Not much appears to have been told about the origins of the English metal band, Grim Reaper. Though it's stated they started in 1979, by 1981, only Nick Bowcott remained. He would recruit Dave Wanklin on bass, Lee Harris on Drums, and Steve Grimmett on vocals, taking this lineup to a 1982 Battle Of The Bands, where they won first place against over a hundred other bands.
While the win came with studio time to record a demo, Grimmett, at the time, was also the unofficial lead singer for Chateaux, who were already signed to Darryl Johnston's Ebony Records. Grimmett handed them the demo, resulting in them getting signed to the label as well.
Their debut, See You In Hell would be released in 1983, firing up the Billboard 200 to peak at seventy-three. Despite this, the title track would go on to be ranked number thirty-eight on VH1's 40 Most Awesomely Bad Metal Songs Ever countdown.
Around this time, Lee Harris would be replaced by Adrian Jacques, who in turn would be replaced by Marc Simon in early 1985. Not much is stated in terms of why Harris left, but purportedly, Jacques departed to attend university.
Reaper's follow-up album, Fear No Evil, would be released in 1985, but fail to chart higher than their debut, stalling at one hundred eleven on the Billboard 200. Despite this, the band was starting to gain recognition for the guitar work of Bowcott, and distinct vocals of Grimmett. They'd embark on a successful world tour, which culminated in an appearance at Texxas Jam that year, performing before 20,000 attendees alongside Deep Purple, Scorpions, Night Ranger, Ted Nugent, Bon Jovi, and Victory.
Fear No Evil kicks off with the title track. Right away, I can hear a more polished production sound. The band had definitely learned a thing or two between their debut and sophomore albums.
While I want to say that in addition to the title track that Matter Of Time stood out. However, if I'm being honest, by this point in this post, which saw me reading more about their future history than actually paying attention, I don't honestly remember how that song went.
As a whole, Fear No Evil, the album, wasn't as engaging as their debut. Maybe this was simply because I literally jumped right into it, and the "something new" first impression had already worn off, but overall, I just wasn't hearing many catchy tunes. By the end of it, my thought was that it was just okay. Nothing bad nothing good, but also nothing memorable.
Though the band promptly returned to the studio to begin work on their third album, Rock You To Hell, it would not be a smooth release. Disputes over royalties would see them clashing with their label Ebony Records, and litigation would soon follow. All of that drama unfolds tomorrow.
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