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220 VOLT - 220 VOLT (1983) (Review by: Per-Ola Nilsson)

220 Volt is one in a trio of swedish bands (the other two being Maninnya Blade and Crystal Pride) that debuted with a fantastic 7" and then put out an LP that couldn't match the single neither in terms of songwriting nor heaviness. However, 220 Volt by far did the best LP out of the three.

Bad things first, right? First off, 220 Volt changed vocalist from Christer Åsell to Joakim Lundholm for this release. Lundholm is clearly the technically superior of the two, but Åsell was a thousand times rawer. Also the overall sound is totally different. Instead of the untamed basement heavy metal sound of the 7", the LP presents an american-oriented hard rock sound.

Good things are that the guys never whimp out. Throughout the album they keep it heavy and serious, and they also have a bunch of great songs up their sleeves. Speedballs like "Child of the Night" and "Woman in White" and mid tempo riffers like "Lonely Nights" or "Stop and Look Back" are real nice treats any day of the week. And of course no production and no whimp ass vocalist in the world could ever disguise what a killer song "Prisoner of War" is. It is still pure heaven.

I am happy that 220 Volt took the chance to deliver a slab of real quality before they gradually whimped out and thus got more and more boring with each release. Although this album can't live up to the metallic potential of the first single, it is still a must have, and scores as one of the ten best LP:s ever made by a swedish band.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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220 VOLT - 220 VOLT (1983) (Review by: Per-Ola Nilsson)

I could sum this review up very fast if I wanted to; cause this is the best single ever released in Sweden, and as far as I am concerned, also the entire world. There aren't words to describe the sheer divinity that was forged into these seven inches of vinyl.

"Prisoner of War" on the a-side does not waste any time. It is pure, devastating energy from the very first second to the last, with incredible riffing, thundering drum rhythms, an anthemic chorus, and Christer Åsell's raw voice fits in like hands into gloves of metal. Three minutes of perfection - and one of the best songs I have ever heard. Totally destroys the (still great) Joakim Lundholm-sung version on their debut LP.

"Sauron" is almost as godly as the a-side. It starts out slow and haunting, and eventually builds up to an intense climax. And of course it is completely out of this world, from the very first tone down to the last "Sauron is heeeeeere!".

This the godliest of all 7"'s was pressed in 500 copies and is very rare today. However, it was bootlegged by NWOSHM in the late 90's, and the tracks can also be found on the "Lethal Illusion" CD.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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