Ross first founded the band Blitzkrieg at the end of 1980, when he joined another band by the name of Split Image. Almost from the outset, Ross went about convincing the other band members - guitarists Jim Sirotto and Ian Jones, bassist Steve English, and drummer Steve Abbey - to ramp up their music and head in a more metallic direction, one that had gained a foothold over the past 18 months in the UK. Within weeks of this decision, the newly christened Blitzkrieg had already recorded a three-song demo tape that instantly attracted the attention of independent label Neat Records, who immediately included the track "Inferno" in their ‘Lead Weight’ titled compilation album. A deal was simultaneously struck for the release of a single containing the remaining two tracks, and the result was 1981's "Buried Alive," whose B-side - a rather loose reworking of the song "Hocus Pocus" by the band Focus, and go ahead and listen to the two songs together, you’ll hear that riff in both - would both bear their name “Blitzkrieg” and ultimately guarantee their lasting legacy. The single was a huge success, and by early 1981 Blitzkrieg had written enough new material to consider going into the studio and recording an album. Unfortunately there was already fractures beginning to appear in the band. Both Jones and English were soon shown the door, to be replaced by John Antcliffe and Mick Moore respectively. A second demo, the six-song “Blitzed Alive”, was recorded at a gig where they were supporting French band Trust, a demo that they hoped would help pave the way to recording their debut studio album. The trouble within the band could not be solved, and they soon dissolved without being able to take advantage of the popularity they had been able to create in their short time together. And that should have been the end of the short lived career of Blitzkrieg.
Then in 1984, Metallica released the first single from their sophomore album “Ride the Lightning” called “Creeping Death”. On the B-side of this single, they recorded two cover songs from their favourite bands of the NWOBHM age. The first was “Am I Evil?” a cover of the song by the band Diamond Head. The second was a cover of the song “Blitzkrieg”, which itself had been the B-side to Blitzkrieg’s only single release. Was it a coincidence, or a piece of very good fortune, that around this same time, Brian Ross had decided to reform Blitzkrieg and have a real shot at a second redemption? Legend has it that a very young and then unsigned Metallica had actually sent Ross a demo tape in the hope of being signed with Neat Records as he was doing some work for them at the time. Could this have been a quid-pro-quo? No matter what, Ross had been playing in other high-profile bands since Blitzkrieg’s demise, bands such as Satan, Avenger and Lone Wolf, and now had decided to try again with Blitzkrieg. Jim Sirotto and Mick Moore returned, while guitarist Mick Proctor who had been in Tygers of Pan Tang and drummer Sean Taylor who had been in Satan and Raven, came on board to complete the line up. Ross had had a standing invitation from Neat Records that if he could get a band together that they would release and album from the band. The majority of the material was still there waiting to be recorded, and so the newly reformed band entered the studio to record the album that should have been done four years earlier, and would be released in April of 1985 under the name of “A Time of Changes”.
The album opens with the moody and scene setting instrumental of “Ragnarok”, a nice interlude to lull you into the opening proper. It almost reminds of an 80’s version of the them music to the movie “Halloween” but obviously not as spooky or compelling, but fun all the same, before segueing into the opening track which comes with the band’s first demoed song “Inferno” that was included on the compilation album back in 1981. The solid rhythm holds the song together throughout, and there are moments when the song really comes to life. Ross’s vocals appear to be a little too far back into the mix compared to the original demo made by the band, and less energetic as well. Is that four years really such a period of time to affect this? In this regard, you need to compare it to the following track as well, as the song “Blitzkrieg” was also on that original demo tape. While the version of this song does appear closer in kind to the demo version, both re-recorded versions for this album appear less exacting and less energetic and real than those demos. It is the best example of how different this album may have been if it had been recorded back in 1981 when the band was really cooking, rather than four years later with a bits and pieces reformation of the band pretty much going into the studio cold to provide the versions for the album in this era. Both songs here are still really good and certainly I enjoy them, but the compromise of comparison does create a false reality in some places.
“Pull the Trigger” is in fact a song by Ross’s previous band Satan that he went to after the dissolution of Blitzkrieg. It is written by Stan guitarist Russ Tippins, who makes a guest appearance on this track. It didn’t feature on Satan’s debut album “Court in the Act” and thus gets a run here instead. This again is a mixture of some very good stuff, notably the guitar solo with Tippins involved, and some average parts. Again the rhythm is solid and steady, Mick Moore’s bass line outshines the rhythm guitar on this song, but the soling is excellent. This is followed by the other previously available song "Armageddon" from the “Blitzed Alive” demo. It goes through about three different time changes throughout the song. At one point it sounds like Ross wants to be Rob Halford and the song wants to be Judas Priest. Similarities end very quickly, but it is still one of their best songs here, a solid rhythm guitar riff giving Ros that ability to riff his vocals off it in a more favourable way than he perhaps has done on the earlier songs of the album. Moore’s basslines again show some great versatility. Both “Pull the Trigger” and “Armageddon” may have been improved by cutting the length of the tracks rather than driving out beyond the five minute mark, but in the case of “Armageddon” that desire to treat the listener to a progressive like track with all of the trimmings fills out the time well enough.
