The Almighty: Studio Albums (1989-93)

Blood, Fire and Love (1989)

I discovered Blood, Fire and Love, the band's début album, when I was about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't that age when the record was released, just that age when I discovered it. But that's not important. What's important is that after half a dozen playthroughs I began to think it was great, believing it could be the sound that would ultimately destroy pop-tinged Hair Metal.

I thought it was a Rock album for the ages, the perfect soundtrack to a night of cheap cider and trying (mostly in vain) to get one's leg over.

Hearing it again after so many years have passed made me smile guiltily and a little shamefully.

The production isn't as bombastic as I remember it being and the choruses aren't quite as wild nor as... erm... wonderful as I used to believe they were. It sounds unmistakably like 1989. In retrospect, I now know that cider is devil's piss (whisky is king) and that getting laid has little or nothing to do with appreciating The Almighty.

Soul Destruction (1991)

Studio album number two is cheesy early-nineties rock music that'll likely make anyone that wasn't there at the time cringe, but it's The Almighty album that seems to be most fondly remembered by many fans, myself included.

Much of it is filler, I knew that back then, too, but there are enough quality tracks to give it status and make it worth a recommendation to anyone who enjoys that era's Hard Rock sound.

It has a few questionable production decisions, but the guitars are rocking and vocalist Ricky Warwick had a suitably gravelly voice, often called one of the best by 90s Rock magazines.

The tracks Bandaged Knees, Little Lost Sometimes, and Devil's Toy are definite highlights, and are permanent fixtures on whatever digital audio device I'm forced to use in daily life. I've owned it on vinyl for over twenty years and have just recently acquired it on CD. I'm still a fan. I still reach for the vinyl when I'm at home.

Powertrippin' (1993)

A new guitar player accompanied a new sound for the 'Mightys. Overall, the album is much heavier, a heck of a lot grungier and altogether less safe than before, but still finds room for the usual ballad (Jesus Loves You... But I Don't).

Ricky Warwick's vocal delivery is what holds it all together, and Stump Monroe's drumming has greatly improved. The change in sound takes a while to warm to if you're used to their Soul Destruction era, and while not as good at the time it has ironically aged a lot better.

I do feel that it overstays its welcome, though. Being a few tracks lighter would've helped it.

There was a special edition CD with a bonus seven-track live disc, which was a recording of the band's 1992 set from Donington. I owned it back in the day, but sold it to a friend for some quick cash. I'd ask him if I could buy it back, but I've not seen him for about a decade. I don't even know if he's still in the same country as I am.

The sound got heavier yet again on the next studio album, Crank (1994), but it seemed that by doing so they'd forgotten what it was that had made them interesting in the first place. It's a competent hybrid of Grunge and traditional British Rock, but not very memorable.

Three more studio albums followed, Just Add Life (1996), the self-titled The Almighty (2000), and finally Psycho-Narco (2001) but I won't be covering any of them on the blog. I've heard them and didn't enjoy them. For me, the band's worthwhile stuff ends with Powertrippin'.

- Obligatory 'rock journalism' fish-eye lens band member pic. -