In some ways, Slander is band without a time. Formed in 1990, they self-released this album initially in 1991, and now they’re re-releasing it with bonus material twenty years later, thanks to Stormspell Records. But yet, then and now, they sound like 1982, like some long-buried NWOBHM outfit, unearthed and re-presented to the world. And the latter two of those it is, of course, but not the first part, save the bit about being “long-buried”…
This version of Careless Talk Costs Lives is a two-disc effort – the original album is presented on the first disc, and the second consists of re-recordings of some of those older songs, alongside some newer tunes and / or songs that didn’t make the initial release. Not all of the original Careless Talk made the re-recording cut, but most of it did – eight of its twelve tunes are reprised, with “Shadow In The Night” and “Lay Down The Law” renamed to “Shadows” and “This Time You Lose,” respectively.
“Fighting Talk” opens both discs, by far the band’s best tune and the first of many dead ringers for some overlooked NWOBHM act like Savage or Witchfynde, all riffs and youthful exuberance and street-level swagger topped with an instantly sing-along chorus. Steve Slater’s vocals inhabit a warm midrange, but it’s the catchy melodies and Andy Lamb’s riffs that really push the tunes forward. Although nothing is anything short of competent, all told, in true second-tier NWOBHM spirit, no one in Slander is a musical wizard – they just did what they did, rocked hard, and wrote some good tunes. And that’s enough for me.
Aside from the initial pleasant surprise of a previously unheard damn-good band, once the blueprint is set, little of Careless Talk deviates from that galloping riff / barroom swagger / punk speed / melodic vocal template that characterized the movement. The closest Slander comes to a ballad is the opening of “Passion Crime,” which quickly shifts to mid-tempo and then a step further. (A similar shifting pace approach is put to better use in “No Road Back.”) The eight tracks that appear on both discs are clearly the band’s best — with other highlights in “On The Run,” “Colour Of Your Money,” and the fist-pumping “Lay Down The Law” — but none of them save “Fighting Talk” are outright classics. Nothing on hand challenges the top acts of the day (the original day, before Slander‘s day) — you will find no “Phantom Of The Opera” or “Let It Loose” or “Saturday Night (High N Dry)” — but Careless Talk certainly deserved better than the obscurity into which it slipped.
For the obvious reasons, the second disc, the newer material, sounds more modern, although it’s not exactly slick. Truthfully, some of Careless Talk’s best cuts lose the earlier fiery enthusiasm in the transition – most notably, “Fighting Talk” is preferable in its earlier form – although the majority benefit from the update, if only in the thickened tones and stouter feel. But still, on “Fighting Talk” in its first incarnation, there’s a crisp, dry, dated sound that fits the style / influence, one that I can’t shake and find myself missing when I spin the updated track…
So after all these words, what you’re really wondering is, “Should I pick up a copy of Careless Talk Costs Lives or not?” and the answer is “yes.” I suppose I could’ve gotten to that sooner, but what the hell, better late than never, which is sort of Slander’s credo, if you think about it. Though they missed their time by a full decade, and they’re getting a second chance two further decades after that decade-late debut, Slander fits snugly alongside bands like Tokyo Blade and Jameson Raid (another recently unearthed and compiled gem) as an unsung nugget from the seemingly never-ending motherlode of British metal…
And if you’re like me and you can’t get enough quality NWOBHM, then yes, you should check ‘em out. Get it in time for their next album, which should arrive sometime around 2022…
