Endlich Feierabend after a long fuckin' day and I listen to this unique record by a band from Ontario where I think not many of you know something about them. Well, in February 1979, Strobic Axe came out of the basement. Michael Bell (vox), John Crown (drums), Rick Kemp (bass) and Alex Stangl (guitar) played a raucous set of original songs, peppered with just enough Cheap Trick and David Bowie to mesmerize a captive audience at an assembly in the school gymnasium. The boys were hooked. From that gig until their last in December of 1981 the band played the bars and outdoor summer festivals of Southern Ontario. In February 1981, managed by Rob Franke, they released their only full length titled Hör Einmal Zu!. Weird why they chose a German title for their record and I don't know the details, maybe the label is a German one, Ilse Platter, maybe the influence of mananger Rob was the reason, in the end anyway. Fact is, 'Hör Einmal Zu!' is a solid rock punk album with variety and not typical for what I know from Canada. Eleven interesting classics on it, plus one live goodie which shows the wild & rough site of the boys. In 1981 came to a close, the band played one last midnight dance in Hastings/Ontario to a packed pavilion. Drugs, underage drinking, unrestrained egos and manic-depressive illness were shutting down the dream, whatever it was, the Strobic Axe story was over. So enjoy now thirty-eight minutes of rare pure 80's sound from the maple country.
I played guitar in Strobic Axe - wrote the songs - 36 years later I sit by my kitchen window drinking coffee and wondering about it all - thanks - ~AS~
ReplyDeleteHi AS, welcome to this little place by friendly & honest people. Hope you're feeling good and some days I feel like you and sometimes it's not good...
Deletebut that's another story.. Cheers!