Wolfsbane – Live fast, die fast (full album) 1989

Formed in 1984, the Wolfsbane gained recognition by signing a contract with Rick Rubin’s Def American.
The boys came to their debut album in 1989, under the guidance of Rubin, with “Live Fast, Die Fast”, an album that earned them a first response and the opportunity to open for Iron Maiden in their “No Prayer On the Road Tour” of 1990.
This first album is a great concentrate of raw heavy, dirty and bad, with evident NWOBHM derivations and multiple inspirations (Motorhead / Tank).
Poised between heavy and hard rock, “Live Fast, Die Fast” is pleasant and easy to grasp; the final card played by the band was all in the interpretation of Blaze Bayley, a good vocalist able to immerse himself perfectly in the aggressive role required by the songs, with a dark and virile tone.
The album is more than valid, thanks to Jason Edwards’ inspired and torrential guitar solos (check out “Greasy”), the excellent interpretation of Bayley and the solid and earthquake work of Jeff Hateley and Steve Ellett (who does not disdain the repeated use of the double pedal often giving homicidal speed to the songs).
The three opening songs, with the very fast and violent “Man Hunt”, the more bluesy and cadenced “Shakin'” and “Killing Machine” playing in full heavy territory, are enough to get a clearer idea of the value of the group; songs like “Money to Burn”, “I Like It Hot”, “Greasy” and “Pretty Baby”, show instead the more hard rock side of the proposal, with very worthy results.
There is also room for a ballad in progression like “Tears from a Fool”, built in a diligent and credible and absolutely enjoyable way.
In short, the Wolfsbane debut is a good and honest English hard’n’heavy well done and solidly executed.
Wolfsbane later released a second and third album of equally good workmanship, but the group failed to take off as it deserved.
The loss of the contract with Def American and the transition to smaller labels, definitively cut off any possibility of growth for the band, and when Blaze Bayley was chosen as the successor of Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden, the group had only to disband.
“Live Fast, Die Fast” is a record that is more than dignified and could make the happiness of those who do not ask for particular intellectual complexity or depth in metal, but sweat, attitude, fun, anger and desire for redemption.

00:00 Man hunt
02:58 Shakin’
06:35 Killing machine
09:30 Fell out of Heaven
12:33 Money to burn
16:22 Greasy
19:39 I like it hot
22:58 All or nothing
24:59 Tears from a fool
30:11 Pretty baby

Blaze Bayley – Vocals
Jason Edwards – Guitar
Jeff Hately – Bass
Steve Ellet – Drums

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