ELISE – No Time For Masquerade ’90 [Metal AOR Records remaster +2 bonus], MP3+FLAC

ELISE were formed in 1980 as a traditional hard rock band in The Netherlands. After several demos, the group released their debut album ‘No Time For Masquerade‘ in 1990. As requested, here’s the pretty rare 2014 remastered reissue done by themselves via their own label ‘Metal AOR Records’, including previously unreleased songs as bonus.

‘No Time For Masquerade’ is a largely forgotten album, and for several reasons. First of which was the band only CD before disbanding and therefore not being around long enough to leave a clear mark. And secondly their album just came out a few years too late.
How’s that? Well, the kind of catchy hard rock / metal presented here is exactly the popular style in between Twisted Sister’s ‘Stay Hungry’ (1984), Vandenberg’s ‘Heading for a Storm’ (1983) and Heavy Pettin’s debut (1983) – add to that a strong NWOBHM vibe and a pinch of 1983 Def Leppard as well. However ‘No Time for Masquerade’ was released in 1990 when this type of hard rock with melody had evolved.
Anyway, ‘No Time for Masquerade’ is a pretty killer album with a 1985 style & sound, driving tunes such as ‘Play With Edges’, ‘Breaking Rules’, ‘Withchfinder’, Nightmare’, ‘Hell of a Fight’… you know, that sound from the mid-Eighties so magical, of mysterious appeal.

Also, some tracks are prety metallic, with sharp riffage. Just listen to ‘Seven Witches’ with its Ozzy Osbourne vibe as if being a missing link between Diary of a Madman and Bark at the Moon. Mostly because of the heavy metal mid-section.

If you never heard about ELISE, grab this album. The classic songwriting and the execution is damn flawless. The performances are tight and production, as said, very mid-Eighties – we love it!
Highly Recommended

 

01 – Cry For Mankind
02 – Hell Of A Fight
03 – Play With Edges
04 – No Time For Masquerade
05 – Lights
06 – Withchfinder
07 – Nightmare
08 – Breaking Rules
09 – Hiding
10 – Seven Witches
11 – Over
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – Come Back
13 – Careless Rat

Gerd Hento – vocals
Thomas Duiveman – guitar
Jannes Bloemert – guitar
Henk Van Mierlo – bass
Rieks Vogelzang – drums

MP3 FLAC