Buzzard
Gambler
Titled Gambler, BUZZARDs first - and sadly, only - album is a poignant snapshot of heavy metal in 1984. Reprising three re-recorded songs from the preceding demo, Gambler bursts and bristles with a youthful energy thats almost naïve, but endearingly and charmingly so. For BUZZARD were simply a HEAVY METAL band - not strictly speed metal, although they had their share of juiced-up rockers, nor did they have the pout & strut of so much hard rock-leaning metal of the time, and they definitely werent thrash, still very much in its nascent days - and one that nodded to both England and Germany, but never too often nor for too long. The albums first two tracks perhaps spell it out best: "Stone-Hard and Loud" and "We Are Heavy Rockers," as perfect of an opening combo as there is for the time. And the rest of the record is absolutely spellbinding in its verve and vivacity, with the recording just on the right side of rough.