While the NWOBHM gets a lot of attention (and rightly so) there was a scene happening simultaneously in Germany that would have an enormous impact in formulating the shape of heavy metal in the 1980’s. Bands such as Accept, Grave Digger and Sinner would bring a hard, yet melodic, bent to the genre and send it spiralling towards uncharted heights. Formed in Stuttgart in 1980, Sinner were the very epitome of this new breed, and defined the coming decade with aggression and panache. The four albums they recorded for Noise Records get collected as Born To Rock: The Noise Years 1984-1987, a set that illustrates why Sinner were (and remain) an unstoppable force.
Disc One: Danger Zone (1984)
Back in the day, Noise Records was like a seal of quality. If you saw their name on a release then you know you could spend your pocket money with impunity; it was a safe bet that the music inside would be a kick ass affair, and that was the certainly the case with Sinner’s third album (and their first for Noise), Danger Zone. The windswept title-track that opens the record was the perfect statement of intent, and it’s the musical equivalent of a wild pillion ride that takes the bends at knee-scraping speed, so I suggest you hang on tightly and enjoy the ride. When Sinner opened the throttle on cuts such as ‘Fast, Hard & Loud’ they captured that moment in time when metal was morphing into thrash, and you feel they could have had a lengthy career in that field, had they chose that path. But, Sinner were about so much more, and Danger Zone paints a complete picture with the smouldering ‘No Place In Heaven’, a spine-tingling ‘The Shiver’, and the balls-to-the-wall metal of ‘Razor Blade’. There’s not an ounce of fat on this album; the drums beat a tight rhythm, the riffs march in lockstep, the solos are short and succinct while Mat Sinner sings with his trademark whiskey-croak, all of which makes Danger Zone not only a classic of ‘80s metal, but of all time.
Disc Two: Touch Of Sin (1985)
Touch Of Sin followed hot on the heels of Danger Zone, and it sounds as if Sinner never missed a beat. Opening with the track that gives this collection its name, ‘Born To Rock’ is an anthemic number that’s indicative of the direction Sinner would take on this record. For this album Herman Frank of Accept (who played on their classic Balls To The Wall opus) had joined on guitar, and therefore it is no surprise that Touch Of Sin is a riff orientated affair, with cuts like ‘Shout’ racing along with an Iron Maiden-type gallop. What is surprising is the more commercial direction this record has taken (especially with Frank on board) and whereas Danger Zone was a timeless affair, this album sounds rooted in 1985. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it was the golden age of metal after all, and there’s plenty to admire, especially when the band throw off the shackles on ‘Too Late To Run Away’. However, even before the needle hits the groove, generic song titles such as ‘Emerald’ and ‘Out Of Control’ give an indication of the sound contained within, and they pretty much live up to their titles: the female squeals found on ‘Masquerade’ might have been cool in the ‘80s, but today they seem slightly embarrassing. Following the near-perfect Danger Zone, Touch Of Sin had a lot to live up to, and while it made a good fist of it, overall it sounds rushed, and subsequently, falls a tad short.
Disc Three: Comin’ Out Fighting (1986)
With their Germanic work ethic, Sinner released their third album in as many years, and it continued their shift into more commercial territory. It was at this time that label mates (the aforementioned) Grave Digger took a similar turn; maybe they were tapping into the prevailing zeitgeist or maybe it was pressure from their label (I’m guessing the latter) but for both bands it was a disastrous pivot. Chris Tsangarides’ (Anvil, Priest, Sabbath) production is a major disappointment and Comin’ Out Fighting sounds light and airy with no punch in the drums at all, and songs such as ‘Faster Than Light’ and ‘Germany Rocks’ fail to deliver the requisite rock action. Sinner’s version of Billy Idol’s ‘Rebel Yell’ is a facsimile and the band fail to imprint their personality on the song, and includes Mat singing in a faux English accent, and you feel if he’d tackled it in his native tongue the outcome would have been far superior. It’s only ‘Playing With Fire’ that raises its head above the parapet, but unlike its predecessors it brings nothing new to the table and the overarching feel is of a workmanlike performance. However, for all its shortcomings Comin’ Out Fighting is put together with conviction, and if you’re a fan of ‘80s glam, then this album will certainly make you nostalgic for that era.
Disc Four: Dangerous Charm (1987)
The creative journey upon which Sinner were travelling found Dangerous Charm skidding past glam metal and landing in firmly in AOR territory. Opening cut ‘Concrete Jungle’ is a synth driven track, and it has the type of buoyant beat you’d expect to find on a Pat Benatar or Journey song. Fans of early Sinner might find this new direction hard to handle; the darker ethos of Danger Zone has been replaced by a radio friendly sound, it is bright and breezy, and it seems as if the whole band are high on Prozac. There’s still room for the odd gnarly guitar solo but when taken out of a hard rock/heavy metal context it doesn’t have the same punch. ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’ is a power ballad, but without the “power” while the female vocalist on ‘Nobody Rocks Like You’ gives it a Bryan Adams-meets-Tina Turner vibe, which is all well and good, but metal it ain’t. Sinner’s stylistic shift was about as popular as new Pepsi and went down like the proverbial lead balloon, and its poor performance found them jettisoned by Noise Records and cast into the wilderness for five years.
It’s a shame that this collection has to end on the bum note that is Dangerous Charm, but Sinner are still very much a going concern and have been righting a few wrongs with their recent releases. But, if you want to experience the band at their blazing best, it’s all here in the first three discs of Born To Rock: The Noise Years.
- Born To Rock: The Noise Years 1984-1987 is released via Cherry Red Records/Dissonance Productions on 28th April 2023.
Track List:
Disc One: Danger Zone (1984)
1. Danger Zone
2. No Place In Heaven
3. Scene Of A Crime
4. Lupo Manaro
5. Fast, Hard & Loud
6. The Shiver
7. Razor Blade
8. Shadow In The Night
9. Wild Wings
10. Rattlesnake
11. Danger II
Disc Two: Touch Of Sin (1985)
1. Born To Rock
2. Emerald
3. Bad Girl
4. Shout
5. The Storm Broke Loose
6. Out Of Control
7. Too Late To Run Away
8. Hand Of Fate
9. Masquerade
10. Open Arms
Bonus Tracks:
11. Fast Decision*
12. Knife In My Heart*
13. Out Of Control (Heavy Extended Version)**
14. Born To Rock (Extended Version)***
15. No Place In Heaven (Extended Version)***
* 1994 CD Reissue Bonus Tracks
** ‘Out of Control’ 12” Track
*** ‘Born To Rock’ 12” Tracks
Disc Three: Comin’ Out Fighting (1986)
1. Hypnotised
2. Faster Than Light
3. Comin’ Out Fighting
4. Age Of Rock
5. Rebel Yell
6. Lost In A Minute
7. Don’t Tell Me ( That The Love Is Gone)
8. Germany Rocks
9. Playing With Fire
10. Madhouse
Disc Four: Dangerous Charm (1987)
1. Concrete Jungle
2. Knife In My Heart
3. Dangerous Charm
4. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
5. Nobody Rocks Like You
6. Tomorrow Doesn’t Matter Tonight
7. Fight The Fight
8. Back In My Arms
9. Gipsy
10. Desperate Heart
Bonus Track:
11. Last Dance*
* 1994 CD Reissue Bonus Track
