654. Samson / Head On. 1980. 3.5/5

Samson are another of the great NWoBHM bands from the last 70's and early 80's who produced some terrific moments that seemed to shine bright for a short moment in time, before disappearing back into the mists of time, rarely to be heard of in wider circles again. Several reasons can be found for this, most of them similar to the other bands that were not fortunate enough to have the mega success of bands like Iron maiden and Def Leppard.

This is Samson's second album, and first with Bruce Dickinson on vocals (credited as Bruce Bruce in those days). The quartet of Dickinson, band leader and guitarist Paul Samson, Chris Aylmer on bass and Thunderstick on drums all perform terrifically here, as well as all contributing to the writing. According to an interview, most of the album was written in the first six days after Dickinson first joined the band.
The band was obviously not afraid to experiment with their sound on this album. Stylistically it differs throughout. The opener "Hard Times" and "Manwatcher" has a very Deep Purple feel about it, not through any use of a Hammond organ, but the melodic way the song is written, showcasing Paul Samson's guitar in particular.
Songs such as "Take It Like a Man" and "Take Me To Your Leader" are faster than the norm, driving along by a drumbeat that stays uptempo throughout the songs. This is balanced by the slower "Vice Versa", which is dominated by Bruce's powerful vocals which don't allow the tempo change to stop the progress of the album.
One of interesting moments is the song "Thunderburst", which is a reworking of Iron Maiden's "The Ides of March", which had not actually been recorded or released at the time this album was. The album closes with "Walking Out On You", which is full of interesting time changes and interchanging of the guitars and vocals, all pulled together by the drums again driving the song when required.

All in all this is an excellent album, even in the modern day. For the time, when so many bands were competing to be noticed and heard, this should perhaps have been a springboard to bigger and better things. Apparently management problems did much to hinder this occurring. Whatever the reason, this still stands up today as a very solid album from the era, with great songs and enough variety so that everyone can find something within it to enjoy.