Side 2 of the album opens up with “Hell to Pay”, which utilises dubbed live crowd noise from a Queen concert, ala Dio's "King of Rock and Roll", to give it a faux live sound. The band really ups the tempo again, with the fast paced 2/4 timing and anthemic chorus and great guitar solos making this one of the best songs on the album. If there is one thing that the “Blitzed Alive” demo showed is that Blitzkrieg was an excellent live band back at the beginning of their career, and the way they structure this track actually proves that point again. "Vikings" acts as the power ballad of the album, perhaps more progressively than that as it does move from the quiet and moody into a stronger finish than a typical hair metal ballad would take. This is followed by the lengthy "A Time of Changes", one that again seems to crush three different songs into one, such are the changes in the flow of the song. I guess the title does somewhat give that away. It acts as a progressive attempt at mainstream metal like “Armageddon”, with the billowing changes in tempo and style trying to replicate a style that had been popular back when the band was first active. The album concludes with "Saviour" in a cacophony of crashing drums of squealing guitars. There is little doubt that this is the style of song that the band should have concentrated more heavily on. The tempo is back up at the right level, the energy output is fantastic, and the vocals and guitars combine to bring the album back to life in perfect style. It is a great way to finish the album, but also makes you wonder why there wasn’t more material like this before it.
I went down a rabbit hole just over two decades ago as I sit here recording this episode. I had come to a kind of ‘end of the line’ situation. Most of the bands that I had listened to for most of the previous two decades seemed to have run out of ideas with their music. And I was starved for variety. I was really looking for more than I had. So I utilised the internet, and I began to search far and wide for those albums and bands that I had heard of in the past, but had either never heard or could hardly find. And the bands of the NWOBHM were at the top of my list. And I found a lot of them. I made a list, and kept adding to it as I searched. And through various sources I was able to track down new listening for my waning attention span. One of those bands was Blitzkrieg. Yep, like you, I knew them from that Metallica single. Hell, the bands I was in with my mates in my late teens and early twenties used to PLAY “Blitzkrieg” the song. We loved it. And so, having researched the history of the band and then tracked down albums one by one, I got to finally find out more about them than just the fact that Metallica liked at least that original demo tape.
When I first got this album and listened to it quite a bit, I guess I get from it what most people have, and what you may also believe. For a start, the album was five years too late. It sounds like it was recorded in 1980, and of course the songs were all written a year after that, so they were already from that era. The chance for this album to lead to something more had already passed, because they sounded like another era. Compare the sound of these songs to the debut Iron Maiden and Def Leppard albums album. Yeah okay, there are some similarities there. But by the time this was released, Maiden had released “Powerslave” and Leppard had released “Pyromania”. THAT was where those bands had progressed to in that short space of time. By releasing this album at that time, Blitzkrieg were a long way behind the eight ball.
Away from all of those comparisons, this album just doesn’t quite match up to the era. And as I have mentioned, I was discovering this album already 20 years after it had been released. At that same time I was also discovering Venom’s “Welcome to Hell” and “Black Metal”, Holocaust’s “The Nightcomers” and Killing Joke’s debut album. They all shared similar aspects to their writing and recording. And each of them has some short fallings. And this wasn’t the only band that missed its shot at the time, and then recorded a debut later on far beyond when it should have come out. Sweet Savage’s “Killing Time” is another prime example. Add to this the problem that the new and improved versions of their songs, while still good versions here on this album, couldn't match the original versions that appeared on their demo tapes from the 1981 era.
Having had my CD copy of this album on again this week, I can report that it hasn’t been unpleasant. I still enjoy a lot of this album, even if there is always this nagging doubt in the back of my mind, wondering just what could have been done with this material with some updating and tweaking around the place. Brian Ross’s vocals stray at times, and while the guitars sound really good in sections, when tied to the rhythm they seem to not mix in well at all. Perhaps I’m being petty. Perhaps I am looking for something that isn’t there. To be fair, given that this band, which is still going, has had some 40 different people play in it over the years, perhaps the band is still searching for some of those things too.
In retrospect from the modern day looking back on an era that was just slightly before my time as a music lover and headbanger, I can still get the best out of this, but it is obvious that a trick was missed when the four years passed between the prime time for release and the actual time of release.
I have probably always wanted this to be more than it is, based solely on the first song I ever heard from the band all those years ago. I have no reservations in listening to this album still today, there are some great moments on it. And not everything can be a great album, can it? Sometimes you have to settle for something just being a reasonable album.
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