Helix - Walkin' The Razors Edge - 1984 gdmonline.info

After an industrious 1983 which saw Canadians Helix debut for their major label Capitol, the band returned refreshed and ready to rumble the next year for the second album ‘Walkin’ The Razors Edge’.

Written by: gdmonline

ARTIST: Helix
ALBUM: Walkin’ The Razors Edge
LABEL: Capitol
SERIAL: ST-12362
YEAR: 1984
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada

LINEUP: Brian Vollmer – vocals * Paul Hackman – guitars * Brent Doerner – guitars * Daryl Gray – bass * Greg Hinz – drums

TRACK LISTING: 01 Rock You * 02 Young And Wreckless * 03 Animal House * 04 Feel The Fire * 05 When The Hammer Falls * 06 Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ * 07 My Kind Of Rock * 08 (Make Me Do) Anything You Want * 09 Six Strings, Nine Lives * 10 You Keep Me Rockin’

WEBLINKS: Site Link

Table of Contents

Background

Helix’s personnel would remain intact for the next few years, enabling them to settle in and enjoy the proceeds of life as an international major label touring band. This album was bigger and better than the previous ‘No Rest For The Wicked’, and amplified their good time party vibe to an altogether greater level.

The Songs

The band continue their knack for presenting songs containing anthemic chant-a-long choruses, twin guitar antics and a solid rhythm section. Best remembered songs here include ‘Rock You’, ‘Make Me Do Anything You Want’ and the cover of ‘Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’, for which videos were released.

The latter track had a GA video release, plus the band had a near X rated video for the same track, where most/all the girls were topless. It is understood that 80’s porn legend Traci Lords was also in the video. Woah!

Elsewhere, you can’t go wrong with tracks like ‘Young And Wreckless’, the fantastic ‘Animal House’, with riffs coming straight off their two pre Capitol LP’s, plus the tuneful melodic rock of tunes such as ‘When The Hammer Falls’, ‘My Kind Of Rock’ and the melodious closer ‘You Keep Me Rockin’.

In Summary

Helix would go out on tour with Rush, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, Girlschool, Motorhead and Mercyful Fate.. an interesting collection of acts, I doubt many of them were totally suited or matched, but what the hey!

Not surprisingly, ‘Walkin..’ would eventually go platinum in their homeland Canada, though I’m not entirely sure what sales figures actually represent ‘platinum’ in that country.

The album has recently seen a CD re-release through Rock Candy Records during early 2009, a celebration of a band at their musical peak during those mad dash days of the MTV era. The re-release includes three bonus tracks from a live performance at London’s Marquee Club.