I seem to have a habit of inadvertently choosing back-to-back posts from the same record label. So, while we're on the topic of non-sucking records that bear the Metal Blade logo, here we go. I don't know shit about Cities, and there don't seem to be many people who do. They were from New York, their drummer was in Twisted Sister (big fuckin' deal), and they released one full-length LP ("Annihilation Absolute") of straightforward, thrashy power metal with catchy songwriting in 1986. The end. Seriously, that's about all I know. I think it was originally released in 1985 as a 12" EP by the Metal Masters label with only six songs, and then they re-recorded it for Metal Blade and added three more tracks (four more in Japan, of course—those lucky bastards).
The record was bootlegged on CD by the awesome Old Metal Records (run by King Fowley of Deceased notoriety) several years ago, but every pressing of this lost little nugget of classic heavy metal is now seriously out of print. For the record, I don't support bootlegging in most cases, but I'm sorry, if labels are gonna let awesome shit go out of print: Fuck 'em! You know what I mean? I could rant about that topic for weeks on end!
Anyway, you might not be into this unless you grew up on heavy metal like I did, as there are plenty of over the top high-pitched vocal harmonies and masturbatory guitar solos, but I don't know, I'm all for that mess and there are some fistbanging gems on this motherfucker, so I still enjoy spinning this disc every now and then:
Cities "Stop the Race"
Cities "In the Still of the Night"
Your best bet at finding various forms of this album would be to search eBay, but you'll have to make the call as to what price you think is fair for the formats available. This isn't necessarily a mandatory release, just a good ol' slab of metal!
Comments
Jesus, get out of my head!! I was just thinking about this album last night, that I need to get ahold of a CD. Wow. We definitely went to different schools together…
All I can add here is that they had some demos that floated around before this, and that AJ Pero (TS drummer) was already in TS and had left Cities when they asked him to re-record the album with them as a guest. Both weird choices. Then Pero and their singer had a band called Father Time in the mid-90s but they never made it very far, no albums to show or anything. With a name like that, it probably sucked anyway…
Damn, dude - thanks for this post, and stop scanning my brain!
8.25.2005 | By Scott
Hey man,
Nice site - some killer shit! This band rocks, very catchy. Like the Queensryche type vokills. Keep up the good work!
Chad of Aphotic
9.1.2005 | By Anonymous
omg we used to see cities back in the day and make fun of them…i forgot they existed…...how about a post on the crumbsuckers? thats a great nyhc band thats forgotten
9.2.2005 | By H
THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!!! I HAVE IT ON VINYL.
-carlos
9.7.2005 | By carlosNYC
yes! almost forgot this was here.
i was always a fan of this band and Steeve Mironovich’s total Rhoads-ish style guitarwork.
the obscure as fuck ep versions of these songs were soo much better but a great band…regardless of their Twisted Sister connection haha.
9.15.2005 | By Anonymous
Thanks for the recomendation! Picked it up on e-bay for $17. Doesn’t seem to pricey for such a gem! Wish I was a little older than 10 back in ‘85!
9.21.2005 | By Anonymous
I have a vinal copy of this album. I went to Billy “Os” back in 86 to catch Cities live. What a great show. AJ as I, bang the skins and he was nice enough to bum a smoke from me and talk some drums with me. I wish I could get this on CD.
1.15.2007 | By D Oringer