXE: IV [Still factory sealed. Mint condition] CD. Hard Rock / Traditional Metal Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Bad Company. Though Kick Axe had the power of the Matrix on their side, it could not conjure up sales without support from Epic, the record label. With only one music video and no real marketing plan, Welcome to the Club fizzled out in sales. This resulted in three major changes. First, the band were dropped by Epic, though still signed to CBS in Canada. This resulted in an end with their relationship with producer Spencer Proffer. Guitarist Raymond Harvey quit, eventually joining up with Bob Rock and Paul Hyde in Rock & Hyde. Kick Axe decided to carry on, but as a four piece with guitarist Larry Gillstrom handling all the six strings himself. Without big label money, the quartet produced and mixed their third album alone. The record, initially titled Fuck the World, is bassist Victor Langen’s favourite to this day. Ultimately, the album called Rock the World was met with split opinions among fans. Lead single “Rock the World” opened the album with an intense blast of guitars, drums and bass. On the verge of thrash, Kick Axe had obviously abandoned the overtly commercial tone of their last LP. First comes the guitar histrionics, then a blast of stampeding drums, and a blitzkrieg bassline. Shrieking in peak form, singer George Criston and his perfect pipes maintain the melodic metal standard. Somewhere between Maiden and Motorhead lies “Rock the World”. Every Kick Axe album has a cover tune, and for this album they bravely selected Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”. Though the album generally suffers from a stuffy, echoing sound (due to the low budget production), “The Chain” manages to make that work to its advantage. It adds to the ominous, foggy tone. Kick Axe still play “The Chain” live today. Finally going for that good-time rock and roll sound that they were founded on, it’s time for the “Red Line”. This track proves that Kick Axe could write quality, catchy hard rock classics without Spencer Proffer or Randy Bishop’s help. Then it’s the ambitious “Devachan”, a Maiden-esque volley of fire with multiple riffs and tempos. It’s a very busy song, far more advanced than you’d expect. It’s highly unlikely Spencer Proffer would have let them release a track this far left of mainstream rock. With the band in control they were able to explore more epic arrangements like “Devachan”. The side one closer is a track called “Warrior”, with Criston’s steely vocals leading the battle cry. Its deliberate stomp is similar to a much later Rainbow song called “Hunting Humans”. “We Still Remember” leaves smoking ruins in its wake on side two. It seems like Kick Axe were aiming for something more than just melodic heavy metal. There are intricate bass parts, well written solos, thoughtful lyrics and complex changes. Cookie-cutter metal, this is not. It’s intelligent rock, the kind that fans of the genre take pride in owning. And then, “the chase is on”, it’s “The Great Escape”. This hurried rocker borders again on Iron Maiden, but things go slower for “Medusa”. A rolling bass riff is the main feature for this slightly progressive composition, perhaps a bit too highbrow. “The Dark Crusade” is, appropriately, more metal. The beat, courtesy of Brian Gillstrom, is Priest-like circa Defenders of the Faith. It’s a sound representative of the era. Meanwhile George Criston takes the vocals to near-operatic levels. A clever bass-led song called “Magic Man” ends the album with an atmospheric tone, and George Criston even ends it with some Ian Gillan screams a-la “Child In Time”. As the final album in the original Kick Axe triumvirate, Rock the World delivers on a lot of promise. Most bands tended to go more commercial album to album in the 1980s. Kick Axe were able to unlock some serious heavy metal ideas, combining them into something a little more original. It is the best thing they could have produced by themselves at the time, and probably the most pure. Rock the World is an indulgent Kick Axe album, just going for it, and fuck the world! 5/5 stars
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